How do you replace your favorite holiday goodies??
hey all,
I've been thinking a lot about Christmas already, like I usually do around this time of year. I get really, really into it, and Christmas is usually a big deal around here. The more I get into the spirit, the more I think sadly about the foods I won't be able to have, and for the first time since I've started dieting, I really feel like I don't have what I want/need. I know its something I have to work on, linking my food to emotions, but I thought it would also be nice to make some healthy versions of what I miss about Christmas food.
Here's some of my favorite christmas foods, could you help me find yummy low-cal alternatives? Add on your own favorite foods and alternatives too!
I looovee...
Christmas cookies
veggies/chips with dip
cheese ball
chocolates
candies
the usual Christmas munchies...
You can still have those things it is just having them in moderation or making them into a "light" version. I am going home for christmas this year for the 1st time in 3 years and for the food reasons I am dreading it LOL. It is like a week long foodapaloosa LOL. But I am going to take it in stride and behave myself and tell myself that nothing tastes as good as thin feels and hope to god that helps lol.
I just add them into my calories for the day and thats it, if I have so many "goodies" that I am going over my daily allowed intake then I need to rethink my plan, on Thanksgiving day, Christmas eve and day I will not worry about my calories, I will give myself free days for those days, but I will attempt to stay as close as possible to healthy as could be expected but won't hate myself for indulging on those days. successful weight loss has to be reasonable or else we will fail at it. having some good eats on the holidays is not going to make or break a diet plan, consistency is key and it that simple treat it as a lifestyle thing and it will all work out. thats how I view my weight loss and I am down 165 pounds since Jan 2008
so in short, have your goodies on the holidays, just don't have them on every day! lol
The hungry girl cookbook and website have some pretty tasty desert recipes (the chocolate chip cookies are amazing, only 80 cals!). although they still dont compare to the real thing. What I do is have one of whatever it is that i want, then walk away QUICKLY before i go to town. Im also with Botzz, on thanksgiving day and christmas eve/day i'm not going to concern myself with calories, just gotta make sure i get right back on track the next day.
I am already scouting out recipes for Christmas goodies. I will make what I think looks good, eat everything in moderation and make goodie bags to give the rest away. I love to bake...and eat!
Kelly--You could have all the veggies and dip (FF maybe?) you want and not blow anything. I don't have any recipes yet but my thought so far about the holidays, is to remember that they're days (Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day) not the period of time between Haloween and Valentines Day. This is how I got in trouble in past years.
Oh, for Thanksgiving I'm bringing a Jello Fluff Salad with SF Jello, FF Cottage Cheese, FF Cool Whip and Lite Pineapple. I haven't figured out the calories, but I know it will be less than a big slice of apple pie and I know that I have something that I can have that's sweet.
Fat free Reddi Wip is your friend. So are cinnamon and fresh apples.
Have you ever made a diet soda cake? It's a much lower calorie alternative to a normal mix cake. Instead of using the oil, egg, and water that mixes ask for, just use a can of diet soda. Trader Joe's gingerbread mix will give you a serving of cake for around 150 calories, as opposed to the unaltered 230.
And really...screw the Thanksgiving and Christmas Day calories. Just offer to walk the dog a couple of times, do a few pushups during the Macy's parade, and get back on track the next day.
I am trying to lose weight myself, but I have to say that I typically don't worry too much about holiday goodies - I just try not to completely gorge myself. Most people in different countries/cultures etc celebrate holidays by eating. We just do - and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
I am going to have a free day on Christmas too. I will have what I like and not feel guilty or ashamed no matter the amount. With that being said, I hope I will WANT to eat healthily while still enjoying all the day has to offer.
when I do to a party, i stick to low carb options, even tho I am not "dieting" yet or doing a low carb thing. So I have veggies and dip, (not bread or crackers) and cold cuts. I often bring some of this myself, and some sugar free treats as well. (dark chocolate, sugar free if I can get it, cheesecake with splenda etc). Am planning for my office christmas dinner, have called the restaurant to check menu, so I know what to have, and won't dither.
I think that is sometimes my problem, if I have too many choices, it can be hard to choose the best one, and I might go for the not so good. Its worse of course if I am tired or very hungry, so NOT going to a party feeling really hungry helps.
I also watch the alcohol intake. This is not a hard one for me, but it is for DH, he agreed recently to keep chips and cookies and ice cream out of the house if I give up beer and wine and liquor in the house. We can indulge outside of the house. So I poured all the alcohol down the drain, no problem. My watching my weight is inspiring him. So he will be struggling over the holidays too.
happy US Thanksgiving,
fatmad, who survived Canadian Thanksgiving by leaving the pie at my daughters house.
I agree with the folks who've replied already...but just wanted to add that last year was the first holiday season I followed their basic advice and to my surprised it worked. I thought I'd feel cheated if I didn't have the volume of goodies that I wanted, but I actually felt fine knowing I could have what I liked in moderation.
I picked a few days (Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years Eve.) where I could have what I liked in any portion and on other days, I had what I wanted as long as I did not exceed the calorie plan for that day. I was able to stay on plan and I didn't feel like I missed out on anything.
I love cheeseballs too! One thing I'm trying this year is making small, mini cheeseballs, with a bit of smoked meat inside, so you can use a few crackers for each, and it's not all cheese. I've never been a cookie fan, but I have made small ones in the past. Maybe if you just make everything small and have a few of them, you'll fool yourself into thinking that you're really eating a lot?
There are a few things that I usually make that I will not be making this year. Specifically the famous sweet potato casserole with tons of cream, butter, pecans and brown sugar. I will replace it with a reasonably healthy version of some sort. Same with Kentucky bourbon chocolate chip pecan pie...LOL. I could seriously eat the whole pie, and I usually do because I am about the only one who LOVES it. I'll miss the traditional candies I make like almond toffee, peanut brittle and fudge but again, I live with a bunch of weirdos who don't really like these things, (nuts...they don't like NUTS!) so I usually end up eating it all. I won't make it. Another thing I will really miss is the Bailey's Irish cream I add to my coffee from around Thanksgiving to New Years. I went to the Bailey's web site and found the calorie content and 1.5 oz has 403 calories!!!!!!! I figure that is over 100 calories per tablespoon. No wonder I usually gain 30-40 over the holidays!
I'm going to try to concentrate on making non-edible decorations this year. There are some cool decoration ideas in the latest Martha Stewart Living Magazine. (Also with 100's of tempting recipes!!!)
Yeah I try to do the same. I try to make healthy alternatives to dishes. Apple sauce and fat free sour cream are good substitutes for certain things. Anything can seem like a treat if you cook it the right way
How do you replace your favorite holiday goodies??
treat it as a lifestyle thing and it will all work out. thats how I view my weight loss and I am down 165 pounds since Jan 2008 
