Hi everyone! I am pretty new to WW. Yesterday marked 4 weeks of being on the online plan and I've lost 9 pounds so far! This is pretty amazing as I haven't really been able to work out. I'm a waitress, so I do get some exercise while working, but being a full time grad student with an internship, 3 classes, and a job makes a little difficult to find the time to actually go to the gym. Anyway, my questions is about the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. I was wondering if anyone has ideas for how to stay on track during the food lovers holidays. It's tough when you are the only one out of 15 Thanksgiving guests who is trying to watch your weight.

Some "tricks" are to eat something before you go so you won't be ravenous, load up on veggies (not the green bean casserole kind, however) and turkey, eat a sliver of dessert or protest that you're too full (or allergic), drink lots of water, avoid alcohol or do a wine spritzer kind of thing, offer to bring things that you want to eat (e.g., roasted veggies), and remember that there will be other holidays in your life so once you're on maintenance, you can enjoy a bit more of the things you like to eat at the holidays. Don't let other people sabotage your efforts.

The first holidays I experienced when I was losing weight actually were easier because I was motivated. Make a plan and stick to it. Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.

Zeplove -

Another thing that helps (at least for me!) is remembering that Thanksgiving (or Christmas) is just one day. Not a weekend, not a week, not a month. If I indulge and use up all of my weekly points on that day, I might feel too full, but I won't carry on likes it's Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve.

When we're visiting relatives, I like to bring or make some of my low point comfort foods like Irish Oatmeal and Ratatouille. Then I can nosh in happiness and not blow it.

Hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving!

- H

Funny you should ask that question, 'cause I just wrote a blog post about that

Many of my suggestions are the same as Sheila's: drinking water, eat beforehand, watch your alcohol intake, & bringing something you know you can eat

I'd also suggest eating on a smaller plate, slow down when you eat: make sure you really savor and pay attention and pause between bites, don't deprive yourself but watch portions, and if you're really feeling the pressure focus on maintaining during the holidays instead of losing.

I agree with all your suggestions and would like to add to try not to focus on the food for this gathering, focus on the company and conversation. I find if I put my fork down when listening or talking I don't eat as much and enjoy what I am eating

We talked about the holidays in our meeting yesterday. Some of her tips were:

Pick the worst offenders and choose what is most important - bread vs dessert, for example.

Eat what you know will be good, and don't worry about offending anybody for not trying their dish.

Don't bring home leftovers. Send with everybody else, or make plates for a local homeless shelter.

Don 't eat crust.

Exercise Thanksgiving morning - for psychological and physical purposes.

Have ice water with dinner.

Skip dessert and have mulled cider instead.

Don't skip meals through the day leading up to dinner - you'll just eat more.

Give it your best shot at tracking. Don't just eat with abandon.

Remember, it's a holiday not a holimonth.

Those are my notes from class!

If you know what's going to be served (my family tends to keep the same menu year to year) then you can plan ahead and have an idea of what to eat and what to avoid. (Green bean casserole is deadly! )

Try to balance the one day out with the rest of the week so you stay on track points-wise.

Load up on veggies, and water. Eat slowly. Put your fork down between bites. If you are bringing a dish to share, make it something "safe."

And yes, keep it in perspective. It's one day out of the year - it can be hard to stay on track while you're there but do you really remember if you sampled everything last year, or the year before? Or what you didn't eat? Probably not.

LOL & +1 to "HoliDay not holiMonth" Good reminder.

Jennifer, you always share the best tips.

Thanks! Great suggestions everyone. I like the idea of having what I know I can't have the rest of the year, or choosing only one out of two sides that might be not so good for you. I think as long as I track each point it should be ok. I almost never use my extra 49 points. My other problem is I always have two thanksgivings because my parents are divorced. So I go off and eat at one.. and then i come home and there's a whole different menu of thanksgiving goodies. I think I'll just have to have small servings of the things I didn't already eat... (Leave out the turkey and potatoes since I've already eaten those at one place)

Also, I saw this really great recipe in a WW email I got about the holidays, Taking the filling of pumpkin pie and mixing it with some low fat yogurt, and cinnamon for a pumpkin pie parfait. Saves on calories from the crust, and you still get the holiday dessert taste. Can't wait to try it.