I started MRC three weeks ago and have lost 11 pounds. I really want to keep up the momentum over the upcoming holidays.

We go to a friend's home for Thanksgiving. She provides the turkeys and everyone else (20 people) brings their best dish. I want so badly to not gain during that meal, but I'm afraid my willpower will just go out the window when faced with mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, pumpkin cheesecake, apple pie, etc.

At my MRC session yesterday, the counselor suggested taking my own things, found in the MRC cookbook, like green bean casserole made with MRC chicken supplement, fake mashed potatoes, fake stuffing, etc. I'm resisting that idea because I don't want to do all that work and I don't want to single myself out and be a spoilsport.

What kind of creative suggestions can we come up with to manage this situation, enjoy ourselves, and stay as close to on-program as possible so we won't set ourselves back in our progress?

Thanks to all!

Thanks for your post--this is something all of us are probably starting to think about.

Thanksgiving for me will be 100% mental challenge. It won't be hard to find OP foods out of turkey, green beans, salad, etc. The true test will be skipping the other stuff. I could do it if it were just one meal, but I'll have to brave Thanksgiving dinners on both sides of my family, plus the inevitable leftovers. That's what scares me!

I know the program veterans here will have some great pieces of advice. For me, the first step will be to come up with a game plan. That plan MAY include a taste of mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie...I just haven't decided. I do know that going into a meal unsure about what I'll allow would be a setup for disaster. So, I'm going to do some hard thinking about whether those nibbles and the resulting setback are worth it to me. And if I DO decide to allow some off-program foods, then I'm going to enjoy it and get back on track at the next meal!

I'm thinking I might plan a few off plan choices ahead of time so that I enjoy the holiday but don't go crazy eating. I'm ok with eating the turkey, a veggie, & maybe alittle stuffing (for my bread). I'm planning on maybe a small slice of 2 traditional desserts and that's it. I've stayed on plan perfectly since I started in Sept. so I figure if I treat myself on the holidays it won't set me back too much. Some people would go crazy if they broke down and ate off plan so you have to know yourself and know what you can handle. I'm a "plan ahead" type person so I think this will work for me.

I'm also pretty sure I will enjoy a few off-plan items. But I'll have like 1/4 cup of mashed potatoes instead of 1/4 of a PLATE of mashed potatoes, LOL. I've had a couple cheats here and there (mostly when traveling) and it does slow things down for at least a week. I still lose, but at a much slower rate until I get back into that fat burn. Eating white/carby foods also makes me have strong cravings for more white/carby foods, so cheating for any event is not something I take lightly.

Does anyone have any recipes for Thanksgiving stuffing and mashed potatoes? This is my hardest time of year and I have a family that loves to eat. I do too except the weight gain is not worth it.

We are doing a Thanksgiving Sample night on Tuesday I will bring back ideas for all of you!

I know what you're saying - I think it's pretty unrealistic to take all your own food to a dinner at someone else's house. Some of the best advice I've heard (and this wasn't about MRC - it was about low-carbing) is to just be really particular about your off-plan choices. We all have dishes that just "make" Thanksgiving for us, so have them - in small portions, and skip the things you aren't that wild about. If you're taking a dish to someone else's house, take something that IS on-plan (like a salad, a green veggie, etc) - so that you'll know there's some on-plan food there for you (the turkey's pretty much a given). Decide ahead of time what your off-plan "must haves" are - for me it's dressing/stuffing with gravy and sweet potato casserole. Anything else, just pass it up. Once your food is on your plate, eat the on-plan foods FIRST. Then have smallish helpings of those off-plan things. Have a taste of whatever dessert is a "must have" for Thanksgiving. If you're taking home leftovers, take home the on-plan stuff - some turkey breast meat, salad, green veggies, etc. No need to torture yourself by taking home desserts & things you shouldn't be eating.

Now I said that's the best advice I'd seen - not saying that's what I did 2 years ago (I was going through stabilization then) - I ate it all - I thoroughly enjoyed myself right into misery. (Another advantage of following the advice above - you won't eat until you make yourself sick - and there's a good chance you WILL feel sick when you aren't used to eating all that sugary/starchy stuff!) The good news, though, even if you do that, you'll gain some water bloat for a couple of days, but if you get back on plan right away and drink extra water that'll go away and you'll be able to get back to the business of losing fat.

Well, that was way more than 2 cents worth - me, I'm gonna try to stick with plan A this year.

This is what I plan, because Thanksgiving would not be the same without them. I have accepted the fact that I will have small portions, I can pass on the deserts but realize that if I had to sit down with my family and have veggies and turkey being the only thing on my plate I would not be feeling very happy about that. The holidays are the only time I ever have that stuff so I will add the sweet potatoes and stuffing to my plate and enjoy them. I will NOT take leftovers home. The big challenge is we have 3 dinners to attend, ugh !!!

My center is having Thanksgiving samples tomorrow--maybe we can compare notes and share recipes here!

Okay ladies-
Here is the "Menu" Idea the center gave us tonight at their sampling. I'll post recipes on the recipe site!

Breakfast: Clear Supplement & Breakfast casserole or 1 serving Protein Group 1 or 3
Lunch: 4-6 oz turkey breast, 4 oz salad & Green bean Casserole or 8 oz salad, 1/4 cup dressing, 1/4 cup cranberry sauce or relish (optional)
Desert: MRC Pumpkin pie or MRC Pumpkin cheesecake, 1/2 serving or baked apples
Dinner: 4 oz turkey or other group 2 protein, 4 oz cooked or 8 oz raw vegies
Evening: clear supplement

Hope that helps give you an idea! Now off to post recipes that I have!

I was pretty proud of myself the other day. Our Thanksgiving hostess called and asked me to bring my usual cranberry sauce and pumpkin cheesecake. I told her that I've noticed in recent years that people are more likely to eat her apple pie and my pumpkin cheesecake is hardly touched. I suggested that I bring a green salad. There was a definite pause on the other end of the phone! She said, "We don't normally have a green salad at Thanksgiving." I told her that I had recently become very serious about my weight and health and that I would like to bring a green salad. She readily agreed!
Our center also gave out the menu and recipes for the lighter versions of things like the green bean casserole.
I had another idea after talking with a friend who is on MRC now, too. We agreed that we would drink a HNS right before going to our dinner parties, plus take a fat and carb blocker. Drink another glass of water before sitting down to eat. What do you all think? Other suggestions?
Did your centers have the list of how much exercise you must do to work off the various Thanksgiving dishes? It is sobering!
I also scheduled a session with my personal trainer at the gym for 9 AM on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Knowing that I have to weigh in there should help keep me motivated on Thanksgiving!

Meiho-
Good planning on your part. I plan on doing something very similiar and also using that fat carb blocker for that meal. I'll probably make my center's pumpkin pie for desert. I truly have had no desire for sweets so far. I'm in charge of the menu and have always cooked low fat but there are still a few of those things that we just need to cook normal. Our center is doing a WI on Wed. and then come back on Fri. and if you lose any weight then you can add 2 weeks to your program. That sign will be hanging in my kitchen as a reminder for me!

I did post some recipes on the recipe site for people that our center had handed out.

Tina

Meemo's advice sounds really good, especially the part about eating the OP foods first so you're not too hungry. My must haves are noodles, mashed potatoes (but it doesn't have to be a lot), sweet pot. casserole, and a roll. So, I'll have that, but I won't go back for seconds, and luckily I'm one of those people who can't have one food touching the other, so my plate never gets that full!

Also, I'm going to have one serving of dessert-- either one full serving of my favorite, or if there are two I really want, then a half serving of each. I think the key is to really watch portion sizes.

Exercise can really help, too. This past week I had pizza and chinese to contend with-- both where people were taking me out to lunch, so there was not much I could do, and no real options (like salad or something). However, I worked out for an hour four days in a row, and I still lost a pound that week-- I would have lost more if I hadn't cheated, but that's not too bad. Unfortunately, there are no exercise options for me at my parents (too cold outside, no gym membership, and no exercise machines), so I'll take a video, but I'm not sure I'll be able to do it. I'll just get back OP the very next meal and work out the week I get back. In maintenance, it's supposedly all about balance, but I think that carries over to the weight loss part of the diet, too.

I didn't think to ask my center any questions about the suggested menu, but now that I'm looking at it...are they recommending only two HNS that day? Looks like the dinner starch is also omitted, and potentially the breakfast starch if you don't have the casserole.

Well I have the first of two Thanksgiving dinners tomorrow, and I've decided to stay on plan tomorrow. That way I give myself the option of having a couple favorites next week at my mom's house. Looks like I will be eating turkey, green salad, maybe some green beans. How bad would it be to have green been casserole if you try to eat only the beans, and not the fried onions and creamy stuff? I also made the MRC pumpkin pie for dessert.

Meiho--I am so proud of you for declining to bring your cheesecake and suggesting a salad instead! I hope you gave yourself a big high five. I wish I had been as honest as you were when my mother in law asked me to bring mashed potatoes That I won't be eating

Thanks for the positive feedback about my planning. In the past, before I started MRC, I told myself I'd be "good," but I never was!
I'm not sure what will make it easier this time. I put my name on the 10-pound loss board today at MRC WI. I talked with the counselor about how to stay on track. One thing I decided to do is to wear really tight (in the waist) pants to Thanksgiving dinner. The pants I've been wearing are getting loose but if I wore those, they would give me "permission" to fill them out. I'm thinking of the pants that are a size smaller and still a bit tight. Of course, I plan to lose a few pounds between now and Thursday! But if I plan to wear the tight ones, maybe that will be a constant reminder.
I just wish I knew I could remember that it's not about the food, it's about the friends, and that food is only fuel, etc. After being on the program for four weeks, I'm feeling a bit deprived, so I think I'm vulnerable at the moment. I'm going to try to remember how good it will feel to not overindulge!
I think it's great that someone's center is offering a program extension for anyone who loses over the T'Day. Wonder how many people will actually do it!
Well, I wish everyone the best. Let's all jump on here on Wednesday, give an honest weight, then report back how well we did on Friday!
Meiho