Okay, it's Saturday before the BIG game. We have five days till we will be faced with a table filled with food, or a house filled with people watching our every move, or both.

How are we going to play this game? I know that we've been talking about it for 19 days if not more. Thinking about it, but we are down to the wire. What are you going to honestly do to keep yourself happy and healthy? How are you going to play this game, that really isn't a game at all. What is your game plan? One more time for emphasis, motivation, and reminding.
One more time for those of us who said we'd wait until Thanksgiving gets close, well it's closer.

Homework #1: Share what you are going to do for Thanksgiving. Are you alone, with family, with extended family. Are you cooking, or bringing anything?

Homework #2: What is your game plan for yourself. Do you need help from us, and what kind of help can we give you this week? Let us know we are not mind readers.

Then relax, take sometime for yourself and know that you have done what you can do. Enjoy the day.

Cathy

Hi and welcome, Michb!

Well I am going to go to my brothers for Tday. I am taking dessert and a potato stuff. I try to eat before I go or fill up on veggies while waiting to eat. Friday I will go to my inlaws dessert again.I am good at those. I try to do the same as the day before. Fill up on veggies. I am going to try to get to the gym the three days before and try to go for a walk on Tday & Fday after eating. Chance of snow I may have to go play in it with the kids.

quote:

Originally posted by mountaingirl:
I must have been having one of those days. Just to put you at ease, I'll let you in on the fact that I ate chocolate and party hor d'vers for dinner last night at a party, and I was fine with it!

Thanks for the update! I'm not worried, now.

We all have those days...

PS... I just re-read my post and I sounded REALLY worried! I really wasn't as worried as I sounded.

quote:

I guess I’m sort of worried about your “all or nothing” thinking, Lynn… I’m worried that maybe you think that if a food isn’t “healthy” you can’t eat it.

You do sound worried about me - thanks, Denise for your concern. I did sound quite paranoid in that post, I must have been having one of those days. Just to put you at ease, I'll let you in on the fact that I ate chocolate and party hor d'vers for dinner last night at a party, and I was fine with it! I am not as bad as I sounded generally. If I were, I'd be worried too. Thanks - truly - for your kind words! I was trying to convey that there are things that make me more and less comfortable, and that I'm anticipating that this holiday with the in-laws is stressfull for me. But it's usually better than I anticipate! I do so want to enjoy the day!

Lynne

quote:

Originally posted by mountaingirl:
Cooking for myself is the only way I ever really know what I'm getting, so I've come to prefer doing it. Now, like most of you, I will have to play the whole thing by ear.

I really encourage you to let other people cook for you sometimes.

EVERY single one of us cooks and makes food for our friends and family because we love them. We ask family members what they want to eat on birthdays… This isn’t popular, but food really IS one way that we show people that we love them and care for them.

EVERY person on this board (and all over America) put a lot of effort and time and care into preparing food for other people at holidays and other times.

quote:

I was all excited to really do a great healthy meal that I could eat all of, but the plans changed.

If you really are going to do this for a life time - there ARE going to be times when you don’t have control over the food. You are not going to know the calories or carb grams or saturated fat grams.

When I was a vegetarian, my brother went to a lot of trouble one time to accommodate me. He and his wife made a meal for us, and it was really stressful for them. They made “Rice a Roni” or something that had chicken stock in it… since it never occurred to them that rice might contain chicken. I didn’t say anything and just ate it. I think that it was the gracious thing to do.

My mother-in-law makes these huge meals that I find very stressful… I don’t stuff myself… but I CAN’T just stick to the “healthy” food… because most of it isn’t. I always gain two lbs at her house… and then come home and cook for myself and lose it.

I guess I’m sort of worried about your “all or nothing” thinking, Lynn… I’m worried that maybe you think that if a food isn’t “healthy” you can’t eat it. That maybe you think that you can only eat ALL of a meal only if you have cooked it, and know that you have tweaked every recipe to make it healthier. I'm worried that now you think there are going to be foods that are off limits… because somebody else cooked them and who knows how much butter and packages of marshmallows are in those sweet potatoes. I’m not saying that you should eat foods you don’t like… But I'm sort of worried about your thought process that “unhealthy” foods this holiday are “bad” or off limits.

PS… I’m kind of a control freak… so I know where you are coming from…

Thanksgiving is the one holiday that seems to be completely food-oriented. But a big part of the fun IS all the family interaction. It will be very difficult not to overdo it with all the special foods for me. My husband and I plan to take a walk in the park before, which will be great for relaxing. Normally I would be running a 5K that day but I think it will be at least a few more weeks before I can run that far without pain.

PS... I find sharing good food with my friends and family one of life's great pleasures and never want to give it up!!!

quote:

Originally posted by cobismom:
Do you find it interesting or questionable that we put so much emphasis on the "food" of the holiday and so much less on the reason or the gathering of friends and family?

I know for me that food is very important at the holidays… but my family is more important.

I think that the emphasis on food has only been an issue or “problem” for some of us in the past 30-50 years.

Prior to that most people in the US were thin. Maybe holiday food caused financial anxiety about the cost… but nobody worried about the calories and who even knew that saturated fat and trans fat were bad for you? Ignorance was bliss!

I know that when I was growing up we only had certain foods on holidays because it was too expensive. We only had butter 3 times a year, and had margarine the rest of the year. Having real butter on mashed potatoes was a BIG treat.

It still is… I’m better off financially than my grandparents were, and I can afford butter all year, but I don’t eat it. My grandparents never had cholesterol tests. I don’t eat butter (or margarine) most of the year for cholesterol reasons, so it will a big treat to throw a glob of butter on my potatoes next Thursday. But sitting at the table with my family and brother and sister and smearing butter on our food, will be even more fun.

I know in my family, food is sort of a way to include relatives that have passed on in the celebrations. At Christmas, we always eat some food that my mother ate with HER grandmother at holidays. And I thought about my grandmother all morning yesterday, as I was walking thru the grocery store. I was thinking of foods she made at the holidays.

There was a little bit of anxiety in the thought process, since I don’t want to eat Grandma’s goodies everyday from now until St. Valentines Day… but I do want to make some of them and to eat them in moderation. I have some of them slimmed down a little… but they still aren’t exactly 2 point WW bars. But they taste better than the bars…

And the holiday magazines cause me anxiety… But I feel a tiny bit of that “So much good food, so little time!” anxiety… and I want to eat it all… but I don’t want to gain weight… so I don’t want it… but I do want it… I only buy one magazine.

And also, CoasterGirl had a good idea last year… to make “holiday” food more often. I made 3 little baby pecan pies last night (man! They were to die for!!!! Now I can't eat store bought pecan pie anymore.)

Yeah, it was about the pies… but it was also my dh and ds eating the pies together…

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy:
I will be thinking about you while we drive- that will be good support for me not to eat Cheetos in the car.

Traveling with a dog is a pain... but it does cut down on snacking in the car since nobody can sit next to him and snack in peace.

Do you find it interesting or questionable that we put so much emphasis on the "food" of the holiday and so much less on the reason or the gathering of friends and family?

I found myself getting stressed out in the store today, trying to find the "right" foods for our little party of four, and thought, I know my sons would be happy with lasagna, my husband is sick of looking at turkey as they serve it all week in the restaruant....I want to be focusing on the FACT that my son is home from school for five days, that my youngest is doing well in school, and that my husband and I are still together after all these years.....why does that have to center around food?

quote:

Originally posted by Tayhudson:


Actually, more of my difficulties will be eating on on the way there and back, and eating out on Saturday when we go to visit friend's in Indianapolis.

Dawn

Me too. I will be thinking about you while we drive- that will be good support for me not to eat Cheetos in the car.

quote:

Then relax, take sometime for yourself and know that you have done what you can do. Enjoy the day.

Thanks, I needed that.

We will be traveling to NYC, which will be fun because we'll go to the Macy's parade and pretend we're six Snoopy really is about the size of a MacDonalds.

I thought I was having the holiday, then it got swiped - so I was all excited to really do a great healthy meal that I could eat all of, but the plans changed. Cooking for myself is the only way I ever really know what I'm getting, so I've come to prefer doing it. Now, like most of you, I will have to play the whole thing by ear.

My plan is to drink lots of water all day, nibble only a little (if at all) on the appetizer spread, and try hard not to feel guilty about it. My sis in law seems offended when I don't partake of her lavish spread, so I need to be as gracious as possible to make up for not chowing down. I am bringing a pie and homeade cranberry sauce which I'm serving in individual mini orange "cups". I plan to have a little bit of the things that make the day special and tons of veggies. Depending on how that plan goes, I would like to have pecan pie. Usually the main meal spreads over lunch and dinner, so I will call it two meals and probably justify the pie. Right now I'm not worried, but I expect my nerves will tighten up between now and then. What I tend to do when I'm nervous is get even more strict with my eating vs. going off plan. I'm also bringing my muesli so that my breakfasts will be normal, at the very least.

L

We are driving 3 hours to have dinner at my sister's house. She recently lost 50-60 pounds on ww and is in a pretty healthful mode. I am bringing stuff to make a green salad with spiced pecans and dried cranberries. I usually make this with added feta (the really creamy, good stuff) but am skipping it this year. Big progress for me- loosening my grip on cheese.

The dinner itself will be fine. I am not crazy about the meal and can have a good, moderate dinner. We will eat lunch in the car on the way.

My fear is the following day as we are spending the night at my parent's house. The situation is stressful. I don't have much of a plan for Friday except that I know I can eat oatmeal for breakfast. We are having lunch with another sister and then coming home. Lunch will be ok- not great, but ok. The part I worry about is the ride home- feeling stressed and tired and vulnerable.
Here are the good parts- I am safely in maint. range week after week and am feeling very good about it. This helps me stay on plan. I have talked A LOT about this visit and seem to have found a better mindset and attitude. This will help with food.
I have also learned that I can do things differently and not HAVE to eat a salty, fatty snack half way home.

P.S. With all this talk about weighing/not weighing I will add that the fact that I will get on the scale on Saturday morning helps me stay in line. I may not be perfect, but the scale as gauge helps me to see that having one unplanned handful of Chex Mix does not call for 8 more of the same. The difference between 1 and 8 handfuls matters on the scale. I am less likely to fool myslef in to thinking I might as well keep on eating since I "already screwed up and ate one handful." The scale helps keep things real for me. Baggy pants help me lie to myslef.

We are driving to my brother's house on TDay morning... so that will mean lunch in the car... and then eating dinner at my brothers.

My sister and brother will do the cooking and we'll clean up.

Then we are driving to mil's for the rest of the weekend.

My plan is to not eat until I am stuffed that worked REALLY well last year. When I wanted seconds (or thirds) I asked myself if I was really hungry.

My plan is also to continue to shoot for LOTS of veg and fruit servings. I won't eat as many as at home... but still better than none.

And most important plan weight wise... to be back on plan 100% on Sunday. And not let Thanksgiving last everyday until January 7th.

This worked last year and I'm really confident that it will work again.

I am a little bummed about two things. My step dad is having surgery, so my mom and dad won't be there and that is the first time I won't see them at T-giving in many years and I'm sad about that.

And there is no snow... this is kind of good from a weight point of view. Usually I would be on my way to Tahoe NOW so that I can ski tomorrrow... but there is no snow. So I'll have WAY fewer days in a hotel and WAY fewer meals in a restaurant.

Well on turkey day, like most holidays we have 2 families to visit. But we came up with a great plan several years ago that works out for everyone.

Thanks giving we have dinner (early) with my family, and spend the evening visiting dh's family for dessert.

Christmas we have a small breakfast with my family, and have dinner with his. We learned early on that 2 dinners was too much.

My mom doesn't cook with heavy sauces or anything so my dinner will be a little bit of everything:
Turkey, bread stuffing made with ff broth, meat dressing made with turkey sausage, steamed broccoli, turnip, mashed potatoes amde with skim milk, whole wheat roll, homemade cranberry sauce, corn. for dessert i usually have a half slice of apple and pumpkin pie... because when it comes to dessert I can never pick just one

Laurie

Well, for me, not eating wheat cuts out a lot of T-day food. So for me it will be turkey, cranberry sauce, and veggies.

We're going to Indiana. On T-day, we are going to my brother's house, and the day after to my in-laws. We are staying at either of those houses, so we don't have to worry about leftovers.

My mom is making most of the meal for T-day, and she is very good about lightening up recipes, and she uses whole wheat bread for the stuffing and so forth.

Actually, more of my difficulties will be eating on on the way there and back, and eating out on Saturday when we go to visit friend's in Indianapolis.

My only real game plan for the weekend is to make good choices. I really think, in many situations I'm not going to focus on making "the best" choices, but "good" choices. I want it to be an enjoyable weekend, without stressing about food. I don't want to over indulge, but I don't want to deprive myself either.

Dawn

We're going to my parents' house so I'm not doing a thing.

My game plan:
limit wine to 1 -2 glasses max
small portions of the unhealthy stuff, larger portions of veggies
small piece of cake
do not arrive starving.

I'm feeling pretty in-control right now so am not too stressed out about turkey day.