Dealing with extra treats sitting around the house for the holidays?

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kiela64
kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
We've adopted the practice of having little to no treats/junk food in the house for pretty much forever because my mom is diabetic. But for the holidays we're hosting a few dinner parties, and my parents thought it necessary to have a bunch of different desert options. We have ice cream, pop, chocolate, cookies, fancy crackers and fancy cheeses, panettone, and Christmas cake. Just sitting around.

At the first dinner party I ate too many chocolate & cookies, then after the party I had some more ice cream and a pop. This is in addition to a full dinner. I find the treats being in the house so distracting, like a buzzing in the back of my mind.

What I'm more nervous about is after the final party we'll still have leftover treats, and no reason to not finish them all off in one go. My dad already got a present with chocolate and I stole the chocolate when I was home alone.

I feel so disgusting that I don't know how to just control myself. No one else seems to experience treats as this overwhelming distraction. Do you have any suggestions?
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Replies

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    For me it's about moderation, not deprivation. I've had cookies and fudge aplenty these past few weeks. I just try to fit it into my calorie goal. There's nothing wrong with any of those foods anyway and I prefer to not demonize any of them.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
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    log it before you eat it, not after. That way you have to make a conscious decision to eat the food. Don't lie to yourself about it either (sneaking food, not logging it, etc...), as that is only self defeating. Decide for yourself if it is worth the calories (and by that, I mean would you rather use those calories to eat something else). There is nothing wrong with going over your calorie goals either, just decide if it is worth it (slower weight loss).

    Honestly, if I was in your situation I'd log it and eat it, but then again I always save some calories for snacks. I'd even happily eat at maintenance instead of a deficit if it made the week easier for me.
  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
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    I have lots of kids from ages 11 to 25, so all bets are off for this week and next, and not having Christmas goodies is almost a sin around here. I'm not going to torture myself because, one, I'm making a butt ton of candies and cookies to give out and two, so is my oldest daughter. Baking and cooking is really a tradition for my family, so every year, we are inundated with a table full of fudge, cookies, cakes and pastries. My issue is that Christmastime is not the only time I would ever bake, so I have eliminated almost all baking except for birthdays, Christmas and Easter, and maybe other small occassions here and there. I no longer bake things weekly, which was a big problem.

    What I have done is given myself five pounds. If I can come home after my week of traveling and visiting family gaining 5 or less pounds (actual fat pounds), I will be happy. I will not stuff myself silly all day every day, and just eat handfuls of candy and cookies all day, but I will eat. I can't not be around it and I can't not have some, especially when I'm contributing about 50%. I am not weighing or logging anything and I am not going to stress or worry, or try to fit anything into my day or worry about eating at maintenance, I'm just going to be a normal person, enjoying the holidays with my family. For a week.

    Come January 5, the day after I arrive home, I will be back to the grindstone to lose whatever weight I put on. I lost 52 pounds since March of this year. I can take off any few pounds I put on by spring. Not a big deal.

  • asgentr
    asgentr Posts: 228 Member
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    Struggling with this. Since trying to lose again I haven't told anyone. Guess what? Boxes of chocolate, summer sausage, cheese, crackers and more have been flooding into the house. I enjoy the traditional things - like the See's chocolate my Dad sends every year (wouldn't be Christmas without). I appreciate the generosity. However, as a SAHM I find it difficult to enjoy in moderation. One long tantrum or a missed nap and I'm shoveling junk food into my mouth. I'm trying to view it as a mental challenge, as I won't be able to keep all junk food at bay forever and I must learn to resist/moderate.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,981 Member
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    kae612 wrote: »
    We've adopted the practice of having little to no treats/junk food in the house for pretty much forever because my mom is diabetic. But for the holidays we're hosting a few dinner parties, and my parents thought it necessary to have a bunch of different desert options. We have ice cream, pop, chocolate, cookies, fancy crackers and fancy cheeses, panettone, and Christmas cake. Just sitting around.

    At the first dinner party I ate too many chocolate & cookies, then after the party I had some more ice cream and a pop. This is in addition to a full dinner. I find the treats being in the house so distracting, like a buzzing in the back of my mind.

    What I'm more nervous about is after the final party we'll still have leftover treats, and no reason to not finish them all off in one go. My dad already got a present with chocolate and I stole the chocolate when I was home alone.

    I feel so disgusting that I don't know how to just control myself. No one else seems to experience treats as this overwhelming distraction. Do you have any suggestions?

    Oh sure, I can totally relate :). Because I live alone, it's easiest for me to just not have trigger foods in the house. The next best thing would be to have them out of sight. For some reason, food I store in the freezer does not call to me. (I bury it and sometimes put an opaque bag around it.)

    Can you talk to your parents about getting food out of sight?

    Are you getting regular exercise these days? We've talked about this on other threads - I think you were injured but are now healed (?) When I get the happy hormone hit from exercise I am less susceptible to hedonistic eating: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300869/hedonic-hunger
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
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    Send the fancy crackers and cheeses to my house!!!!!!!!!!!

    Hey, if any of the treats are sealed in it's original packaging, maybe go and donate the unopened candies/chocolates or whatever to a homeless shelter, or even to your local emergency responders! They won't take anything opened or homemade, I don't think. I thought about sending my local police pizza or cookies for arresting a guy my husband and I caught trying to break into my car, but they said they don't usually take that stuff unless they order it themselves.
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »

    Oh sure, I can totally relate :). Because I live alone, it's easiest for me to just not have trigger foods in the house. The next best thing would be to have them out of sight. For some reason, food I store in the freezer does not call to me. (I bury it and sometimes put an opaque bag around it.)

    Can you talk to your parents about getting food out of sight?

    Are you getting regular exercise these days? We've talked about this on other threads - I think you were injured but are now healed (?) When I get the happy hormone hit from exercise I am less susceptible to hedonistic eating: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300869/hedonic-hunger

    I don't find the freezer helps me, I'll still go after the ice cream. The further away it is helps. We've had an unopened Christmas cake in the bar fridge in the basement and that hasn't been an issue. But if I know there's chocolate around, eg. in my Dad's office, I'll go digging through stuff for it.

    I feel much better when I get exercise, for sure. Somehow it gives me a bit of extra willpower, I think :) I had a couple days where I didn't get any because I was sore & didn't sleep. But I went for a walk today & it's helped I think. I also got more sleep, which could also be a factor.

    Yep, that was me. I've only just started trying to get back into regular exercise as of last week. I'm just walking & doing some small bodyweight exercises (a nerdfitness beginner thing someone on here recommended). I'm only able to do one circuit of that program, as opposed to repeating it, or I fall over. But I'm working on it.
    Kimegatron wrote: »
    Send the fancy crackers and cheeses to my house!!!!!!!!!!!

    Hey, if any of the treats are sealed in it's original packaging, maybe go and donate the unopened candies/chocolates or whatever to a homeless shelter, or even to your local emergency responders! They won't take anything opened or homemade, I don't think. I thought about sending my local police pizza or cookies for arresting a guy my husband and I caught trying to break into my car, but they said they don't usually take that stuff unless they order it themselves.

    No, sadly everything is opened as of yesterday :P But that's good to know :) Thanks!
  • hapa11
    hapa11 Posts: 182 Member
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    Years ago I read an interview with a movie star that said she pours water over her fries after she's had a small portion and that really stuck with me. I'll try to eat a bite or two of a treat and then run water over it in the sink. You definitely can't go back for more once you've ruined it that way.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    If you're stressing about leftovers throw them out. If unopened donate to a food pantry. Salvation army, sour kitchen, etc.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,520 Member
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    Throw the extra in the trash and put something gross on top of it...so you aren't tempted to save it. It's not super wasteful if it isn't a habit.
  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
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    nordlead2005 wrote: »
    log it before you eat it, not after. That way you have to make a conscious decision to eat the food. Don't lie to yourself about it either (sneaking food, not logging it, etc...), as that is only self defeating. Decide for yourself if it is worth the calories (and by that, I mean would you rather use those calories to eat something else). There is nothing wrong with going over your calorie goals either, just decide if it is worth it (slower weight loss).

    Honestly, if I was in your situation I'd log it and eat it, but then again I always save some calories for snacks. I'd even happily eat at maintenance instead of a deficit if it made the week easier for me.
    lisalsd1 wrote: »
    Throw the extra in the trash and put something gross on top of it...so you aren't tempted to save it. It's not super wasteful if it isn't a habit.

    Either of these two options seem the best to me. That's what I do and it helps to see the numbers first then decide. At least then you're making the decision.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    Ninkyou wrote: »
    For me it's about moderation, not deprivation. I've had cookies and fudge aplenty these past few weeks. I just try to fit it into my calorie goal. There's nothing wrong with any of those foods anyway and I prefer to not demonize any of them.

    Ditto this.

    If I don't have enough calories left to eat something, I don't eat it.

    I always leave enough calories for the thing I've really been looking forward to.
  • RetroPolkaDot
    RetroPolkaDot Posts: 83 Member
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    This week has been hard for me. I find out of sight; out of mind works for me. so I have stashed things away in cupboards for tomorrow's family dinner. I don't put them in a regular food cupboard. I put them in the built in buffet in the dining room with the fancy plates.
  • mygrl4meee
    mygrl4meee Posts: 943 Member
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    I have been really struggling with sweets. No advice. I gave up logging and up believe logging will be the key for me. I plan on getting back to it on Sunday when holiday dinners done and the sweets too. My biggest road block is counting dinner calories since quite often I have to know the count of the meal as a whole.
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
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    Unfortunately the food isn't mine to destroy or give away, or I would. Thanks though :)
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
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    The leftovers will be yours to give away or destroy, though. Maybe start planning out how to get all those things out of the house after the holidays. Or, if you're going to eat it all, then make them all fit into your calorie budget. Freezing things helps keep some things fresh.
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
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    Protranser wrote: »
    The leftovers will be yours to give away or destroy, though. Maybe start planning out how to get all those things out of the house after the holidays. Or, if you're going to eat it all, then make them all fit into your calorie budget. Freezing things helps keep some things fresh.

    No they won't, really. I live with my family, so it all has to be there for people to nibble on for the next week in the Christmas spirit :P
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    @kae612, please don't be ashamed and try to be patient, tolerant, and kind with yourself. Also, I suggest you might want to take a hard look about why you lose control around food. If you know you've just eaten dinner, for example, and you're calories are done, you have a choice: you can either have that extra chocolate and move on, or you can choose not to have it and find something else to do. The only power food has over us is the power we give it.

    Also, do you weigh your food and log it? It really helps to plan ahead, and perhaps to leave some extra calories for yourself to have those extra treats.
    Ninkyou wrote: »
    For me it's about moderation, not deprivation. I've had cookies and fudge aplenty these past few weeks. I just try to fit it into my calorie goal. There's nothing wrong with any of those foods anyway and I prefer to not demonize any of them.

    Same here. I used to never be able to have treats in the house because the whole package would be gone in a heartbeat. Now, I have treats in the house, put away, and have some when they fit into my calorie goals. It has taken me a lot of work to get to this place, but I just got tired of punishing myself through demonizing foods and depriving myself of foods I love. Now, the only things that I don't eat are those food I am intolerant to, or foods that I can't eat due to a medical issue. Otherwise, the sky is the limit, withing my calorie goals.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    hapa11 wrote: »
    Years ago I read an interview with a movie star that said she pours water over her fries after she's had a small portion and that really stuck with me. I'll try to eat a bite or two of a treat and then run water over it in the sink. You definitely can't go back for more once you've ruined it that way.

    This is about one of the strangest things I heard. Why not just put the extra fries away for another day?
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    SLLRunner wrote: »
    hapa11 wrote: »
    Years ago I read an interview with a movie star that said she pours water over her fries after she's had a small portion and that really stuck with me. I'll try to eat a bite or two of a treat and then run water over it in the sink. You definitely can't go back for more once you've ruined it that way.

    This is about one of the strangest things I heard. Why not just put the extra fries away for another day?

    Don't know what would taste worse, fries with water dumped on them or as leftovers/reheated.

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