As I know you are aware, the fall/winter holidays are almost here! Halloween candy, pumpkin pie, stuffing, etc...
Last year, I was on LAWL and stayed perfectly on plan until Thanksgiving when i gave myself a day off. I never got my momentum back.
I asked the counselor at the new center I am at what she advised to do about the holidays (since they will be closed before then) and she said, Thanksgiving and Christmas are both just one day. Enjoy the foods you want, but eat smaller portions and then back to normal the next day.
That sounds good, but I have trouble eating smaller portions of my absolute favorite foods - especially after weeks of lean proteins and lowfat carbs.
So, what is your battle plan to make it until January?
I made it through by having everything I wanted, but in small portions like she said. If that is difficult for you, try making some of the recipes you make less calorie ridden. Like this jello salad my grandma always made I made it last year and used Sugar free jello fat free whip cream and pinneapple 1% cottage cheese, so on plan! Then I had more of that than anything else! Everyone thought it tasted the same!
Making my plate with will power. Measuring everything, adding more of the things that are lighter and more filling, while still being able to enjoy the treats in small amounts.
Avoiding sugar! I know it's hard, but I'm not going to allow myself more that one sugary item every 2-3 days, because it just makes me more hungry.
I'm the cook! Making sure I know what's going into my food, keeping it lite, and keeping an accurate record of my calories.
And lastly...don't forget the things that work on my regular diet. I have oatmeal for breakfast almost every morning, and the fiber helps me feel fuller through the day. I'm going to make an effort to eat those things that work for me, though it may mean I can only have half cup of potatoes instead of a full one.
I was also on LAWL last Holiday Season and I took 2-3 days off to enjoy myself during that time and didn't worry about it. It was 1 or 2 days at Thanksgiving and 2 days at Christmas. Your stomach may rebel against the greasey rich food anyway.
Another approach is to treat yourself yourself to the stuff you don't get except around the Holidays. (Stuffing, Pie, etc.)
The old saying goes.. Its not what you eat between Thanksgiving and Christmas it is what you eat between Christmas and Thanksgiving.
Well, The more limited you make the holidays the better. Thanksgiving can be fully enjoyed as just one meal off plan. The biggest challenge is to limit the quantities of food you buy and bring into your house for the holidays. Since the more you buy the more you will eat. Start thinking about getting just enough for one special meal. I'm contemplating actually going out to dinner one of these thanksgivings, just so we don't have all the leftovers around the house that I will eat for days after. Don't go and buy more candy than your family can eat in one day. Don't have 4 kinds of cakes and 3 kinds of pies and 7 kinds of cookies. I truly believe that it is not the one day that blows out our diet plans, it is the lingering of bad food around the house, since if it is there, you will eat it. If you have leftover halloween candy, take it to the homeless shelter or to work with you the next day, so that other people eat in instead of you. Don't let the holidays be a reason to test your resolve with food everywhere around you. Control your environment and you will change your results.
my action plan is to stay away from anything that is not on plan and to increase exercise....thats whay got me into trouble last year...just a bite here and there...not this year.
Holiday Action Plan
