Thanksgiving Double Trouble

[hopejoy]

I agree with Kevin as well. That is a good plan, to not tell anyone and eat what is legal. There are lots of good legal foods to be had. If you don't start dealing with family issues, you'll yo yo up and down and not get your eating under control ever! That 10 lbs might be harder to get off than you think. It would be a shame to gain back what you've lost and then not be able to get back on the wagon afterwards... There are some fabulous recipes out there!
liz

[not2late]

Originally Posted by leebre

It’s been just short of 4 months since I started Induction and I am down 40 pounds, and now am under 200. (50 pounds for the year!) I am near my goal and ready to move to OWL, a somewhat depressing thought having visited that side of the boards and now realizing that it really means Ongoing Work Load… But now I digress. Next week - the point of this thread - I travel with many of you (literally and figuratively) to all too familiar territory – to extended family for that beloved day of eating-days, Thanksgiving. My family loves to eat, and eat, and drink, and eat some more. In fact, for us, Thanksgiving is a 4 day eating and drinking extravaganza. My plan was get down to where I had a margin for error, of say about 10-12 pounds, put it on, and take it right back off while facing down Christmas and all that entails. Lots of luck,right? I don’t know how else to do it. I don’t think I have the strength to face all the family dysfunctionality, merry making, drinking, feasting, Adkins questions and ridicule, forbearance and restriction from turkey gravy, wine, mashed potatoes, stuffing, M&Ms, Bailey’s, on and on - that is needed. I’m too weak. So I just figure it’s an easy 10 pound 4 day weekend. How do you cope with it all?

I don't know if you planned to post this in the On-Going Weight Loss Forum, but you did. Wine and mashed potatoes, even stuffing, is acceptable on OWL and Pre-Maintenance Phases provided you don't have any food intolerances to them and the amount you eat is within your Phase limits.

As for dealing with the holidays, when I began my Atkins, I didn't announce to the entire family I was on Atkins. When I had to go to family functions, I ate what was acceptable to my Atkins. No one questioned my why I wasn't eating mashed potatoes or cornbread. When the desserts were passed around, I just said I didn't have room for any right now. No questions asked.

[zoewmu]

The last time I ate anything sugary, I was sicker than a dog the whole next day. I had the worst heartburn of my life and felt like I just wanted to vomit.

That memory, in and of itself, will keep me on track this thanksgiving. I want to enjoy my family, not feel so ill that I can't shop on Friday!

I'm bringing my own pumpkin pie. I offered to bring veggies but I know they will be there even if I don't. I'm taking flax muffin stuff and real cream and my own sweetener for my coffee so I don't have to rely on anyone else.

[cackleby]

Honestly, I'm not worried about the holidays at all. Like Kevin said, I shall just go about my merry way and have eat what I can and be done with it. I figured out a while ago that my biggest hurdle to overcome in order to change my WOE was that I am DONE with all the foods I supposedly couldn't do without. Until I made that discovery about myself, making a drastic change such as the Atkins WOE was difficult to say the least.

Myself, I started this life change in order to become HEALTHY, and nothing will get in the way of that, not even family


steve

BTW good luck keeping on the straight and narrow. It's all mind over matter- If you don't mind it don't matter

[michelle23464]

My family will be going out to dinner on Thanksgiving. This way everyone gets to eat from a buffet and have what is allowed for them. Hubby, MIL and myself are all on atkins so I can just leave all the bad foods at the restaurant after dinner and not have a fridge full of junk that would be left over because the kids didnt eat it all.

All of us on Atkins are at different levels so we thought this was best. Also.. in the event anyone has a taste of not so legal foods there will be nothing at home to have later. I really love the thanksgiving foods, yams, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, potatoe salad, and rolls. So having them in the house as left overs will not be good for me.

[leebre]

This has actually been very therapeutic. What a great support group!!
I think I shall overcome. Some of my takeaways are not talking up the lifestyle, eating plenty of what is permissible, and pushing away from what is not on the plan, things I've really given up anyway & bringing some of the sides that are permissible. Really, too many good solid suggestions to recount. It is doable. And I guess for me, working through not eating emotionally. That has been a biggie for me. Particularly with family, even at my age. And that brings in the whole business of staying conscience while doing. Doing whatever we do. One of the ways I try to remain in conscience is not nibbling at things that are off plan when preparing or cooking food for my son. It’s hard, but the remembering and struggling to stay conscience is part of the work and reward. And part of the reward of weight loss is the knowledge it came from hard work and conscience effort. I guess that was part of my whine. Maybe trying to justify loss to conscience effort. That’s my problem with the booze. It drops me into unconscious – waking-sleep. Then my guard is down and I take a tomorrow may care attitude. It’s only a weekend and not worth the sacrifice. And the 10 may very well be much harder to take back than on the way down this last time. Thanks much. I would love all recipes referenced in this thread. All sounded yummy. I’ll now be able to refer back to this thread for strength. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

[Sherri]

Good morning Leebre,
I'm so happy to hear you're going into the holidays with your best Atkins foot forward. I understand about conscience eating very well. Before I started Atkins, over four years ago, I did alot of unconscience eating. Especially nibbling as I prepared dinner. You know, a meal before a meal.
I got past that hurdle the first year of Atkins. It takes time and alot of "Conscience" eating to make lifestyle changes. You certainly are on your way. Remember, baby steps are acceptable towards your goals. As long as you're moving forward. Soon you'll have strides of leaps and bounds and will be rewarded of all your hard work. Proud of you!
Here's some recipes that I have in my journal to share with you.
Why not make some oopsie rolls and take those with you?
here's the link for the oopsie roll recipe
The Lighter Side of Low-Carb: The Sailor Scouts make my Revol-oopsie rolls!
Along with a relish tray with deviled eggs and cream cheese & celery,

Sunny's Pimento Cheese Spread
4 oz ex-sharp shredded cheese (kraft)
2 oz cold cream cheese (cut in squares)
add 2 oz jar pimento (diced)
Mayo- enough to make it a bit globby
Mix well- best next day!

Sliced peppers and cucumbers with an Atkins friendly dip.
Dana Carpender's
Avacado Cheese Dip

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese spftened
1 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar or Monteray Jack cheese
1 ripe black avacado, peeled and seeded
1 small onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 can (3-4 ounces chilies, drained, or jaleponos, if you like it hot
1. combine all the ingrediants in a food processor, and process untill very smooth.
2. Scrape into a pretty serving bowl, and place the avacado seed in the middle (it will keep the dip from turning dark)
Dana Carpender's
Dill Dip
1 pint sour cream
1/4 small onion
1 heaping tbls. dry dill weed
1/2 tsp. salt or Vege-Sal

1. Put the sour cream, onion, dill weed and salt in food processor, and process untill the onion disappears.
2. You can serve this right away but it taste better after sitting for a few hours.

Also an Atkins Friendly Pumpkin bake with fresh whipped cream.

Jody's Pumpkin Bake

8 oz cream cheese, softened
5 eggs
1/2 cup granule sweetner of choice
15 ounce can pumpkin
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. cinnamon
Put the cream cheese in medium bowl and beat with mixer untill smooth. Add the reamining ingediants and beat well. Pour into 6x8 oiled glass baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or untill center feels firm and knife comes out reasonably clean, cool then chill before serving.
1/4 recipe= 9 grams carbs
1/16 recipe= 6 grams carbs.
If it's one thing that I have discovered doing Atkins for over four years is that there are healthier versions of all my favorite foods. They taste great, if not better, than the Non Atkins versions.
Sometimes people forget that Atkins isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle for life, and that we're making healthier lifestyle changes.
It's best to prepare now before the holidays come, and start gathering recipes for all of your favorite foods so you're going into the holidays prepared and on plan.
Wishing you the best of health and lite.
Happy Holidays!
Sincerely, Sherri

[kimbat06]

I agree with Kevin. And please don't keep quiet, Kevin, your posts always lighten the moods and make me laugh

Anyway... I think I will do just fine at Thanksgiving because my whole stomach has been changed... I find if I have just the littlest amount of sugar or any high-carb foods, I get an unbelievable stomachache. I'm sorry, but I'm not willing to suffer a stomachache just to eat a bunch of crap. I am sticking to my turkey, ham, veggies dipped in ranch, devilled eggs, and my low-carb pumpkin bars (I might even make a low-carb batch of cookies or brownies as well). Of course all in moderation though.