Let's talk about your strategy for remaining in maintenance this Christmas?
HappyGrape
Posts: 436 Member
What is your plan to remain same weight on 1st of January as you are now?
3
Replies
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There is no real strategy. We're speaking of one day on Thanksgiving and then Christmas Day. If one is consistent with calorie deficit or maintenance the rest of the days, then weight shouldn't move much at all.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10479697/that-extra-2-5lbs-gain-each-year
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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HappyGrape wrote: »What is your plan to remain same weight on 1st of January as you are now?
I had a big feast on Thanksgiving Day...I will have a big feast on Christmas day...that is all. I'm actually cutting right now due to some injury weight gain and will likely be 6-8 Lbs down from where I am right now by Christmas...
I don't spend the whole of December gorging myself with food...for the most part, it's like any other month...I eat well and exercise regularly...I'm sure there will be a holiday party or two, but we generally attend some kind of social gathering a couple times per month anyway...so gain, pretty much business as usual.4 -
thanks for the link.1
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I won't log Christmas day or new years eve... possibly not boxing day, other than that I'll still be logging and in a deficit, so the scale should only show a bit of water weight.3
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Doing what I'm doing now. I probably won't be the same weight because of hormones.0
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I haven't found that one bigger meal once a month makes any difference at all.
Just like in weight loss I log everything, if I go over, I find its easy to make up for a few hundred calories later in the week, or over a few days. Usually that just happens naturally.
Happy holidays everyone, stay on and keep on!
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I wish I could limit fatal holiday temptations to Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, but I can't. I've got several pounds of leftover turkey in the fridge clamoring to be made into Turkey Tetrazzini, for one thing; and having navigated that and other Thanksgiving hazards, I've got nearly a month of Christmas parties to get through, my own and other people's. And while I honor those who cope by bringing their own carrot sticks in a baggie to parties, or sticking to club soda, I don't have that level of willpower. So I'll probably just fudge it again this year: indulge myself a little more, and a little more often, but make up for it by moving more, or eating less at other meals, or savoring the really fabulous Kryptonite foods while avoiding the ordinary munchies.5
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It's one day.0
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It's one day.
It's not for me.
2 work parties, one for our team and one with team I used to work - girls night out
Night out with few friends
Night out with the mums (my sons soccer team)
Extended family event
Out to see the Christmas lights & the new star wars & meal with my son & husband
Close family meal out the day before Christmas
Christmas day
New Years eve meal out
To top it off my friend have 40th birthday
That doesn't include few friends with kids that will most likely drop over and we will have finger food & drinks for them
Or the sweets in the office, and as I work in multinational - there are sweets from all over that people bring
The reality is that it is very busy month for us, and one to be enjoyed but I feel it can be enjoyed better with plan to avoid weight gain.
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I continuing doing the same things I do daily like getting my moderate workouts in, continue to track and plan what I am eating, I stop eating when I'm close to getting full and I don't drink calories which saves a lot of cals for food.
For the last 4 holiday seasons while in maintenance I've done one of the following and have maintained my weight or even lost a few ounces the next morning without trying:
- Eat moderate amounts of everything.
- Enjoy a little bit of everything and a lot of dessert.
- Have a lot of one or two items and a little bit of everything else.
I enjoy my food and eat what I want, but I do not overeat.
It has nothing to do with calories and I know it's just one day, but I personally do not like having a bloated stomach or having that heavy, weighed down feeling. Plus feeling that way usual negatively affects my mood and workouts the next day.
To each their own, but for me it feels great enjoying what I want, but being in control at the same time. It has taken me a long time to get to this point however.
Happy Holidays!15 -
Yes @rainbow198 I am just in maintenance since September. Hopefully in few years it won't be a thing, but right now I feel it's important for me to stay on course.1
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Same I'm doing.. try to stick to my 400 daily deficit and don't sweat it when I go over.3
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HappyGrape wrote: »It's one day.
It's not for me.
2 work parties, one for our team and one with team I used to work - girls night out
Night out with few friends
Night out with the mums (my sons soccer team)
Extended family event
Out to see the Christmas lights & the new star wars & meal with my son & husband
Close family meal out the day before Christmas
Christmas day
New Years eve meal out
To top it off my friend have 40th birthday
That doesn't include few friends with kids that will most likely drop over and we will have finger food & drinks for them
Or the sweets in the office, and as I work in multinational - there are sweets from all over that people bring
The reality is that it is very busy month for us, and one to be enjoyed but I feel it can be enjoyed better with plan to avoid weight gain.
Maybe try intermittent fasting? I don't know skipping breakfast would automatically save about 400 calories for me.5 -
Agree w/cwolfman (eating well & exercising); I'm retired now so not subjected to all the "goodies" folks bring into work. Eat well most of the time and don't worry abt the few days I don't.
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HappyGrape wrote: »It's one day.
It's not for me.
2 work parties, one for our team and one with team I used to work - girls night out
Night out with few friends
Night out with the mums (my sons soccer team)
Extended family event
Out to see the Christmas lights & the new star wars & meal with my son & husband
Close family meal out the day before Christmas
Christmas day
New Years eve meal out
To top it off my friend have 40th birthday
That doesn't include few friends with kids that will most likely drop over and we will have finger food & drinks for them
Or the sweets in the office, and as I work in multinational - there are sweets from all over that people bring
The reality is that it is very busy month for us, and one to be enjoyed but I feel it can be enjoyed better with plan to avoid weight gain.
This will come off as mean, but just because it's a truckload of occasions doesn't mean you need to eat whole-hog at every one. You can enjoy food, drinks, parties, friends, family, and not gain.14 -
This is my 4th Christmas since I got to goal weight, I don't log my foods anymore but I still mentally tot up my daily calories - I wont do this on Christmas & Boxing day, pretty much I will eat what I want (it doesn't take a lot to fill me any more). Then once the holidays are over its back to usual eating routine. I know from previous times/vacations etc that I wont gain any permanent weight, a few pounds perhaps, which will be history in a week or two.2
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I intend doing the same things that I did while still losing last year: I'm only buying mini mince pies, stollen squares instead of a whole stolen, mini frosted fancies and Christmas cake slices instead of a whole Christmas cake, etc - that way I can have a little taste of everything without having huge serving sizes. Christmas lunch will be mostly just like any other Sunday lunch with the only things extra being stuffing and pigs in blankets. I will have to be careful with the amount of chocolate that will be floating around, but won't be buying any myself. I will eat everything that I want, but I will be logging it all. As others have said, it only happens once a year - I'm expecting to put on a few pounds, but normal service will be resumed as soon as it's over, and I will be back on track before I know it. Got to enjoy Christmas!! But I don't feel the need to go mad.4
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Not doing anything differently than on any other day.3
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I had two thanksgiving celebrations. I intentionally lost two pounds before them and now I'm back up to my goal. I'll try to do the same before Christmas though I already have three celebrations planned. So perhaps I'll try to lose 3 by then.4
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same as i have been doing for a little over a year now.plan my meals and log them.portion them properly and keep leftovers in the freezer to enjoy them later.1
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RunRutheeRun wrote: »This is my 4th Christmas since I got to goal weight, I don't log my foods anymore but I still mentally tot up my daily calories - I wont do this on Christmas & Boxing day, pretty much I will eat what I want (it doesn't take a lot to fill me any more). Then once the holidays are over its back to usual eating routine. I know from previous times/vacations etc that I wont gain any permanent weight, a few pounds perhaps, which will be history in a week or two.
It's funny how after a month of logging it's impossible to stop. It's imprinted in my head to estimate roughly my cals as I consume meals, such as when I'm out and about. Somehow, the odd day out didn't make a difference to my weight, but I think a lot is to do with the fact that guilt overtakes any joy if I go overboard, and somehow stop before I go too far 2 -
@Effie008 I think its good that we continue to be calorie aware and make better choices. Also to realise that one high cal day doesn't undo our efforts. After over 4 years of logging food I wanted to 'go it alone' and find its working well for me, but its not for everyone.4
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it's not just one day for me either - we have a lot of people visiting us for meals and a lot of visiting other people.
My tactics have, in recent years, been;- Stay off the booze most days
- On the days I expect to eat a large evening meal I fast during the day
- I aim to hit the gym most days between Christmas and New Year's Eve
- With treat food/drink I try to avoid low quality crappy stuff in favour of better quality
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Um, its a holiday, one day,I am going to eat it all drink it all, and have a good time, and get a workout in.3
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Mine is simply by not celebrate Xmas.1
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StealthHealth wrote: »it's not just one day for me either - we have a lot of people visiting us for meals and a lot of visiting other people.
My tactics have, in recent years, been;- Stay off the booze most days
- On the days I expect to eat a large evening meal I fast during the day
- I aim to hit the gym most days between Christmas and New Year's Eve
- With treat food/drink I try to avoid low quality crappy stuff in favour of better quality
booze is big one! It's not only the calories from the booze but I am super hungry the next day
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KANGOOJUMPS wrote: »Um, its a holiday, one day,I am going to eat it all drink it all, and have a good time, and get a workout in.
You work out on Christmas day?0 -
The failproof strategy is:
1. Plan ahead
2. Follow your plan
3. Portion control
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays.4 -
Do what I do before any eating event: dig a calorie hole and stay active.6
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When treats are out, I pick the ones that look awesome first and make sure I get a small helping of everything I want. I then eat a lot of lower calorie stuff - veg, meat, pretzels instead of chips, etc. Watch the cheese and carbs. I don't drink my calories - meaning tiny helpings of eggnog and lots of tea and coffee, plus whatever alcohol I decide to drink. No milk or soda that soak up calories.
Remember that just because a cookie is pretty doesn't mean it's delicious. LOTS of stuff is prettier than it tastes. If it doesn't taste good I don't finish it, I pick something else.
I relax and have a good time. I've maintained almost 5 years and enjoyed it.7
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