Trying to decide my plan for Christmas: help me?

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Hi everyone!
I have been using MFP since late July. Logged religiously since I began with only a handful of crazy food days over the past few months. Went from 158 to an average of 144. I've reached my goal weight and my maintenance range is 142-146. I don't want to start the New Year over 148.

I love food, I love to cook food and I can eat a lot of food in one sitting. Like, three plates easy plus dessert (what I did at thanksgiving).
With Christmas coming up, I want to be able to relax a little bit and indulge.
I'm trying to decide if I should officially break my diet on Friday and go through until December 26 and eat whatever I want and how much I want and not log a single thing
-or-
Break my diet Friday through the 26th and log every bite or try to estimate it at least
-or-
Break my diet Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Log 5,000 calories for each day and just go for it

Just want to see what your opinions are. I don't want to miss out on life because I'm so concerned about how I look or what the scale says. Cooking and enjoying our meals is an important part of my family's holiday. I don't think a long weekend of big eating (or two days worth) could make me gain more than 3 or 4 pounds of fat.

Thoughts?

Replies

  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,676 Member
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    I would say just make the best choices you can. Include some special foods you really enjoy but don't pig out on the rest, and log as best you can. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day can be a bit more indulgent, but there is really no need to stuff yourself. Enjoy a piece of pie, not half a pie. A couple of cookies, not a plateful of cookies. If you are cooking, it will be easier to make dinner a bit more healthy than was perhaps traditional. It's not that difficult to fill your plate with more vegetables and less bread.
  • Iwantahealthierme30
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    I will be logging except for Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.

    Christmas Day will be homemade lasagna, roast, ribs etc.
    New Years Eve - Chinese food but half of what I used to eat
  • duskyjewel
    duskyjewel Posts: 286 Member
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    I like option 3.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    I won't be logging from Wednesday to next Tuesday. But it's only three days that I'll be over: Thursday for a potluck, Monday for Christmas dinner, and Tuesday for my annual breakfast out with my coworkers. The other days I'll still be mindful of what I'm eating.
  • WhereIsPJSoles
    WhereIsPJSoles Posts: 622 Member
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    For me, dieting isn’t hard it’s the weighing, measuring, and logging that’s tedious. So on Christmas I’m just taking a break from all that and wantonly pour creamer and sugar in my coffee and not keep a mental count of how many cookies I’m eating.

    I’m not a binge eater, though, so your mileage may vary.
  • piscesjoey
    piscesjoey Posts: 15 Member
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    Saturday is my job's annual Christmas potluck, Christmas Eve we normally order pizza for dinner, & there's Christmas Day dinner so no logging for me at all for the entire Christmas weekend.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
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    planning to binge isn't a good idea...nor accepting that it is natural to eat three plates of food in a sitting. what's the point of getting to your goal weight while maintaining the mindset of an overeater? i don't get it.

    yet.. yes.. on holidays people eat some treats and traditional food..which will go over calories. that's life..you should do your best not to binge and just enjoy the natural treats of the day.
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,172 Member
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    Well, you won't gain"three or four pounds of fat." You'll go over your calories, retain a ton of water weight from the salt-laden Chinese food, and get back on track after the holidays. No big deal.
  • mlinci
    mlinci Posts: 403 Member
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    I'm going to eat all I want, within reason - certainly not 5,000 calories, more like 2,500 calories a day - and I'm going to continue logging to my best ability. I am thinking I'll probably go up 2 lbs over the Christmas period, if that.
  • Blythmag
    Blythmag Posts: 252 Member
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    I'm not logging Christmas day, boxing day or new years eve. I'll log 3500 cals each day and call it good.

    Doesn't mean I'm going to binge, just enjoy whatever I fancy and drink a lot more than I usually would!

    And amen to this, sums it up perfectly.

    Go enjoy yaselfs for once.
  • Spiderpug
    Spiderpug Posts: 159 Member
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    X-mas day & boxing day im logging but not counting (1700 is my maint which is too low for x-mas even with a run added on!)