What is YOUR Holiday eating strategy?

i try so hard week in week out, i refuse to think about calories over xmas, those scales will still be there to help me , for one week only i will have a bit extra. Pigging out no but logging will be a no, my choice .

Halloween is also a non issue. I will just avoid the candy and go for some kettle corn (ACT II is awesome)
Thanksgiving and Christmas I'll get up early and do a long run and then likely eat those exercise calories back. I'll log my food as normal since I'm on a great streak. Maybe at the end of the day I'll go on a walk with friends/family so everyone can at least feel like they are working it off.

For Thanksgiving, Christmas, Christmas eve, maybe New Years eve... I'll just Quick Add ~4000 calories and eat all the things. I didn't get fat from over-eating only 4 days per year.

Portion control is your friend.

My strategy:
Distract bacon loving BIL with beer.
Eat all the bacon wrapped things while he is inattentive.
Eat lots of s’mores.
That’s pretty much it.

I like to bring my favorite treat (that I know the cals and can log too!) and I'll mostly eat that and have a tiny portion of other treats. My favorite to bring to holidays are merengue cookies, they're really low cal each!

I eat whatever I want on the day of (e.g. Christmas) without logging. I do try to get some decent exercise in like a long walk but that's just what I do anyway. Then I try to get right back into a regular logging routine straightaway.

As for events like meals out or hot chocolates with friends or Christmas markets, I just enjoy them and make sure I'm on track on the days in between. Seems to be work for me.

I try and log but usually end up giving up on Xmas day and Boxing day. We do not have Thanksgiving here (thank goodness) and I don't really do Halloween other than having some of the funsize chocolate bars/bags.

Christmas is the main one for me as I am totally out of my usual environment and I don't think my mum would be impressed if I took my Greek yoghurt, fruit and usual foods along with me and declined all the stuff she stocks up on to make sure we have a good few days. There is always a load of mince pies, Xmas cake, stollen and chocolates left over anyway which I try and leave for my brother to take home. I eat what I want Xmas lunch, ensuring to pile on the veggies and turkey. I tend to not want much later on that day and usually it is a cold buffet of things like pickled beetroot,smoked salmon, quiche, cucumber, tomato, cheeses, potato salad and that sort of thing that we just take when we feel like it.

I try and get back to working out on the 27th and ensure I get some good workouts in the days before. My main issue really is getting back on track as I often find I am continuing to eat the sweet stuff until just after New Year. We shall see. Unless I gain a load of weight before December, I should be okay as I am at the very very bottom of BMI for my height anyway.

Increase the cardio sessions to 2 times a day to try and mitigate the inevitable weight gain.

This is my first holiday season since I've been on MFP. I'm thinking I'll have a smaller dinner Halloween night so I can work some chocolate into my calorie goal. Thanksgiving I'll be eating at maintenance and not taking home any food. Christmas will fall on the first days of a 2 week long diet break so I'll be eating at maintenance as well.

Same as it ever was. There are only a few food holidays every year, so why stress about them? I just eat whatever I want on those few days and get back to normal right away. Doesn't seem to have a negative impact - I've been maintaining at goal for almost 6 years now.

I usually take a couple of weeks in December at maintenance. I think last year I didn’t log on days of big holiday parties where it would all be WAGs anyway. On Halloween itself I eat at maintenance, and then work 1 leftover Halloween treat into my deficit calories each day until they’re gone or I get bored of pumpkin shaped peanut butter cups. I logged on Thanksgiving, but didn’t worry about going (way) over.

BusyRaeNOTBusty wrote: »

I think I am going to try to do a 5k on Thanksgiving morning. And then, probably not log and just try not to over-
stuff myself.

Oh yeah. .I forgot. at least I get a 5 mile run at race pace (and usually an accompanying 5 mile walk) on Thanksgiving morning before eating all the things.

I basically ignore the food on the holidays. I've seen 62 Halloweens, Thanksgivings and Christmases - and there is nothing new - nothing that I haven't seen or tasted before: not one candy bar, not one serving of stuffing, not one cookie. So I eat as if it is any other day - and if I want a few extra cocktails (which I usually do) - I adjust calories accordingly.

For Halloween, I'm letting the kids each pick a small amount of candy to keep & hide on their own, and giving the rest to the candy buy back program at their school. I've given up added sugar, and have no self control, so that's best.
For Thanksgiving, I'll get a big workout in that morning to allow for wiggle room, but stick to mostly protein & veggies at the meal, avoid the breads. The drinking is what's gonna hurt!
I think by Christmas, I'm either gonna be ready for a real cheat day, or I'll be doing so well that much of the foods won't be worth eating. Not sure yet.
I also always, always offer to bring the veggie tray, so I can fill up on veggies instead of all the heavy appetizers.