How Do You Handle The Holidays?

Here they are.....the Holidays.  With the challenges of Holiday foods and get-togethers, cold temperatures making it difficult for exercise, along with other stressors, it can be difficult to stay on track. 

Let's support each other in this thread by sharing any tips and strategies you use to stay on track with your healthy lifestyle.  

(We will make this topic into an OH blog post with some of your helpful tips so we can share with more people and help the OH Community on their journey. OH Blog posts are shared on various social media outlets.)

I had RNY on Nov 12th.  I knew I'd be missing Thanksgiving, so we decided to do an "early" Thanksgiving.  I ate everything, turkey, stuffing, pumkin pie!  It was wonderful!  But I had my full of it.  Now its back to protein shakes and jello for me :)

Christmas is coming up, and Im not too worried.  I keep telling myself I need to learn to change my relationship with food.  It will always be around me, and I cant liive in a bubble.  There is always always food in the kitchen at work, leftovers, cakes, etc.  Im trying to just be ok with being around it and having the willpower to just say No.

I am having my surgery on 12/08 and am currently on liquids and vegetables only. I am just not going to Thanksgiving dinner. I don't want to make things harder for me than they already are. It's not about being a recluse, my parents' house is so full of church folks that I wouldn't even be able to talk to them anyways. I am staying home and my siblings and husband are going to my parents house for dinner, and then we are all going to meet at the movie theater after they eat! I imagine we will do the same for Christmas.

When you get invited to go somewhere, take something you know you can have.

I need to reach a balance so I don't feel deprived but stay on track.  I focus mainly on turkey and will take a spoonful of a couple of sides.  Pumpkin pie is my favorite so I found a healthier alternative that is crustless. 

The most important day for me is the day after Thanksgiving.  I make sure to get back to my normal routine of eating and the healthy choices I make the rest of the year. 

My first thanksgiving after surgery was last year - my FIRST day of pureed!  I sat at the table with everyone (luckily, my family is super supportive!) and mashed up a bit of turkey and had a tiny tiny bite of stuffing and mashed potatoes to enjoy the official flavor of thanksgiving.

Now that I'm a year out, it isn't so drastic as it was then.  I just finished Thanksgiving with my husband's family - talk about huge amounts of food!   My process is to take a small spoonful of dishes that I want to taste, but to make sure and get my protein (turkey or ham) eaten first.  Then I'll nibble on a taste of the specialty dishes.  This lets me join conversations about the dishes without making them all about why I didn't eat any!  I eat about 3/4 of my normal amount in just protein and then use the other 1/4 to enjoy the flavors of the other dishes.  This process works for me because I recognize that I don't do well with full denial, but I can work fine with a tiny taste.  I've even known to take a small nibble of someone's dessert for enjoyment and to agree that "Yes, that is great!"  I also use the statement "Oh My! I'm just too full for another bite" when people offer me anything beyond that.

I've also found that offering to run things out to their cars and helping people carry food and gifts inside is a great way to sneak in a little exercise!

I just stick to my plan as outlined by my surgeon and dietician.  I use the program of Overeaters Anonymous for support as well.  I don't eat my trigger foods during the holidays.  I participate in conversations.  I plan ahead of time, and I use my small plate for dinners. 

I had surgery in OCT 2011 and lost 180 pounds. . 

I found that if I stick to the rules, I can taste whatever I want after I have my protein. Christmas will be very tough since I will be at my son's house and his in-laws cook a lot of very " heavy" food.  This is where the rules come into play even more. 

I have eliminated everything alcoholic and carbonated, and all drinking with meals. Dinner will take about 3 hours with many courses, so I am usually very picky about what I select.  Difficult but doable. I refuse to put back any weight that I worked so hard to lose! 

Good luck every one!

At holiday meals and gatherings, I start at the proteins, meats, cheeses, and save a bite or two for something sweet.  I'm perfectly full and satisfied and never feel deprived.

I did great at thanksgiving, my 1st holiday after surgery. I didn't feel like I missed out on anything, I had a tiny taste of everything and filled up on the meat/protein. I was following the rules until 2 weeks ago when the cookie cravings finally took over, I hadn't been eating sugar at all since the surgery, I have to get back on the wagon soon, I haven't gained any weight back but I know its wrong to eat the bad sugars. if only they made sugar free holiday cookies :)