Christmas Topic

Bronja 12/16/11
Hi There, It is great to be part of this group & I have maintained for a few months now. ( my loss did plateu last christmas )

With Christmas just over a week away I am anxious to continue to maintain with all the food around, will I cope.

I am a nurse and will be working some of December 25 so hope just to have a nice large but manageble dinner. It is all the snacks ( nuts , crisps, cake, mince pies, chocolates etc ) I am tempted with.

Does anyone have any useful stratagies they have found helpful ?

Thanks

Febrown 12/16/11
I am part of a Hospital based weight management program and have been bombarded with stratergies!

I also was a Hospital Pharmacist in a past life so I know what you will be facing this week of course drug companies and doctors practises gifts were food or every imaginable treat. When I think of the calories I shutter now.

The jon I have now is only a little easier when it comes to calories offered.

You need a plan. What you cannot say no to needs to be in portion control mode. You need to weight every choice in you mind so that there is mindfullness in your eating.

Not having a plan is like flying blind. It does not have to be written in stone but you have to have one before you face this.

You have to always have you weight lose story in your mind. Why it was important to lose, what you did to accomplish it, what you benefits are for having achieved it. This stratergy allows you to weight the risks against the benefits of eating these items. Write done these things on an index card if you need to and carry them with you.

Portion control on your decisions for the things you have to have. Your goal is eith to stay the same weight or to minimize the damage. Gaining 2 pounds is better than 5 pounds or more.

I have many many more so if you need more let me know.

We are all facing the week in dire perle so you are not alone. Oh yes there is always banking calories etc but that is a whole other post.

Good luck to all of us-Fran

Know what works of one is not suited for someone else. For me it is a combo of many strateries but that has worked as I have kept off the 140 pounds for 16 months

Dietitian 12/16/11
Great reply, Fran! I am also facing this onslaught of treats and meals when I am at clinic. What works for me is:
1. I still bring in my lunch and snacks as a safe, lower caloric option even if I know lunch is going to be provided. That way, I have a choice.
2. The stuff I won't pass up: very small portion size so that the total of what I eat for a sweet is equivalent to 1 serving.
3. No skipping of exercise - period!
4. I am extra careful with dinner calories - I will go lower than my typical dinner meal to help compensate for higher calories earlier in the day. Sometimes, I'll go higher in lean protein for dinner, lower in carbs, maybe extra non-starchy veggiegs - something to help lower caloric intake without spurring appetite. I might still be higher in calories at the end of the day, but it will be minimized to a 200-300 kcal surplus vs. 500-1000 calories surplus.

Best,
Kathy

Febrown 12/17/11
Knowing that lapse doesn't need to mean a relapse and definately doesn't need to lead to a collapse of weight management.

I have a hard fast rule that is not alway easy but it works.At work I eat nothing I have not planned for. Is that for everyone-NO but for me it has worked.If I decide to eat something I cover by prepating those calories ahead or post paying after like a budget. Again all planning. I find spontinuity get me in trouble- lol

Bronja 12/18/11
Hi There Fran & Kathy

Thanks so much for your support.

I now have a few plans in mind.

It is the hospital buffet tomorrow and I know I need to eat no more than 6 of any 100 calories portions. So hope I will suceed.

I am coping with the snacks around without feeling I am deprived as I am as suggested reminding myself of my loss story and it's benifits ( thanks for that idea fran )

I still weigh each week and will contine to do that and take appropriate action if I put on weight.

I do prefer to be my current weight than 100 pounds heiver and am determind not to gain any AT ALL.

Thanks again for your support, any stratagies are welcome.

Loved 'lapse doesn't need to mean a relapse' and will think of that often.

Thanks

Bronja

Febrown 12/18/11
I know you will do fine! I learned something rescently that has truly helped me which is Whether we eat what we want or we don't we are deprived. If we don't eat something we want we are deprived of that pleasure but if we do we are deprived of the weight maint. or loss. In each circumstance we need to decide what we deprivation is the easiest for us to do. I thought that was good as we normal just feel bad about not being able to eat something but in realitity we lose something (our weight loss story) when we eat that item.

Happy Holidays to all. Fran

Febrown 12/18/11
Oh just know what works for some doesn't work for all. You have to find your own approach. Some of the things I have learned would never work for me...

Bronja 12/19/11
Hi Fran

Thanks for that gem about feeling deprived I have never thought about it that way. Although I do realise eating is not so much only physical as psychological.

Your thoughts are most helpful.

Thanks

Dietitian 12/20/11
Great insights, Fran. Two gems.
Kathy

Clochette2 01/03/12
I was in France and off MND for the holidays. Hopped right on the scale to assess the damage the first day back. Up a little, part of which may be water weight due to flying, etc.... I was initially nervous about weighing in but (thanks to advice from Fran)I now regard the scale as a tool to help me. I am going to be extra-diligent about logging and do some extra exercise and see how quickly I get back to normal.

Christmas