The problem with "It's only one day" holiday mentality

Enjoy your cheat days and don't think too much of it unless you see yourself "cheating" more than once a week.

Keeps your body guessing, and keeps you motivated since you aren't depriving yourself of everything.

I'm a major foodie. If I didn't have wings or a burger or a juicy steak or whatever else I enjoy every now and then, I'd fall of the wagon really fast.

This. If I don't enjoy it, I don't do it for a long time. And also:

Sure there's Christmas and birthdays and New Year's and 4th of July, and Flag Day, and Groundhog Day and Sweetest Day and if you wanted to you could pig out Every Thursday because its only one day. And you know what. That's fine. There are fitness plans that are very successful that tell you to have a once a week off-day for whatever reason (Body for Life). And they have a whole theory and will plant their flag on the idea that you're RUINING EVERYTHING if you don't have your "cheat day" EVERY WEEK. whatever.

There's also the fact that this is life. It is about living your life and having your food and exercise adjust so you have a good life. Not sacrificing all that is good and holy in your life at the alter of "OMG my macros are off!!"

If you are overweight and tired and not there for the kids because you're to tired or stiff to play, and you're getting the diseases of overweightness, then your diet and exercise are not letting you live the best life you can. You don't fix that by being a curmudgeon at family get togethers, freaking out that now that you're trying to lose weight, it is clear that your relatives are trying to kill you by baking that pie you love or offering you that nasty green fluff crap you used to always love. What kind of trade off is that? Crap life for crap life. Why would you do that?

Diet and exercise and everything else you do in life is there to *enhance* your life. If it doesn't, you're doing it wrong and should stop and re-calibrate.

So you go and you spend the ONE day (for this time period) when it isn't about being PERFECT in hitting numbers, because that isn't important in the long scheme of things. But you DO make your choices based on priorities. If it isn't groundhog day without your brat with sauerkraut that you've always loved, but you're on a no-sauerkraut diet now, you get over yourself and you have some damn sauerkraut.

Me? I can't stand sweet potatoes with a bunch of marshmallows on them. So I'm bringing the (very reasonable) sweet potatoes. I can hide behind the weight loss to duck the marshmallow-ruined sweet potatoes and the awful green fluff and the bland, flavorless greenbean casserole that always has the onions gone by the time I get to it. I don't need to waste my calories just because Aunt Matilda thinks that crap is yummy. If I thought it was yummy,. I'd waste my calories with abandon on them. See that? It is enhancing my life!

Go enhance your life and your presence in your family's get together. And get over the however many "one day"s you're gonna encounter in a year when the rest of what's important to you is in minor conflict with your weight loss goals.

I get what you're saying. I think people "think" it's only one day, but really, with leftovers in the fridge, do you really let it only be one day? I am not making a huge gluttonous meal this time. I am making a turkey dinner with normal amounts of sides. Otherwise, I'll be eating that 3000 calorie meal everyday for a week!

It's not Thanksgiving's fault if you gorge yourself on leftovers.

I'll eat what I want at Thanksgiving, but I have saved many containers to send leftovers home with my guests. There are health reasons for both my husband and I to return to more careful eating the next day.

I'm pretty adamant about going over 500-1000 once a week. That's 26k-52k calories per year, or 7.4-14.85 lbs per year. Yet when I was aiming to lose weight, I lost it. You have to consider the splurge in the perspective of your overall calorie deficit and lifestyle.

This.

However, if you feel better not having so many 'one days' a year, if it's a mental accountability thing, then select a number of days a year you do feel comfortable with and stick to it. I'm not eating Thanksgiving dinner, but that's only because my husband and I are not visiting family this year and he's working that day. It's just not a big deal to us so I'm not going to create an excuse to HAVE to eat a huge meal. However, my birthday is next week and you can bet I'll be consuming a grand dinner with as much alcohol as I want.

I understand that 1/2 of the weightloss game is mental! I get that! At the same time, I have come to realize that if I am going to be successful, that I have to figure out a way to LIVE Every Day (including holidays, birthdays and vacations) for the rest of my life, and the bottom line is that I am not going to give up desserts or pizza or the occasional glass of wine for the rest of my life, so I have to figure out a way to incorporate it into my life while I am trying to lose weight. That is why it's called a "lifestyle change".

That is why I am going to treat Thanksgiving like every day. Moderation, being accountable, and logging everything I eat. It's the choices we make everyday (including holidays) that make a difference. If I choose to have a slice of Cheesecake AND Pumpkin Pie, then that is the choice I will have to live with - and I will log it. However, I haved learned that having some pie does not have to mean having a piece that is equal to 1/4 of the whole pie. Having a 1/2 cup portion of Mashed Potatoes is fine.. it's loading a pile on my plate that is equal to 1/2 pound that is a problem.

Trust me... information is POWER, which is why I log everyday. I want the information. I gained over 100 pounds by being blind to what I was eating... and I don't ever want to be that person again!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I plan on allowing myself to eat what I want on Thanksgiving but I plan on not stuffing myself to oblivion this year!

I been thinking about Thanksgiving and the " it's only one day" theory and have come to the conclusion that for me it leads to a slippery slope...add in a Birthday, Christmas, New Years, Superbowl. Thankgiving. Valentines, 4th of July, Labor Day, Easter, Halloween, summer vacation, winter vacation, etc - and I can quickly see myslef having 20 - 3,000 calorie days in one year - that's 17 POUNDS! I'm going to indulge Thursday but still be very aware of what I eat. Wish me luck!

I am wishing you luck and some for me as well.

It is not just one day for me...yet. I know this from the weight of past experience (pun intended). I want to get to the point that a holiday is just one day but until I do, I am with you. My plan is to have the items that I really truly want but still measure and log. Not so much that I don't go over a certain amount that day, but so that I don't lose my focus. Because that is very easy for me to do. It is like one part of my brain can go to sleep for 6 months and I wake up 20 lbs heavier. And it is not so much the holiday food that will do it but the holiday stress. At this time I need some kind of external guidance to make it work and I think I have finally found a tool, MFP, that will work.

Years ago I wouldn't have started anything like this right before the holiday season. But if I made that decsion this time, I know I would be 5 to 10 lbs heavier come January. When I can trust myself with a holiday again, and I will know when that is, then I will. Believe me, I look forward to it. And I will gladly join those of you saying it is just one day. But just know that not everyone is where you are right now.

I totally understand....Im gonna be honest...Im probably not even going to try and regulate myself on Tday but Friday is a new day. And think about how after you eat so much, when you cut your calories again, at least the progress shows quickly...like in a day or two. You can do this!!!

Im going be the negative one here and give my honest opinion . I think its ridiculous that American holidays have to revolve around food. Why can't we celebrate family and friends with a healthy meal and some fun games or activities. I think this starts way to young when you have to bring cupcakes to school as a kindergartner ( I was a teacher for 15 years) why cant we celebrate without food? This is just my opinion and I am sure its unpopular. And yes I am having a thanksgiving dinner with all the usual foods, but I will be happily enjoying my portioned healthy options.

This holiday season remember there is so much more to celebrate than food!

I been thinking about Thanksgiving and the " it's only one day" theory and have come to the conclusion that for me it leads to a slippery slope...add in a Birthday, Christmas, New Years, Superbowl. Thankgiving. Valentines, 4th of July, Labor Day, Easter, Halloween, summer vacation, winter vacation, etc - and I can quickly see myslef having 20 - 3,000 calorie days in one year - that's 17 POUNDS! I'm going to indulge Thursday but still be very aware of what I eat. Wish me luck!

The problem with this theory, at least in my experience, is that I have always eaten large meals on special occasions, and I did not gain 17 pounds a year. (Also, as was pointed out before, you're looking at it wrong. A 3000-calorie day is only 1300 extra calories over maintenance, to use my numbers as an example.) In fact, I never really gained much weight until I started taking a medication that made me hungry all the time... I gained weight from overeating every day, not on special occasions.

I notice that you only reply to people who agree with you, rather than addressing any of the excellent points that have been mentioned.

I have about one 3,000 calorie day per week. If you haven't stuffed yourself with 1,400 calories worth of sushi in one sitting, you haven't lived.

oh yeah:bigsmile:

But I have at least one 3,000 calorie day every month, regardless of the holiday status... It might make me take an extra six or seven months to get all of the weight off, but at least I had fun getting there!

Hi there! Does it take six or seven months to lose the weight caused by one 3,000 calorie day each month or do you mean in general? I think it sounds like a great idea because there is usually one celebration each month but if it causes six months to get it off I don't think I would be able to risk it. I am really tired right now so maybe I am reading it wrong so I just wanted to clarify. Thanks!

I must face the facts. I have lost lots of weight before and gained it back. My diets start with one day and my declines into the abyss of indulgance start with one day. Only one day is not so great a deal if it stops there but sometimes one turns to two and "I'll do better tomorrow " and" first thing next week " and "oh the hell with it I will just wait until the holidays are over." For me a slippery slope but that's just me. (and also why I have 100 lbs to lose).

I have about one 3,000 calorie day per week. If you haven't stuffed yourself with 1,400 calories worth of sushi in one sitting, you haven't lived.

You speak the truth.