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Holidays are a fact of life – and tough for those trying to lose weight and stay on their diets. You’re going to be tempted by Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas brunches, and other celebration feasts.
So what’s a dieter to do this time of year?
1. Give in to the dark side. Sometimes it’s o.k. to go off your diet plan. In fact, studies show that dieters who take a break are more successful in losing weight and maintaining the weight loss over time.
But you must have a plan! It’s one thing to feast on Thanksgiving. It’s another to keep making excuses for when you’ll go back on your diet.
I don’t do this. Instead, I keep telling myself, "I’ll get back on my diet tomorrow." OR "I’ll start working out again after company leaves."
No excuses! Write down on your calendar (the one on the refrigerator is a good place) when you’ll get back on your diet. If you know it’s impossible until the out of town guests leave on Sunday, that’s fine. Just mark your calendar for Monday.
Then send all those holiday leftovers to work with your spouse. Or freeze them in meal sized containers to heat up later. If you have kids returning to college, pack a goodie box with sandwiches, cake and cookies (assuming they’re driving back to school that is – don’t take this stuff through security at the airport!)
2. Compensate with exercise. Throw a football around during half-time. (Girls can toss around the pigskin, too!) Find time to take a walk or go for a short bike ride (weather permitting). Hide out from the relatives in your bedroom and do a workout DVD. Or go to the gym while the relatives hit the day-after-Thanksgiving sales. Do some mall walking while they’re shopping. Call your girlfriends – they want to get away from the relatives and kids too – and exercise together.
3. Make reservations at your favorite restaurant. When you go out to eat, there are no Thanksgiving leftovers! Even if you have a doggie bag to take home, it’s probably only one meal’s worth…not 10.
4. Invite friends to eat with you. And send the leftovers home with them! I have a bunch of those disposable containers on hand when I cook for sick friends or make goodies for the school bake sale. These are great to use because you don’t care if you get them back.
Buy several sizes, fill them up with leftovers, place in a nice shopping bag, and hand them to your friends as they leave. How could they say no?
5. Plan out your meal. Follow your diet and measure portions. Count your Weight Watchers POINTS. Or allow yourself to have ONE (and just one) bite of everything. Then load up on veggies and salad. Drink lots of sparking water with lemon or lime or have a cup of hot green tea. Yes, it’s not as much fun as stuffing your face, but you will be proud that you stuck to your weight loss plan.
Also, I don’t know about you, but when I’ve been eating in a healthy way, I get sick to my stomach when I overindulge on too many fatty foods and sweet desserts. Nothing like spending the day after Thanksgiving in the potty chugging Pepto while everyone else gets to go shopping.
Kudos to you!
If you’re successful in keeping on your diet, reward yourself. Go to the movies with a friend. (Lots of new ones out this time of year). Get a pedicure. (Seems decadent to get one when it isn’t sandal season.) Or download some music for your iPod to listen to at the gym. (You’ve got to check out the new Springsteen album, Magic
Whether you indulge or not – or fall off the wagon for a week – your main focus must be to get back on track.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!
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There was a bit of research published recently that is quite relevant to this. It found that although people often think they have put lots of weight on over the festive season (christmas in the case of this research), it is actually on average only about a pound. The problem comes after, in that people often don’t shift it during the year in time for the next round of feasting. Interesting I thought!
Good tips – I’m going to add your link to the one I posted with some tips for thanksgiving survival too and tomorrow I will be posting some ideas to make mashed potatoes more diet friendly. I plan on sending home all leftovers with the relatives, eating lots of salad throughout the day so I’m not starving when I sit down to eat dinner, fill my plate with lean turkey and steamed veggies (with just a taste here and there of any thing else).
Health and Happiness
I like the way you think Anne-Marie. You need to reward yourself for doing good things and it’s OK to be human and enjoy yourself every now and again. But yes, the hardest thing is to get back on the wagon again. I guess that’s why so many of us are frightened to step down off it occasionally. Marking it on a clearly visible calendar (and sticking to it!) is a great idea.
This one needs sharing. I’ll have to Stumble it.
Great list of suggestions! Right now I’m participating in a challenge at my workplace. Everyone puts $10 into a pool and makes a commitment to not gain more than 1.5 lbs over the holiday season. If you gain, you lose your money. If you maintain, you get a share of the spoils. Money is a great motivator!
I soooooo needed to read this today! I have been making half-hearted attempts to get to the gym and this entry really reminded me that I have to stick with it.
Love your site — it’s fantastic!
Great tips. I love the first one.
Great post! It’s so hard losing weight over the holidays. I had to pass on pecan pie yesterday, what a bummer!