How are you going to cope with the holidays?

[A1ikou]

I am trying to make a plan of what I will do over the next few months as I work towards my goals.
We don't have Halloween or Thanksgiving here in Greece so I don't have to worry about them, but then it will be Christmas.
Christmas has always been associated with food for me. Chocolate treats in advent calendars, more sweets and biscuits readily available, chocolate selection boxes and then the dinners...Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Day. I also have hubby's birthday and Name Day at the beginning of Jan.
I know I can't physically eat what I used to but don't know how to go about having a 'few treats' and then stopping...Don't want to not have anything but how to be in control?
So my question is really...how are you going to cope with the holidays? Any tips I could use would be greatly appreciated.

[Stitchy]

Good question!

Well, maybe take whatever you feel is the appropriate amount of treat and walking away from the table with it. Out of sight, out of mind. Nibble and savor every bite. IMHO, if you deny yourself a treat, you will be miserable, but if you allow yourself a little bit then you won't resent it as much. The best taste is in the first couple of bites anyway. Of course, you can get online here and get some moral support.

We will all need to talk about this as the season is near.

[HeatherGurl]

I know you are all going to think I am nuts, but that stuff just doesn't tempt me. I have almost completely lost my taste for chocolate... I can't eat bread at all, so that eliminates a lot of the junk that I would have at one time stuffed my face with.
I agree with Stichy completely about do not deny yourself something you want. Because it will consume you then and IF you binge it will be a big one.

Hopefully none of us will gain a pound this Holiday season!!! :) I don't plan on it! :)

[lucymann]

Heather

Congratulations for looking/planning for the holidays already!

I am new to this forum and yours is the first post that I have read. I am also new to the Lapband - having gotten mine on June 20th 2006. I have gone from a size 26/28 to as size 12/14/16 (depending on the brand) in clothing in the last four months. This is what I plan to do:

From my limited experience I can say that the good news is that you simply can not eat like you did before banding. But I would also suggest (and plan to follow) that you stick with the bandster rules during the holiday. If you want to eat a treat - first eat some solid protein. Then maybe reward yourself with a small treat. Choose solid treats - one cookie (biscuit) will not blow your diet BUT milkshakes can! Don't eat the chocolates if you can not stop. Eat a different treat that will stay in the pouch for a long time thus limiting how much you can consume.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you did in January :-)

Lucy

[barbara465]

I'm going to be on a cruise for Christmas. I plan on being very careful and in control. I certainly don't want to ruin my trip because I tried to eat things I can't or overeat. So for me I think fear will be the guiding principle I will live by.

I also made arrangements for anytime dining so that my group of 4 could sit together. That way, I can eat like a bandster and I don't have to worry about others wondering what the heck I'm doing.

I plan on having one Christmas party. I love to cook, but I've decided to order everything prepared. That way I won't have to taste anything and can just put the food out and enjoy my guests.

That's how I'm going to cope.

[SheryBery]

If I go to bed and pull the blankies over me the night before Thanksgiving and stay there till January 2nd.....maybe that'll work??
Ok....then I'll just remember the weight I've lost and keep that in mind when tempted. I LOVE bread and hot rolls, and a full on turkey dinner is my favorite meal. But since July, I've only had a couple of crescent rolls and one biscuit, so I think I can resist the rolls. And I just will limit myself on the turkey and tiny bit of taters (i'm from Idaho...gotta have taters!).
I'm feeling so much better about myself now that I hope that feeling will help me stay strong over the holidays. And also the fact that I physically can't eat like I used to should be a huge help!

[MoOrLess]

Well Ali - as you know - I'm not banded - but let me tell you, all it would take for me is to re-read P'Nut's PB thread! nuff said.....

[A1ikou]

Since I had my 3rd fill last week, I finally feel like a true bandster. Maybe the sweet spot does exist! I have a band telling me now what 'she will allow' me to eat. If this continues it'll make the holiday season soooo much easier. A) I'll lose weight before I get there and b) I wont be able to overdo things, (even if I try to!).
As for the treats in life, I know what's going to be in the house and I am going to try and think bofre hand which thinhgs I'd really enjoy the most and see if I can stick to a few of those -ie I'd much rather nibble a cookie than a chocolate if you see what I mean.
Apart from that, I can't wait for Christmas and believe me I will be starting early...now where are my Christmas songs??????????

[NotSoFunny]

We bake A LOT for the holidays, and I send rob to work everyday with loads of cookies and treats for his coworkers. It might be hard to keep from snacking this year while I make these treats this year. I am hoping to have a really really good fill before this time arrives, so that it will help with the snacking. I am hoping that it will also help with the large meals. My mother comes into town for a seperate thanksgiving and christmas dinner, so we have big meals x4. We also go to a lot of parties, and host a few parties as well. I will just have to do a lot of praying, and eat a lot of veggies. Just breathe in, breathe out, and don't eat fat foods in between. LOL

[Jachut]

I dont find holidays hard particularly, I'm quite good at being disciplined and not overindulging on a grand scale - its the day to day stuff during the rest of the year where I fall down.

I'm also not into baking and all that stuff, like at Christmas time, we have Christmas dinner and plum pudding and that's it. There's no mince pies and shortbread and the like in the house for weeks before and after, and usually no leftovers to any great degree either, if there are I chuck them out. I'm horribly undomestic and am trying to convince my family that we actually go out somewhere on Christmas day and then nobody has to do any work.

Halloween and Thanksgiving arent celebrated in Australia.

[NotSoFunny]

I have done fairly well with all the halloween candy being in the house. I haven't taken one piece. So I am proud of myself.

As for leftovers....whoa nelly! On thanksgiving, we actually go to a butcher to get a huge turkey. One bigger than you can usually find in walmart and the like. We have leftovers for weeks it seems. Not just of turkey, but everything else. My weakness is my mother's spinach casserole. Omg. It is nothing but three cheeses, spinach, and heavy cream. BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD for a diet. just smelling it makes you gain weight.

Christmas is worse, cause I am allergic to baked ham, so we usually have a ham AND a turkey! I think this year we will be doing a chicken instead of a turkey. just to cut down on the leftovers some.

["Just" Paul]

Xmas was more of an issue when I lived near my folks in Pgh. We had the traditional Xmas eve meal (7 fishes) which over the years became a 40 person, 20 main courses thing... leftovers for weeks.

[Goannabanda]

In our family, we celebrate every meal from Christmas Eve through to Boxing Day dinner with various combinations of family & friends. We usually skip Boxing Day breakfast. New Years Eve is also celebrated, but nothing (but a hangover, LOL!) on New Year's Day. As Jacqui said, us Aussies don't celebrate Halloween or Thanksgiving.

We have a hot lunch at Christmas Day, but being summertime here at that time of the year, all of the other celebration meals are usually salads and cold meats / seafood or BBQ. BUT, the snacks (chips, nuts, dips, chocolates) and desserts can be lethal. We always have a fruit salad or platter, but everthing else is either loaded with cream (pavlova, strawberry flan or chocolate ripple slice), cheese (cheesecake, cheese platter) or condensed milk (no-bake slices, eg caramel slice, jelly slice, hedgehog slice). Drool!

I love to bake, and do find it hard to resist having treats in the house for visitors. In recent years, we have cut back on a lot of the baking (too bloddy hot to bake!), but tend to buy in treats instead. Then there's the gourmet hamper that arrives from my employer, and the leftover lollies and bits of gingerbread house that we make with my son, neice and nephew. Before we know it we are swamped with festive junk foods. This will be the hardest part - as I love to nibble, and associate being a hospitable hostess with feeding my guests.

Here's my strategy to deal with the season this year:

I will not stock up on festive foods.
I will stock up on diet drinks.
I will make a list of healthy seasonal snacks that I can serve, and put it on the fridge as a reminder. I'm only going to buy and serve what's on that list.
I am also going to think of a new Christmas tradition to do with the kids - make a tree decoration or something not food related. It will be healthier for all of us, plus won't be reinforcing messages to the kids that Christmas is about food.
We have a wedding on Boxing Day, and are going camping that night, so one big feast meal for that day has been eliminated.
We are lucky that both sides of our family are more motivated than ever to change our old traditions for new, healthier habits. My recent banding will emphasise that this year. We'll focus on healthier alternatives / ingredients used, particularly in things like dressings and desserts.
I'll join in with the kids for a game of cricket or a walk after lunch.
I'll take extra exercise before, during and after the holiday season.Any more ideas???

[HeatherGurl]

Ummmm, Funny... I want that recipe for the spinach casserole! That sounds heavenly....
:)

[PhotoNut]

Heather

Congratulations for looking/planning for the holidays already!

I am new to this forum and yours is the first post that I have read. I am also new to the Lapband - having gotten mine on June 20th 2006. I have gone from a size 26/28 to as size 12/14/16 (depending on the brand) in clothing in the last four months. This is what I plan to do:

From my limited experience I can say that the good news is that you simply can not eat like you did before banding. But I would also suggest (and plan to follow) that you stick with the bandster rules during the holiday. If you want to eat a treat - first eat some solid protein. Then maybe reward yourself with a small treat. Choose solid treats - one cookie (biscuit) will not blow your diet BUT milkshakes can! Don't eat the chocolates if you can not stop. Eat a different treat that will stay in the pouch for a long time thus limiting how much you can consume.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you did in January :-)

Lucy

I'd like to take a moment to say.. WOW! :eek: Lucy, you're doing a fantastic job and it sounds like you have your head on straight about living the bandster lifestyle. And by the way.. Welcome to b2g! I hope you posted something in the forum for new folks so everyone can get the chance to say hello.

As for the rest of you.. you're all doing so well. I'm so damn proud of everyone!

I plan on getting another fill before the holidays. I'm going through a very weak time right now and lots of things that I haven't dreamed of eating are now calling my name. So I'm going to be looking for reinforcement from my band and from all of you who continue to inspire me on a daily basis.

*big hugs*