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Old 12-06-2009, 03:30 PM   #1  
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Default Being on Plan over Christmas

well, i was thinking about how to stay onplan over Christmas and getting a bit worried. Now that my BMI is healthy (just) losing weight is that much harder for me, and unless I stay pretty low cal its just not going to happen. And I dont want to regain what I've fought so very hard to lose! And I have no idea how to stay on plan over christmas. I want to enjoy it, but not go over the top.

My plan so far is to have all the vegetables and turkey I want, moderate amounts of ham lol and one SMALL sweet treat a day- a piece of chocolate or a small desert. I think portion size management is going to be key for me.

I'm also going away for a couple of weeks and I'm a bit worried about that too. I dont want to be calorie counting the whole time, but I also dont want to ruin my recent breakthroughs. Since its summer, I was thinking of just trying to make the same good choices I would normally- whole grains, low fat, salads etc when we eat out.

What's everyone else going to try? Whats worked for you guys in previous years? Maybe this thread can become a mine of tips and hints for not causing massive damage over the holidays
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Old 12-06-2009, 04:18 PM   #2  
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Props to you! i keep telling myself, "i know i am going to go off the diet at christmas so why bother staying on now..." your state of mind is much better then mine (and encouraging) just remember... as i keep reminding myself, this is a life style change... not just a diet...

congrats on all your hard work so far, and best of luck over the holiday season!!
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Old 12-06-2009, 04:39 PM   #3  
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Icon - I know what you mean, I'm worried too! My fiance and I are going back to our hometown for a week, where we'll be in a hotel for a week and doing lots of get-togethers with family and friends. Fortunately, the hotel we're going to be staying in has a kitchenette, so we'll be able to cook some meals (which will be good for budget reasons too!).

A few of the things I'm going to try to do:

1) Stick to my usual eating schedule. Normally, I tend to eat at pretty well-defined times (breakfast at 7:30, snack at 10:00, etc), but when I travel, I tend to get off this schedule. Doing my best to stick to it will help keep me more mindful about eating, I hope.

2) Count calories religiously. I counted calories for a little bit when I was first trying to lose weight, but I'm going to pick it back up for the rest of December.

3) Keep checking in on 3FC. Thank goodness for the Biggest Loser challenge - I'm going to use that as motivation to stay on track over Christmas.

4) Keep the focus on friend and family members. I'm going to do my best to remember that just because I'm seeing people that I haven't seen in months/years, I don't need to commemorate every occasion with a giant slab of cake. By spending more time catching up with people, I'll spend less time at the food table.

5) Keep a picture of this wedding dress on hand. I am so in love with this dress, but it's not something that's going to look good on me at this weight. If I'm going to be in shape for my wedding next summer, I can't afford to let the holidays slow me up.
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Old 12-06-2009, 06:07 PM   #4  
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My dad and I spend our christmases with our family out of town, and let me tell you, it is a place where diets go to die, painful, butter-soaked and chocolate coated deaths. And this year we're going to be there throughout the worst of the holiday season, from about Dec. 19-28th.

1. I like the idea of the 'state of mind' if you tell yourself you're going to fail, you probably will. It is as easy as that.

2. Counting calories, I do it anyway so I don't see any reason why I would stop, unless I starting feeling guilty about what I ate and decided to neglect to mention it. (Because not entering that pizza means I didn't eat it, duh!) So, if I et it, it gets logged. That usually keeps me on track by itself.

3. I'm going to be frank with the people I'm with, or at least those I feel comfortable telling. My aunt, for instance, knows what I'm going though (dieting and the what not, lifestyle changes, and being surrounding by people with crazy fast metabolisms), and I plan on telling her from the get go that I'm trying to be as healthy as I can, so that hopefully that will help avoid any awkward "WHY AREN'T YOU EATING?" situations.

4. Eat at home when possible, it is a lot less fun, and my cousins will make a point of informing me of that fact, but it will make life much easier for me if I don't have to eat at Chick-fil-A everyday. And because they are a dinner-style family, I'll have to be careful with my food throughout the day so as not to go over just because dinner was something more fattening than I expected. I'm also nixing bread/potatoes at dinner. And deserts only on Christmas/Christmas Eve. And even then, only a little bit.

5. EXERCISE! They have an elliptical and my aunt is a member of curves, I'm planning on using their elliptical like I do here (an hour a day) and maybe seeing if I can get a guest pass to go to curves with her 3 or 4 times, depending on her schedule.

6. And of course, 3FC.

Good luck to everyone, oh and smisen, that dress is so beautiful!
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Old 12-06-2009, 08:20 PM   #5  
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oooh I like the eating at the same time as usual idea! I'm a chronic grazer, so xmas is the worst (mmmm left overs )

Smisen- that dress is gorgeous!

I was thinking of not counting calories on xmas day, on days leading up to it I think I will, but do you guys do it when you go away? I could take my little notebook and calorie book with me, but in a way I just want to totally relax. I think I know what I should be eating and what I shouldnt. On the other hand, I am pretty pedantic so maybe I will end up counting!
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Old 12-06-2009, 08:36 PM   #6  
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Icon - I usually run into problems because our drive home is about 6 hours long and we usually do it at night, which is a time I don't normally eat, but we still stop at gas stations and fast food for snacks. And then there are times when I'm just sitting around the hotel, watching movies or goofing around online and it's like, "I should have a snack right now..."

And I think I am going to count calories on Christmas - I'm not necessarily worry about sticking to a particular number, but I do want to be cognizant of what I'm eating. It's going to be challenging to figure out what's in all the homemade foods, but I'll just have to do the best I can and try to make healthy choices.
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Old 12-06-2009, 10:20 PM   #7  
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yeah i think thats probably a good idea too. I might look up things a few days before that I know i'll want to eat- mince pies, ham, turkey, sausages etc and then at least i can make informed choices
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Old 12-06-2009, 10:37 PM   #8  
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I have no idea what I'm going to do about this. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day I can plan for - plus we're eating at my grandmother's and I can't stomach her cooking, so that won't be too terrible, but I don't know what I'm doing for the rest of the week.

If I stay at my dad's I'm really going to have to watch it and maybe I can do some of my own food shopping, if I come back home to MD it won't be such an issue. As of now I have the whole week between Christmas and NYE off, but I'm reconsidering it and may just go into work instead of sitting in NJ in a house that my mother is NOT in.
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Old 12-07-2009, 06:41 PM   #9  
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This is a huge hurdle for me! I love to bake and cook, and I've already started ramping up the preparations for my family to visit the whole week of Christmas. And my family LOVES to eat (so that's where I get it from!)- especially sweets.

Yesterday, I made a fudge wreath, holly berry krispies, truffles, mint thins, chocolate cherry thumbprints, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, chewy chocolate peanut butter cookies, and the old standby chocolate chip cookies. I think I gained 2 lbs just taste-testing! And I'm only about halfway through baking the sweet stuff, then on to the entrees etc. Tomorrow is baking (and treadmill!) day.
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Old 12-07-2009, 07:21 PM   #10  
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Stella - Christmas hugs to you. I've spent every single Christmas at my grandma's house and she passed away in May, so this year is going to be pretty weird.
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Old 12-07-2009, 07:28 PM   #11  
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stella and smisen- sorry for your losses, I find xmas is one of the hardest times. My grandma passed away a few years ago and I still find it strange to call my grandad on christmas and not speak to her too. Chin up, we can celebrate christmas in their memories

blaise- i love love love baking too! I refuse to do it at the moment because i'll just end up eating it, I have enough baked goods being thrown at me! but that wreath sounds divine
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Old 12-07-2009, 07:55 PM   #12  
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I'm not worried about Christmas day... because that day I will eat what I want... I'm worried about having that mindset for all the other days and all of the other get togethers and parties... I will just have to keep telling myself that I have to wear a bathing suit in a few months and I have come too far now to turn back... but seriously Christmas should be turned into a non food related holiday haha
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