Holiday eating and fitness strategies

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Replies

  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    In the past I would indulge way too much but as I have gotten older I hate that overly full feeling I used to get when eating too much heavy food.

    I will indulge in a few things now but have a small portion of each. The main thing I crave is berry pie but I can usually be satisfied with one slice.

    I tend to exercise less in the winter due to gloomier weather. I’m just less motivated. On days when I go to family’s house, I track as best I can and eat at or slightly above maintenance for just a day or two.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    nooshi713 wrote: »
    In the past I would indulge way too much but as I have gotten older I hate that overly full feeling I used to get when eating too much heavy food.

    I will indulge in a few things now but have a small portion of each. The main thing I crave is berry pie but I can usually be satisfied with one slice.

    I tend to exercise less in the winter due to gloomier weather. I’m just less motivated. On days when I go to family’s house, I track as best I can and eat at or slightly above maintenance for just a day or two.

    That's me too. That said, Christmas doesn't tend to be quite the ordeal that something like Thanksgiving is. It's more like a good Sunday dinner. I usually do a rib roast with roasted turnips with some kind of veg side and Yorkshire pudding. It's a nice plate of food, and that's about it...there aren't tons of different dishes to try and sample, and very few leftovers. It's somewhat more indulgent than a regular day for sure as we have tamales with breakfast and usually quite a few appetizers and whatnot are out while dinner is being prepared...but it's nothing crazy. Our Thanksgiving this year was much smaller than usual as we just didn't have as many people and no need for so many dishes...there were a few things we would normally have that I missed, but at the same time it was nice to just have a reasonable amount of food and not be overly full and feeling like I was going to explode.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    nooshi713 wrote: »
    In the past I would indulge way too much but as I have gotten older I hate that overly full feeling I used to get when eating too much heavy food.

    I will indulge in a few things now but have a small portion of each. The main thing I crave is berry pie but I can usually be satisfied with one slice.

    I tend to exercise less in the winter due to gloomier weather. I’m just less motivated. On days when I go to family’s house, I track as best I can and eat at or slightly above maintenance for just a day or two.

    That's me too. That said, Christmas doesn't tend to be quite the ordeal that something like Thanksgiving is. It's more like a good Sunday dinner. I usually do a rib roast with roasted turnips with some kind of veg side and Yorkshire pudding. It's a nice plate of food, and that's about it...there aren't tons of different dishes to try and sample, and very few leftovers. It's somewhat more indulgent than a regular day for sure as we have tamales with breakfast and usually quite a few appetizers and whatnot are out while dinner is being prepared...but it's nothing crazy. Our Thanksgiving this year was much smaller than usual as we just didn't have as many people and no need for so many dishes...there were a few things we would normally have that I missed, but at the same time it was nice to just have a reasonable amount of food and not be overly full and feeling like I was going to explode.

    Yes! Agreed.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,409 Member
    sakurablossoms82 wrote: »
    My plan is exercise more during these weeks and maybe eat a bit less unless I'm hungry and then for Christmas or New Year enjoy all the yummy food in moderation. I don't want to limit myself on those days. And a few weeks ago I had the idea of maybe it's cool to aim for 20kg weight loss in 2020 but I'm still 1,5KG away and I decided to just let the idea go.

    That’s a win of almost 41 pounds, though, so still an ah-mazing job there!
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
    kmccrom wrote: »
    Hi everyone! I’d like to hear what approaches people are taking to eating during the holidays. What has helped you stay on track in the past? Do you still log your food on a day like Christmas Day? How do you deal with the holiday mentality around eating and still maintain a balance?

    What about fitness? Do you work out more during vacations to compensate for increased calorie intake?

    I don't change anything. I eat what I want and train like I always do. If you take care of business from December to November, what you do from November to December is of no consequence...
  • Samand303
    Samand303 Posts: 123 Member
    I have a major sweet-tooth and I love to bake! We can't bring goodies into work to share anymore, though. Luckily I just found a neighborhood family with two teens and two full-time working parents who would LOVE donations of sweets anytime. This has helped me do something I enjoy and still maintain. (I lost 30lb in the first 8 months of 2020...and the end of 2020 isn't going to break me!)
    My mantra lately is "the first bite tastes the same as the last", so I don't feel like I have to finish that sweet on my plate. Leaving 3-4 forkfuls of cheesecake may not make a big difference in the scale, but it makes a big difference in my attitude.
  • saramelie77
    saramelie77 Posts: 50 Member
    I'm treating the holidays as normal days. So I will be sticking to my caloric goal and working out daily. I've struggled with binge eating my whole life and I'm now dealing with a heart condition, which is my first motivation to lose the weight. It's going very well at the moment, I really don't want to jinx myself.
  • Kiernla
    Kiernla Posts: 7 Member
    edited December 2020
    I have different weekday/weekend calorie goals: 1,200/1,700, and I usually net below goal. I'll be treating Christmas and New Year's as weekend days - still logging but loosening up somewhat, and only on the actual holidays.

    I also have to closely track and limit sodium, as I'm being treated for hypertension. So, I will plan my sodium intake for the day around dinner as I do when I want fast food; that limit alone will force me to moderate my portions. And, since I'm the one making dinner (not gathering), I know exactly what's going into dinner and how much.

    Finally, I've been slowly ramping up my activity level and intend to continue over the holidays. My kid will be happy to help me with that :smiley:
  • sakurablossoms82
    sakurablossoms82 Posts: 62 Member
    springlering62 wrote: »
    sakurablossoms82 wrote: »
    My plan is exercise more during these weeks and maybe eat a bit less unless I'm hungry and then for Christmas or New Year enjoy all the yummy food in moderation. I don't want to limit myself on those days. And a few weeks ago I had the idea of maybe it's cool to aim for 20kg weight loss in 2020 but I'm still 1,5KG away and I decided to just let the idea go.

    That’s a win of almost 41 pounds, though, so still an ah-mazing job there!

    Thank you! When I started in june I never thought I would make it this far so fast. I just stepped on the scale and although I was a bit stuck the last 2 weeks I suddenly lost 1kg. So 500 grams to go for 20 kg in 2020. Now I'm extra motivated :)
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
    one day, or even one week, will not make or break anything.

    its when that one day or week turns into 6 weeks, turns into 4 months, turns into a year where people have issues....

    enjoy. live. and when *whatever* is over, get back on track.

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