The advantage of being an immigrant is that there is not that much family close-by, so we will have our "normal" Christmas and still be below the max person limit! That being said, we like to put "our" carols on, and buy/make some food "like home". So, we will overindulge and it will be impossible to track. My plan is to only indulge 2 days, keep active during those days, and eat just one meal a day. Also, my mother will be visiting us, so that will be nice!

Other than that, we put the Christmas tree up today! It's the first time we do one in years, but this year was extra-hard on our family, and I felt we needed a nice, tall, beautiful tree.

I always make the same thing on Christmas Eve. Lasagna, sausages, meatballs, salad, garlic bread. Desserts vary. Not sure what everyone wants yet.

My plan is to have some of everything except the garlic bread and not make enough for leftovers.

I’ve got a few holiday low cal desserts I’m planning to try this year.

I’m not making fudge or any cookie unless it’s low cal. I give myself room for a 200 calorie dessert everyday. If it fits I’ll make it. If not I’m not making it.

On Christmas I make cinnamon rolls. Not sue if I’ll have one or not this year.

The week before we booked an impromptu trip to Orlando to do Harry Potter at Universal. We will be back on the 20th. Going to work for 4 days and then Christmas will be the same as it always is. We go to my parents house and do Christmas Day with them. My mom always makes spaghetti and meatballs so that’s what we will be having. The day after Christmas we always travel to Wisconsin for our annual hell vacation (I call it that because it is snow skiing and I hate the cold!). That lasts until after the New Years. So that’s the whole holiday season. I usually try to eat at or a little below. I don’t overly track my calories during this time and I won’t this year either. I will however continue to do my exercise class as often as I am here for it.

unfortunately, my mom is in charge of Christmas dinner. So there will be stuffing, cranberry salad, broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole. She says she's cutting down on desserts - making a smaller fruit salad so there won't be a large bowl of left overs, and she is making an angel food cake but I've talked her into using swerve to cut the calories and sugar down and unsweetened coconut. I make cookies but give them all away.

The only thing that I can't do much with is the plum steamed pudding cake which is like a fruit cake but I use regular dried fruit and not the icky candied stuff. but it gets cut into teeny pieces because it is very rich.

Otherwise, I'm not going to worry about it at all. Just enjoy the meal and then work on getting back on track in January.

Agh!!! MIL sent delicious cookies by post!! Luckily, DH is also trying to manage eating and so we froze a significant amount, but some have already been eaten! I was NOT counting on this distraction.

Oh and we usually go see the nutcracker ballet but no live performances this year. We will watch on tv but not the same

Today is my last "Christmas Gathering" day. Our city is in lockdown with too many new daily cases to ignore - so we have been doing small gatherings in the backyard, with a fire and soup plus other "one hand" edibles and treats.

I'm looking forward to a stable schedule and my normal food routine. It feels so comfortable now! This chaotic eating was fun in its own way and didn't go too badly - but I'm done. I hope I can find my way back into the deficit groove okay. I know the sugar addiction is alive and well...but I hope it can go back to sleep without too much of a struggle.

2021 - here we come!

If too long, please don't read.

We are hosting Christmas for my MIL, MIL's 'gentleman friend', BIL&SIL. They arrive Christmas Eve and leave on NYE. So I have to brace myself for a whole week of festive food and drink.

Gulp.

I've tried suggesting that we cut back this year, but I was shot down in flames by my husband and MIL, who insist that tradition must be upheld. Which means the first champagne cork is popped before breakfast on Christmas Day, and the last brandy swirled and sipped by the fire just before bed. And all manner of food and drink consumed between those two markers.

If it was just one day I think I wouldn't be so worried, but there is the expectation that the feast will continue unabated until the moment our guests depart.

This is the rough itinerary/menu:

Christmas Eve

• Family arrive late morning. Light healthy lunch of homemade soup and bread (yay!)
• Mid-afternoon - I'll walk the dog for an hour....
• Pre-dinner: Aperitifs and nibbles (e.g. booze accompanied by nuts, crisps, taralli etc.)
• Dinner: 3 courses and wine.
• After dinner: Liquers/Wine/Spirits etc..
• Supper: Mincepie and glass of mulled wine; crackers and cheese if anyone's peckish (!)
• Bedtime: Proper hot chocolate made with whole milk, cream and Belgian chocolate shavings (with a slug of brandy or rum for those that want it)

Christmas Day

• I'll walk the dog for an hour before breakfast
• Pre-breakfast: Champagne toast to absent loved ones....
• Breakfast - Croissants with butter and preserves; granola & greek yoghurt; selection of fruit juices
• Post-breakfast present opening: Champagne and nibbles
• Lunch: 3 courses and wine. Choice of at least 4 desserts (one will be fresh fruit salad - yay!)
• Mid-afternoon - I'll walk the dog for an hour....
• Lunch onwards: Constant grazing.....chocolates/nibbles/cake etc. all washed down with copious amounts of booze....
• Dinner: A cold buffet
• After dinner: Liquers/Wine/Spirits and more grazing....
• Supper: Crackers and cheese/Christmas Cake/Mincepie....
• Bedtime: Proper hot chocolate (with a slug of brandy or rum for those that want it)

Boxing Day

• I'll walk the dog for an hour before breakfast
• Breakfast - Same as Christmas Day
• Lunch: 2 courses and wine. Courses will be cold cuts/bubble & squeak/cheeses/pickles etc.; choice of at least 3 desserts (of which some will be leftovers from Christmas Day)
• Mid-afternoon - I'll walk the dog for an hour....
• Lunch onwards: Constant grazing.....chocolates/nibbles/cake all washed down with copious amounts of booze....(i.e. repeat of Christmas Day)
• Dinner: Sandwiches or crackers with cheese and cold meats; panettone, stollen, christmas cake and mince pies.
• After dinner: Liquers/Wine/Spirits and more grazing....
• Supper: Crackers and cheese/Christmas Cake/Mincepie....
• Bedtime: Proper hot chocolate (with a slug of brandy or rum for those that want it)

And, basically, this pattern will repeat itself for the next 4 days. The meals will become less lavish, but will always include dessert. The grazing and boozing will continue unabated every day from lunch until bedtime.

My only exercise will be the twice-daily dog walks (which will be at snail's pace if MIL and her two ancient dogs come with me).

Our guests all like different drinks, so we have enough champagne, red & white wine, whisky, bourbon, gin, campari, vodka, rum, Baileys, brandy, cider and lager to refloat the titanic...

Similarly they all have different taste in snacks, nibbles and baked goods (and some have dietary restrictions) so in trying to cater for everyone's tastes and needs we've had to buy tons more than we'd need if everyone liked the same thing....

I plan to send most of the leftovers home with the guests, but I'm apprehensive about staying even remotely on plan when everyone around me will be throwing caution to the wind...

I'm being serious when I say I need all the help I can get - do any of you have any suggestions? I plan to limit my drinking to a glass of wine with lunch and dinner and maybe one aperitif...and I PLAN to choose the healthiest dessert (or try to decline completely!) and to stay away from all the grazing - but will I have the willpower, when (inevitably) everyone's nagging me not to be a party-pooper?

Should I just stop fretting (for a whole month in advance) and just eat and drink whatever the hell I like and deal with the consequences in the new year?

I was brought up in a much less lavish tradition, so I find all this weight of family expectation for a groaning week-long smorgasbord hard to handle....

Help!!!!

Good advice, thanks Laurie.

The house is groaning under the weight of all the non-perishable food and drink already (and has been for a few weeks) and I can resist opening any of it....but ONCE IT'S OPEN, all bets are off.

And any willpower I have will be severely undermined by alcohol.

Because my husband is severely restricted in the amount of alcohol and food he can indulge in (he's a kidney transplant recipient and has medication-induced gout) I feel that the mantle has passed to me to play the part of the convivial host, and to be seen not only to be constantly topping up my guests' glasses, but my own too...

I DO intend to barefaced lie and say I'm having a G&T when really I'll be having plain slimline tonic water. And I'm always the person who gets everyone's drinks, so I'll be able to get away with that little ruse (and everyone knows a G&T is my drink of choice, so it won't seem fishy). But I can't do the same with the wine...

I could put a little pile of chocolate wrappers on the arm of my chair, so people think I've eaten them...

I know from past Christmases that people will nag and nag and nag if they suspect I'm shirking my fair share of noshing....

This is a family of slimsters....not an ounce of excess weight between them, but they do love a multi-day Bacchanalian feast...

I have actually lost friends over the eating out issue. However unlike your in-laws my friends need to lose weight. My weight loss and careful eating was somehow interpreted as silent judgment although I never discuss diet. So I can appreciate your hosting dilemma.
A few maybe workable ideas. You could eat mainly what your husband eats and say you’re keeping him company so he doesn’t feel left out. What mother could object to that? At least some of the time?
Another idea is to physically write down what you plan to eat the next day. Put the list where you can read it several a day. On the dressing table or fridge. Typing into MFP is easier but putting pen to paper registers in the brain better. Little tidbit I learned in my education courses prepping for teaching.
Final option is to just honestly tell the family you need their help in staying on track. You don’t want to put a damper on their celebrations but don’t want to undo all your past hard work. And then just take smaller portions while encouraging the family to enjoy the holiday foods.

I've decided that I'm pretty much going to pay the piper in the new year. Starters and main courses will be fine - no need to stress about those. They'll take me into maintenance calories, but not by much. The damage will be done by the desserts, nibbles and booze. I'll try to limit my portion sizes with the desserts and do a bit of sneaky water drinking when people think I'm hitting the gin....but I'll drink wine with lunch and dinner. If the booze dissolves my resolve and I go doo-lally with the nibbles I'll just have to undo the damage in January and February.

Over the festive period the worst that could happen is a gain of say 5lbs...AS LONG AS I CAN GET BACK IN THE SADDLE IN THE NEW YEAR! This is where your help and support could prove invaluable...

I know from bitter experience that Christmas has the power to interrupt a 300+ day losing streak and cause a tailspin lasting for two years, when I won't approach within half a mile of the horse, let alone get back in the saddle. I mustn't let that happen again!

Yoolypr wrote: »

Bella - I completely understand your fears about losing control over the holidays. I’m trying to be really careful the next few weeks to enter the new year where I left off rather than with 10 more pounds to lose 😢.

If we support each other I'm sure we'll be fine.

I'm psychologically scarred by the christmas when I felt supremely confident that I'd be fine because I was firmly 'in the zone', had enjoyed 44 consecutive weeks of losses, and was only 11lbs from goal having lost 69lbs....

I started eating poorly on christmas eve and didn't stop over-eating for 25 months, by which time I'd gained all my weight back and the obligatory additional 5lbs.

I'll never be that complacent again....

Under the you manage what you measure idea my past record keeping was quite good as compared to now.

Maybe there's a hint for me there 🙀🤔