Jesslan Rose, don't stress about it. Even if you don't meet your weight loss goal for the month, you're a success for losing anything at this time of the year. I think consistency is more important than perfection.
I did okay during the holidays overall. During the past six months or so, I've had to cut my daily calories by 100 because I was ever so slowly gaining. Even though the cut was only 100 a day, I could really tell the difference during this holiday season as opposed to last: I really felt like I was struggling at times. My main problem was picking a lot---a bite whenever I would open the fridge. So, while I don't think I had even one episode of pigging out, I snacked more than usual.
I actually didn't do awfully, to be honest. Christmas Eve I really hadn't eaten much because I knew we were doing snacky things at my MIL's after going to her friends' church, and I eyeballed the calories on everything and really ate more of the cocktail shrimp than anything. Didn't count per se, but don't feel like I overdid it.
Christmas day I had egg bake and coffeecake for breakfast (tradition with stockings), and then ham, veggies, cornbread stuffing, spinach salad and cheesy potatoes with dinner. Too much stuffing, but no dessert. What got me was the alcohol- 2 festive cocktails before dinner, and then got lost in the wine glass because I was missing my husband's grandmother who died day after Christmas last year.
Which set me up to not cope well AT ALL when the fire department called about my own house... the neighbors had called in because it looked like my furnace chimney was glowing hot.
Cue me, panic attack mess (fire is not my thing at all, has to do with a childhood trauma... it's actually the reason my therapist tagged me as PTSD for her billing) sobbing on my MIL's floor. I just can't deal with fire. Can't do it.
My hubby and my brother who lives with us headed up to check it out and gave the fire department the garage code so they could get in without breaking my door (which I'd have been TOTALLY fine with, to be honest. FD's gotta do what they gotta do.) Everything checked out OK... it appeared to have been an optical illusion from our Christmas lights and the snowfall. Looked sketchy enough that they were wanting to do a forced entry though to be sure... glad they got ahold of us before the sheriff's department!
So glad it wasn't a real fire... they'll be getting a thank-you letter for coming out on the holiday. It's a local, small time department so I know everyone was home with their families.
Anyway, on the food front, back on track with Fitbit and counting calories and the scale is doing fine... very hopeful to see the 180's by the first week of the New Year.
I didn't track my food or anything over Christmas and I indulged in goodies and drinks when I wanted to. At the family meals I had some of everything I wanted but tried to stick to reasonable portions relative to what I was eating... more meat and vegetables on my plate and less mashed potatoes and gravy basically.
Came home at the end of it all and weighed in the same as the day I left The key for me has really been figuring out what foods I actually like and want to eat and trying to fill up on the healthier stuff so I'm less interested in the junk. Before, I'd have some of everything just to try it and load up on stuff like gravy that's calorie-rich but nutrient-poor.
I ate fairly well. We always have breakfast on Christmas morning and I limited myself to just two slices of delicious, thick-cut bacon strips and one large cinnamon roll. I counteracted my breakfast by having a small and less caloric lunch and dinner. I regret nothing and still lost weight over my week-long break.
I've eaten everything I can get my hands on for the past week and I need to stop that. So, that's how my Christmas was. Cookies, cake, snacks, everything on the planet! But, honestly, I didn't feel like limiting myself around family and holiday and when push comes to shove, it was totally worth the fun of it for the few pounds I may have gained. Now I just have to buckle down and get back on track but I would have traded the past week for anything.
I ate a whole bunch of chocolate. Then went on vacation (still on vacation) and have been trying to be good but not always succeeding. Hoping for the best when I get home and do the weigh-in. May need to adjust my ticker upward (hope not!) Feeling really bloated so maybe it's mostly water.
I do best when locked into my daily routine. I've managed a calorie deficit then. Always these holidays and vacations that throw me off.
Holidays is when IE truly proves itself as the best possible plan for me. I've indulged in everything I enjoy every single day, eating until solid satisfaction AND I lost a pound. Also, there's no "plan" to get back into, no penance to serve, no need to work off any extra calories and nothing to feel guilty about. And so happy not to be sidled with any new year's resolutions that involve weight loss. Karma!
Last edited by Palestrina; 12-31-2014 at 08:08 AM.
I was doing so well - I had hit my all-time low on the 21st. Then my wife made Christmas sugar cookies with that icing on top. Don't ask me how many I ate. Anyway, for the next six days I ate freely, and I gained in that time 13 pounds. I think that's another personal record. Now I'm struggling to lose it back to where I started.
So the moral for me is: never, ever make exceptions for special events when dieting. I just can't stop, and I can always recreate after my diet is done whatever food it was that I thought I had to have.
Holidays is when IE truly proves itself as the best possible plan for me. I've indulged in everything I enjoy every single day, eating until solid satisfaction AND I lost a pound. Also, there's no "plan" to get back into, no penance to serve, no need to work off any extra calories and nothing to feel guilty about. And so happy not to be sidled with any new year's resolutions that involve weight loss. Karma!
I really admire your approach and wish I could follow in your footsteps. Trouble is, I don't trust my body's signals. I was born with a large appetite and can eat several thousand calories in one sitting without feeling uncomfortable. The only reason I don't weigh 500 pounds is that I consciously eat less than I want, every day and every meal. I eat an average of 2,000 calories per day, but would like to eat twice that, if not more. Or am I still in "restricting mode" without realizing it???
I honestly don't know. I did indulge on a few days, broke my phone and didn't have access to my calorie counting app for a weekend and felt a little forlorn. I don't weigh in every day or even the same time every week. Its the end of my first month in my journey and I lost ten pounds though through out the whole month. Maybe I gained some over the past few days and used to be even lighter, but I'll never know, so I got to stay positive.
And I hear you freelancemomma! I'm not exactly the same, but I take awhile to feel full after eating. So if I waited until I felt full to stop, I'd pack in tons of calories! (And have in the past!!!) I wish I could tell you about your calorie intake but I'm just learning myself. I aim for 1400-1600. On bad days I aim not to go over 1800. But I'm also much shorter than you!!!
I really admire your approach and wish I could follow in your footsteps. Trouble is, I don't trust my body's signals. I was born with a large appetite and can eat several thousand calories in one sitting without feeling uncomfortable. The only reason I don't weigh 500 pounds is that I consciously eat less than I want, every day and every meal. I eat an average of 2,000 calories per day, but would like to eat twice that, if not more. Or am I still in "restricting mode" without realizing it???
F.
Don't think too much about it, everyone has to be comfortable with what they're doing. Don't forget that I'm still at the start of my journey and you're at maintenance. I don't buy for a second that you don't trust your body's signals, it sounds like you know and understand those signals very well. You may not be eating as much as you would like, but you must be finding satisfaction in your meals in order to maintain for so long, you don't seem to battle deprivation.
Restricting mode is tricky to define because IE does not mean that you can and should eat with abandon, it means that you need to eat without feeling deprived. I'm on a restricted diet right now (doctor's orders) and although it is a little tough I'm doing a good job of not feeling deprived of anything. I'm enjoying all the foods that I eat and avoiding foods that make my body feel terrible is easy to do because I do it in order to feel good.
Restriction mode means you are in constant fear of allowing yourself around food. It means that you don't trust yourself around food, it means that you hold on to very strict dieting rules, and people who are in restriction mode are often under distress. Another sign is if you are taking great pains in keeping "accountable" like weighing yourself compulsively, counting calories and judging every food decision you make. Restriction mode is a constant panic and a constant police state of mind.
You've mentioned before that you could eat thousands of calories at one sitting, but can you really? I' curious as to how you are able to stop eating, what gauge do you use to stop? Is it a physical gauge or a mental one? Perhaps you can use mindful eating tactics to garner more satisfaction to your meals and learn the nuances of feeling satisfied.
Here I was all worried about Christmas week, and I came down with the flu Friday before Christmas. Was sick the entire week with very little appetite. I had some sweets, but not much, and ended up losing 3 pounds overall. Now that we're home, I've had two very bad days with sweets - delayed reaction - but happily back on track. Weighing in at 170, my lowest, and looking forward to hitting the 160s this month!!!
The key for me has really been figuring out what foods I actually like and want to eat and trying to fill up on the healthier stuff so I'm less interested in the junk. Before, I'd have some of everything just to try it and load up on stuff like gravy that's calorie-rich but nutrient-poor.
-PT 
Don't ask me how many I ate. Anyway, for the next six days I ate freely, and I gained in that time 13 pounds. I think that's another personal record. Now I'm struggling to lose it back to where I started. 
