Hi All,

I was hoping to get a little advice about dealing with the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. And, in my case, two big family birthdays the same week, including my own! Just when I'm humming in my diet and workouts, this comes up! I'll have family from other states over for a week. I want to be a good hostess and have plenty for them to eat in the house, plus there will be parties with cake, going out to eat, and of course, the big feast Thanksgiving Day. I was hoping to hear something about dealing with this on the next Fat 2 Fit podcast. Also, any help from you guys would be great! How are you planning to cope?

Thanks,

Robin

Eating out is a snap. Plan where you are going, and then look up the menu online. Get a calorie count of items you like, decide what you will have when you go, and STICK TO IT!

That's what I've been doing since I started my new life as a fit person. That, and we don't eat out nearly as much as we did before.

For the snacks in your house that you want to have around for guests, my advice is to show them where they are, but they need to be in a pantry or a cabinet. I suffer from visual cues to eat. This might not work for you, but it works (for the most part) for me.

And as for Thanksgiving, the food is not nearly as bad as eating out at a restaurant. It's the amount of food that you have to combat. Count your calories for that day, if you do count them, and realize when you have achieved the maximum amount of calories to merely maintain your weight. Just the knowledge that every bite after that is working against you might help.

And have fun! Drink lots of water or low to no calorie drinks while you socialize.

Remember, every action you take brings you either closer to or further away from your goal.

Good luck!

Leo,
every one of these suggestions is fabulous! I'm going to print this and magnet it to my fridge. I'll take out the part about hiding the snacks from myself so I don't make my guests feel bad. But I won't forget to do it.
I feel like you just gave me permission to count calories on the holiday.
I'd better keep it to myself, tho. People have started to call me the health Nazi, and they might get mad at me if I talk about counting calories on Thanksgiving.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, I'm very thankful for you, Leo, and all the kind people who've helped me on traineo!
-Robin

Robin,

Thanks for your kind words. I hope it helps. I read your post, and it struck home because I am going to have to figure out a way to get myself through the holidays.

I have just been getting back into really being fit for about 2 months now, and I was feeling like I needed some support and motivation, so I came back to the Fat 2 Fit forums. I love the podcast, and I am finally doing it. I am getting fit now, and I love it. I can see training for a 5k someday.

Good luck to you.

Thanks, Leo! Please join our 5K challenge right here on traineo! It doesn't matter if you walk or run, just improve. We'd love to have you!

Robin!!! Stick to the plan!!! Happy Thanksgiving!

I'll stick to my plan, and we can swap stories about the holiday.

Hi Leo,
The hardest thing for me is having guests. I can't even sit down and read what you guys are doing on traineo! It's go go go ! I guess after they are gone, I'll get right back on the horse. At least I'm moving a lot!

Having guests is definitely hard. Self correction is an important piece of the puzzle. Once I say "What the hell," it can sometimes be very hard for me to come back to the healthy lifestyle.

I know you can do it! Having fun with guests and enjoying food should only have good feelings attached. So no guilt, just the knowledge about how happy you'll also be to get back on that horse.

Keep moving!

Thanks, Leo! You are so helpful. Only a few more days and I can get back to my schedule. I really work better that way! Thanksgiving was fun. I was pretty good about trying all the dishes without piling heaps of food on my plate. No one gave me a hard time about not trying things. It was very "normal" feeling. How did you do?

Robin - good for you! I've found, over the years, that no one really cares if you skip that extra piece of pie or whatever - it may register as a small blip in their consciousness, if that, then they move on. Glad to hear that no one gave you any flak.

I managed to have one plate of food - loaded up on the roasted green beans that I had prepared, skipped the mashed potatoes altogether, had the yams and dressing, and even a small slice of pie. I was full, didn't feel the need to keep going, and even my mother didn't comment.

Did a 30 minute workout tape this morning and will be on my plan again. No shopping for me today, unless it's online!

"even my mother didn't comment." LOL! I can relate to that!!
30 minute workout tape! You are doing GREAT! I'm so pooped today after all this hoopla, it's all I can do to write this!

I did well, thanks. I ended up having one plate, but I could see plate between all of the foods (it was a sectioned-off disposable plate). Turkey, cranberry sauce, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes (dug in under the marshmallows, lol), and mom's stuffing. There was exactly one thing that I had to eat, and that was mom's stuffing. That would have been noticed. It was delicious! Dessert was apple pie and a sort of mixture thing that had some cake, whipped cream and pineapples. Both desserts had fruit, I guess...

It was nice to be able to go somewhere and not have leftovers. Nobody there said anything about how little I ate, and it was very nice to not feel over-stuffed.

I weighed in this morning at the same weight I was the two previous mornings, so I am happy with that. I also have not missed a workout this vacation. So overall, I am very happy with sticking to my guns.

I have to admit, if I had not JUST moved down into the 250's the day before, I would probably not have taken Thanksgiving as seriously as I did. I just did not want to pay for that real estate twice! Been forever since I was in the 250's!

Chris, nice job! Especially for avoiding the craziness out there today. It annoys me that even stopping at the store for a gallon of milk will be a chore until after Christmas. Yay, Amazon!

Just got back from Curves and plan on a nice museum visit with my daughter later today. We're down to one drumstick, a few sweet potatoes, and some stuffing leftovers, so I figure I'll pick up a rotisserie chicken, make some salad, and that'll be dinner tonight. It will be nice to get back to normal - just in time for Sunday night football! (rabid steeler fan here. Shut.Up.)

Leo, good for you for at least maintaining through the holiday and sticking with the workouts!

Doesn't it feel great to see the end of those leftovers?

Geeze! My Mom's birthday is today. Thai food. Sigh...
Every one goes home Tuesday, and I can get back to the gym. I'm afraid to get on the scale.
I've been cooking and entertaining, and going out since last Wednesday! Even my little dog is tired!