Home for the holidays

Walk_run1410
Walk_run1410 Posts: 11 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

What are your tips to sticking to your calorie and exercise goals when you visit your folks for the holidays? I will be going back home for 5 days over the thanksgiving holiday. A little about my parents: they live generally healthy lifestyles, exercise nearly every day, and eat pretty balanced meals, with the exception of having junk staples in the house (i.e. namely ice cream and potato chips) in which they consume in moderation (neither parent is overweight, and both are pretty fit for their age). A little about me: 25 y/o F, on a 1420 cal per day diet, exercise a few times per week. So, my goal is to stick to my calorie/exercise plan by eyeballing it, in which I know I'm at risk of eating more that I should, but I also want to relax a bit and be spontaneous (such as go to a non chain restaurant or enjoy home cooked meals and end up have to guesstimate my calories anyway). So, if I come home and end up maintaining, I'm ok with that.The exercise part I'm not worried about, I know I'll be doing that. It's just that in the past when I've gone home, I have binged without control, in which I blame myself and no one else, but now I am determined to demonstrate that food does NOT have this chokehold on me.

Have you guys experienced problems similar to mine? If so, what advice and/or constructive feedback can you offer me? Thanks!

Replies

  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
    I will be in the same boat, Thanksgiving and Christmas! My goal will be to eat at maintenance, with the exception of two days for each trip. I'll allow myself a "free" day on the actual holiday, and another for a leftovers day! Plenty of exercise if I can squeeze it in.

    Of course, if I gain a lb or two, I know it will come back off fairly quickly once I return home and get back into the groove, eating at a deficit.

    Good luck!
  • Walk_run1410
    Walk_run1410 Posts: 11 Member
    Thanks! That's what I'm hoping for too, maintenance, but if I gain a pound or two, I know it won't be a huge deal because I plan to go back to calorie counting when I get back home! For me though...I tend to be an all or nothing kind of person, so it's not just one cookie or one piece of pie for me...yeah. It's why I don't buy any of it! Anyways, I really want to just control myself, not go nuts at the first sign of a rich dessert, and remind myself that bingeing, while "feels good in the moment", ALWAYS leaves me feeling worse than before. And, I love the feeling of waking up in the morning knowing that I stuck to my calorie goal and didn't binge!
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    I think your parents would have no problem if you wanted to take your scale with you, and that they would most likely support your efforts to maintain your progress - if they are active and of an appropriate weight themselves, it sounds like they are aware of what is necessary to maintain good health. Remember that you are in control of what goes in your mouth, unless someone is holding you down on the ground and shoving food in your face. Now is the time to put your greatest effort into will power - let your parents know about your situation and I can only imagine that they would want to help you out. At least, thats what I would want to do for my kids, and I hope you have a good relationship with your parents so that this is how they would feel too.
  • Walk_run1410
    Walk_run1410 Posts: 11 Member
    Great point. Always an excellent reminder that, no matter how much I might want to binge, I am 100% in control of what I eat and don't eat. Fortunately, I do have a good relationship with my parents, and I think they would be understanding of my situation.
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