HO HO HO

We have all worked so hard this side of christmas to meet goals, to lose weight, to be in better shape. but to mainly feel happier within ourselves.
I am slightly dreading christmas, i dont know about anyone else. I love turkey, stuffing and chocolate yule log. and i wont be able to say no.....
but i was thinking maybe we should help each other and come up with some little tips or rules for us all to think about when we are offered a box of chocolates to destory, and all we can think is YEEEES but our slimmer bodies are screaming NOOOOOOO.

so any tips or bits of advice would be great.....

I only have a few, why i need the help.....

• INSTEAD of eating a box of chocolates, you could always keep them (put them somwhere away out of sight) and when you get home donate them to a charity food box usually found in bifg superstores.
• or you could open them up and offer them around to everyone, that way you only have about 5-10 of 50.
• eat slowley..... and drink lots of water..... when it comes to christmas dinner, that way you wont be up for snacking later on, or endulging in seconds.
• try and go for the healthy option where possible.... chocolate yule cake may taste amazing, but most big families will offer a fruite salad or a trifel instead, and i think a small portion of that will be better then somthing sticky and chocolaty.
• diet coke rather then normall coke, im taking my own supply with me, so when im at peoples houses i dont have sufffer the consiquence of full fat coke...

ANY MORE TIPS???

Don't buy the chocolate yule log...

Go for a walk on Christmas day

Only eat non-healthy stuff on Christmas day, on Boxing day eat up your healthy left overs and give the unhealthy stuff to the dustbin... er husband!

Box of choccies, either eat one a day if they're super-special or donate them to children

Grab a TON of veggies to fill up your plate so people can't try and force a load more fatty food on your plate

Eat, drink, be merry, exercise lots, make sure you eat something special at least once that you wouldn't normally eat, so you don't feel deprived and end up binging on low-quality rubbish.

Oh and decide which one holiday treat you like best, either yule log, mince pies, Christmas pud, etc etc and decide to have only ONE this year. This year I'm being a and having both pud and mince pie, but we usually have our Christmas pud as Christmas tea!

Difficult one this - I'm planning on having 23rd to 27th and New Years Day off dieting so I won't be surprised if I gain some and I'll be happy if its only two or three pounds.

My survival plan is to eat reasonably normally for breakfast - probably porridge (except for the strawberries and sparkling wine in bed on Christmas morning ), then have fruit for lunch and at dinner have at least half my plate covered with veg - and I'll carry doing my normal exercise because the dogs still want their walks.

The booze tends to be self regulating nowadays - more than four glasses and I fall asleep so I've learned to be careful. As for chocolates - I'll probably have one or two but it wouldn't bother me if I didn't have any at all. They'll probably see us through til Easter!

All very good so far - but its after dinner where it always goes wrong for me - about an hour after I clear away the dinner dishes DH lays up a kind of buffet supper and we normally invite friends round (but we do this even if its only DH and me) and I supper - I've bought a huge selection of cheeses, a whole ham, cold chicken, stuffings, pates and I'll be baking sausage rolls and quiches - so basically we have an extra meal - but this is what makes Christmas for us and we both really missed it last year when I dieted right over Christmas.

On Boxing Day we're having a day long party but luckily I'm doing the cooking so a lot of it fits in with our normal low GI and low fat way of eating - and if my guests don't like it thats tough.

To balance my suppers, I am planning on having a couple of fruit/salad/veg/water only days - probably on the 29th and again on 2nd January and then get back to normal on the 3rd January.

So I suppose my tips for survival are to keep to eat normally for at least two meals a day, always do some exercise and try and balance overeating with a day or two of eating lightly.

I don't celebrate Christmas, but because it's the holidays this means lots of family and lots of visitors. I'm looking forward to the food because everyone has changed their eating habits. The only thing i'm a bit worried about is the snacking...when boredom kicks in i can't stop..it's normally healthy things..like cashew nuts,snack-a-jacks, crackers... but i eat way too much of it.

When my little cousins come over there is ALWAYS snacks in my house. I'm planning to go shopping with them and help them choose healthier snacks. And just in case of bordom... i've got Billy Blanks for back-up to keep me losing inches when the scale ain't moving.

Sarah Ann...is it ok for you to have fruit for lunch? I don't get that hungry at lunch times...instead of forcing myself to eat...i think this may be the way to go..

freethetoys...that is some amazing weight loss. Well done girl keep it up..

SlimmingWorldChick - I wouldn't say that you should ALWAYS eat fruit for lunch but if eating a couple of different kinds of fruit would satisfy you then don't force yourself to eat more if you don't want or need it.

My survival strategy tends to be more of the "relax, enjoy it and get back down to it in the new year" type of strategy. Because I always have a holiday as well, it's always harder because I'm eating out more, there are beachfront bars and sangria, and really rubbish veggie options.

One thing I do do though is split those little indulgences into four categories so I can at least prioritise what I do eat. There's no point filling up on crisps and then coming across your favourite christmas treat and having that too, so I try to limit myself to the really special stuff and go easy on the stuff I can have all the time.

1. Is it something that you can't, or wouldn't, get at other times of year - Hotel Chocolat christmas chocolates, Betty's mincemeat streusel cake, christmas pudding, stollen? If so, eat it (within reason!), but try to burn it off.

2. Is it something you can get year round, but which makes christmas for you - Baileys, nuts etc? Nibble a little of it, but remember you can eat it all year round, so you don't need to eat like you'll never see it again. Don't miss out on feeling christmassy because you're "dieting", but don't overdo it.

3. Is it something that you like, but it's nothing "special" and you can get it any time - quality street etc? Restraint is the word here. Why not fill up on the stuff you can't get the rest of the time, or which is christmassy, rather than on "filler" food, even if you like it.

4. Is it something you don't particularly like, but which is on the buffet? Stay away, don't nibble, don't pick. You don't like it, so why eat it?

Other than that, I stay relatively active. This is probably easier because I'm on holiday, because I've got plenty of time and nicer weather (and longer days), plus it's a lot nicer to run along the sea front than round housing estates!

I try to make sure I'm still getting at least 5 portions of fruit and veg. Even if I've overeaten earlier I'll still try to have a piece of fruit, to remind myself that there is food out there that isn't soaked in brandy And I'm trying to drink less than I used to at this time of year. I will drink a bit, but I've finally realised that it is possible to just have one glass of wine and still have a good time

I'm going to be careful now until Christmas but Christmas Day and Boxing Day I intend having what I want really. I am about 17lbs lighter than this time last year I never thought I would get out of the 10's it took me an eternity.

Anyway here's to a festive and peaceful time to you all

Michele xxxxxxxxxxxx

Great tips YP1