Good morning! Any tips or tricks that help you through the holidays?

Good morning LW's,

Woke up thinking about strategy again. I had my holiday party for work this weekend, and remembered last year that besides a salad, nothing was wls friendly, so I made it a point to eat dinner before I left.

Now that being said, at this restaurant, it was easy to pass up the pasta and pizza and fried chicken tenders, but when I am someone's home that you know is an awesome cook or your favorite restaurant, I am not always so good at resisting. Granted I cant eat as much, but I can graze through out the evening.

Any tried and true methods for not gaining during the holiday season that is upon us?

Have an awesome day!

I can find almost anywhere RNY friendly food. Even pizza - I can eat the toppings only. 

Depends how long party is. 2-3 hours or a whole evening.

Lunch or just drop in:  eat proteins and veggies if they have that - if not drink some water, or coffee - chat for a 30 min, skip the rest.

2-3 hours - find the menu - if it is going to be food or just desserts. 

Even with sandwiches only - I eat the inside - leave the bread - eat cheese, nuts, then if I am still hungry - I eat my own snacks. (Nuts, protein bar or my own backed goods)

Whole evening party - I am going to a few next week- find the menu - and for house party - I can always bring my a dish to share.  I would eat proteins, some veggies.  And when it is time for dessert - I may have some coffee (I can drink coffee and go to bed) or decaf.. If there is dessert I can have a bite - I may ask my BF to get some and have a bite - or like my skinny GFs do - I only take a small piece - cut that off - or have as bite and trash the rest. Yes - my skinny GFs do that all the time - they don't feel like they are 'wasting' if they don't have a choice to get a smaller - one bite portion.  I also may eat my own cookies or cake. But if I bring some - I need to make sure that I have extra - because a lot of people are curious and want "just one bite" to try, and by the time they are done  there are not much left for me, unless I have extra. 

I bake my own protein cookies and muffins (I use protein powder, coconut or almond flour, flax meal and some chopped nuts, instead of flour.  I use stevia (or you can try splenda) as a sweetener. I just make that to taste and look right - but there are lot of recipes on line. 

Thanks, lots of great advice!

I think the key for me will be to get moving.  Exercise.  I am good with passing by temptations.  Like Hala said, just the innards of sandwiches, etc. 

Now - at someone's home.. that is MUCH harder - especially if it's a sitdown dinner and they're a BIG pasta eater.  I know I've picked and poked around in the dish for the meat.  Also, chances are there will be a salad.  I couldn't tell you how many times (and recently) I've eaten my salad and a bite of my dinner then have to say "I just wasn't as hungry as I thought".  Yes.. it takes willpower - especially if you're a grazer.  Party with goodies sitting around - eat before you go - so you're not famished and start reaching for all the stuff you shouldn't eat...

With my reactive hypoglycemia - that DOES keep me on track.  Last thing I want at someone's house is to have my sugar fall.

I am thinking too, that Gluten is not my friend.  I'm thinking that's why I've been so bloaty and gassy.  Even popcorn (my go-to snack) makes me like that - ugh! 

I really am trying to stay active with this cold weather and time change. I am ready for bed because it's already dark!

thank goodness pasta rice anything too doughy still doesn't sit well so I usually do well with things like that. 

But I sure can nibble on a lot of other things. I find myself trying to stay away from where the food is so I am not so tempted.

thanks!

I have quite a few events coming up. My at work Christmas lunch is being planned by me, so i am ordering a big salad that has chicken and all kinds of healthy stuff to go along with the lasagna and other Italian goodness I ordered for the rest to eat.  I am going to go to the gym 5 times a week, be REALLY good at non event meals, try to find out what is being served at each dinner and plan ahead.  I am allowing myself one drink all month, and already know when that will be.  I imagine I will be drinking water nonstop at each party.

Anne

for me the important thing seems to be to stay on schedule as much as possible.  continue exercising, increase whenever possible.  The weather makes it hard but it is so necessary for my mental as well as physical health. 

Most of my parties are dinners. For food, again, stick to the basics.  Although I don't usually worry much about fat, I am more during the holidays because everything seems to be loaded with it.  I know the simple carbs and it is easy for me to stay away from most of those although I do have a sweet tooth.  I will take tiny, tiny pieces of a piece of desert.  One thing I am working on is if it isn't great, don't fini****  That is hard for me.  But I'm working on it.

I got this in my emails this AM in my OH Newsletter.    Hopefully some of Cathy's ideas will help answer your questions.

Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

Creating Healthy Holiday Habits

December 9, 2013
by Cathy Wilson, PCC, BCC

The best ways to enjoy your holidays are to keep in place your healthy habits that you follow the rest of the year.

We are on track, practice our healthy habits that are the foundation of our weight loss surgery success all year long. We flip the calendar and there is December staring at us. The “dreaded” December that can include lots of holiday eating and indulgences. You can still follow your normal healthy habits and enjoy your holidays.

The holiday season is a time for celebration, family and friends. Some of us can go off track with our healthy food choices and setting aside our exercise program to fully enjoy the holidays. To enjoy the holidays doesn’t require us to toss aside our healthy habits. Keep them intact and stay on track to fully enjoy the holidays. Place your focus on family, friends,
celebrations and get-togethers, and not on food.

Keep on track for the holidays by reinforcing your healthy habits. Here are some holiday hints that will help you fully enjoy the holidays and the reason for the season.

* Eat a healthy snack or even a mini-meal before going to a party. You’ll be less likely to fill up on sweets and high-calorie dishes with a satisfied pouch.
* Avoid the empty calories, zero nutrition of alcohol.
* Bring your own weight loss surgery favorite dishes to parties. With the variety of WLS recipes, other guests will never know, yet you’ll know you’re eating on track.
* Arrive at mealtime and avoid the high fat, high calorie appetizers. Keep a refreshing glass of water in your dominant hand to assist you in reaching for snacks.
* Replace sugary, fatty snacks and desserts with healthy holiday snacks such as fruit baskets and nuts in the shell. They look just as festive and are healthier choices.
* Attend only the parties you really want to go to. You’ll save a lot of calories, stress and valuable time.
* Simplify the meal if you are cooking. Serve raw vegetables with a dip for an appetizer, a lean healthy protein (such as turkey), plenty of steamed vegetable dishes, a fruit platter or healthy dessert choices.
* Avoid skipping meals before a big holiday meal. You don’t want to arrive starving and then overeat on sweets or other unhealthy food choices waiting for the meal.
* Strategize your plate. Divide your plate into portions: a large portion of your plate with lean protein, another large portion with vegetables or salad, and the rest with carbohydrates and fruit. Eat your protein first, followed by two
bites of vegetables for every one bite of carbohydrates and fruit.
* Keep up with your exercise program. It will help you maintain your weight, give you more energy, allow you to deal better with holiday stress, and stay on track.
* Be aware of your choices. At a holiday dinner or party, indulge in your favorites but eat smaller portions. Follow the three bite rule –enjoy three bites of a holiday treat and stop.
* Get back up. If you go off track, follow it up with your next meal by getting on track. Follow your healthy habits that you do normally. One slip up in food choices don’t constitute staying off track. After an indulgence, the most important meal is your next one. The next one determines the momentum for getting and staying on track.
* Drink water. Make sure you consume a minimum of 64 ounces daily. This will assist to regulate your appetite and keep on track.
* Be generous with leftovers. Get rid of them! Give away leftovers to your guests, don’t take them home yourself from a holiday get-together, take them to the office…out of sight, out of mind.
* If you don’t love it, don’t eat it. Don’t eat out of obligation. Be a food snob.
* Set goals as to how you’ll handle making healthy choices. Celebrate how different choices you’re making now than you have in
the past. When you set your mind to following your healthy habits, you will enjoy a holiday filled with health rather than excess, regained weight.
* Make food a very small part of your holidays. Fill them with family, friends and activities that are meaningful to you.
* Remember that the holidays will come and go. The choices you make with food and exercise will stay with you into the New Year.
Make a pact with yourself that you’ll enter the New Year maintaining your weight through the holidays. Better yet, that you’ll continue your trend of losing weight.
* Celebrate your traditions, your family and friends, co-workers and experience all the joy of the holidays. Gaining weight is not part of your life and healthy habits. The best gift of the holidays is the reward of your healthy habits.

Thanks Vivian!

Now that I am I'm the maintenance phase and battling some regain, it just seems a little overwhelming at times when I stop and think About it.

Hopefully I am not the only one and some one else can be inspired by all of these wonderful strategies!

My tip is not to think of this time as "the holidays". Take each party as a separate event and do what I normally do. I think we get into trouble when we think of the time from Halloween to Valentines Day as EAT ALL THE THINGS!! The actual days and amount of parties is small in the bigger scheme of things of don't think that way.