Originally Posted by emilym:
If the people in your life are unwilling to have a healthy holiday, then that's not really fair to you. If I were you, I'd sit them down and I'd tell them that your health is really important and that they might need to sacrifice some of those tasty desserts for the sake of your health (and their health, too!!!!) I wonder why they feel like it's so important to eat so heavily during the holidays?

....
Americans definitely do have a lot of screwed-up ideas about eating during holidays.

No, nobody in my life is unwilling to have a healthy holiday. Not many people in my family find it difficult to maintain their weight or health. And why should they change the dishes they want to eat on a holiday just to make them healthier? Once a year they want to eat stuffing and whipped mashed potatoes and pie and cookies. Thanksgiving doesn't need to change. Besides, this "family" that I speak of is not just my Mom and Dad and me, there are inlaws, and cousins, and friends and brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles that all come to celebrate. It's a big celebration, there's a lot of food, and no I cannot lecture everyone and make them eat steamed broccoli for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner. Thanksgiving does not need to change, the responsibility to abstain from temptation is mine. The food is not even unhealthy, it's just tempting.

I'm not American, although there's nothing wrong with being American. There are many cultures that celebrate with food, I can't think of any culture that doesn't. I don't think there's anything screwed up about how people eat during the holidays. Some people over do it but many people don't. It's not the fault of the holiday, though it's easy to get swept away by the spirit. I'd kill for a gingerbread latte right now. Will I indulge? Yes, but not today. Maybe one day next week, just once or twice this season. And that's ok, because gingerbread lattes don't stick around for long.

You're giving helpful advice, I don't mean to grill you on a personal level. And I know very well that making excuses for bad behavior does not accomplish anything. But Thanksgiving dinner is not the time or place to sit down anyone and lecture them about health and nutrition, especially when only I am the one that has to watch out for my food intake. This year will be a real test for me, but I'm willing to work hard and do my best without having to make grand announcements about my diet, or by making some sort of less delicious dessert.

Thanks for all the fantastic advice. I have gleaned a lot from reading all of your posts. I am 1 of 2 cooking for thanksgiving for 20 people. I think having a plan will help me. This is what I plan to do. I won't be attending a lot of parties, etc. and I retired last year so I don't have co-workers bringing goodies. I am in a better place than many! My idea is that holiday's are holiday's for a reason...we american's like to eat like every day is a holiday and that is the problem. Okay. I am going to eat turkey, dressing and giblet gravy, and a slice of pie on thanksgiving. I'll forgo the roll, sweet potatos, etc. I bought some cheap plastic bowls so that I can send all of the left overs away. I'll save one portion for my husband---the rest is going bye-bye. Then on Christmas, I'll repeat this....eat ONE DAY. I'll continue my work out 3-4 days per week. This is my plan anyway.

Thank you all for telling me what works for you and motivating me to make a plan so I can get that feeling of being in control.

I will have all the veggies (drowned in butter) and a token slice of turkey. Then I'll recover the next morning by fasting.

I am currently on low-contact with my narcissist family (thank goodness) so no worries about holidays this year. I also hate all Thanksgiving food, so I'm just gonna chill out and treat it like a normal day.

In the past, what I found difficult wasn't food temptation but food pushing, especially when my !!!super Asian!!! family sees that I lose weight (although this happens when I'm "too fat" too - but combined with "UR FAT ahahahahhahahahah" insults). Food pushing, sticking tons of items on my plate galore and I'm supposed to nod my head and stare at the ground. "No thank you" is the ultimate rude insult. My plan would usually be to sit next to whoever is least likely to pile on food I don't want or would be the least outraged when I said "thank you but I'm going to go for this item instead." So maybe a plan of musical chairs is the best defense in some situations!

I actually always tend to lose weight in these situations because I eat so much more than anyone else, even though they think that they are "fattening" me. :dizzy:

I like the holidays - I love the markets, the smell of pumpkin-cinnamon, the leaves, the window displays and the post-holiday sales and now I'm pretty happy that this year and from now on, I get to like the actual holiday in itself by being LEFT ALONE for so many reasons, including holiday food gettogethers. :cool:

I'm actually alone for Thanksgiving, so I decided it was a great time to try a vegetarian turkey alternative. I'm actually really excited about it!

My family is pretty supportive though. They have definitely been the type to push food in the past, but after seeing my weight struggles for so many years, and how it has wrecked my body, they (mostly) let me do as I please.

No way I would announce all my eating strategies to everyone in the extended family or lecture anyone on eating lighter. On a holiday? Nooooooo.

I get to decide what I eat no matter what is on the table or who is eating what or who tries pushing food on me or whatever.

I have the power over my mouth (phenomenal cosmic power!!!!!!!!) so I am in charge.

Originally Posted by cincorn:
Am I the only one that is terrified of holiday weight gain? Do you know ANYONE or have You personally lost or at least maintained weight from Thanksgiving until New Years?

Yeah, I've lost weight over that period for the last two years. Last year I lost a stone over that period.

It's quite boring but the approach I took is to simply eat a normal amount of food for me, choosing the food that I liked most from the menu. On days that weren't special (i.e not christmas day) I'd eat a little less than normal to compensate for any additional calories.

Originally Posted by Wannabeskinny:
. . . I cannot lecture everyone and make them eat steamed broccoli for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner. . . .

I'm not American, although there's nothing wrong with being American. There are many cultures that celebrate with food, I can't think of any culture that doesn't. I don't think there's anything screwed up about how people eat during the holidays.

ITA with all you stated above. What a bummer to be lectured about health and fitness on a holiday. I would feel self-centered if I did this, sort of self-righteous, too.

Originally Posted by Munchy:
. . . I will try to make an Asian coconut curry soup with turkey

Not to highjack this thread, but would you happen to have a good recipe for coconut curry soup? I would love to try making that.

This will be my first holiday season trying to keep a handle on my eating habits too. On Thanksgiving and Christmas, my goal is to eat what I want until I'm comfortably full and not worry about my weight. I didn't gain the excess weight just from being relaxed around food on holidays; it was the rest of the year that was the problem. :D

The days around Christmas and Thanksgiving are tough though and they are the ones I'm most worried about. Seems like everybody's giving out treats, hosting parties, and has leftovers. I'm avoiding a lot of food-involved stuff this time of year because it's soooooo darn tempting- skipped a work luncheon and church ice cream party so far this month, but I volunteered to make a couple of things for my church's Thanksgiving meal this Sunday. I really don't need two feasts in a week! I plan to have some of the salad I'm making (cranberry walnut salad) and some protein, but I intend to make it into a regular lunch rather than a holiday meal.

I keep reminding myself that these foods aren't endangered species- don't need to gobble them down like I'll never see them again.

Originally Posted by lin43:
Not to highjack this thread, but would you happen to have a good recipe for coconut curry soup? I would love to try making that.

Absolutely!
LINK

cincorn - That sounds like a good plan. You've got this!

Thanksgiving week two years ago was my first start at cal counting. I am in maintenance now but my tactics have not changed. I count my food, but eat what I want within reason. Including pecan pie for breakfast on Friday. I have been eating at a deficit since Halloween to account for Halloween candy, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. I've pretty much been calorie cycling to create the deficit that I need to account for over eating a bit. However....its still super easy to over do it so I will only be eating the foods that I really like. Extra green bean casserole but no sweet potatos etc.

Originally Posted by Mrs Snark:
No way I would announce all my eating strategies to everyone in the extended family or lecture anyone on eating lighter. On a holiday? Nooooooo.

I get to decide what I eat no matter what is on the table or who is eating what or who tries pushing food on me or whatever.

I have the power over my mouth (phenomenal cosmic power!!!!!!!!) so I am in charge.

THIS!! The holiday is not all about me and my diet plan. I have to live with temptations Every. Single. Day. It is nobody's responsiblity to accomodate my WOlife...and life includes holidays and celebrations.

Originally Posted by Wannabeskinny:
Thanksgiving doesn't need to change.. It's a big celebration, there's a lot of food, and no I cannot lecture everyone and make them eat steamed broccoli...Thanksgiving does not need to change, the responsibility to abstain from temptation is mine. The food is not even unhealthy, it's just tempting.

TOTALLY agree, Wannabeskinny!! Everybody else shouldn't have to eat like they are on a diet because one person decides to be healthier.

Originally Posted by lin43:
Distribute your calories so that you have some low days to make up for the high days.

Lin43's plan is the technique I use, too. I do carb and calorie cycling all the time and have lower and higher days regularly. So, the holiday will be my high day. Since this is something I do regularly; I don't have a hard time getting back on track for my low days. This is a WOE and a WOL for me. I'm in for the long haul and plan to eat that same way when I get to maintenance.

Originally Posted by dstalksalot:
Thanksgiving week two years ago was my first start at cal counting. I am in maintenance now but my tactics have not changed. I count my food, but eat what I want within reason. Including pecan pie for breakfast on Friday. I have been eating at a deficit since Halloween to account for Halloween candy, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. I've pretty much been calorie cycling to create the deficit that I need to account for over eating a bit. However....its still super easy to over do it so I will only be eating the foods that I really like. Extra green bean casserole but no sweet potatos etc.

I've been calorie counting for a while now, on and off. I just looked up the term "calorie cycling" and realize that I've been doing this for the past couple of weeks. This is new to me because I always tried to meet my caloric ceiling every day. Yesterday for example I went over budget. But the 2 days before that I was below budget, and today will be a light day. And so this makes me not only feel sane and not a hostage to my calorie limits but it's also how I see "normal people" living. For example, my mother is a normal person. On thanksgiving she eats quite a bit. But then I notice the next day she is turned off by the left overs and opts for a light salad instead. She's been doing this all her life.

For me I guess I was eating like it was thanksgiving everyday.