I ate 4000 calories between dinner Saturday night (an Italian Christmas Eve---fried seafood) and B & L the next day. That's way more than I thought I would eat, but 1600 of that was from my red-light food--pecan pie. I ate the equivalent of half a pie, 1/4 on Sat. night & 1/4 w/ lunch on Sunday (actually, they were mini-pies, and I made two, so at least there's no more left!). The scary part is that eating that much set me into some sort of eating mode (not really a binge, though), and I was really having to grit my teeth to not eat even more, especially last night. I found myself going in the refrigerator, picking on leftovers and even scooping some apricot jam out w/ a spoon (I've had this apricot jam for 2 weeks and haven't done that, and it really isn't my favorite anyway). I started to panic a bit because I had the thought, "Oh no---what if I can't stop?! Am I on the way to regaining my weight again!!"

Thankfully, today I feel much better. I went to bootcamp class at my gym this a.m., made a big pot of homemade chicken veggie soup, a big salad, and bought some fruit. I am sticking to 1500 calories a day for most of the rest of the week to offset that 4000 calories (which is a bit more than double what I should eat in a day). In a way, I'm glad that I'm having a lower-calorie week because it will help me get back into a more disciplined frame of mind.

It's amazing how easy it is slip back into bad behaviors. This is the first time since I started in June that I've really felt challenged.

i ate 1565 and didnt exercise the 24th and had probably 2000 yesterday with only 20 mins exercise. today i start fresh 1400 cals a day 30 mins exercise. im hoping i didnt gain. ive been not doing even close to has well as i should be despite having a 800-1300 deficit and 400 yesterday. i dont get it. water weight i hope.

I... actually... chose not to count.

But, I promised myself I'd be back on plan today, and I am.

I love... feeling.... in control.

Stick to it, lin43, you've come too far to let a cookie be in charge of you! *smile*

I also didn't count yesterday, but I only had one plate of dinner and I didn't have any bread at dinner! I did have two servings of dessert...but compare all that to my "usual" holiday meal of 2 plates of the meal and endless desserts....I am proud of how I did.

I do have a crappy headache today, which I think is from the salt and sugar....so lesson learned to really eat that in moderation.

Didn't count cals yesterday (although I didn't eat nearly as much as I thought I was going to) or today. I'm totally wiped out from yesterday (everyone here, everything homemade plus baking for gifts in addition to all the other Christmas prep stuff) and am just chillin'. Will start up exercising and counting again tomorrow and am not getting on the scale till Sunday. Am looking to just maintaining this week. Hopefully that's what the scale will read on Sunday.

I did not count either, but dear god I ate a lot! Probably upwards of 4000 too. I did great with the meals, but the chocolate treats in between almost killed me. I fasted until lunch today and so far I have eaten only 653 calls, and planning on a light supper.
Happy holidays!

I stayed pretty much on track, except for one piece of cake with a lot of frosting on it. Otherwise I was within my calorie goal!

I had my first "Free Day" on JUDDD. I didn't count calories; I didn't count carbs. I addition to lots of veggies, I ate two chocolate covered almonds, a few bites of candied yams, and a few hors d'oevres, but I didn't go wild. I just ate reasonably throughout the day...

Then I had three or four desserts.

But I had made low-carb cranberry bliss bars, so even though I ate quite a bit of dessert, it was relatively guilt-free. I am happy to be back on plan again today and still inching toward maintenance. Today I am hungrier than usual for a Down Day but that's because I stretched out my stomach and ate more carbs than I have in months (though my total was still probably under 100 for the entire day).

I figure learning how to be moderate around Holidays is part of learning how to maintain. So it doesn't have to be perfect, as long as it isn't a complete binge-fest which continues for a week, a month, and then a year. It's a learning process.

The funny thing is that, pecan pie notwithstanding, I actually did watch my portions with my other foods---and it STILL came to around 4000. That's mainly because the food was so high in calories. I cannot imagine what my calories were in past Christmases----probably close to 6000 (but I never counted!!).

It is amazing how many calories can get packed into some foods. I had a grilled cheese sandwich at a coffee shop for lunch today and I think it may have been 800-900 calories (it was a big sandwich and had bacon in it). Yikes! Not so long ago, I would have had that and still eaten dinner but not today - I'm full and shouldn't have to eat again until breakfast.

Same for Christmas dinner - I ate light (for me) and still went over 1,000 for the meal. Not horrible, of course, but it was just one meal.

And lin43, I hear ya about worrying about the bad behaviors being right there, waiting. I keep telling myself there is no "after" with calorie counting. Even if I hit my goal weight, I'm going to have to keep track because it's the only thing that keeps my eating in check.

It hasn't been terrible, and I managed to NOT ruin anyone's holiday with my diet. I consumed about 200 extra calories on Christmas Eve, none of it from junk, just food, but I was pretty good yesterday. I easily resisted dutch apple pie. I wish I had made more vegetables, and we have been eating leftovers for 3 days now---prime rib and pork roast, potatoes, corn on the cob, sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy, creamed onions, biscuits. Ugh. String beans, turnips <--- the healthiest stuff. Butter---oh, the tempting butter!

I said to my husband that tomorrow I will definitely be having a salad!!! AND, I may be cooking broiled fish for dinner!

Today, I only ate dinner. I have calories left over. I'm thinking of some raisin toast and coffee, IF, I get hungry later.

I'm just really bored with it all and done with having to "play nice" with the menu so everyone else can have the foods near and dear to their hearts and traditional celebrations - lets just say I'm glad its over. My diet is an inconvenience for the family and I try as hard as I can to not make it an issue. They should absolutely THANK me that I cook the foods they like and give them more consideration than I give myself. But, I digress.

I have avoided cheese and crackers since July. I'm long overdue for a pig-out, and I have to keep that in check. Of course, however, there will be cheese/crackers for New Years and I will have to avoid it or limit it, because even if I don't buy it, my husband will. Its tradition. Sigh.

I feel like I started down the wrong track with cookies and am finding it hard to get back on. I did intervals on the treadmill for 90 min, trying to create the deficit before the calories. Then 4 christmas cookies, dinner, 2 baileys irish creams.. today I felt terrible so I did another 90 min interval. After exercising I was starving, what did I reach for? 4 cookies... are you kidding me?? why did I bring them home? I didnt bake for a reason. I have no will power. turkey for dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy (only 1 tablespoon for turkey/potatoes) Now I just had 6 teaspoons of vanilla ice cream with 1 tbsp of chocolate sauce.. and I want more cookies... I am going downhill quick.. I am drinking my water and trying to stay away from the kitchen

oh and I did mention that I should have my period tomorrow so I am craving everything sweet? mother nature is against me....

I am SO with you!! I feel your pain. Why is it that what I eat is an issue for others? Why can't they just enjoy what THEY want to eat without making their good time somehow connected to what I'm eating? Argh!! I, too, go out of my way to fulfill tradition---my husband's (he's the Italian). I would be more than happy to have broiled my seafood, and let me tell you, I would have enjoyed it. But if I had done that, my husband would have said, "I can't believe that you can't just relax for ONE day."

Oh, you poor thing---I can relate! I went to a spinning class on Saturday hoping to offset some of the damage (but even that spinning class can't undo those extra 2000 calories!!). Today, I went to bootcamp and did okay calorie wise (ending up with about 1550), but I'm sitting here fighting a major urge to have some toast & peanut butter w/ fig jam. I won't have it, though. I'm hoping tomorrow and the rest of the week will be easier.