Upcoming Holidays, How Do You Fight The Temptations?

[angelawillbethinagain]

Ok, I want to know what YOU personally do to fight the upcoming holiday temptations. You know for halloween there is the candy all around us, Thanksgiving there are all kinds of deserts and other foods we cannot eat, Christmas same thing... I know a lot of us will struggle during the next few months.

Any advice or suggestions to help us out?? Please share!!!
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[CHUBBRUBBKARA]

Re: Upcoming Holidays, How Do You Fight The Temptations?

Oh Angela, what a dilemma we all face. I for one am torn about what to do. On one hand, I want to lose as much weight as I can quickly. On the other hand, if this is to be a wol/woe for me on a permanent basis, I just can't see myself not partaking in the holidays without the traditional food (Within moderation of course, which IS the hard part). I think I have made the decision to go ahead and celebrate Thanksgiving this year. BUT just for that one day. And I'm not cooking so I won't have leftovers to tempt me with.


For Halloween...eh... I'm not sure I'm too tempted by Candy so I doubt I'll break on that.

For Christmas... I will probably enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

I know many people here find other ways of enjoying the holidays without reverting back to the traditional. I think it's probably a matter of your personal choice and more importantly whether or not you think you will be able to get right back on the wagon without blowing it.

Anyway, time will tell. What ever you decide to do I think it's great you are thinking about it in advance. That way, if you decide to stay on plan, you can make arrangements in advance so that you too can enjoy the day!

I would also love to hear what others have done, or are planning to do

[ValidRouge]

Re: Upcoming Holidays, How Do You Fight The Temptations?

I made it through the holidays last year completely unscathed and I plan to do it again this year. One of the great things is that you can move into the Ongoing Weight Loss phase now and have added plenty of food groups back into your diet by the time the holidays come. I would recommend doing that to EVERYONE! If you do that, your options aren't limited and we can really come up with creative ways to have almost 'traditional' type meals...especially for Thanksgiving.

One of the greatest gifts I have given myself over the last year is learning how to HONOR and RESPECT myself. How to honor my commitments and promises to myself. Nobody else gives a rats @$$ about what I eat. They really don't. So, if I eat something that isn't on plan, the only person that suffers for it is myself. The worst part of eating crap food (for me) is the feeling afterward of letting myself down. Of DISHONORING my own goals and wishes.

So, with that in mind....here is what *I* will be doing for Thanksgiving.

I will be traveling to my in-laws house in West Virginia. Before I go, I am going to be making a trip to the farmer's market where I will purchase a large Calabaza Squash (a type of pumpkin that I prefer to the traditional kind) and fresh green beans, onions, summer squash, and cauliflower. I will *splurge* a little by having some dairy products--maybe even cheesecake. But, then again, that is going to awaken my "sleeping dragon" (sweet tooth, carbohydrate addiction--call it what you will), so I might not do any "sweets" at all.

I will contribute to our family dinner by preparing the calabaza squash, summer squash, green beans for our dinner. Amazingly, these dishes always get eaten up. ALWAYS!

The only things I won't eat are the desserts, stuffing and mashed potatoes. But, I'll have a FULL plate of healthy FRESH vegetables and turkey.

Christmas will be a bit more decadent with shrimp, prime rib and plenty of vegetables again.

[Lulubell]

Re: Upcoming Holidays, How Do You Fight The Temptations?

I made it through the holidays last year completely unscathed and I plan to do it again this year...

The only things I won't eat are the desserts, stuffing and mashed potatoes. But, I'll have a FULL plate of healthy FRESH vegetables and turkey.

Christmas will be a bit more decadent with shrimp, prime rib and plenty of vegetables again.

take a memo from joy, y'all. she's the ultimate success with this WOE. and what she has just described is not in any way shape or form restrictive or depriving. sounds like a good meal to me.

[bradybunch]

Re: Upcoming Holidays, How Do You Fight The Temptations?

I guess I am very lucky because my Mom makes all her dishes around my way of eating.

[Momtofour]

Re: Upcoming Holidays, How Do You Fight The Temptations?

Halloween- I only buy candy to hand out that doesn't temp me such as Nerds, or taffy, absolutely no chocolate. When my kids get done trick or treating we put it in Ziploc bags and I won't touch it because it is theirs.

Thanksgiving. If we go somewhere other than home I always bring a veggie dish that I can have. That way I know I will at least have turkey and my veggie.

Christmas. We always make Prime Rib. I usually make baked spinach and swiss cheese, veggie platter, and I make a low carb cheesecake. There are usually a few high carb items for the rest of the family, but we tend to keep it fairly healthy.

[kate58]

Re: Upcoming Holidays, How Do You Fight The Temptations?

I'm not thinking of it as food I cannot eat, but food I don't choose to eat. ValidRouge is right, climbing the ladder gives plenty of really delicious food choices, and there are many substitute dishes that can be called on.

We don't have Thanksgiving, but I am carefully planning Christmas already. Adding some luxurious and expensive food items I would not normally have so that I can have legal treats and feel indulged.

Christmas dinner is generally turkey and ham, with gravy, bread stuffing, roast potatos and veg. I am tinkering with the faux fried rice recipe as a basis for stuffing, early experiments were so/so, but I'm working on it. Will post the recipe when I crack it (although I know that bread stuffing isn't evreyones cup of tea).

The gravy I'll thicken with a vegetable puree made with onion, garlic, mushroom and sweet pepper, which will be better for everyone that using any kind of starchy thickener. I'll stick in some rutabaga in with the roast potatoes - they soak up the turkey juices beautifully - and everything else is legal, so that's fine - no problems with dinner.

I'll make this torte and tuck into a slice guilt free when others hit the sweet goodies. Pretty hard to feel deprived while eating that!!

I'll buy some really top quality nuts, luxury berry mixes, some excellent truffle oil to drizzle on salads and small pieces of a number of top quality speciality cheeses. Oh the hardship!!

The chances are I will eat a bit too much - but it will be low-carb too much and in moderation. My plan is to stay the same weight over Christmas, not to worry about losing for a week or so and then, having protected myself from the negative effects of carbs, get right back on track afterwards.

I am determined that it will work out right, that I won't ruin Christmas for myself by feeling guilty about any morsel that passes my lips, but will instead enjoy my own special (from now on traditional) seasonal indulgences completely guilt free.

[ttdriver]

Re: Upcoming Holidays, How Do You Fight The Temptations?

Think about how you want to look and feel the day AFTER the holiday. That always motivated me. Matter of fact, I run a Turkey Trot every year on Thanksgiving .. makes me feel AWESOME!


Betty

[IrishIrish]

Re: Upcoming Holidays, How Do You Fight The Temptations?

When I began Atkins in 2004, I listened to the wise posters who lost the weight and at least seemed to know much more than I ever did. Their advise on how to be successful has gotten me this far and has gotten me through the holidays each year since.

The words that come to mind for the keys to success are: PLAN, WATER, EXERCISE!

During the holidays more than any other time is PLANNING key. Don't take chances. Have options for dinners and special events. Don't return the day after Thanksgiving and tell us that the people who prepared your meal didn't prepare anything Atkins friendly. People who don't do Atkins often do not know what that means.

If I'm going to someone's home, I always bring at least two dishes I know will be "safe" for me. Little did I know the first year that I began doing this that the most requested food at the meal would be the faux-tatoes and it continues to be occasion after occasion.

I stopped worrying about hurting people's feelings and refusing certain food items a long time ago. Don't fall for people guilting you into eating something just to make them happy.

I don't remember anyone ever returning the day after, or month after or six months after their first holiday slip and saying ... boy .. that was a good idea! They usually return feeling defeated, embarrassed and kicking themselves over their weight gain. It just isn't worth it.

[dreamof145]

Re: Upcoming Holidays, How Do You Fight The Temptations?

Gread advice everyone! Another thing to help you through not only holidays...but everyday is to look for substitutions for the meals you usually have. Almost everything can be low-carbed. Check out the substitution forum for ideas. If there is something you usually have that you'd like to find a substitute for...ask and I'm sure you'll get numerous replies on ideas and recipes.

It isn't about giving up anything, its about embracing the Atkin's lifestyle and utilizing the support to make it happen. Joy is right, nobody cares what you eat - you have to be the one who takes responsiblity for what you eat and how you look.

Give yourself positive thoughts, positive actions and you'll get positive results. You can do it!! Great luck!

[Lady_Hawke]

Re: Upcoming Holidays, How Do You Fight The Temptations?

another thing you can do is look at Dreams siggy above and then mine - we started the same time. I gave into temptation - Dream didn't
Temptation is NOT worth it. NOT NOT NOT!!!!
Good luck through the holidays all - stay strong, you are worth reaching your goal for!!!!

[ShiningStarr]

Re: Upcoming Holidays, How Do You Fight The Temptations?

I usually think well..it is Thanksgiving I can splurg. But I know myself and I know that it would be very very hard for me to get back on track. So I am not planning any cheats. I know if I plan it or even make it a slight possibility for a cheat I will do it and I will have a very hard time getting back on track. So I think about how I felt dealing with the induction flu and I think about my goals. Thankfully right now I feel great and couldn't even imagine a cheat. I really want to make it to my goal weight for the Christmas challenge, my goals are keeping me motivated. So I am going to bring a veggie and a dessert with me and enjoy the turkey and the company. Maybe you should join a challenge. That might help keep you on track or even get right back on track if you chose to indulge.