Some of Us are struggling this Holiday Season. I plan on having a salad for supper tonight and then plan my menu for tomorrow to restart my calorie counting. I have been off plan awhile now. I didn't want to end the year weighing more than when I started, but looks like I might. All I can do is restart and hope to get this overeating under control. I don't want to total give up even though it's a struggle to get back on calorie counting and stick with it. I think after the Holidays it will be a little easier. I started going to the gym again.
Just need to work on my diet. Good Luck Everyone!

That's a great idea. You can do it, you just need the motivation. It sounds like you're taking the right steps toward motivating yourself.

The holidays are hard, but make sure the "holidays" only make up the actual holi-DAYS that they are. Christmas is only one day, as is New Year's. Can you plan ahead for any parties you go to and know ahead of time what you will eat? Or if you are baking for other people, perhaps bake something you don't care for? Or at least something like bread where licking the batter isn't enticing. Because unlike what I like to think sometimes, there are calories in brownie batter! LOL!

Eliana brings up a very important point. The Holidays are tough, agreed. But if we were to make good choices all the times except at the parties and events, what would happen? Maybe we would maintain, maybe even lose?

Just because it's the holidays, doesn't mean it has to be a free for all.

If you're attending any sit-down dinners for the holidays, try clearing your plate as soon as you've eaten enough. I know my big mistake at Thanksgiving was leaving that plate in front of me while we sat at the table and talked for 2 hours. I just kept putting more food on it! For Christmas I will not be repeating that mistake. I'm going to clear my plate and then return to the table for conversation with no plate in front of me to collect more food.

Buffet style parties are harder, just try not to stand near the food. Keep some strong mint gum with you and pop it in your mouth as soon as you've finished eating so anything after that will taste funny. It's also a good idea to chew the gum while you cook so you don't "sample" so much.

And don't go to parties starving! Sometimes that instinct to save our calories for the big evening sabotage us because we're so hungry we eat anything. Have a salad or some fruit before you go!

This is a good point... if go hungry you are bound to get in more trouble...

Im struggling period lol well Im back on track now but school had me all out of wack. Hopefully I stay on plan. I hope it gets better for everyone!

well, we all know the holidays tend to be VERY goody and food oriented. yeah, it's a lot tougher staying on an eating program and losing weight.

I would just add don't let it be a mortal blow to your efforts, whether you gain or maintain. just realize it's an area that may need improvement habit wise, and get back to your weight loss routine.

plus, there's still several weeks to go, with Xmas and New Years. it's unrealistic to say, I won't eat another goody and will subsist on salads (that's not to say that some people will do just that). I'm not saying go crazy, just suggesting that a plan of action might be more helpful, where I want to let myself have a treat, where I will make sure I eat on plan and how I'm going to get the exercise in and how much.

another idea, which I am trying to do, is focusing on other non food areas of the holiday. went to listen to christmas carols the other night. doing crafts, shopping (even window shopping), looking at decorations (houses, neighborhoods, malls, public displays), music, movies. charities, or even doing something kind/thoughtful for somebody you know who might need a little cheerfulness in his/her life.

I agree about watching the snacking. I had the same issue at Thanksgiving that ended up being some weight gain. Just keep things in perspective. I don't plan on going all out for any of it. Just learning to adjust to what I am allowed to have now and living with it day to day. Learning to love who I am and what I need to fuel my body!

For me, it's much more about commitment than motivation. In fact it's all about commitment. That motivation never seems to be around when the cookies, cakes and other goodies are. But that commitment - it's much more lasting - and binding. It's that commitment that gives me that stick-to-it-ness that is needed to get the job done. It's the commitment that forces me to make better choices. I've committed to a healthy life style - whatever the circumstances are. My commitment doesn't change even though I'm faced with temptation. If I relied on my motivation, I'd dive first into that temptation time and time again.

You know when December hit I thought I was going to do wonderfully. I did great over Thanksgiving and even lost weight. Now I was fine until last Saturday, this past week has been nothing but parties and food, I cannot believe how hard it is to avoid overeating when faced with temptation day after day. It is truly awful and I will be so glad when this month is over. My plan this week(starting NOW) is to be 100% on plan until Christmas Eve, that's the night my family goes to the Chinese Buffet(great) Then it's right back on plan(no excuses) on the 26th.
So far I'm maintaining my weight, which is acceptable to me. Maybe by next year I will have learned how to walk away from the cookie tray :-)

That's EXACTLY it. Don't even go NEAR the cookie tray. DECIDE before you walk into that tempting scene how you will handle it BEFORE HAND. DECIDE that you will make the cookies, the cakes, the whatevers TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY OFF LIMITS. Commit to it. Once you do that, it's no longer an option TO eat it and they no longer call out to you. You psych yourself up that you WON'T touch it - and than you don't. And then you feel MARVELOUS with yourself.