Holiday Planning

DC&Z is trying to develop a plan for holiday eating. Wow, what an under-taking. I have gone over and over how I am going to keep from gaining that 11 lbs (I actually had 10 in mind, but Becky said Americans average 11 - I'm thinking the other 1 is from Thanksgiving and I've already battled that beast in October).

I love focusing on the main meals (for Americans Thanksgiving, but I only have Christmas and New Years), but that's not what puts 11 lbs on, and I for one am dreading all the other days in between. It's the sweets, chocolates, gathering of all sorts, that get to you. Last year we had at least 1 box of chocolates or truffles in the lunch room at all times for weeks - and I ate more than my fair share of them. When did fruit baskets go out of vogue? When I was young I used to diet before December - I mean, my own version of eating next to nothing - so I could lose at least 5 lbs and enjoy the actual 2 weeks of festivities. I wasn't overweight, but I knew that holidays meant Mom's sweets, big meals, and generally non-stop eating. Any extra weight I gained would be lost in Jan/Feb as I spent a lot of time on the ski hills back then. Well, I haven't skiid in years and have discovered that starvation for a few weeks is not really the healthy way of life that I want to live.

Hmmm, neither is 11 lbs of bonbons and gravy. So, how do we resist these pesky temptations.

• Gatherings - Get a small plate and choose healthy options (i.e. 1 sandwich wedge, some veggies and fruit, limit of 1 small sweet). Why the sweet - because I'm not on a diet. You heard me - I'm a weight watcher but not on a diet. This is my life and we all need a sweet now and then or one of these parties we're gonna stuff sweets down our throat until we're sick of them - at least I would. Deprivation is not pretty. The "I didn't eat a sweet so I'm better than you" attitude is bunk. I drink alcohol too. YUM
• Dinners - I load up on veggies before they're mashed, made cranberry sauce with splenda and used it on my 3-4 oz of turkey breast. Who eats desert right after the meal, so when it's time, again limit to 1 small piece of whatever looks the best - if you can come up with a low point option, go for it. Just add 'healthy' in your google search.
• Fast food during busy days decorating and shopping - This I've got. Subway SW Chicken Terriayake with extra sauce (8pts), McDonalds grilled chicken salad (7pts), Tim Horton's broth soup, Chinese with steamed rice vs. fried, do your research. You may be able to make these for a few less points at home, but it's better than a 30 pt option elsewhere.
• Quick meals at home - Stock up on some easy supplies, like pre-cooked chicken breasts, or low fat meatballs for quick meals. Take an hour and make some frozen dinners that can be easily grabbed - I use the dinners in the frozen food section as guidelines (rice, shrimp, veggies and sauce) or (pasta, cooked chicken breast, veggies and pasta sauce). The choices are endless, but I do tend to use frozen, pre-cooked meat - but you can also throw in a few casserole dishes with various cuts while the rice is cooking. Pork, Steak, Chicken. For pasta don't cook until done as it will continue to finish cooking when being mic'd. Measure, put in container, and freeze. I love the 2C ziploc containers and usually make 6pt meals.
• Sweets at home - don't buy them. You don't need them and neither does your family. If you do any baking, I have found segregating it for the kids tends to keep me from eating it. I guess this is conditioning since we've always boughten separate foods for Ci's allergies and didn't want to eat them all up on her. However, the better option is to do the baking and let the kids take it to school/daycare/outside activities for a treat. My husband can also consume a fair bit without gaining weight, so I warn him to eat it by such and such a date or it's going in the compost.
• Sweets at work - specifically chocolates or truffles, as that's my downfall. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I'm thinking that, when they start arriving I'll allow myself a coffee treat 2-3 times/week. At 3pts each I may think twice about taking them. Maybe I'll pin the cover of a magazine on the wall by the table, the ones with bodies like I've never seen in real life - SWITCH, do you want that body or SWITCH, that chocolate. Frig, that may work at home, too.
• Exercise - Hubby asked what I wanted for Christmas and I said a gym membership. Not what he had in mind, but I'm serious. I'm also thinking - why wait until New Years? I'm going to join the first of December and make a point to go 2-3 times per week for at least an hour. I'd like to get started on my legs and do a few sessions of cardio a week. But make a point of exercising throughout the holidays.

Good luck with whatever your plans are. Let me know if you post a plan so I can check it out.