Freaking out about holidays!
 

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? I'm feeling panicky thinking about it:fr:!

Someone please tell me it's possible to get through the holidays without gaining weight, because I don't think I EVER have!

Why do you think most diets start after New Years? ;)

I'd be happy to just maintain. I think I am going to start Weight Watchers today for extra support to get through the holidays.

Cincorn - I know how you are feeling. I don't know if it's possible not to gain ANY weight...but I do think maybe we can minimize the amount we gain. I had some success a couple of weekends ago. We did family Thanksgiving with the cousins early, so the families could spend the actual day with their in-law side. I went to the dinner table with the mentality that some foods are just the same old-same old. For example...corn...it's the same old stuff, so I didn't put it on my plate. I left out the items that aren't particularly special and only ate the few things that I can't get any other time. So I had a big slice of turkey and ham, bacon wrapped green beans (no one ever takes the time to make them look so nice), and a slice of pecan pie.:devil: Before the meal, I chose to snack on the veggie tray instead of the cheese and cracker platter. Pick those things that are truly special and leave out some. I love stuffing, but there wasn't any, so I was safe. I had a couple of light beers. Overall I gained one pound over that weekend, but it came off easily. I plan to do the same thing over the holidays...trying to pick only those items that really make the holiday meal special...and in moderation. I know there are lots of strategies out there. I think it's all in gearing your mind up before heading to the festivities.
Good luck to you and Happy Holidays!!!:thanks1::xcheer::newyear:

cincorn, I am with you! My concern is not so much holiday gain, but losing control. I can't tell you how many times I have been derailed by holiday eating and then did not get back in control.

There was one year that I stayed in control though so I am taking the same approach that I did that year. My approach is to:

For celebrations at work, church, and friend's homes, I am taking on-plan food and sticking to my plan. Then on Thanksgiving day and Christmas day, I am allowing myself 1 roll, 1 serving of mashed potatoes, and 1 serving of desert in addition to my on-plan food. There will be plenty of on-plan food.

If we plan and are determined I think that we can get through it.

I am very nervous about the holidays. I was hoping to be to onderland by New Years but I am doubtful that will happen. We have had 2 thanksgiving meals already. The first one I just had turkey and salad. The one last night I had small portions. I think I will be ok. I am usually happy with a bite of a favorite dish but I am still very nervous.

I'm maintaining and I let myself gain a couple pounds during the holidays (they come off on their own) if it happens. I'm pretty active at the gym so I treat it like I'm bulking and use the extra calories to do stuff like run for time and see if I can lift heavier weights.

Originally Posted by time2lose:
cincorn, I am with you! My concern is not so much holiday gain, but losing control. I can't tell you how many times I have been derailed by holiday eating and then did not get back in control.

There was one year that I stayed in control though so I am taking the same approach that I did that year. My approach is to:

For celebrations at work, church, and friend's homes, I am taking on-plan food and sticking to my plan. Then on Thanksgiving day and Christmas day, I am allowing myself 1 roll, 1 serving of mashed potatoes, and 1 serving of desert in addition to my on-plan food. There will be plenty of on-plan food.

If we plan and are determined I think that we can get through it.

Love this post, thank you!

I plan to gorge myself on Thanksgiving, and then eat whatever I want the entire weekend. To me, it's not even worth it to deny myself the pleasure of the food during the holidays. What I DO plan to do though, is continue to work out every day, and go right back on plan come the Monday after Thanksgiving, and carry through to Christmas Eve. Good Luck!

I have lost almost 65 lbs to me no food is worth the weight gain. Realize when you gorge or binge you are taking a step back and sometimes a very hard return. My plan is this. I am planning my meals and plan to have what I want in moderation. It is a give and take. I can have a slice of my mom's praline cheesecake if I nix the fatty gravy, green bean casserole and potatoes. I am hosting thanksgiving and Christmas eve which puts me in the drivers seat. My two daughters are helping me cook the meals. Remember you are in control. You can have a cheat day but like some one said not a cheat weeks. Some people feast from thanksgiving to new years and that is why most people gain 15 lbs or more. Make sure you get a good work out in too to off set some of the calories.

I'm not terrified this year. I started again in October fully aware that the holidays were right around the corner. At this point, if I can sit at my desk and ignore three birthday cakes, a taco dinner, and an impromptu boss's appreciation breakfast, Thanksgiving up here tomorrow will be cake LOL.

I plan on indulging Thanksgiving Day and maybe Black Friday, but I want to be close to goal by June and that doesn't give much room to play around with. Every other year however..... I'd put on most of my weight around this time because I love to bake and would spend from Thanksgiving week to New Years baking about every day. To the detriment of my co-workers and family, not going to happen this year. I just can't afford to waste the time and you know, Lord willing, I'll be around next year to make up for lost sweets, within in reason of course. :)

The holidays, *deep sigh*

That said, it really is up to us to make choices.

Thankfully, I am not in a spot where I have to attend umpteen social holiday events.:D

That said, I choose to pick and choose.

I skip the roll, I can eat bread anytime. Green bean casserole, make it healthier or skip it.

I will NOT skip the homemade peanut butter pie. However, this is a ONE time a year food.

It's all about choices, choose this over that.

I look at it this way, there are a few foods, that only show up at Thanksgiving or Christmas in my world, so I compromise with other food and exercise choices, to enjoy a "small" portion of holiday cheer.

No food should be off limits, we just need to remember, portion control, and when the holiday is over, it's over.:D

I am also a bit nervous to say the least, but I think for me the one thing that gets me through is walking. If i walk after every meal, not only does it help digestion along, but it persuades me not to stuff myself since I know how unpleasant the walk will be if I do!

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? I'm feeling panicky thinking about it:fr:!

Someone please tell me it's possible to get through the holidays without gaining weight, because I don't think I EVER have!

Almost all the years I've been working at my weight (five, now,) I have lost or maintained from October to January. The year I did not (this last one) I was pregnant. It's not only possible, it isn't even that hard. Accountability and a game plan for achieving what end you desire - that's really all there is to it.

There have been a lot of great suggestions here, and if someone follows them, I would think the holidays would go well. The important thing is to have a plan and stick to it. There's not much damage you can do if you only indulge on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Personally, I plan to stay on my diet over the holidays. It's more difficult (for me) to go off and then try to get back on. But I will want a taste of some holiday foods ... so I'm making room for them very carefully. I know that I am risking my cravings acting up, but darn it, I have to learn to beat them sooner or later.

I think that depriving yourself of Thanksgiving dinner is a good way to make yourself miserable and set yourself up for an eventual binge. I think it's best to just eat whatever you want. One Thanksgiving dinner won't de-rail your weight loss efforts, and I don't think successful weight loss demands 100% adherence to plan 100% of the time. It's okay to eat big, hearty meals once in a while. You can still lose weight even if you occasionally eat a big, hearty meal -- yeah, rolls and pie included. Eating rolls and pie in moderation will not wreck your diet.

There is no need to go overboard and gorge yourself. The holidays shouldn't be about stuffing yourself to the point of sickness and discomfort. Just eat until you're content, and then stop.

Also, the holidays shouldn't be weeks on end of endlessly bingeing. On Thanksgiving, just plan to take a single day off your diet, and eat to the point of contentedness on that day. You can stick to your ordinary diet the rest of the time.

I'm not that worried about Thanksgiving or Christmas, because my family doesn't eat many heavy or fattening foods at holiday meals. Our Thanksgiving dinner consists mainly of vegetables - squash, peas, pearl onions and sweet potatoes. You might consider cutting out fattening side dishes and adding loads of veggies to your holiday meals?

We also have turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls, gravy and two kinds of pie. I'm planning on freely indulging in all of these foods, and I'm going to feel fine about it, because it won't ruin my weight loss efforts. The worst thing that'll happen is that I won't lose as much next week as I'd ordinarily hope to lose in a week, but that's okay. There's no big rush to lose weight.

For Christmas, I'm planning on baking healthy, wholesome cookies. In my family, Christmas dinner is generally pretty minimal (roast beef, brussels sprouts, and yorkshire pudding). We always have Christmas pudding for dessert, and portion-control will be key with that. Everyone in my orbit knows about my weight loss efforts, so they won't be gifting me with food/candy/chocolates. I used to do a candy-binge on Christmas morning, but this year I plan on cooking a festive and wholesome breakfast.

I realize that I'll gain back every single bit of my lost weight if I don't find permanent new ways to deal with Christmas. It's easy to fall into thinking "I'll just suffer through this one Christmas and then, after I've lost the weight, I'll be able to pig out next year!" Nope, that's a recipe for regain. If I want to keep the weight off, Christmas will need to be forever different. How ever you decide to handle the holidays, it needs to be something that you can sustainably do for the rest of your life. So, don't make it too grueling, and don't deprive yourself too much.

Also, the entire month of December doesn't need to be a binge-a-thon. You can do your normal dieting most days of the month. If you need to go to a Christmas party, bake something wholesome and delicious, and bring that to the party so you'll have something to eat. Also, eating your normal dinner before heading out to a party can take the edge off your appetite.

I'm going to do my best to stay on plan during the holidays by eating those lovely holiday foods in moderation. I don't know if I'll be successful, but that is my plan. I will probably slack a bit on Thanksgiving day and Christmas day, but other than that, moderation and normal plan the rest of the holiday season. My goal is not to gain anything - if I lose, great. As long as I don't gain, it is a success.

I haven't had a chance to read all the replies, so perhaps others have already suggested what I'm going to suggest: Distribute your calories so that you have some low days to make up for the high days (as long as this isn't a trigger for you to binge, as I know it is for some). I have been maintaining for two years, and what has gotten me through the holidays without gaining has been to have a few low days to make up for the high days. Also, I don't use the holidays as a reason to eat anything and everything, as I used to. I mean, prior to losing, I would actually just eat fattening foods that had nothing to do with the holidays simply because it was the holiday! Now, though, I usually eat just what I know is special for the season. For instance, I know that I'll want to have some egg nog and there's a recipe for gingerbread I want to try. Also, of course I will eat whatever I really want during the main holiday meals. I refuse not to have those enjoyments as they are part of the fun of the holidays. However, I also won't be just drinking or eating it up during my regular workweek with no parties or events scheduled. What's the point?

So far, balancing it out like this has worked for me.

ETA: I just wanted to point out that no matter how much I eat, though (e.g., 4000 calories last Christmas Day), I always log my food. Hiding my head in the sand about how much I've eaten does not work for me.

One day of eating isn't the problem for me. It's leftovers! And lots of them. And in my family everyone gives everyone food as gifts. I bake gingerbread cakes and make cookies and I get several platters of cookies between Thanksgiving and Christmas. My MIL alone supplies me with a whole pumpkin pie, cookies and enough left overs to feed a small village.

Lately I've gotten in the habit of drinking richly spiced tea (cinammon, cardamom, etc) in the afternoon. Its a very nice warm soothing cup of tea that satisfies sweetness and carries me through from lunch to dinner. I have a feeling I'll be drinking a lot of spiced tea during the holidays.

I typically eat the veggies, the turkey, a little bit of gravy, and my homemade cranberry sauce. The cornbread, stuffing/dressing, sweet potatoes, and desserts aren't really that appealing to me, even though I spend so much time making them.

When I was in high school, we had homecoming on Thanksgiving night, so I'm used to not really eating much Thanksgiving dinner in order to fit into a fancy dress!

I'll go for a bit of champagne too.

I love Christmas because the menu always changes. My family is really fairly healthy and always has been, so I never worry too much about our meals. Usually it's healthy appetizers, wine/champagne/beer for Christmas eve at my parents' house, then healthy brunch at my house on Christmas day with mimosas and bloody marys.

I LOVE the leftovers! The first thing I do is make a big pot of turkey stock, then I will make gluten free baked turkey croquettes, turkey soup (of course), turkey pot pie, and I will try to make an Asian coconut curry soup with turkey. All of this depends on how many leftovers there are and how many I can take home. I will probably take as much as possible, then cook and bring over half of everything to my parents.

I should say leftover turkey is good. Left over pumpkin pie is dangerous.

Well, I am nervous, because all of the sensible advice everyone has shared? I know all that stuff! I've told myself all of that before! But it never fails... by January, I will have exactly one pair of jeans that fit.

Having a plan is one thing. Sticking to it is a whole 'nother.

One of my challenges is that, like many others, I associate the run-up to the holidays with baking. I love making and decorating cookies, making food gifts (last year I made homemade marshmallows for my kids' teachers), etc. I am torn -- I like to share this with my kids (they especially love rolling out, cutting and decorating cookies), but I don't want to set them up for a lifetime of associating the holidays with fattening foods (for the record, they are all thin and eat healthfully, same with my husband -- I just worry about the future). And then I think -- I'm overthinking this -- everyone associates the holidays with indulgence, I just have to teach them moderation! (there could not be a worse possible teacher)

I am planning on replacing some of the baking with other traditions -- working a holiday puzzle, making some decorative crafts, visiting the festival of lights at the botanic gardens, etc.

Like others have said, leftovers are a challenge. We hosted Christmas Eve last year and I was eating leftover White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cheesecake (which I made from scratch, right down to the peppermint bark) for days.

To make a long story short -- I am thinking of something like a goal and a sticker chart. Plan food in advance + 25 days on plan in December? That allows for Christmas Eve and Christmas, plus a handful of parties.

Originally Posted by Wannabeskinny:
I should say leftover turkey is good. Left over pumpkin pie is dangerous.

I know this may not help, but you can freeze pie slices for individual warm up.

I really don't like pumpkin pie, but I am making pumpkin swirl cheesecakes. I don't have a sweet tooth, but my diabetic grandmother does and these only have 6.5 g of sugar each and they're individually portioned.

If you have the power to make your own holiday desserts, or decide what your holiday desserts will be, then don't make super-rich and super-fatty desserts. Pumpkin pie, for instance, is relatively nutritious and non-diet-ruining. It's easy to make a lower-fat, whole-wheat pie crust for it. Don't choose to bake things like deep-dish-cheesecake-brownie pie for Thanksgiving.

I think it's important to get away from the idea that Thanksgiving and Christmas are supposed to be all-out binge-fests full of unhealthy foods. There's so much food out there that's both yummy and healthy that it's not really necessary to bake unhealthy desserts in order to have a satisfying holiday.

For Christmas this year, I'm not going to bake cheesecakes or ultra-mega-butter-cookies. I'm going to bake wholesome lowfat gingerbread cookies and other wholesome low-sugar, whole-grain baked goods.

If possible, don't choose to bake unhealthy desserts. That way, you won't have to worry too much. If you have a slice of pumpkin pie for dessert every night for a week, your weight loss might be a little slower-than-usual, but you won't ruin your entire weight loss effort.

Or, take the leftovers to work. Or bring them to a neighbor. Or if friends and relatives bring over a bunch of unhealthy desserts, send them back home with the leftovers.

Make sure everyone in your orbit knows about your diet. If they're kind and considerate people, they'll be respectful of your need to eat healthily! I think it's mean to give someone a fattening food gift if they're trying hard to lose weight and be healthy. Most people don't want to be mean, so let everyone know that you're not interested in receiving food gifts, and they'll probably oblige.

Apart from desserts, other Thanksgiving leftovers are good. Eaten in moderation, you can have wholesome and yummy dinners for an entire week after Thanksgiving. I shoot for a well-balanced 600-calorie dinner every night, and I think I'll make it with Thanksgiving leftovers.

For Christmas, my family never really has leftovers. Our Christmas dinner is really minimal, and there's never much leftover because we cook so little to start with (roast beef, brussels sprouts, yorkshire pudding - we make enough for that one meal only). Also, on Christmas Eve, we usually have fondue, and we only make enough fondue for that one meal.

My mother's birthday is December 29th, so we always go out for dinner and then have cake, so I'm just accepting the fact that I won't be losing any weight the week after Christmas.

On New Year's, I plan to go out. I plan on eating a normal dinner before heading out, but, I'll probably be bringing healthy treats to the party with me. I don't really drink alcohol, so that's not a problem. On New Year's Day, my family will cook enough New Year's dinner for one meal only. Generally, we don't have New Year's leftovers either.

Munchy, that pumpkin cheesecake recipe looks mega-awesome! If I didn't have a full roster of desserts for Thanksgiving already, I'd make that! Maybe I'll just make pumpkin cheesecakes for the heck of it some weeknight.

Originally Posted by emilym:
Munchy, that pumpkin cheesecake recipe looks mega-awesome! If I didn't have a full roster of desserts for Thanksgiving already, I'd make that! Maybe I'll just make pumpkin cheesecakes for the heck of it some weeknight.

If you want to make one that is quicker and super delicious, try this one Pumpkin spice no bake cheesecake. It has been requested for the past 3 years, but this year I'm going with the other one :)

I'm not into whole wheat dessert or healthy dessert. I don't ever eat dessert so on a holiday I like to splurge. No way am I choosing smile fat anything over homemade bread pudding with salted gingerbread syrup. And it's all well and good that your family eats so light on a holiday but mine doesn't. I don't make announcements about my diet because that's such a downer, brings on unwanted attention and is kind of anrudenthing to talk about at dinner anyway. It's a major pet peeve of mine when people talk about their diets in a dinner party. I do refuse a lot of things but its rude to not accept a gift of baked goods. Maybe it's a cultural thing but refusing someone's cookies is like refusing any other gift.

I'm not making excuses, I will do my best to eat sensibly, I don't over eat at one meal but I'm jut being honest that having leftovers around is difficult for me.

Following Weight Watchers, I usually do lose weight over the holidays. I think one reason that I do is that I am very vigilant during that time period.

First, I make sure to go to WW meetings. It keeps me in the losing frame of mind.

Second, I am very careful of what food I let sit around the house. I avoid getting too many sweets and other things that are easy to mindlessly munch on.

I actually try to avoid going to too many events that would be hard to handle foodwise. Yes, if I really want to go to the event, I go. But, I don't go to those that really aren't important to me.

For Thanksgiving and Christmas day, I am fortunate that I have the meal at my house so I can make what I want. However, even when I've sometimes gone elsewhere I've found that most things can be handled through portion control. And, frankly, if you overeat on just those two days and you stay on your food plan otherwise for the next 6 weeks you will still lose weight.

Avoid leftovers. Get rid of uneaten food as soon as possible (preferably not be eating it). Better to throw it way than eat it yourself.

If your family isn't a light-eating family, then it's going to be really difficult to avoid weight gain during the holiday. 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?

Could it be possible to cook a heavy dinner with a decadent dessert, but only cook enough for that one meal? If you're family's really attached to having leftovers to eat for days on end, though, then I don't think there's anything you'll be able to do about that apart from sitting them down and having a talk.

I definitely get where you're coming from! I live with my father, and my father hates the idea of healthy eating, and he feels like it's very important to eat heavily all the time, and he often complains about the food I make him eat. I don't really understand it, but it's one of the biggest obstacles I'm dealing with. I cook/plan/purchase/control most of the meals that are eaten in my home, though, so I am able to stick to plan in spite of him, but only "in spite of" him. I wish he cared more about his own health, but it frustrates me when he gets in the way of me taking care of mine.

About food gifts, I don't mean that you need to be rude to anyone, or rudely turn down gifts, or incessantly talk about your weight loss. I just mean that people in your life should generally be aware of what's been going on with you, just like you're generally aware of the important things that are happening in your friends' lives. If friends give you a fattening food gift in spite of their awareness, then that's kind of mean and thoughtless on their part. You don't have to rudely turn the gift down, but you don't need to feel guilty about throwing it out, or bringing it to work, or giving it to someone else. I have a lot of friends and family who live far away and don't know about my weight loss efforts . If any of them sends me a food gift in the mail, I won't feel guilty about giving it away, because they'll never know that I gave it away. I'll send them a lovely thank-you note right after Christmas, but I won't feel obligated to eat the gift.

Americans definitely do have a lot of screwed-up ideas about eating during holidays. A lot of us have this idea that we're supposed to gorge and gorge and gorge during holidays and I don't think it's necessarily the best approach. I really dislike going to parties where there's an enormous spread of food, because it's like "How am I supposed to handle this with moderation? What's even the point of this much food?" I wish that our holidays didn't have to be so full of debauchery and over-the-top excess.

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.