It's coming! Holiday weight gain...!

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  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
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    rileysowner wrote: »
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »
    rileysowner wrote: »
    So lets look at this and see what the real issue is. Since you mention October to January 1st we will cover that whole stretch. In those 3 months there are 92 days. If we consider the days where there are special events we come to say 10 days where there are Thankgiving Meals, Halloween Parties, Christmas Parties, etc. This would include extra days since there are office Christmas parties and the like since if we only include the actual days it would only be 5 or 6 days. That means 82 days where you could eat at your calorie goal and 10 where you would or might not. Notice something, the issue is not the 5-10 days where you have special events where food abounds, it is the 82-87 days where you could eat at your calorie goal, but don't. The weight gain is not the special events, it is all the other days that mess people up.

    When I worked at Target years ago, they were terrible about providing mass quantities of food. If they weren't catering from some nearby restaurant they were placing huge tubs full of chips, cookies and the like in the break room along with a lot of sugary types of drinks or a huge tub of popcorn. One fine day my pants wouldn't even button. That's when I knew at break time and lunch time I would just avoid the employee break room.

    What I find interesting here is that seems to be a common occurrence in many office places not just on the holidays, but all through the year. Cakes, donuts, etc in the break room brought by well meaning people who like to treat others. Even in my work, if I ate all the things people put in front of me I would have a really difficult time staying at my calorie goal. Just because it is there, doesn't mean you have to eat it. Enjoy the family time or friend time at the celebrations of these various events without obsessing over the food, and in those situations where it is just food sitting out, don't partake as there is no reason to.

    THIS. 100%. And sometimes we have to do battle with those who want to guilt us into eating or pressure us in some other way. We have to be strong in the face of these situations.
  • FitOldMomma
    FitOldMomma Posts: 790 Member
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    I've actually given this subject much thought. So close to my ultimate goal and don't want to have the holiday season be an excuse to get lax. So, I'll weigh in EVERY morning Oct-Dec so I know I'm staying on track. I'll indulge with SMALL portions of high calorie 'holiday' foods and treats. I will be conscious of getting enough water each day. I will also be CERTAIN to get my daily exercise.

    Reminding myself of what holidays are truly about helps as well : spending time with family and friends and making memories.
  • Kait_Dee
    Kait_Dee Posts: 175 Member
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    Love it! Great tips, insights and ideas.. I hope this discussion helps the folks who might not have their weight managed it consistency as well ingrained in their lifestyle yet.

    I really appreciate this community and how willing folks are to share and inspire others..!
  • 25lbsorbust
    25lbsorbust Posts: 225 Member
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    Surprisingly my holidays aren't too bad? My roommates and I are cooking Thanksgiving together, and all three of us are trying to watch our weight. Halloween I can generally avoid the candy, or only have a piece or 2 a day. The real challenge comes at Christmas..

    But in order to deal with that,I'm sending myself a care package with my typical foods here. What you buy in Austin, Texas isn't what you can buy in the suburbs of Connecticut, so I figure the cost to ship some of my favs might keep me eating healthy and prevent against a milanos-and-pretzels binge week
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    Yass.. this is the best time of the year to be bulking. All the foods are belong to me ;)

    Agreed! Since 2014, I've used these months for a purposeful bulking season. I typically gain 5-7lbs total over the holidays, then shed it in Jan/Feb. Because of this, I'm at the same weight as Oct 2014, but with 5lbs more LBM.

    Even if I did not track the muscle gains, I'm still content to accept that I'm going to indulge (moderately, not daily) and gain a few pounds. To me, that's a manageable 5lbs.
  • Kait_Dee
    Kait_Dee Posts: 175 Member
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    25lbsorbust wrote: »
    Surprisingly my holidays aren't too bad? My roommates and I are cooking Thanksgiving together, and all three of us are trying to watch our weight. Halloween I can generally avoid the candy, or only have a piece or 2 a day. The real challenge comes at Christmas..

    But in order to deal with that,I'm sending myself a care package with my typical foods here. What you buy in Austin, Texas isn't what you can buy in the suburbs of Connecticut, so I figure the cost to ship some of my favs might keep me eating healthy and prevent against a milanos-and-pretzels binge week

    What a neat idea..!
  • Kellyfitness128
    Kellyfitness128 Posts: 194 Member
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    Eat whatever baked goods, sweets, and rich foods that I want while staying within my daily caloric intake. :) No restriction over here, I ain't missin out! But it's all about mindful eating; naturally, I pick foods that make my body feel good, aka healthy foods, but sometimes I feel like a pumpkin spice latte or eggnog or a slice of pie. So, I'll incorporate it in, enjoy every bite, and stop when I'm satisfied. And I'll be keeping up with my workouts, so I plan on continuing losing weight over the holidays.
  • Kellyfitness128
    Kellyfitness128 Posts: 194 Member
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    mfurgiuele90 wrote: »
    It's funny, I always stop logging and gain weight in the summer time!

    I LOVE to bake but I am more of a salt lover than sweets. Holiday food and candy I can resist. I enjoy preparing the meals than indulging.

    Take this girl to a amusement park, fair, sporting event, ect and I cant say no to the deep fryer.

    I am so happy the Holidays are upon us. Back to getting in gear!

    Haha, me too! I don't know what it is. I'm kind of thinking it's because: winter, I can't overeat or my jeans are no longer going to button. Summer, I'm in loose clothing so bring on the beer and bbq, I don't have to worry about my clothes not fitting! Or, maybe it's because I'm just so happy around the holidays I don't overeat, since lots of my overeating is attributed to emotional/binge eating.
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
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    jdhcm2006 wrote: »
    I was just listening to a video by a woman who does PT for a living, and she says that she makes her clients make lists of things that would hinder their goals for this time of year, so things like holiday food, kids are back in school so time is more limited, sickness, depression due to lack of sun, etc. She tells them to make a plan to help combat those issues before it happens so that when it does happen you already know what to do. I thought it was a great idea.

    For me:

    Fatigue: October - April is the busiest time of the year for my job. So I need to make a point of making sure I'm getting enough rest.

    Sickness: try to get rest to avoid it as much as possible, take the appropriate medicine if I do get sick, and get plenty of rest if I do get sick. Keep vitamin c drops around at all times!

    Winter blues: there's something about it being dark at 5pm that makes me want to hibernate, lol. I can only think that rest will help, and making sure that I'm treating my workouts like appointments that if I miss them, I'll get fired and have no way to pay my bills.

    Yummy holiday food: just try to ramp up the workouts, indulge on the actual holidays, and then get back to normal the next day. Keep my tracking tight.

    I really do just try to make up new reasons for why I can't let myself gain weight. One that made my friends laugh at me is because my nephew is due in December, and I said "well I can't let my nephew meet me looking all extra chubby. What will he tell the other babies in the nursery?" So I have to stay in shape to avoid being laughed at by those newborns, lol.

    You know what. The cold itself. It gets very cold in my apartment and you can either roast or freeze. There is no in between. When it's freezing in here I have found myself seeking out things like hot cocoa. I actually have taken a liking to an unsweetened version. I just put a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder into a cup of boiling water. Sometimes I add creamer. It helps to have some kind of plan in place for these types of situations.
  • ItsyBitsy246
    ItsyBitsy246 Posts: 307 Member
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    I saw that article but I don't get it, having never gained weight over the holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years... that's only three days of potential over eating in my case, and I can't imagine stuffing my face in three meals with enough cals over maintenance to gain anything.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    williams969 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Yass.. this is the best time of the year to be bulking. All the foods are belong to me ;)

    Agreed! Since 2014, I've used these months for a purposeful bulking season. I typically gain 5-7lbs total over the holidays, then shed it in Jan/Feb. Because of this, I'm at the same weight as Oct 2014, but with 5lbs more LBM.

    Even if I did not track the muscle gains, I'm still content to accept that I'm going to indulge (moderately, not daily) and gain a few pounds. To me, that's a manageable 5lbs.

    Sorry but a female is not going to gain 5 pounds of lean body mass in a couple of months, even with chemical assistance.
  • Gena575
    Gena575 Posts: 224 Member
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    My plan, since there will be 50.hundred events going on, is to take a break the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas but to be mindful of what I'm eating. Eat what I love best and leave the rest. There will likely be 3 or 4 other maintenance days sprinkled in...work potluck, cookie exchange day with family etc. But I'm not going to nibble random break room treats. They almost always disappoint. Now when Betty brings zucchini brownies? Yeah, in my belly lol! But in general, day to day will be business as usual.

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