I figure there are 3 ways to deal with Thanksgiving. Pertend it doesn't exsist,which if you have a family you can't really do;Stuff yourself that day then feel guilty and return to dieting the next;and lastly, stick to your diet and feel deprived and a little jealous of those getting to eat.I'm torn between the last two and leaning towards "stuff and guilty" . Anyone else wondering how to deal with it?

How about eat reasonable amounts of whatever you want?? That's my plan.

I'm with Sheila ... there IS a middle ground between "stuff yourself" and "feel deprived" ... understanding that -- and learning to be satisified with less -- is the key to successful weight loss and maintenance overall.

I'm with Sheila on this one. Find the stuff that's most important to you and practice portion control. You can't expect to keep this lifestyle up if you're feeling deprived and resentful. But you can't use a special day as an excuse to abandon your efforts either. You've got to find the healthy balance that makes this way of living something you can do for the rest of your life. Just my 2 cents, but it's what works for me.

Beverly

My experience with past holidays has taught me that moderation is best---especially if it is reserved for very special days (I need more of a plan to lose successfullythe rest of the time). So, for example, on Thanksgiving and Christmas, I just allow myself to enjoy what I want in moderation. The other two options, trying to stick with your normal eating plan, or just stuffing yourself, don't work for me. I have found that if I just allow myself to enjoy the treats of the day in moderation, I actually succeed in eating reasonably. The pressure is off.

I'm with the others on this one. I try to avoid the foods I could eat on any given day (mashed potatoes, corn, etc.) and try to just get the stuff that we only get on holidays. If it is a small spoon, I get two scoops and one scoop of a larger spoon.
Then I choose to either a) go back for seconds or b) choose a dessert or c) if I'm really full from one plate, just skip the seconds or dessert. I'm more of a salty food person and not always in the mood for sweets so that's why.

There is no guilt here because I plan for the day and tell myself that nothing is off limits and if I decide to go ahead and gorge myself on dinner rolls and stuffing then that's okay too. The key though is to not continue to overeat the next day or any other day after that.

I have to cook a giant feast for a small army on Thanksgiving. It's going to be a challenge for me but I've already made a plan. I'm going to use one of my smaller plates for myself and stick with skinless turkey and veggies. I may indulge in one small whole wheat roll if I really feel I need to, but I'm going to try and avoid that.

After dinner I'm going claim "I have a light headache" and take a short walk while they all indulge in the desserts. When I get back I'll be packing up most of the dinner to send home with everyone so it won't be in my house.

It's a challenge, but we'll all make it through.

Heather

Well, I think portion control is a great plan, but I plan on incorporating healthier cooking this year. I am not going to load my potatoes with butter. I'm going to use a baking bag for my turkey as opposed to basting it with butter every 30 minutes while it is cooking. As for the sweets, I am going to try using splenda and lower fat options for the baking. It will be a first for me so I'm not sure how well that will go over yet. I've got faith we can do great through this holiday with our eating!

i'm w/ sheila also portion control

I'm going to work out that morning (before an early morning 4-hour drive from Baltimore to Long Island) and make sure I have enough high-protein snacks to tide me over during the day (the meal usually occurs at around 6:00.) Then I'm going to go for small portions of everything I want and go for a walk after dinner. The day before and the day after, I'll make sure to go lighter on the calories and get in extra cardio. There will be NO REGRETS this holiday season.

I'm just going to root for you all from the sidelines seeing as I already survived turkey day last month (you know, the real thanksgiving )

I am going to eat what ever I want that day. And I'm not going to feel the least bit guilty. I am on plan 99% of the time and I figure I'm going to enjoy two days out of the year. Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have to avoid all the goodies that people bring to work during the holidays so I figure those days are mine to eat what I like.

Howie,thats what I already desided.I've been doing so well on my diet that I feel a reward is in order. I've lost almost 50lbs sence Aug. I'd say thats a major accomplishment. One day of forgetting cals makes it easier to count them now. Soooooo,turkey,pumpkin pie,stuffing, HERE WE COME.

Yes I agree. I usally give myself a treat meal each week. I did not do that this week in order to still lose weight or maintain over Thanksgiving. So I am weighing on Wednesday this week instead of Friday. Then I will have over a week to battle any effects of Thanksgiving. I have no problem not even thinking of calories on the holidays.

It can be a slippery slop for some though so make sure you know yourself and do what's good for you. I don't want to be anyones stumbling block. If you find that you have to be on plan for the holidays then you know what to do and I'm sure you will be a success.