feedback wanted

So, this may not work for everyone...but I wanted to get everyones thoughts on the subject.

I had family coming in last week and I knew there would be a lot of eating out and a lot of sweets and baked goods. I just did not want to count or weigh anything or restrict anything. So, I purposely lost a little weight before they got here (2.5lbs) so that would be less I have to loose after I put on a bit from all the goodies.

I did over do it and ate a lot of bad stuff and gained 5lbs (Really only 2.5 since I purposely lost) Anywho, It will probably be off in a week or so.

I have done this before for vacations and such. Just enjoy those select few times of the year reign it back in after the event/holiday/vacation etc. Mentally, I prepare for a 5lb gain and if it goes above that even if the vacation/holiday/event isn't over, I will get back to healthy eating. Thankfully they left today and right on time to, because my scale said 117.2 (I like to stay right around 115)

Basicly, I just want to know if anyone else does this? Plans for a gain and just takes care of it after. Or does everyone restrict all the time and just have small treats now and then even on special occasions?

I will add, that this has only been done three times this year (Two vacations and the week of xmas)

I do not lose to coushin the gain, because I do not want my body to want to think its back in losing mode and needs to start storing stuff for the winter!  (not that that is science.  :}  just me giving my body thoughts on it :}).

For vacations, or time when I am at mama's or at the inlaws, I just eat what I like, but not indiscriminately anymore.  I mean, is it something I can only get HERE, or only get NOW ?  Then I have as much as I like. 

When I am home and its holiday SEASON and I am home, I still follow the "here" "now" boxing in scenario, but I only give myself two *Hog wild* sessions *not days, sessions, so A meal, or A social event* in the month. If I ate what I wanted for the whole season, I would be up carb-ho **** creek baby.  It would not be worth the detox jonesing. 

But if I am visiting mama in Texas and she brings in in KFC for dinner, I am not going to eat as many biscuits, gravy and fake taters as I want, because, honestly, I do not care that much, that is not food I can only get THERE, and only get NOW.  But - if I am at mama's and there is EGGNOG - Then yes - I am having it there, as much as I want.  If I am in Mexico and I was chilaquiles, I can only get it THERE (because I do not have it anywhere but there, and there, I have as much as I like) and THEN (because well, I do not live there!).

I learned boxing in and out from a book called 10 Thin Commandments, and it helps me with stuff like that. Like pizza was a serious on the way up the scale food. Now?  I have pizza once a year. No ****ty frozen pizza, a Mellow Mushroom pizza, no durn pineapples because my husband likes them, but a meaty, savory artichoke heart, green olive and jalapeno one!  But I only have it in January, and that's my birthday piece of za.  I only have it for birthday (and I do not think about it much any other time) and I do not have it anywhere else (because nowhere else is as good!).  Right but its only what I eat THERE.  I do not bring it home.  I have it out, its an anything goes MEAL, not day, not week, not season (because the longer I indulge in former poor habits, the easier it is for me to STAY THERE - which is why, a week away indulging is much less "habit forming" than a week at HOME indulging - for me). 

I have nasty ol buttery movie popcorn at the movies once a year, when we go to our anniversary movies (like we did on our first date).  But I do not have it any other time, and it does not torture me any other time, because I will not NOT HAVE IT FOREVER, just not now, and then if I wanna eat that huge honking thing of greasy fun****il I am ill, then hats off to me!  But, its not an issue the rest of the year.

But, I do not lose weight before I do those things - mostly because I have a 5 pound flux anyway, and I know, after I do the indulge, its just back to regularly scheduled eating and exercise. 

I think you gotta find the way that works well for you - and it seems the way you figured it out does, yea?

Good job, you!

I should have added that the stuff I did overindulge on are things that I never have here (Husbands sister's nut bread and grandmothers divinity and fudge) stuff like that. I would never go crazy on something I can have here at any time. It just doesn't seem worth it, ya know?!

Thanks for your input!

That sounds delicous!

And too, I think maybe the first holiday we just go into overdrive, and maybe subsequent holidays we start being more discriminating?  Maybe.

Well, I could eat those durn pecan rollo preztel things anytime anybody put them in my face! (which seems to be a lot lately!!) so there are definitely some things I could just party down on indiscriminately, so for things like those, I need to do a little boxing of those babies!  :} 

But yes!  I do know what you mean!  I think you are working your maintenance groovily, my friend!   Because however, if it works and you can maintain and sustain, I am for it! (you know.. as much as anybody "needs" me to be for their anything *chuckle* :} )

It's been the opposite for me. Every year I loosen up more around the holidays.

I think that's very normal and healthy, to cut yourself some slack here and then.  The problem would be to go to hell with yourself and never get back to your routine.  Normal weight people do it all of the time.  I think it would be more abnormal to never indulge.  Brandilynn had made some comments about this and she was dead on.  Check her latest posts.
edit to say the Brandilynn beat me to the punch!

I don't do that but I don't see anything wrong with it. I do cut back the day before if I know I'm going to over-indulge the next day but I don't make a point to lose weight.

Plus, a lot of times, my over-indulging is more making poor food choices but I don't end up going over my calories so I don't actually gain. It's only when I go on an eating frenzy where I eat slightly more than normal *for days* that I gain. And I hardly ever do that and when I do hormones are almost always involved. LOL

Oh I also gain when my exercise level goes down. Like right now since most of my outdoor exercise is being impacted by weather and also I'm trying to heal an injury.

I gained 8 lbs in a week  on my Caribbean cruise but it was non stop eating fabulous foods and deserts. I lost it quickly when I got home though.

I think it's expected that we will gain during holidays and vacations an as long as we know we have to quickly go back to the basics as soon as possible, it all works out.

I see nothing wrong with this approach provided you are able to adjust after the holiday or vacation is over. I am just 14 months out and still getting used to this stuff, but I handled the holidays just by eating a little bit of eveything including the rich fattening things, but keeping the portions really small - like a tablespoon. And the fact is that my sleeve is such that if i get some protein in i still don't have a lot of room for the empty calories of sweets. My very estute surgeon knew that i was a sweet eater and gave me an itty bitty sleeve which is serving me well. got a modest plate of xmas dinner (about a fourth of what everyone else got) and couldn't eat it all. And the best part is I was perfectly happy with it.
So I say, do whatever works and if being conscious of this and adjusting eating before an event to allow a little leaway works, i say fine. One thing i have learned is that seemingly naturally thin people do stuff like this and they do think about and watch what they eat. We all think they can eat whatever they want and it sometimes looks that way but the truth is that they observe limitations not unlike those we do only on a different scale.   diane

If that works for you, have at it, LOL!!