Holiday plans!

[changing]

So the holidays are fast approaching, and I've decided to do something I've never done: stick to my diet the entire time. This is because 1) I've decided to make holidays more about who I'm with than what I'm eating and 2) I'm going to eat well anyway without all that carbage.

For example:

Thanksgiving should be easy. Big old turkey, lots of veggies. I'm on the highest rung in OWL so I can have small servings of corn and peas with no problem. And I've recently discovered my new favorite dish: http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/chicken_and_stuffing_quiche.html I'm going to omit the chicken, use the spicy kind of bulk sausage, and make a smaller dish of this (a generous side for my family) to eat with my turkey. Tastes EXACTLY like stuffing!!! Eerily so! For dessert, I'm baking a sf-pumpkin pie with a ground-walnut crust. In fact, the hardest part will be not overstuffing myself on these legal delights.

Christmas, my family always has lobster and clams with melted butter. In addition to some of the carbier sides, my mom has offered to make a salad this year (she, like I, likes to plan way in advance for these big meals), so I should be set there too.

Anybody else have any good holiday strategies? I think many of us with good intentions get permanently derailed by the upcoming festivities, and it's time to start thinking about this mumbo-jumbo once again.

[Kent]

I and my wife make most of the meals at the holiday, so ensuring their acceptablity is pretty easy. I make all the standards, but I make enough of the good stuff that I don't have to worry about if there will be something I can eat. For potlucks, it's much the same policy for church socials -- make enough of your stuff to guarantee some is still available. Sure, there will always be the bad stuff available, but if I go all out with mine not only do I look good for making all the foods, I can more easily ignore the pies and rolls.

[lis3]

Thanks for the idea to replace stuffing. I LOVE STUFFING! I'm going to try the receipe tonight!

[not2late]

Holidays are big family affairs. So I always make sure to bring something (or two) I can eat. Typically I bring a veggie dish and an appetizer because turkey is usually "legal".

I also have an eating strategy:

1. I eat something before I leave home. If it's a looooooong drive to my relative's home, I bring a car snack with me.

2. I make the rounds before eating any finger food. That is I chat with the relatives before eating the various appetizers and hor de' ourves (or however it's spelled!). That way, I can ask myself if I really am hungry and it gives me a chance to see what the finger foods are! Also it gives me a chance to chat with the family.

3. Finger food is usually placed on a small table and everyone can get whatever they want. I get one or 2 foods and move away from the table. If I stand there, I'll be more likely to stand there and inhale the legal foods and not so legal ones.

4. Dinner is usually buffet-style, so I take a walk through the kitchen to see what's on the menu. That way I'll know what to avoid and what looks like I can eat it.

5. Dinner time: I always take a serving of food I bring. I take a serving of the turkey. The other foods I can eat, I take less than half a serving. Why? Because it looks like I have tons of food on my plate and no one will be tempted to empty half a pan of scalloped potatoes on it.

6. Eating: I eat the food I bring first. Then I move onto the turkey or roast beef. Then I ask myself "Am I still hungry?" If no, then I put my plate down and sip water. I've learned if I ditch the plate too soon, someone is prodding me to "get more". This way, they won't ask if they see a plate with some food left on it. If I am still hungry, I take a small bite of each of the foods remaining on my plate. Between bites, I ask myself "Am I still hungry?"

7. Socializing: I chat while I eat at these family functions. Chatting slows down my eating. So I have time to re-evaluate if I need to eat another bite.

8. Dessert. My family serves dessert about a hour or so after the meal on these occasions. I spend that time chatting or spend it helping out in the kitchen. If it's at my cousin's home, I walk around his farm during this time. It gives me time to get out of the house so I don't have to be constantly fighting off relatives armed with slices of pie and cake, but it also gives me alittle exercise! If it's at another relative's home, I usually grab the smaller kids and a ball and drag them outdoors with me. This year Thanksgiving will be at another cousin's house. There's a playground about 1/2 block down the street. So I'll take the kids there to play alittle. Again, I get some exercise chasing the kids around and I avoid getting slices of pies and cakes shoved at me.

9. Leftovers: I either refuse them or I take some legal foods but only enough for 1 meal.

[julirama723]

I'm not going to cheat either--I think cheating is something totally avoidable! I'm going to make sure I eat a good salad, delicious meat, cheese and veggies from the relish tray, and perhaps some sort of legal pumpkin or cheesecake dessert. The hard part will be not overindulging on the "legal" foods--I'm never tempted to cheat by eating something off the plan, only tempted by having another serving of cheese or veggies, etc.

[Adena]

Originally Posted by changing

I've decided to make holidays more about who I'm with than what I'm eating

What an awesome perspective! That said... I do want to try that "stuffing" recipe.

[adreliluc]

Mmmm I'm ganna try that stuffing too!

Great tips Megs!!

[Momtofour]

You can easily stay on Atkins during the holidays. Last year was the first year that I actually lost weight during the holidays instead of gaining. I lost 10 pounds too. I make my favorite foods that are Atkins friendly so that I can still celebrate with great food, but not in a eat until I'm sick kind of way.

[dreamof145]

I also talk more than I eat when I go to dinner. If you're talking to people, they aren't as interested in what your eating. The past few years I've also involved doing things with the family instead of spending the day chatting (which leads to eating more). I have volunteered the family to help at the mission. I've planned sleigh rides, outings to activities in town and a walk through through the park to look at the scenery.

[changing]

Fantastic! You guys all have some great ideas!


I love the idea of being more of a "talker" than an "eater." Talking is one of the few things that I enjoy more than eating.

And I do hope that all of you enjoy that "stuffing" recipe!