What are your tips and/or tricks in order to get through what is almost the hardest time of the year? THE HOLIDAYS!

For me, it's an emotional time and it's hard not to want to turn to food. I am trying to be more mindful and have a list of ready made "good" choices should I be compelled by my urges, but ... how do you deal? Do you have a plan? If not, come up with one (or five) and share it (them) pls....

On all kinds of topics to address this one: with the food pushers, with just great food in your face, with old habits wanting to creep in via familiar environments (which are triggers sometimes for me)..... what else?

I am surely not alone with this one!

Wishing you and yours a happy holidays though, for what it's worth!

xx

As usual our celebrations will be at my mom's house but I am offering to plan the menu. That way I'm in control and know there will be food I can eat.

I am also not baking. I plan on buying a few Desserts and NOT taking any leftovers home.

I plan on hitting the gym, drinking lots of Water and really watching what I eat the whole season. I will journal every single bite!

• I buy foods that remind me of the holidays, but are a better fit with my current diet. For example, I've been eating Pumpkin yougurt almost every morning. To make it, I mix plain canned pumpkin, plain greek yogurt, Splenda, vanilla, and cinnamon with a little water. Tastes so good and keeps me out of hubby's pumpkin pie most days. I also like pumpkin stirred in my vanilla protein drink. And Celestial Seasoning's Gingerbread Spice Tea with a little Splenda. Another treat is the sugar free apple cider drink mix.
  
• I don't buy foods that might make me go off track. I used to keep several filled candy jars throughout the Christmas season. Now I buy See's candy a couple of times over the holiday season. I eat a few pieces and that's the extent of my holiday candy. I also avoid having baked goods in the house. I do keep peppermint candies because I won't overeat them and the peppermint flavor is so Christmasy.
  
• When we go to a party, I bring something I know I can eat that is a good choice for me.
  
• If people try to get me to eat more, I simply say I'm full.
  
• When we go out to eat, I eat a splurge food that is low in calories, like lobster or dungeness crab.
  
• If the meal is at my house, I send fatty leftovers home with everyone so there isn't so much of it left at my house.
  
• I exercise first thing in the morning (actually do this all year, not just holidays!) so it's done before I can cook up an excuse about why I can't do it.
  

I will still be on puree for Thanksgiving and i figure i usually mix my turkey and mashed potato's & gravy on my plate but this year i am literally going to mix it! I told my parents we were either having an immediate family only Thanksgiving or I wasn't going because I'm not telling everyone I had surgery and they were totally cool with it! They even offered to do it at our vacation home so were not tempted by anyone wanting to come over or have us over to their place. I'm so happy I have a supportive family!

We used to always order thoose gourmet pastries, candies and cakes around the holidays. Still placed our order this year but all meats, nuts and cheeses. A treat still can be healthy and filling.

I am doing a lot of the cooking this year so i will be making everything as healthy as possible, i am already playing with a few recipes, switching out sugar for splenda, evaporated milk for fat free evaportaed milk. even found a 0 sugar brown sugar subsitute. My sister and some friends are in a weight loss challenge over the holidays and a few of us are planning to go for a walk after dinner and play games like just dance on the wii.

This is going to be my ultimate test. I always have and always will put on the biggest Thanksgiving bash ever. The more the merrier! I not-so-modestly admit that I am one fine cook! And baking is my specialty!! That is in large part how I made my way to this forum - eating my own fare!

Sooo, here we are upon my first Thanksgiving post-op. I intend to try to treat the food the same way I treated cash when I was a bank teller - just pretend it's not real. It's just monopoly money. It's just part of the "game".

Probably won't work. Good think I have two strapping big sons and lots of other big eaters who will carry out a ton of leftovers. And I've already invited several coworkers over for leftovers the next day! Gotta get that stuff out of the house!

Our Christmas tradition involves food, but not to the extent of Thanksgiving. That one won't be so bad.

I am doing a lot of the cooking this year so i will be making everything as healthy as possible' date=' i am already playing with a few recipes, switching out sugar for splenda, evaporated milk for fat free evaportaed milk. even found a 0 sugar brown sugar subsitute. My sister and some friends are in a weight loss challenge over the holidays and a few of us are planning to go for a walk after dinner and play games like just dance on the wii.[/quote']

Where did you get the 0 sugar Brown sugar substitute?

Everyone is different, but I really do believe that part of overcoming our food demons is actually facing them and not ignoring them. Eventually we reach goal and we need to learn moderation and to control our emotional eating or we'll find ourselves trapped in lifelong diets.

I hosted Thanksgiving for a crowd just four months post op. I did not deny myself anything. I took tiny bites of whatever I wanted when I was hungry. I found that I had no desire to try certain foods at all (pie was way too sweet) but other foods were oddly compelling (I couldn't get enough of a Brussels sprouts with chestnuts dish and a fresh fruit arrangement had me back for pineapple over and over again). All in all, I finished the holiday feeling perfectly happy, perfectly sated and I didn't gain any weight. In fact, I continued to lose at my usual pace throughout the entire holiday season.

If you really want something, try a very small taste. Satisfy the urge and more often than not you'll find that the food memory is better than the food itself. Or perhaps it will just be really delicious and you'll be glad you didn't miss out.

Learn to say NO. Learn to say, I'm not hungry or I don't want a cookie or I'm trying to make better choices when someone pushes food on you. It's OKAY to pass up the cookie tray at the office without making a scene or hurting anyone's feelings.

The very best way to keep myself accountable is to record every single bite I put in my mouth throughout the day. If I ate an apple slice with cream cheese dip, I would go so far as to put the approximate recipe for what I ate into myfitnesspal. Why? To me, my success was worth the trouble. This was the best way for me to know if I had a little more flex or if I was losing control. Surprisingly, by allowing myself bites of what I wanted instead of trying to eat to my old stomach, I was able to eat pretty much anything I wanted without denying myself anything.

When I tried to deny myself, food was in charge. I was resentful of what I couldn't eat, envious of the portions on everyone else's plate and in a negative mood all around...which of course, can lead to emotional eating. Food was my every thought - either what I would eat or what I could eat or what I had to avoid eating. That's a ridiculous way to live your life! Do not give food that kind of power of you, and learn to accept it as fuel and yes, something that can be delicious. Find a way to make this happen that works for you, because food isn't going anywhere and neither is the holiday season!

You'll have to find what works for you. Avoid leftovers (except roasted turkey, Protein is always good!) and accept food gifts with grace and then share them so you won't be tempted to consume them yourself.

I really do believe that the best way to avoid feeling unsatisfied is to skip the fake stuff. If you're going to eat a food, make it good enough and high enough quality that a few bites will satisfy. Everyone is different, but for me, I was far more likely to eat three fake sugar, no fat Cookies because 1) I could justify it as a diet food and 2) my body wanted more, searching for the real sugar and fat it had been craving in the first place.

Your sleeve is going to stop you from siting down and losing control with a huge plate of food. But it is NOT going to stop you from eating a cookie an hour if you choose to do it, so try to keep your grazing under control.

Good luck. This is part of the challenge for everyone. Learning to live a new life with better habits is WHY you got the sleeve. Okay, and to be skinny, too. But really, you won't stay skinny if you don't do the other part. So approach this like a challenge and do your best to make yourself proud.

~Cheri

My husband and I volunteer to feed the soldiers. It will be my secret that I am extra thankful this year to be away from the food temptations. :-)

We haven't figured out Christmas yet....

As usual, Cheri, your posts are informative and very thoughtful. Thank you for sharing your experience.

I am in total agreement that we should have the 'real' thing. Our bodies benefit from that much more than the fat free items. I am learning to enjoy & savor tiny bites of 'real' food. It's a hard internal battle because the 'fat free' craze is really ingrained in me.

Again, thank you.

Judy

I will still be on puree for Thanksgiving and i figure i usually mix my turkey and mashed potato's & gravy on my plate but this year i am literally going to mix it! I told my parents we were either having an immediate family only Thanksgiving or I wasn't going because I'm not telling everyone I had surgery and they were totally cool with it! They even offered to do it at our vacation home so were not tempted by anyone wanting to come over or have us over to their place. I'm so happy I have a supportive family!

O man Donny, what an awesome family you have! It is always great to hear that someone's family is behind them 100%, it sure makes the journey so much sweeter!

I'm with Cheri on this one, although I must admit that I don't normally "overeat" Cookies and holiday stuff. I over drink wonderful wines, egg nog and what the hell is the name of that german spiced wine???? Anyhoo, I plan on enjoying a taste of anything that I feel I want, and making a healthier egg nog for myself to enjoy Christmas morning with mom's bread pudding (that's our holiday tradition).

For Thanksgiving I'm going to Minnesota at relatives and they are all nervous of offending me for some reason so they won't press when I have a small plate (I don't know why...maybe cuz my husband would rip them a new one LOL) But then again I am not worried about sharing I've just had surgery and can't eat much (had to do that the other night at a greek dinner). No one freaks and they understand when you avoid certain foods that way.

My favorite holiday foods are sweet potatoes and filet mignon (or christmas dinner) and I plan on eating a bit of my potatoes (which are NOT healthy LOL...I know, it's my recipe and i won't alter it) and more of the filet. I do plan on some pumpkin pie, but I won't return for more later in the evening LOL

I didn't have this surgery to deny myself for life. I had it to regain my life, just a few bites at a time!

Everyone is different' date=' but I really do believe that part of overcoming our food demons is actually facing them and not ignoring them. Eventually we reach goal and we need to learn moderation and to control our emotional eating or we'll find ourselves trapped in lifelong diets.

I hosted Thanksgiving for a crowd just four months post op. I did not deny myself anything. I took tiny bites of whatever I wanted when I was hungry. I found that I had no desire to try certain foods at all (pie was way too sweet) but other foods were oddly compelling (I couldn't get enough of a Brussels sprouts with chestnuts dish and a fresh fruit arrangement had me back for pineapple over and over again). All in all, I finished the holiday feeling perfectly happy, perfectly sated and I didn't gain any weight. In fact, I continued to lose at my usual pace throughout the entire holiday season.

If you really want something, try a very small taste. Satisfy the urge and more often than not you'll find that the food memory is better than the food itself. Or perhaps it will just be really delicious and you'll be glad you didn't miss out.

Learn to say NO. Learn to say, I'm not hungry or I don't want a cookie or I'm trying to make better choices when someone pushes food on you. It's OKAY to pass up the cookie tray at the office without making a scene or hurting anyone's feelings.

The very best way to keep myself accountable is to record every single bite I put in my mouth throughout the day. If I ate an apple slice with cream cheese dip, I would go so far as to put the approximate recipe for what I ate into myfitnesspal. Why? To me, my success was worth the trouble. This was the best way for me to know if I had a little more flex or if I was losing control. Surprisingly, by allowing myself bites of what I wanted instead of trying to eat to my old stomach, I was able to eat pretty much anything I wanted without denying myself anything.

When I tried to deny myself, food was in charge. I was resentful of what I couldn't eat, envious of the portions on everyone else's plate and in a negative mood all around...which of course, can lead to emotional eating. Food was my every thought - either what I would eat or what I could eat or what I had to avoid eating. That's a ridiculous way to live your life! Do not give food that kind of power of you, and learn to accept it as fuel and yes, something that can be delicious. Find a way to make this happen that works for you, because food isn't going anywhere and neither is the holiday season!

You'll have to find what works for you. Avoid leftovers (except roasted turkey, Protein is always good!) and accept food gifts with grace and then share them so you won't be tempted to consume them yourself.

I really do believe that the best way to avoid feeling unsatisfied is to skip the fake stuff. If you're going to eat a food, make it good enough and high enough quality that a few bites will satisfy. Everyone is different, but for me, I was far more likely to eat three fake sugar, no fat Cookies because 1) I could justify it as a diet food and 2) my body wanted more, searching for the real sugar and fat it had been craving in the first place.

Your sleeve is going to stop you from siting down and losing control with a huge plate of food. But it is NOT going to stop you from eating a cookie an hour if you choose to do it, so try to keep your grazing under control.

Good luck. This is part of the challenge for everyone. Learning to live a new life with better habits is WHY you got the sleeve. Okay, and to be skinny, too. But really, you won't stay skinny if you don't do the other part. So approach this like a challenge and do your best to make yourself proud.

~Cheri[/quote']

I agree with you, this was so true and very knowledgeable. It's great to have good people to listen to. I am post op Oct 15/2012. And this is my plans for the holidays thanks Cheri.

I'm with Cheri on this one, although I must admit that I don't normally "overeat" Cookies and holiday stuff. I over drink wonderful wines, egg nog and what the hell is the name of that german spiced wine????

Gluhwein! The only reason liquid calories during the holiday escaped my attention is because I'm currently pregnant, and therefore trying not to think about all I'm missing!

Hot buttered rums? Egg nog, of course. Wines from around the world...oh yes, the holidays are an easy time to accidentally consume far too many liquid calories!

I made egg nog last year for a holiday party and did a small batch with lower calories because a number of our ladies here watch calories. It went over quite well, though in all honesty, when the only ingredients are egg yolks, cream, sugar and spices, it's not easy to cut calories! I used lower fat cream with a combo of milk (it was thinner, of course) and I cut the sugar and used half splenda. To me, it wasn't nearly as yummy - I could taste the artificial sweetener - but the other ladies raved and appreciated the gesture. And yes, it was much lower in carbs and fat this way.

I'm sure you'll have no trouble modifying your favorite recipe. And I've found that while I still enjoy potatoes, they no longer have power over me. Same goes for sweets, especially now that I'm expecting. Our tastes really do change dramatically!

~Cheri

trust the pregnant chick to know what the fancy wine is called I only drink spiced wine at Christmas, but it's tradition and it must be drunk Ever since my first trip to Germany I've been addicted to snowy nights with a glass of mulled wine (the english name). But each calorie is accounted for...even if it's the holidays, on my fitness pal.

I have made eggnog for many years. The worst part of it is the burbon, whiskey and dark rum IMO (calorie wise). At least the milk and cream have some benefit LOL But several years ago the kids at Christmas wanted the eggnog so I made a non alcoholic eggnog using the same recipe (an old betty crocker recipe). It was far too thick because the original recipe counts on about 14 cups of booze to thin it. So I used milk and then more eggs without upping the sugar and it was great. As low cal as splenda? Maybe not, but much like icecream, I'll bet ya I can't drink more than half a cup anyhoo, so that won't kill me.

BTW I'd rather be prego than able to drink Best wishes for a beautiful baby in the New Year!