My plan for the next two days.

It was a long day today what with the drive to Menlo Park. I visited far too long and stayed and had lunch. Staying late and having lunch ended up being a good thing. We didn't eat lunch until close to 2:00 and all I had had was water, a cup of coffee and a shake. Luckily, I was able to choose a protein centered lunch and didn't really eat much. Waiting too long to eat sometimes triggers my hunger after eating and it did this time. I came prepared with a Quest Bar and was able to eat that about 2 hours after lunch on the way home. It was on the way home sitting in horrendous traffic I realized how important a game plan was going to be for the next two days.

So here goes:

Christmas Eve: Treat the day like any other. Make sure to eat breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack. Traditional Christmas Eve dinner (French onion soup, no bread, and salad) will be okay. I cook the soup, so I know exactly what's in it and can even work out the calories. No carb appetizers, but meats and cheeses are okay. Dessert: My pop asked me to make a Quaker Lemon Pie and I will do that tonight for him. I also have a box of Lindt Truffles. Here's my idea: small piece of pie and save 2 truffles for late in the evening after everyone has gone and I can enjoy them in peace and quiet and pay attention to what I'm eating. (I have to be realistic. If I say I'm not going to eat any sweets, I'm bound to have an epic "fail", so I need some room for the sweets. I also don't want to give myself carte blanche to eat whatever the hell I want!)

Christmas Day: Christmas morning breakfast is a tradition for Ron. The bigger the better as far as he is concerned! Ron would like me to make cinnamon donuts muffins (yes, donuts done like muffins - baked not fried) for after church. I'm not sure about doing this. Could be too much of a trigger for me, unless I eat it after a protein meal. (I can't bake them and not eat one - this I know!) So I think if I make omelets for us and eat that first, I may not have room for the muffin and he can eat them to his heart's content. I could approach it that way. IF I make them, I'm making a half batch. I don't need a full dozen of those things around the house all day! Lunch will be normal. Dinner will be out of the house at a restaurant. I know the restaurant and will be able to choose well. I will not order dessert at the restaurant.

Above all, I must remember to not "bank" calories for the evening. That never works out very well for me. I will eat less at the "special" meals, if I eat properly throughout the day.

I'm putting it down here in black and white to help me be accountable to myself. Please feel free to add your plan to the thread, if you feel like you want to put it out there for the group. 

Hi Kairk:

Yes, planning.

I have MORE visitors and that is great.  But I tend to snack whilst cooking and then eat with them.  YIKES.   

Plan for tomorrow:

Work half day.  I will walk to and fro like normal unless it is snowing and then will take the bus.  I really really really dislike snow, but this is getting off topic. 

So will come home to have a veggie soup and two mandarin oranges.

Supper will be a roasted chicken from the supermarket with steamed veggies. ( same as we had tonight - delicious ) 

We will all attend the Christmas Eve service ( if it doesn't snow.  Call me snow coward. ) 

Christmas Day:

Breakfast:  coffee and an omelet for me.  Not sure just what the guests would like.  Perhaps scrambled eggs with toast.

We are all invited to go to another relatives house for Christmas dinner.  I have been phoning all day to ask what I should bring and there is no answer.  Soooooooooo not quite sure what is happening.   I have another relative who has been very ill and am hoping in my heart of hearts that the unanswered calls are not because of them. 

If something happens and the dinner is called off then will go to plan B.  Of which I don't have.   Hmmmmmmmm.  Kairk we might be coming to your house. 

Clothes: Part of my strategy is to wear clothes that fit this entire weekend.  They make me feel good about myself, they remind me of how far I have come as well as how close I am to that final weight loss goal.  And I can FEEL them pressing into my skin vs baggy clothes that are begging to be filled up with sugar cookies.   

Christmas Eve:  not much deviation from usual. Seafood for breakfast and lunch to help to keep calorie count down.  I discovered some new coffee beans that I am looking forward to using as a tasty hot drink.  We will spend much of the evening at my BIL's who always serves prime rib which is very caloric so I won't have much. His appetizers typically includes shrimp so I will still be ok.   I'll have a few more fixin's on my salad than I usually allow (a bit of cheese, a few nuts and chopped apple)  I will skip the desserts which he serves both before the meal and after the meal.  

Christmas morning:  I want to do something nice for my daughter (well, hubby too) but haven't quite figured it out.  I might look into Eggface's ricotta pancakes.  I have always avoided them because they look like they might trigger my eat for volume compulsion.   Some sort of chicken breakfast sausage would be ok.  

Christmas evening at my sister's:  Chili and a tablespoonful or two of mac and cheese and whatever vege's that are around.   She frequently serves a peppermint dessert which will be easy to skip because I have never been fond of peppermint unless it is paired with chocolate.  If there is chocolate, I might have a bite of it.  

My goal is to generally fit into my usual macros for the day although maybe an extra 50-100 calories for the day.  I'm not sure if I am being realistic -- I will play around with myfitnesspal to plan ahead. Right now, getting to my final weight loss goal matters more to me than holiday foods.  There have been plenty of non-food rewards that make it worth it. 

Enjoy the season!  

Shel

     What a great idea. I ,too, will keep today as normal as possible.  Will order a veggie omelet with two pieces of bacon at favorite diner before heading out to purchase last minute things. Half of omelet  for breakfast, and half for lunch. Greek yoghurt as snack. Dinner salmon and veggies here. I'll skip the sweet potato, and will serve fresh fruit for dessert. (SO, daughter and son-in-law here.)

     Christmas here with SO's sister and brother in law. They all love prime rib,  but I'm grilling fresh shrimp too, which I will have. They want cheesy cauliflower and mashed potatoes with sour cream. I'll make a veggie , probably steamed baby carrots, as a healthy option for me. SO's sister is making and bringing a cheesecake.  Interesting caveat.... she had by-pass three years ago and has regained all and then some. She also drinks wine like water. There is a lot of "testing" going on. She knows her brother has been eating healthy in the four years we have been together. She is accentuating all of the things he loves but doesn't typically eat now, (flour, sugar, white potato, rich gravies and sauces etc.) and bringing them. Having her here is less toxic because I can control my environment more than I can hers. Any crap she brings, she takes back home with her, or I throw out. The cheesecake is all I may choose to have a bite of. My fear is that if  don't plan that in, I will be perseverating on cheesecake for weeks.

     May the force be with us all !

All well thought ideas, including the idea of having some cheesecake if it looks good.  Consider it practice for savoring/enjoying every molecule so you get as much pleasure (sans guilt) as possible.  

I was going to say then back to your plan but the thing is that in my vision of maintenance, that cheesecake CAN still be on plan.  You don't have to hide it or sneak around (ok, now I think I really am talking to my innner fat self!)

Enjoy the day and your family!  

Christmas Eve:  I'm keeping things today as normal as possible.  I'm doing some baking today for our trip to NM.  I'm making healthy muffins for our breakfast...oatmeal, lemon yogurt and chocolate.  Also, making while chocolate puffed popcorn...not so healthy but Oh! So Good!  I'm taking some of that tonight to our Christmas Eve services.  Andy plays piano for two out of three services so we will be there awhile.  The choir director's wife brings cheese, shrimp and things I can choose from.  

Christmas Day:  Our Traditional Mexican dinner,  fudge, pecan bunt cake, fruit cake, cookies and who knows what else!!! I'm eating a little of everything...

Day after Christmas is a travel day...hard not to snack in the car for a 9 hour trip but going to have healthy stuff on hand.  I can't really chug water but will get in what I can without driving everyone nuts with bathroom stops.

I'm not sure this is much of a plan but I'm just not going to stress about it or try not to... Enjoy the holiday with family friends and food!!!  

Great idea!

We do most of our celebrating on Christmas Eve - so today is the "splurge" day so to speak.

I had my normal breakfast of yogurt and fruit and a protein hot chocolate - already had an unplanned for chocolate truffle - I won't eat any more of those today.

I will go light with lunch - probably another Greek yogurt. Mid afternoon snack will be protein drink - chai

Dinner will be shrimp and broccoli fettuccine Alfredo - high in calories and fat but I will only have 1 C of it with a small mixed greens salad and Olive Garden dressing. No breadsticks

Planned sweet treat is 1/8 of a Dutch apple pie

This will give me:

I will also get on the treadmill today - if my legs swell up I can rest them tonight!

Tomorrow I am making a spiral ham with baked Mac N Cheese (for the rest of the family) and roasted sweet potatoes and parsnips (for me) - rest of the day will be on plan.