Links for tips for weight maintenance during the holidays.
Dr. Berkeley has some great tips for weight maintenance at her blog, Refuse to Regain. Read the tips here. I have to say I'll be doing all items except #8 on Dr. Berkeley's list, because I don't drink.
I also liked the link to the Beck Diet Solution page from last year. Here
Here are what works for me for staying on track and dealing with holiday food, baking, traditions, feelings, and sabotage.
0. Hook into that good feeling
- I weigh daily
- I tell myself, I'm going to stay on my plan today in the morning
- I stay on plan
- I feel awesome at night when I'm winding down the day.
- I love that feeling.
- I wake up the next morning and I feel awesome most of the time
- rinse and repeat
1. Gifts: Cookies, cakes, fudge, food other than tea or coffee
- I've communicated that I don't eat sweets or baked goods.
- This stops most drive by cookie/food items right from the get-go.
- If given items away from home- either trash or immediate re-gift. Away from the giver.
- I prefer trash, as no one really needs obesity or diabetes.
- If given items at home, Jr. Family member gets 1 item of choosing.
- Then the rest hits the trash can. Away from the giver.
- There is no holiday baking (sweets) at my house.
- I baked "for others" and ate for myself too much. I'm onto my slippery slope thinking.
- I put a stop to that for my commitment to my goal.
- Jr. Family member can bake in most other places she goes.
- The homeless shelter I serve food has an overload of sweets from a local company- every day.
- Don't try the donations to the food bank or shelter suggestion. Mind sabotage. I'm on to it!!
- Ignore any "Mean Mom" comments. Part of Sabotage. I don't drink that Kool-aid.
- Sabotage. This still happens. Politely decline. "No thank you, Doctor says".
- I'm never, ever giving in. EVER. Slippery slope thinking and obesity are exhausting...
- Sing to the tune of that Taylor Swift song. ;)
2. Holiday Meals
- Pass on expensive holiday parties where there is no gluten free food on a pre-fixed menu.
- Check the menu or bring my own on plan item
- Eat before hand, show up after the meal.
- Explain to the host/hostess. Most people are on board. A little tweaking goes a long way.
- Draw a line around those who are not on board (don't go in there!)
- I won't change their mind. That's okay.
- I do what's best for me. Doctor says. I decided. Talk matches the walk.
- Coffee or really good decaf is a great way to finish a holiday meal
- Flavored tea (watch for teas with gluten- yikes!!) apple, cinnamon, peppermint, pumpkin. Major holiday flavors without the calories or triggers.
3. Activity
- Take an outside break, hike, or walk.
- Ask others to join, but plan to go it alone if they all say no.
- Take my camera, practicing my hobby is stress relief
- Plan an outside activity for the whole family.
- Always make time for exercise. Even if I fly, I can walk the air terminal or hit a hotel gym.
4. Holiday traditions
The new Normal:
- I am not the Grinch.
- I am a previously overweight person who needs the new normal
- I deserve to feel awesome and want to be in holiday photos.
- Find recipes that work for the new food plan.
- Use spices that are holiday like, without the trigger food.
- Enjoy people and places.
- Visit with people who are in the area once a year.
- Take a walk on the beach.
- Take a hike inland.
- Ski, skate, or snow shoe if the mountains & weather permit.
- Board games
- Wii Fit games
- Volunteer
- Travel
- Work to fill in for others with small children.
- See, I'm not really the Grinch
- My clothes still fit come January
Zip- Zip Hooray. Santa is bringing revenge clothes. Best January gift ever. Totally within my control. Onward. Discuss. Any other ideas?
Great post. Last year when I was new to all of this I was a little worried but this Christmas I'm just so used to my new life that I just know there will not be a problem. Everyone around us knows what we eat now too so don't even try to tempt us!!
ReplyDeleteI was on a strict plan last year and people knew. I think that this year, people have assumed I'm back to the regular Standard American Diet (SAD). I'm so glad I did not go back to that!! I know it's summer-ish in NZ, do you celebrate with good cuts of meat and summer veggies?
DeleteAfter three years of re gifting loaded basket from BIL, my husband finally told him. He was very shocked that not one of us would eat one thing in that basket. And I never gave it to anyone as a true gift. I would just mention that I had a baked goods basket including bacon and jams and see who wanted it. I truly hated to pitch as it was expensive, but as I said, never gave as gift. And I always told people WHY we did not want it. But made husband call last year as I got tired of dealing with bacon (I think it had an English breakfast theme).
ReplyDeleteWhen he asked husband what kind of box we would like, and husband said oranges or pears, he could not believe it.
ReplyDeleteOoooh. Those boxed pears are yummy.
DeleteThere are a few items that I'm able to find places for. A few things are appropriate for say a nursing home or a church shut in. I've done that before, too.
Great post, Karen. Especially "I tell myself I'm going to stay on plan today" and "THEN I STAY ON PLAN"!!! ;) I also wanted to say, it's really disturbing what kinds of foods are donated to shelters, soup kitchens and food pantries. Yes, the stuff exists and it's going to go in the trash if it's not donated...but how are unhealthy foods helping people in need? I read a column online the first week of November with some Marie Antoinette-esque upwardly mobile soccer mom congratulating herself for having donated all her kids' Halloween candy to a food pantry and I don't know if I was more appalled by her attitude about the candy (MY kids aren't allowed to eat that junk; let the poor kids have it!), her hollow gesture of donating candy that her kids got for free trick-or-treating, or the fact that a food pantry accepts and distributes candy to the people it serves.
ReplyDeleteThanks Norma!! I would love to be part of a local organization that works with food banking and/or single parents and teaching cooking and nutrition on a tight budget. It would be awesome to volunteer and be part of the solution. I'll have to look around in December and see what is out there already. Even better if I can take Jr. Family member with me.... I'll keep you posted. I have a few ideas on where to start....
ReplyDeleteAwesome plan and post. You have covered every angle from food to exercise!
ReplyDeleteI like the "doctor says" line . . . People probably don't argue so much if they think the medical establishment has handed you a rule to follow for your health.
ReplyDeleteDo you ever get lonely following your plan, Karen? You don't strike me as a person prone to self-pity or any of that, but I just wonder if you feel isolated, or if so, how do you handle that? I guess blogging is one really good way!
I love all of the tips and positive self-talk you have laid out in this post :)
Hi Hils, I do feel lonely sometimes. Going to that Paleo workshop back in Feb helped. I poke around sometimes and ask people if they eat Paleo/Primal ( only if it comes up in conversation). The other thing I do is I bring the Practical Paleo and Everyday Paleo cookbooks out with me when I visit people or travel. It always sparks a good conversation.
DeleteThe other thing that I do is answer questions a lot about my food. It smells really, really good when I heat it up (curry, turkey with veggies, etc). People like to know what I'm eating and ask questions. Mostly they respect. There are always haters and sabotage - but less of that. Thank goodness. Good question. Holiday pot lucks are perfect for mostly healthy questions about my food.
In the end, I could use more "in real life" friends who are Paleo. I suspect I will influence a few... ;)
I love your lists and you're right if you let people know exactly what you will and will not eat then they know what to give. And the bonus is come the New Year you have no back tracking to do!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Suzi. The no back tracking and the pants fitting are a super bonus.
DeleteWould love to see pics once you get your Revenge Clothes! :)
ReplyDeleteYeah! Will do...
DeleteReally love this post. I will be revisiting it often in the next few weeks! Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenn. I love reading your blog.
DeleteThis is such a good post, Karen! I drank the koolaid a little at Thanksgiving but now I've come to my senses. This being my first holiday season since making goal, I got guilted into eating some "goodies." Now my appetite is out of control and I'm up a couple pounds. Drat. I've decided not to repeat this mistake during Christmas and a lot of what's on your list will be on mine :)
ReplyDeleteGood plan, Shrink to Fit. Between now and then you can get off the cycle of the trigger food (if you choose) and feel a lot better come Christmas. You'll be way ahead of the game for the New Year. Onward!
Delete