Worried about Thanksgiving Dinner - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

Prissypear · 11-23-2011, 03:34 PM

I'm worried about tomorrow. I I've lost 70 pounds through serious effort. Tomorrow is the big food day. Usually when the holidays come around I would make excuses to eat. I figured it was the holiday, they only happen a few times a year, so why not indulge this one day. Only I would do it all day and for weeks after. Next thing I know Christmas is here and I am fatter, feeling worse, still eating. Then I remember, well I said the same thing about Halloween and I'd never quit eating.

This Halloween I was okay, I did not eat any candy. But tomorrow is worrisome. How much Turkey is too much? That is the easy question, that I know. Protein never bothers me, it's all the carbs that do me in. Is the green bean casserole going to put fat on my behind? Will one piece of pumpkin pie break my sobriety?? I am terrified.

I know if I gain weight, I will be upset at myself. I don't want to gain, then throw the baby out with the bath water and give up. I think what makes it worse is I was stuck in the mid 280's for months, I finally got passed it.

Maybe what I need to do is just eat small portions of meat and steer clear of the rest....I can do that, then I feel bad my father bought all the food and I don't want to indulge...he is Italian, that is what Italians do.

Does anyone have advice, opinions, or feed back? I respect all diverse opinions and please feel free to be blunt, lol. I need it! Anyone dealing with this or who has and has been somewhat successful with it, please share.

princessgina00 · 11-23-2011, 04:08 PM

It's not what you do once in a while that matters, it's what you do all the time that does. So, don't allow one day to break you. I usually PIG-OUT on holidays and get back on track the day after. I never try to overcompensate for my pigging out, I simply get back to what I was doing before the binge episode. You may see an immediate spike in your weight, but that is a superficial weight increase that is mostly due to the volume of undigested food in your stomach and intestines and water retention from high sodium intake. So, don't worry about that. My suggestion: MODERATION! Use a small/salad plate instead of a dinner plate, don't pile up food on your plate or make it overflow over the sides, drink plenty of water with your food, take small portion sizes of each food that you want (1 piece of pie, not 2), and do not go back for seconds. And, if you still feel a bit fat or guilty after eating, go for a light walk with a family member or play a physical game (do you have a Wii?). Just don't allow 1 day to break you. You've come this far (70 pounds! Congratulations!), so take a rest for a moment and then get back on the wagon. Good luck!

fadeingangel · 11-23-2011, 04:26 PM

you could just take one serving of what you like and you should be good

ValRock · 11-23-2011, 04:36 PM

Take a good sized serving of the turkey. Lean protein never hurt anyone. Take small portions of your favorites and then STOP. Do not eat until your pants are splitting, but don't deprive yourself either. On Friday, get back on track. Don't weigh yourself for a few days and drink lots of water!!! You CAN do this!

Beck · 11-23-2011, 05:09 PM

I've been worrying about this for the past couple of weeks, but as it nears (we're celebrating on Friday, not tomorrow), I feel confident that I will stick to my plan.

We don't eat meat, so I can't help you there. We'll be having salmon, and I changed the recipe from a butter/sugar dijon based glaze to just baking it with a little olive oil, salt/pepper, and dill. I think you'll be okay taking a normal portion size of meat (a deck of cards), and either skipping the gravy or just a little smidge of it.

Instead of stuffing, I'm making a very veggie heavy stuffing (lots of celery, onions, mushrooms, apple) and using that to stuff mushrooms. It'll help me control my portion. I'm adding cauliflower to my twice baked potato casserole, skipping the butter, and substituting 0% greek yogurt for the sour cream; I'm also using 75% reduced fat cheese instead of full fat. I've altered every recipe that we traditionally use in our family to be lower in fat and fewer calories overall.

Use a small plate, take your portion, eat thoughtfully and slowly. Enjoy the company and don't mindlessly pick at the food that's on the table. Place a paper napkin on your plate when you're done, or clear it from the table altogether so you won't be tempted to reach for more.

You can also budget yourself to allow for more calories at your Thanksgiving meal by lowering the calories in your other meals that day. Suggest everyone go for a walk after the meal to get a little exercise in and to distance yourself from the food.

I hope some of those might be useful to you and that you have a lovely day with your family and friends.

dstalksalot · 11-23-2011, 05:41 PM

I have been running for 8 weeks but just started my diet plan so I am a bit terrified myself of what tomorrow and Friday will bring. It's the left overs that I am concerned about.(Every year pie for breakfast on Friday is common place in our family.) I appreciate everyone's comments. I am hoping my mild obsession this year will help my case. I am very aware of my choices these days. I am glad I found this place this week.

kirsteng · 11-23-2011, 05:46 PM

We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving about a month ago. My take on it was to just have one helping, like pp have mentioned.. but my other big strategy was to only have the things I LOVE. Like I love stuffing, but not mashed potatoes.. so I had a regular portion of stuffing (maybe 1/2 cup?), but no potatoes. I had lots of baked squash and apples, and a reasonable quantity of turkey with just a little splash of gravy. It didn't have to swim in it to taste great!

I did have the pumpkin pie, but my fave part of the pie is the filling - not the crust. So I ate a small piece of pie (1/12 of a regular pie), but I only ate maybe half of the crust. I started eating both together, but then moved to eating just the pumpkin filling at the end.

I like doing those little tweaks that don't make you feel deprived, but add up to substantial calorie savings at the end of the day.

GL - you'll be fine! And more important, ENJOY IT!!!

lin43 · 11-23-2011, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by princessgina00

It's not what you do once in a while that matters, it's what you do all the time that does

I agree completely with this (and the rest of your post----well said!).

To the OP, I understand where you are coming from, though. I think that those of us who have yo-yo dieted in the past don't really trust ourselves to eat in moderation (after all, that's not what got us where we are, right!?). I think it's important to understand, though, that YOU ARE IN CONTROL. You can make the decision to not eat anything fattening, eat just a bit of the fattening food, or eat all the fattening food you want that day. No matter what you choose, you CAN get right back on the wagon the next day. Let's say that, at most, you gain a pound from the eating on Thanksgiving (and that would mean that you would have to eat 3500 calories ABOVE your current maintenance calories---that's a LOT of food). So what? In the larger scheme of things (i.e., your entire life of maintaining a healthy weight), that 1 lb. will come off when you get back on track and it won't be a big deal. After all, even "normal" eaters usually gain some weight during the holidays. I'm not saying that you should plan to gain weight. I'm just trying to give you (and myself

) perspective on the issue.

You ARE in control.

popspry · 11-23-2011, 06:23 PM

You know a year ago when I started, thanksigiving was only 3 months into my weight loss. I was a lot more freaked out then. Portion control and awareness of fullness worked really well for me last year so I'm doing it again. One thing I'm doing is planning my meals for friday today so I won't fall into forgetting with tomorrrow's festivities and also planning easy meals so I won't feel tempted by leftovers simply because I don't want to cook, so convienence is key so I can just jump back intto it (I can't really avoid leftovers living with other people).

I'm also making a lower calorie pie so I don't have to freak about doing good and then losing it on dessert (as I have a major sweet tooth).

babygurl12 · 11-23-2011, 09:10 PM

Just eat portion size. Me, I already added up my calories intake tmw and my calories add up to 678 tmw. I put all the cakes and pies in just to see how much would it be and they were high so I won't be eating desert tmw lol but I'm cool because I know everything else will be in my range. The 678 is dinner alone but my breakfast is low. I did that so i can eat dinner and I won't go over. If you plan ahead and eat tiny meals b4 dinner you won't indulge. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

MsFierceFab · 11-23-2011, 09:19 PM

Usually I drink two glasses of water before I eat anything and that usually fills me up which keeps me from overeating. However I think you should just enjoy yourself tomorrow and get back on track the following day.

RHay · 11-24-2011, 02:19 AM

I know! the holidays are so hard. I'd say just stay away from the dark meat of the turkey. And put more vegetables on your plate. Like asparagus and corn. Stay away from those deathly candied yams and other sweet things. everything in moderation! good luck!

magraba · 11-24-2011, 02:49 AM

guess most of us are worried about holidays coming over... we dont have thanksgiving, but as i stated somewhere else i've started being worried for my two weeks vacations at Christmas...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prissypear

... I feel bad my father bought all the food and I don't want to indulge...he is Italian, that is what Italians do....

hope i will be able to be rational and stuck to an Italian proverb: it's not what we eat between Christmas and New year that matters... but what we eat between New year and Christmas!

easier said than done, I know. I am worried, most of us are, but we have come this far, we can do it!

p.s. - wish everybody a great Thanksgiving Day

Prissypear · 11-24-2011, 03:43 AM

Thank you all for your food back. I was so triggered, I ate bad food tonight, hence putting me back two days. The good news is I know myself...Friday I will be back on track. Princessgina00 had some pearls of wisdom - I wont be allowing the few pounds I know I'll gain destroy what I have done. It will be three days tops for me to get any weight gained back off. That is less than a week.

I will be okay, and so will all of you. THANK YOU EVERYBODY.

And...Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Prissypear · 11-24-2011, 03:43 AM

Hahaha, I meant "FEED BACK" Freudian slip???