keeping weight off over holiday and winter months

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  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    My plan is to bake all the goodies from scratch, use the recipe builder and surf around for good (honest) comparisons of the one or two things I buy, and log everything I eat at home outside Christmas Day and New Years Day. Meals out, I'll manage as usual - moderation, choose wisely and skip bread/dessert/2nd glass of wine unless it's really worth it.

    I also plan on fitting more exercise in on the days I have off work than I would normally do, since I have the time. I figure I have to earn those calories for that gingerbread cookie/cheese and port/Christmas cake/Christmas pudding/croissant for breakfast that I wouldn't normally have, and the best way to do that is to exercise more. Last year, I would have just sat on my big butt and done something sedentary, but I just don't think I could handle being still for that long now.

    I started on MFP on Jan 22 this year, so I know the winter thing doesn't necessarily have to mean gaining weight (when you don't want to). Well, I'll keep telling myself that..

  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
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    During the holidays...or anytime I have a more social week than usual...I make it a point to eat especially well in the days before and after the events. I eat a little less than normal so I can splurge a little when I want to. I typically do this to some extent anyway...a little bit of calorie cycling makes me not feel deprived over the long term. And there is a theory...not 100% proven so I am not representing this as fact but I figure there is no downside to trying...that calorie cycling actually helps with weight loss or maintenance by keeping metabolism from slowing down. If nothing else, it absolutely is helping me stick to my healthy habits. The psychological benefit cannot be ignored.

    Also, if you are going to something where you know there will be a lot of unhealthy food...eat something light before you go so you aren't hungry. Or drink some psyllium seed husk mixed with water before you go...it has almost no calories, lots of fiber, and you will feel full which really will help you eat less. Research has actually proven that people who drink psyllium before meals eat a few hundred calories less.

    Finally, I don't deprive myself too much. If I really want something, I have it...just a smaller amount than I used to. At Thanksgiving there were three different pies on the table...I had very small pieces of each...together they added up to one medium sized piece. I got to try everything without going overboard.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    I just keep heading outdoors for nice long walks.
  • allanakern
    allanakern Posts: 245 Member
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    don't skip meals before a holiday party - have a protein shake, something high in protein before you go. it'll help you keep your portion small if its an event you feel you "have" to eat at......like a work party or something where you'd feel funny if you didn't take a little something. I did that for my work party but I was so satisfied from my protein shake I was able to take just some veggies and a little piece of meat
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
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    I bought a light box and sit in front of it daily from 6-6:30 a.m. because I have a bad case of SAD. This seems to work very well and I don't get the winter food cravings or depression.

    As far as the holiday food, I have a treat here and there, but I don't overdo it. To be honest, I have an easier time losing weight in the winter than I do the summer. I think it's partly because we don't celebrate Christmas and we rarely do anything for new years. Those are like every other day. But in the summer, there are picnics, festivals, carnivals, etc. So many more things going on for us.
  • spoiledpuppies
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
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    I do best by abstaining altogether--not from the events, but from the food. If I'm at a meal, I make sure to stick with plain salad and meat, which is usually possible. At a sit-down, there's often turkey or ham, so I would just have the lightest cuts. If it's more of an appetizer/mingle setting, then it's easy to just not have anything. I agree about focusing on socializing.

    I LOVE sweets/desserts. For these, I definitely find that abstaining is best for me. I could eat platters and platters full, and I know that a 1.5-inch brownie/bar bite can pack as much as 200 calories. In a social setting of just grabbing things occasionally, that can add up quickly. I'd rather focus on socializing and save the treat for a time I can really savor it.

    Quote from a wise friend: "It's about valuing what you want most over what you want now." I remind myself of that on occasion--usually after I've successfully passed up a treat, so it maybe didn't help to stop me from eating it in the first place, but it reinforces my decision and values (and I usually smile a bit to myself as I think it!).

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