How do you guys survive Christmas??

LUHAN27
LUHAN27 Posts: 211 Member
edited November 27 in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, so as you know, the holidays are coming around and you know what that means: lights, decorations, outfits, cold and HIGH CALORIE foods. For those of you that celebrate Christmas, how do you keep you diet in check? Do you work out extra hard? Count calories? Eat 'small portions'? or do you just say, "Screw it" and eat whatever the hell you want? lol All I'm thinking about are those glorious sweets/desserts and how I hope my I can maintain my diet and workout during this time of year.

Replies

  • RonnieLodge
    RonnieLodge Posts: 665 Member
    edited December 2015
    I'll be working out first thing in the morning, logging everything, not taking leftovers home and going for vegetables and meat first, sweets last. Also trying to walk between events where possible/do something active to get me away from the table.
  • MathildaZ
    MathildaZ Posts: 37 Member
    i'm just gonna try to not eat sweet things at all. sugar etc. and stilll eat all the nice christmas food :p gotta be a little more ''fun'' at christmas

    (btw love the Luhan pic) ^^ (kpop fan here 2)
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
    The same way, I handle vacation and Thanksgiving. I don't have high expectations for weight loss, I plan to eat at maintenance. If that means eating smaller portions, or doing more cardio, or saving up calories from prior days to eat more for special parties. One day isn't going to derail my weight, but what I can not do is eat with abandon for weeks.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,331 Member
    Consider it this way. There are 31 days in December. If you celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Year Eve, and say a Christmas party somewhere, that is 4 days out of 31. It is not the 4 days that mess you up, it is what you do on the other 27. Eat at your calorie goal those days, maybe exercise a bit extra, and don't extend the Christmas eating beyond the actual days, and you will do fine.

    Looking back I realize it is never those 4 days that mess me up. It is that I keep eating too much because there are leftovers, and I do so for day. Then instead of just eating over my calories the 4 or 5 days, I end up eating too much for a few weeks.

    As to the days themselves, I eat whatever I want and as much as I want. It is far more important that I am spending time with the people I love than counting calories.
  • ki4eld
    ki4eld Posts: 1,213 Member
    I make my own goodies and take them, so I know I have something to eat that works with my diet. If I have a bite of something else, well alright. Then again, I did that for Tday and paid for it for a week, so I'm gonna go with "eat my own food" for Xmas.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    edited December 2015
    Smaller deficit, logging every day, allowing myself to eat at maintenance sometimes and just not sweating it. Life is meant to be enjoyed. Holiday goodies might slow me down a bit but they won't stop me from getting to my goal.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    rileysowner wrote: »
    Consider it this way. There are 31 days in December. If you celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Year Eve, and say a Christmas party somewhere, that is 4 days out of 31. It is not the 4 days that mess you up, it is what you do on the other 27. Eat at your calorie goal those days, maybe exercise a bit extra, and don't extend the Christmas eating beyond the actual days, and you will do fine.

    Looking back I realize it is never those 4 days that mess me up. It is that I keep eating too much because there are leftovers, and I do so for day. Then instead of just eating over my calories the 4 or 5 days, I end up eating too much for a few weeks.

    As to the days themselves, I eat whatever I want and as much as I want. It is far more important that I am spending time with the people I love than counting calories.
    This. There was too much good food at Thanksgiving to worry about staying in my calorie goal, and I can just eat at a slight deficit if I'm over my maintenance range.

  • CitrusEscape
    CitrusEscape Posts: 30 Member
    Christmas is a day just like any other day. Log in all the food that you eat within your caloric goal and work out. Simple as that.
  • LUHAN27
    LUHAN27 Posts: 211 Member
    rileysowner wrote: »
    Consider it this way. There are 31 days in December. If you celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Year Eve, and say a Christmas party somewhere, that is 4 days out of 31. It is not the 4 days that mess you up, it is what you do on the other 27. Eat at your calorie goal those days, maybe exercise a bit extra, and don't extend the Christmas eating beyond the actual days, and you will do fine.

    Looking back I realize it is never those 4 days that mess me up. It is that I keep eating too much because there are leftovers, and I do so for day. Then instead of just eating over my calories the 4 or 5 days, I end up eating too much for a few weeks.

    As to the days themselves, I eat whatever I want and as much as I want. It is far more important that I am spending time with the people I love than counting calories.

    I like this comment. Very accurate now that you mention it; it's not Christmas that can mess up my diet, it's the days after. I'll consider this during my holidays. :)
  • robs_ready
    robs_ready Posts: 1,488 Member
    I survive it by eating all the things I shouldn't be eating, drinking all the things I shouldn't be drinking, then worry about the rest later
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    I didn't log for that week last year, and I don't think I'm going to log the week this year. Diet break time!

    Honestly, as long as you go in with a plan and don't deviate from it, you'll be fine. Some find success in sticking to their goal. Some save up calories from the days leading into it. Some aim for maintenance. Some go all out. The key is no matter what, you stay on track or get back on track as soon as possible. As soon as the 27th comes, I'll be logging and in a deficit again.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,630 Member
    My plan is this:

    I am about 2 kg from my goal. I am sticking to my diet right now, and will continue to do so up till about Dec 21, 22 or 23. I'll decide when I get there. If all goes well, I might lose those last 2 kg or close to it, and will switch to maintenance.

    My work forces us all to take 10 days off over Christmas. If all goes well, I'm hoping we'll actually have some decent summer weather then, and I plan to exercise a lot in that time.

    During that time, I also plan to take a diet break. I'll eat whatever I want to eat for those 10 days, and possibly the day before and after too.

    Then I'll reassess where I am. I may need to go back onto the diet again for January ... or maybe all the exercise I've done will compensate, and I'll just continue with maintenance. :)
  • rosnigetsfit
    rosnigetsfit Posts: 569 Member
    edited December 2015
    Diet break! I haven't been logging since 1st week of december. Let's face it that december is the time of the year where you try to minimize your gain. I have allotted 2-4lbs gain for the month of december! For sure I'll gain but I know eventually I can get through this.

    ETA: I'm not telling you to yolo eat because it's decemember. What I'm trying to say is enjoy food in portions. Again, you can have everything but watch your portions. Also, try to be active at the same time to burn some extra cals.
  • momar23
    momar23 Posts: 292 Member
    I am taking a diet break, partly because I've been eating at deficit for over 10 months and figured that the holidays would be a good time to try and figure out my maintenance. I have been set for 500 a day deficit this week is 250, next week, 125 then adding back the othe 125 for a week. If I'm brave enough I may increase an extra hundred the following week and try to find my true maintenance and try to reset and start fresh mid January
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    Over eating one Christmas didn't made me overweight. Over eating ( Surplus) every time did.

    I will eat/cook/make what i want. Eat some days lower some days higher. I will do the same i always do. Moderation and portion control and when i want to indulge on something i sure will.

    And after that back to control and counting again. Water weight/ fluctuations totally ignoring because i know they will be gone again.

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  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I will do the same thing I do for any day.
    I plan meals. I pre-log my day. I make choices. I fit things I want into my goals.
    Try to stick to my daily calorie goal, decide to eat at maintenance or look at my calories for the whole week instead of one day.
    I just don't plan to eat all the things I see at one time. I'll eat food I like in reasonable portions. I might exercise. Not worried about it.
  • scorpcookie
    scorpcookie Posts: 113 Member
    My goal for the month of December is at the worst, to simply put on a couple of pounds. At the best, I'll maintain or lose a pound or two. For the most part in December, I am still sticking as close to my chosen deficit as much as possible while upping the amount of cardio I do on a weekly basis.

    Already I've been to a couple of parties where I easily went over maintenance by a couple thousand calories. But what is done is done. I simply move on and continue to be as diligent as I can until the next party or until I bake more treats and succumb to licking the wooden spoon clean of batter.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I'm mindful. I stress a bit but I know how to even things out or not, and I deal with the consequences. I'll eat under a few days before hand. Maybe have a day at maintenance, day at a surplus. I'm in the middle of a bulk but I'll still be eating a few days at a deficit before hand so I can enjoy a nice 4000 calories on xmas.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,187 Member
    Easy and without panic because I don't make food the center of attraction during the holidays. Sweets are not my kryptonite and I don’t need to eat them to be happy. I will be cooking this year so a BBQ tri-tip, maybe some roasted potatoes (or mashed), some kind of vegetable casserole; homemade apple and cranberry sauce, and probably some rolls. I will make a fruit salad for desert, and I will have ice cream and European cookies for whoever wants more sweets. My family knows that I don’t bake, so if they want cake they will have to bring it themselves. Just make family, friends, laugh, and talks the center of the holidays. They are very rewarding and very low in calories. <3
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    Christmas isn't something I 'survive through'. Christmas is an absolute pleasure and a real big deal in my family. I 'survive' christmas by accepting that sure, I'll likely gain weigh but ultimately, I'll get right back on track once the holidays are over. This is the human approach.
  • cwagar123
    cwagar123 Posts: 195 Member
    Last year I severely restricted myself and was MISERABLE! And then this past summer I lived it up and gained weight anyways, but still remember how MISERABLE I was at Christmas.
    This year my plan is going to be to eat at my maintenance (about 2200 for me), not go overboard, but enjoy the couple of days with family, friends and FOOD.
  • duddysdad
    duddysdad Posts: 403 Member
    Maintenance. It's the only way :smile:
  • robs_ready
    robs_ready Posts: 1,488 Member
    My eating as much *kitten* as I possibly can stomach, then get on with the new year.
  • oolou
    oolou Posts: 765 Member
    In the days beforehand I plan to do some extra cardio to bank some calories and mitigate the feasting that I'll be fully enoying. I won't be going crazy, but I won't be restricting either. My mum's made a beautiful Christmas cake and I'll be accepting whatever size slice she cuts for me :)
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    I was long overdue for a diet break since I'd been eating at deficit for a year. I started eating at maintenance level Thanksgiving week. I plan on doing that through Christmas.

    Thanks to exercise, my maintenance is somewhere between 2000-2200 calories. That's enough to get some treats in there. I'm logging my food and exercising and enjoying the increased calories and holiday treats. That calorie allowance was enough for me to enjoy Thanksgiving. It should be plenty for Christmas.

    I have some days where I'm not feeling well due to chronic medical conditions, and those days I eat less.
  • Larissa_NY
    Larissa_NY Posts: 495 Member
    I don't eat that differently around the holidays, to be honest. I still eat what I want, but what I want is stuff like the zucchini pizza boats I was craving last night, not pie or something. Not that I wouldn't eat pie, because who wouldn't eat pie; it's just that eating a lot of high-calorie food makes me feel gross, and no one wants to feel gross at Christmas.
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