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-   -   Thanksgiving (US) is coming... Looking forward to cheating. (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=435537)

GeeWee Thu, Nov-17-11 14:00

Thanksgiving (US) is coming... Looking forward to cheating.
 
I've been so, so, so good for three months now and have lost 29 pounds! Yay me! I have absolutely dedicated myself to this WOE by staying on plan and studying every bit of information I can on the subject of the lowcarb way of life. This IS a way of life, and one that I plan to stick with forever.

So, that being said... I absolutely, 100% plan to cheat next Thursday. And maybe the Wednesday before while I'm cooking. And probably that Friday as well. I'm eating pecan pie, REAL mashed potatoes and as much of my mother's stuffing as I can handle. And Friday, when we take a break from shopping black friday, I fully intend to have french fries with whatever it is I have for lunch.

I'm nervous, though I plan NOT to change my mind about cheating, especially because I fell off the diet three years ago right at Thanksgiving and haven't been back to that weight since. The difference between then and now, though, is that I DO realize this is a way of life and I DO plan to stick with low carb, aside from holidays and special occassions, for the rest of my life.

How do you all handle the holidays? Who else is planning to cheat?

LStump Thu, Nov-17-11 14:05

I don't plan on cheating. I've liked the downward trend on the scale too much lately to sacrifice it. Luckily, I don't like a ton of the Thanksgiving trimmings. I do, however, like pie, but I don't think we'll even have one this year lol.

Good luck and ENJOY!

Dodger Thu, Nov-17-11 14:39

I'm making a lower-carb pie. I've found from experience that trying to cheat during the holidays is not worth it. I get re-addicted to the carbs and eat way more of them than I had intended to.

Mandra Thu, Nov-17-11 14:59

I've also had no luck with cheating during the holidays - the holiday seems to magically extend for months. I just stick with the plan, maybe eat more of certain items than I normally would but everything is "legal for low-carb".

For me, the "enjoyment" of the off-plan foods just isn't worth the loss of control and weight gain that have inevitably followed. And this time I've worked too dam hard to get where I am to risk it now.

ncrn122 Thu, Nov-17-11 15:15

Quote:
Originally Posted by GeeWee
I've been so, so, so good for three months now and have lost 29 pounds! Yay me! I have absolutely dedicated myself to this WOE by staying on plan and studying every bit of information I can on the subject of the lowcarb way of life. This IS a way of life, and one that I plan to stick with forever.

So, that being said... I absolutely, 100% plan to cheat next Thursday. And maybe the Wednesday before while I'm cooking. And probably that Friday as well. I'm eating pecan pie, REAL mashed potatoes and as much of my mother's stuffing as I can handle. And Friday, when we take a break from shopping black friday, I fully intend to have french fries with whatever it is I have for lunch.

I'm nervous, though I plan NOT to change my mind about cheating, especially because I fell off the diet three years ago right at Thanksgiving and haven't been back to that weight since. The difference between then and now, though, is that I DO realize this is a way of life and I DO plan to stick with low carb, aside from holidays and special occassions, for the rest of my life.

How do you all handle the holidays? Who else is planning to cheat?


It will be interesting to see how you feel on Saturday!!!! :agree:

sprinkles Thu, Nov-17-11 15:37

Thanksgiving is the one meal where I don't cheat. I usually concoct a low carb dessert and eat turkey. I'm also participating in a 5 mile turkey trot race that morning. I never stuff myself, it makes me feel gross.

cnmLisa Thu, Nov-17-11 15:41

Quote:
Originally Posted by GeeWee
I've been so, so, so good for three months now and have lost 29 pounds! Yay me! I have absolutely dedicated myself to this WOE by staying on plan and studying every bit of information I can on the subject of the lowcarb way of life. This IS a way of life, and one that I plan to stick with forever.

So, that being said... I absolutely, 100% plan to cheat next Thursday. And maybe the Wednesday before while I'm cooking. And probably that Friday as well. I'm eating pecan pie, REAL mashed potatoes and as much of my mother's stuffing as I can handle. And Friday, when we take a break from shopping black friday, I fully intend to have french fries with whatever it is I have for lunch.

I'm nervous, though I plan NOT to change my mind about cheating, especially because I fell off the diet three years ago right at Thanksgiving and haven't been back to that weight since. The difference between then and now, though, is that I DO realize this is a way of life and I DO plan to stick with low carb, aside from holidays and special occassions, for the rest of my life.

How do you all handle the holidays? Who else is planning to cheat?


Sooooo.....if you're already nervous, you already know you're vulnerable, you've already done this once and took a header, WHY would you even think about "trying" it again.

There will always be a birthday, there will always be a holiday...there will always be "something"...for those of us who have done this before and have found some measure of success, we changed the paradigm of our thinking...there is no "aside from special occassions or holidays"...this IS how we eat for the rest of our lives if we're planning on staying successful. I'm just sayn....

I guess I just don't understand why you have to have such a blow-out for days on end---choose certain items and limit them to a meal that would be moving toward really making this a WOE....JMO and you know what opinions are like;)

Progres not perfection.

Lisa

PS--you may want to read this thread:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=434367

MsCina24 Thu, Nov-17-11 17:04

I'm cheating and proud of it! LOL :lol: ... but Thanksgiving day only. I'm going to have some stuffing (my fav), mac and cheese, and a pc of pumpkin pecan cheesecake. I've been looking forward to this for a while!

Merpig Thu, Nov-17-11 17:19

Quote:
Originally Posted by GeeWee
How do you all handle the holidays? Who else is planning to cheat?
Well I don't especially plan to "cheat" but I'll probably eat more than I normally do, as I have for most Thanksgivings. But it's not an all-out carb fest. I've never much cared for mashed potatoes. They always taste like mashed wallpaper paste to me, so no issues skipping them. I have no problems at all with skipping bread. Bread has no siren call for me. I won't have the rice with the shrimp creole being served the pre-Thanksgiving Wednesday dinner.

On Thanksgiving day itself I *will* have the turkey, and some creamed spinach, and some of the brussels sprouts dish. But I'll probably have a slice of pumpkin pie, and a glass of wine.

melibsmile Thu, Nov-17-11 17:31

Quote:
Originally Posted by GeeWee
How do you all handle the holidays? Who else is planning to cheat?

Thanksgiving is at our house, so the meal is basically all low-carb with the exception of some mashed potatoes made by friends and vegetarian shepard's pie that my cousin is making. Everything else is LC. Besides the turkey, we are having mashed cauliflower, green bean casserole (homemade cream of mushroom sauce, no french fried onions), roasted butternut squash, LC sausage stuffing, a pumpkin bake, shepard's pie, sugar-free cranberry sauce, homemade applesauce, and a LC pumpkin cheesecake. No need to cheat when everything we're having is tasty. I'll probably have wine and more dairy and more food than I do on a normal day, but we won't be having high-carb stuffing or pie or anything like that.

I think it is wise if you miss some of the high-carb holiday foods to think carefully about which ones you miss the most, have a small amount of those at Thanksgiving dinner...and then no more the rest of the weekend. In your case with your history of TG prompting you to fall off the wagon, you may be playing with fire. Some of us have the ability to go off-plan for a meal and then get right back on but not everyone can. If you are one of the people who can't, then you shouldn't cheat. If you still have insulin resistance, you shouldn't cheat since it could send you right back to where you started.

--Melissa

mike_d Thu, Nov-17-11 17:58

After being low-carb for awhile you may find the having is not as desirable as the anticipation of getting.

LAwoman75 Thu, Nov-17-11 18:08

I've been at this for over 4 years, maintaining for 3 and I also totally do cheat for the holidays!! However, I do it for the day of Thanksgiving only. The next day, I may have some turkey, sweet potatoes and green beans, but I limit the cheating to the one day only. I do the same for Christmas usually.

I almost talk to myself about it beforehand, I know I cannot do that everyday, but I do allow myself to feast well on Thanksgiving and Christmas. I splurge every few months on a dessert or treat of some sort. I usually do have it planned so I know what to expect ahead of time. If you feel you are strong enough to know when to say when, go for it!

LAwoman75 Thu, Nov-17-11 18:11

I wanted to add too, that on T-day, my "cheat" food is usually a spoonful of stuffing that i make using cornbread, shrimp, and sausage, and a slice of pie. The other foods on our menu really aren't bad at all. We usually will eat again later that night while the football game is on.

reign Thu, Nov-17-11 18:21

I also plan on eating things I normally would not. I don't think of it as cheating though or as treating myself. Having one day a month of eating non lol carb is part of my plan. I plan on two days off for Christmas. This works for me because otherwise I really set my self up for disaster. I am always on plan 100% the rest of the time. I don't even eat low carb "treats" I have added one packet of splenda in my coffers (just to be super honest) and that is my "splurge" if you will. Everyone is different. Make a plan and try to stick too it. Find what works for you. If you go off your plan get back on as soon as possible. I like having a free day to look forward to, its feels right to me. Hopefully you have a nice thanksgiving feel good about your self and find out if "cheating" is something you can do happily.

Brinethery Thu, Nov-17-11 18:37

I think it's fairly easy to have a nice thanksgiving meal without going to either extreme (fully cheating or staying extremely low carb). I do believe there is a middle ground!

Ideal TG fare for me would be prime rib, green beans drenched in butter, hors dourves like smoked salmon and shrimp, and maybe some SF pumpkin pie minus the crust or homemade cheesecake with splenda in it. I'd also have a glass or two of wine.

Part of learning how to stick with this woe is getting to the point where you don't freak out when a special occasion comes up and there's tons of carby food around.

TBH, most desserts really gross me out now. I like flan and creme brulee on occasion, but a lot of it is hard to stomach. I've become way too sensitive to the high amounts of sugar.


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