Holiday Strategies

[MINI-Me 196]

With being at goal now ... I am concerned about the holidays. So ... thought I would start a post to see what others are planning to do the next few months with the holidays, people getting together, and all the food that seems to be EVERYWHERE.

Here's what I am thinking for me:

I've met my stated goal of 135, but think I can still go a bit lower. I will not go below 125 though - that seems too low for being 5'6" (and the fact that I promised my husband not to go any lower than that ).

My plan is to continue eating like I have been (meaning 90% following plan and 10% allowing some "treats") through New Years. If I find that I'm losing too much, I'll move to maintenance & start adding more healthy foods to my daily eating.

However, the old me is still here. I'm very concerned (ok - obsessing) about gaining during the holidays. I am hopeful that a mindful approach will keep that from happening. Plus, putting it out here in writing will keep me accountable to everyone else.

Anxious to hear your thoughts as well...

[Tiffykins 673]

I'm being totally careless this holiday season. I was heavy into my losing stage this time last year, and fought to get to goal before Jan 1. This year, I'm going to indulge in all the yummies at least 1 day for each holiday. I'm not going to avoid any foods this holiday season, but I'm not going to eat way off my normal plan. I figure I'll give myself one day for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the cocktails on NYE will be enough.

[MINI-Me 196]

Love your honesty Tiff!

[Tiffykins 673]

Love your honesty Tiff!

It's the WINE margarita I had today at lunch LOL ! ! ! Seriously, a wine based margarita, I thought I was going to dry hump the bartender, and he wasn't even good-looking. I don't think I've ever had a more yummy drink. Plus, the rim of the glass was SUGARED, not salted.

[coops 1,790]

Good thread...

this has been on my mind too... not really sure how to handle it at the moment!! I will have to be really aware of food this year around christmas and new year... ideas and plans would be good... x

[MINI-Me 196]

It's the WINE margarita I had today at lunch LOL ! ! ! Seriously, a wine based margarita, I thought I was going to dry hump the bartender, and he wasn't even good-looking. I don't think I've ever had a more yummy drink. Plus, the rim of the glass was SUGARED, not salted.

Now I am really laughing ... Maybe you should change your tagline to:

If you don't want the truth, don't ask me. If you want something sugarcoated, go have a Wine Margarita!

[MINI-Me 196]

Good thread...

this has been on my mind too... not really sure how to handle it at the moment!! I will have to be really aware of food this year around christmas and new year... ideas and plans would be good... x

I am hoping for some really good ones from those more "experienced" ... Though it sounds like Tiff is going to have a lot of fun with her cocktails.

[coops 1,790]

Perhaps, just perhaps, we should all just concentrate on the liquid stage of this ... especially around christmas time and liquid taking the form of alchol... with or without sugar..lol...

I think for me it is going to be getting in to a routine, especially when I am not in work... luckily we don't over by on the sweets and treats at christmas...

I too will be looking for any words of wisdom!! x

[Globetrotter 1,340]

This is where eating in a cafeteria with limited choices comes in handy I guess!! Indulging won't be a problem at Halloween and Thanksgiving, though they do a big spread here for Thanksgiving, I will just eat the turkey first and then be so stuffed after 3 ounces that I won't have room for more than a lick of mashies & gravy.=) If I get to go home for Christmas there will be delightful treats and delicacies available but again, I'll eat Protein first. As for New Year, General Order #1 forbids alcohol, even for civilians!=( I don't care for champagne anyway.

[Stacy160 201]

Ohhhhh yes, the wonderful holidays... typically when I lose ALL control for a solid two months. If you'd asked me this question at Easter, when I was only a couple of months out, I'd have said "Eh... no problem."

NOW? Yeesh. The sleeve has done what it could do on it's own and it's all on ME now, and unfortunately I'm not one of those people who lost my taste for sweets. I really, really want to get another 25 - 30 lbs. off by my one-year anniversary on January 25th, which leaves me only three months.

Soooooooo.... the plan at home is to still stick with Protein and healthy veggies for the holiday meals, but allow tastes of the treat-y type stuff also, hopefully only ON the holiday itself. At work, patients bring us tons of goodies and we usually have piles of boxes, tins and plates full of baked stuff and candy all over the back counter and table. The plan is to tell myself that I can have ONE of whatever I want most on my way out the door at night... half the time when I do that, I forget about it and leave without it. 'Cause if I start earlier in the day, then I'm gonna just want that taste for the rest of the day, and with an almost endless supply, well... you get the idea. Work will be a challenge! I do have grand intentions of working out hard on all my days off (4, I work 3 long days) as well.

Maybe starting on Halloween we should start a thread for daily accountability, specifically to get us through the holidays with no major catastrophes?

[chilo1 62]

iIneed to start accounting for what I eat on holidays too cause it got a bit out of hand. I had a 5 day break in london with my dad, hubby and girls and I slightly overdid it, not so much in quantity but quality. I had a few biscuits and chocolate, just because they were handing out free chocolaate at the hotel for halloween yesterday. I didn't have access to the internet very much (or time) so I didn't count my calories, but I won't be making this mistake again. I'm sure I haven't lost any weight in the past 2 weeks, but I didn't put on any either, (i know because my jeans still fit perfectly, not tighter or loser) we walked loads and I mean loads in london, so that helped! We will be having a low key Christmas this year so I'll just have turkey first which I love, and hopefully won't have much room for the rest!

[Dawn 16]

Halloween I plan to eat candy and lots of it because I start my 2 week pre-op diet tomorrow! LOL

Thanksgiving, I will still be on liquids because it's less then two weeks after surgery and for Christmas I'm not sure exactly where I'll be. I'm thinking it'll be soft/mushy or just have started solids again but my DH will not be that far along (his surgery is 2 weeks after mine) so I figured I would try to go along more with where he is for support!

[feedyoureye 3,087]

My surgery is January 18th, and I will be in New Zealand for Xmas with the inlaws and friends. My prob is there will be wine flowing at mom in laws...chatting and drinking into the night... and we plan on a one week tour of wineries in the south island with friends.... my doc has made us sign a no drink, no caffein, no aspirin, no no no no list for before surgery. I am normally not much of a drinker... but I have to tell you this bunch Im visiting IS, and of course, the wine tasting trip will be a blast.....SO when I get back I will have two weeks until my pre surgery visit, and three weeks till surgery... do you think this will be long enough of a sober period to get back to normal after a drinking persons vacation? Of course I can taste and spit, and just say no at moms....but....

[MINI-Me 196]

This is a cross-post from the one I did on not controlling my sweet tooth over Halloween Weekend. Hopefully it will inspire others and keep me accountable!!!!

OK ... I posted this on OH and I'm going to post it here too. This is my Holiday Challenge. Who's with me?

I would like to see 125 by Christmas. That will force me to make good choices over the holidays and provide a "bounce back" period when I move fully into maintenance.

Not sure if I can take off 7 pounds in that time period. The loss has been really slow as I have approached goal. But, I'm gonna try!

[MINI-Me 196]

ok ... I'm not making any progress. I've been bouncing between 134.6 and 132.8 for several weeks now. (Of course, my Halloween binge didn't help things any )

I know being 125 by the end of the year is a stretch at 9+ months out, but I want to keep pressing forward. Anyone out there with me? Want to help hold each other accountable? I'm open for any and all ideas!!!![/font]