Christmas

[Spannerwanner]

I just wondered how everyone else is planning on handling Christmas.

Are you going to hide away and keep dieting, relax things a bit or give it all up totally?

:109:

 

[LaLaLou]

I think on Christmas day I'm just going to eat what I want, but within reason. I don't want to absolutely stuff myself, but at the same time I won't be calorie counting. From Boxing Day though I'll be back to normal and watching what I eat. Usually I'd go on a week long binge from Christmas til just after New Year, but this year will be different.

 

[Quak]

I am planning relaxing a little from TS for Christmas day as I am cooking for the in-laws as usual but will stick to turkey and veg for myself so I don't overdo it and then get back to it on boxing day and leave my other half to finish off the turkey lol

 

[CrazyBrit]

I'm going to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, with a little meat. So same as diety usual there.

I refuse to allow one day to ruin all my hard work

 

[Jenny_b]

i'll be at target before xmas so not worrying about ruining my dieting, i will however be maintaining my weight but on xmas day i will eat and drink what i want. little extra exercise will use up the extra calories consumed on xmas day. it is only 1 day, not as if ur gona gain loads of weight.
hope u enjoy christmas whatever u decide to do food use.
x x

 

[randomgurl]

Well.... last christmas I was on CD... and not listening to any of the experienced members I decided to have christmas 'off'. I didn't go mad, but although I didnt gain I found it so hard to get back on the wagon (I was on and off packs for about 2 months before I gave up completely after falling pg).

My advice to anyone is to think hard. Especially those on VLCD's/foodpacks. If you *can* abstain. If you aren't going to abstain make a plan. What about christmas makes you feel you should eat? Which parts can you live without?

For me i'm not abstaining totally over christmas (yep, even after last year). I've thought about whats important over christmas and whats not. Drinking, I dont need to do. Nor do I need any christmas cake/pudding/mince pies. Or choccies. Or any of the other piles of food that I usually manage to shovel down. To me though, the christmas meal is. Its the one day my family sits down and eats together. So i've decided to have the *one* meal. ... And, of that *one* meal I figure the togetherness of family is more important than what goes in your mouth that means I don't need potatoes/gravy/stuffing/cranberry sauce etc etc.... im good with a bit of turkey and veg.
(And heading back to work and a house with no food the day after means I -should- be okay )

Gawd, im going on a bit.... but after falling off the wagon last year I wanted to put across how important planning is. And how for sucessful long-term maintanance its important to treat yourself on occassions, but to think about what you really want and not go OTT

 

[Auburn]

I am a complete chocoholic, and most people around me know this. I have made a point of telling EVERYONE that I don't want chocolate. I am obviously yet to find out if this has been successful, but considering Mother keeps telling me I shouldn't be eating that most of the time I should be ok from her and Santa at least.
My favourite chocs are the belgian truffles, the flakey ones, and the fella says that he will get me a box of them and ration them, so I still get a treat when everyone else is stuffing their faces... The chocs will be at his house, not mine, so he will actually be in control, in an understanding way! He's good like that. God I sound like a deranged woman haha... I do usually get a lot of chocolate though....

As for the general eating plan, I personally will be calorie counting as usual. I am allowing myself 250 calories on christmas day as extra, because it is not fair for me to insist that the whole family+guests eat low fat this, and low cal that [ie - I use frylight when cooking, my pops uses olive oil]... but I will be doing my damnedest to control what goes in my gob.

I have one Christmas Party at work, one Christmas Lunch, and a knees-up planned with the girls. In addition to this, I [fingers crossed] have a meal out with the fella's family, and a meal with mine and the fella. The rest of the time, I am Taxi Driver Extraordinaire...!
So I have two boozey nights, and this might be dangerous, calorie wise, but the rest of the time, well none of my family drink so I don't drink at home, and me and the bloke don't go drinking a great deal, so that's under wraps.. I need to get hold of the menu's for the functions though and decide what to have in advance.

OH I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!! hehe but as mentioned already, it is just ONE day...

The big one is my birthday in January ;-)

 

[Spannerwanner]

Randomgurl I was really interested in what you said since I am doing a VLCD. I have been off it and back on it once already (took a couple of months off after Foundation stage as I had dreadful constipation and I needed to get back to real food to sort it out). I found restarting hard in some ways, I way very tired for a couple of weeks and I don't really feel the same drive to be absolutely strict like I was before. Although my bio says I'm doing LL what I'm actually doing is using up some old LL packs supplemented with some Avidlite products at the moment and I have certainly "cheated" a few times although only by having an extra bar or shake occasionally. I am hoping to go back to LL proper before Chrsitmas (I'm just waiting for my LL counsellor to respond to my e-mail so I can arrange this) and I have been planning on just dieting through Christmas.

The problem for me isn't really temptation as I've never been all that big on Christmas but the pressure to attend social and family events which I just find really hard to do when I am dieting. I have already cried off all the things at work which isn't so bad but I have a couple of regular Christmas / New Year events with a small group of friends that are always very food and alcohol orientated that I feel much more guilty about missing. At the moment I've said I'll come to the Christmas one but probably leave early, I'll take a bar and a shake with me along with water flavours so hopefully it will be OK as long as they keep all the nibbles away from me. I really don't think I can face New Year though because I find staying up that late really hard when on 500 kcals (I don't really find it that easy when I'm eating normally come to think of it) but I feel I'm letting my friends down rather.

For Christmas itself I am always under pressure to go to my Mum's, not so much from her but from my two best friends who both live down that way. I do feel guilty about my Mum though as my brother and his family will be at his wife's family this year so Mum will be on her own if I don't go. Having said that I've only ever spent one Christmas in my own house, and I had horrible flu that time so I don't think it's totally unreasonable to want to stay here. I am working Christmas Eve but I may yet drive down to Bristol that evening and just spend Christmas Day itself with my Mum.

Decisions, decisons ...

 

[scotwannabethin]

Well,
I am on a VLCD (second time round) and my intention is to cook for OH and brother and I will decide at the time if I will have some meat or not. (will try to stay on the protien side of things so as not to knock myself out of ketosis) I think a lot depends on how the next month to six weeks goes.
After messing about lots this year I am finding that "second" time round doing a VLCD, that if I start to stray and nibble I am doomed! Dramatic word but apt.
I plan to stick to just packs until xmas and then see. I don't want to jepordise my hard work for one little day.
Reality in our house is that we don't particularly like Turkey so I usually make a chicken rogan josh with home made chicken pakora to start. Boys love it.

 

[CrazyBrit]

Rogan Josh for Christmas? I'm comin' round yours!

 

[saraaagee]

I'm trying to not think too hard about Christmas! I'm such a kid on Christmas day, that I will be too busy playing with presents (Wii Dance Mat!) and running about after little cousins I'm hoping I won't have time to nibble!

Boxing day - on the other hand, I think will be more difficult. My gran is putting on a spread at her's and she will continue to encourage us to eat absolutely anything and everything. She doesn't like her hard work going to waste, and she does not take no for an answer!

I'm not going to be too harsh on myself, but I will make sure that I do lot's of Wii Games - which can be a lot of fun with a crowd around anyway!

 

[vgstar44]

I am going to allow myself the day off from my diet.

Im not gonna stuff my face with chocolate or crap like that but im going to be having my normal brekkie a very light lunch and my mums amazing Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.

I'll have small bowl of trifle...i will be staying well away from the cheese board so to be honest so long as i dont go crazy im not gonna gain much.

Like a previous poster i have warned all the family to not buy me choccies or food things.

I wont let myself go backwards but theres no way im not enjoying my xmas dinner

 

[Lou1973]

I'm going to family for xmas day and boxing day and haven't even mentioned to them that I'm dieting/ watching my weight. I just want to have an amazing time with my family and not have them worry about 1) a seperate meal for me 2) why I'm eating chocolate and is it blowing my "diet" . Yes we'll eat crap - there will be far too much food for the number of people around the table and the chocs will get opened as we play board games in the evenings but you know what I don't care. My sister is thin (always has been) and she doesn't watch what she eats on xmas day - naturally thin people don't - they just instinctively up the exercise and cut out the rubbish for a few weeks afterwards

My weight has been a mental thing with me for so long I'm not letting it effect what is the best family day of the year. I'll worry about it all on 27th Dec.

Good luck to everyone whatever you decide to do - and remember xmas day isn't the problem it's when you're still eating like it's xmas day in Jan that the problem arises LOL

Most importantly have a great Xmas

 

[zillie]

Im not sticking to my diet on xmas day, but i am going to try cut down on the alcohol, chocolates fizzy pop, sweets etc. Its hard over xmas when everyone around me is enjoying what they like, but i will be careful. I enjoy my xmas dinner too much and my mums homemade xmas pudding to miss out on it, but in order for me to do this i must cut out my metformin as it doesnt mix with alcohol.

But enjoy all your xmas's ladies im sure we will be back at the grindstone in january working it all of again.

Lizzie xxx

 

[Spannerwanner]

I've just found out that my brother and his family are coming to the UK for Christmas and since I haven't seen my nephew and niece since last Christmas I feel I must go down to my Mum's for at least a couple of days. I'm not sure about coming off the VLCD for the day. I have done it before and so long as it's only for a short time I can go back on reasonably easily. I don't really want to decide until the day but as I am the only vegetarian I need to warn my Mum if she has to do a nut roast as well as a turkey so I'll need to decide soon.

On the plus side I had a really successful day Christmas shopping yesterday. Got nearly all the presents and my feet survived the whole day. Last year I was in agony after about three hours so all the weight loss is obviously really helping me.

 

[scottye87]

Think i'm gonna relax xmas day and boxing day, not go wild, but not stick to my diet, have a proper xmas dinner, few sweets, couple drinks, just enjoy myself. We all deserve a break at times and if we can't do it xmas day, when can we lol.

 

[Quak]

Am more worried about having my OH family round for a buffet to be honest, am focussed on Christmas day and know what I will have for that but a buffet is a whole different ball game..................and as I will be making it all it is stressing me slightly at this stage, especially the leftovers, think doggy bags is the way to go for them....
B xx

 

[jennikay]

Am more worried about having my OH family round for a buffet to be honest, am focussed on Christmas day and know what I will have for that but a buffet is a whole different ball game..................and as I will be making it all it is stressing me slightly at this stage, especially the leftovers, think doggy bags is the way to go for them....
B xx

Doggy bags and freeze them if the stuff is freezable. Sorted Cause then you can't get at it - at least not for about 12 hours


Me, have to plan for a whole 3 weeks because I'm going 'up North' (if you count Hull as north!) for christmas. I'm pretty much decided that I'm going to have two CD shakes a day and then on top of that, follow WW (each shake is 2 WW points.) Done!

Xmas day, I'm certain to get chocolate (no matter how much I drill it into people...) so I'll enlist the OH in helping me ration it out and then back on some sort of CD plan in January to lose the last bit - shouldn't have too much to go though by then

 

[honeykiss]

I am on WW and I am hoping with a bit of planning and some will power I will not go totally mad and eat everything in sight!!! But for me Christmas is about being with our loved ones and most of the time it does involve food and lots of it, I can say no and I will say no to excess but I will also enjoy myself, tomorrow is another day and Ive been on that many diets over the year WW has really worked for me this time and I have had many nights out and social occasions and have still managed to lose weight. It is hard especially if you want to lose it quickly as christmas can be a major blip but I am hoping this year will be different and even if I do gain I know come the New Year it will come back off agin.

Wendy x

 

[Crazyarmywife]

I will be still counting my points, I will be swapping slimming world to points over christmas and i will have my christmas dinner but it will be cooked healthy and i will watch my portions. I will still have my treats and stuff but will not go overboard. Will save some points up to the run up of the day aswell. I know its christmas but i tend to take ages to get back on form once i fall of the wagon and i dont want to go back when i would of done so well. So will still be on my diet christmas day.