<p>@Lergnom - interesting research. And by way of that - on the cookie front - consider not cooking all the dough at once. Most cookie doughs don’t age badly and Cooks Illustrated actually thinks chocolate chip cookies are better if the dough sits around 24 hours. If I only bake enough cookies so that no one can overindulge and there are kids home to eat them I don’t eat them during the day. Since I work at home that’s important. I’m also not starting on Christmas baking till next weekend when we have the first of the holiday parties.</p>
<p>These are amazing tips!<br>
Way to go @lotsofquests - ACCOUNTABILITY!!! </p>
<p>Agree with the cookie dough and the raspberry idea. Putting the right quantity and quality in front of your eyes/mouth! </p>
<p>I would have gotten hungry and esten rhe cookie dough!</p>
<p>An old tip but one that bears repeating- Never, ever go to the store when you’re hungry. You’ll come home with all sorts of junk.</p>
<p>Freeze the cookie dough. Most varieties like choc chip can be frozen. And it will freeze HARD AS A ROCK so unless you want to break a tooth, you’ll stay away!</p>
<p>I download podcasts–it’s the best motivation for me to do a long walk, especially if I’m walking by myself. I usually walk with a group of friends. We have a set time and it’s been really helpful for me because it’s hard to blow off exercise if people are waiting for you.</p>
<p>I forgot to look at the time when I got to the store but it was 40 minutes to return home so I will count that as an 80 minute walk. I found a good mystery story at the library. Dinner is leftovers so I don’t think that I will overeat. </p>
<p>I don’t attend that many holiday functions, but I need to remember only to eat and drink what I LOVE, and in moderation. If it isn’t a <em>10</em>, avoid it. Also, the Mom Police aren’t going to come after me if I don’t eat everything on my plate. </p>
<p>I also learned a couple weeks ago that really major stress makes me lose my appetite which I thought could never happen. I guess it’s Fight or Flight in action. Moderate/lesser stress just brings on nervous eating – maybe to insulate the body before heightened stress?</p>
<p>Holiday office party accomplished–in the spirit of South Beach, I had shrimp, veggies, and cheese. And a little wine. Feeling pretty okay about that. :)</p>
<p>That sounds like a winner night Garland. Protein, veggies and something to wash it all down with. Good and delicious, right??</p>
<p>Just read the cravings thread so I thought I would come here for a boost of willpower. Heading into my three social events over the next three days, my weight is down slightly. Hopefully, that will give me the motivation for mindful eating. I have proven to myself that paying attention to eating and exercise can make a difference.</p>
<p>Whoever up thread said that they decided they weren’t going to blink an eye at paying $10 for healthy raspberries inspired me to put the not so cheap 1/2 pint of blueberries in my cart last night - I WANTED them, but the price seemed so high. I decided to get them anyway and enjoy each one. </p>
<p>Corporate holiday party last night at a restaurant. Great food but ate sparingly. I made sure I had a healthy snack before I left for the party so I wouldn’t be famished and gobble up everything in sight! </p>
<p>Also, San Pellegrino with a twist of lime is my friend. No calories, nothing to loosen my willpower.</p>
<p>Next 2 days will be tough for me. Tomorrow night is DH’s annual Xmas party and it’s pretty dressy. I purchased a satiny form-fitting dress and want my stomach to be flat…or at least as flat as I can get it. As many of us know, eating certain foods really cause bloating, and by the end of the day you can easily look 3 months pregnant…even starting out flat in the morning. so…I’m not eating much. Eggs for breakfast, yogurt for lunch, banana for snack and I don’t knwo waht for dinner…maybe chicken and asparagus. Also…drink lots of water. Tomorrow same for breakfast and lunch…then starve until dinner at the party. I know it’s silly…but I want to look damn good in that dress!!!</p>
<p>New nutritionist was at cardiac rehab today and she asked me if there was anything she could help me with. I said, “Yes, the last 25 lbs.!” Explained how much I had lost, that I had regained ten, and have been (unsuccessfully) trying to add more variety without more pounds. She told me to make an appointment for after the holidays, and to eat moderately til then. Not helpful! </p>
<p>I have a really hard time eating well when we travel, and my family Does Not Get that I have to eat carefully. (My dad made shrimp one night for dinner – I told him I just wanted a few put aside and I would steam them. He made a marinade of 1/2 bottle of teriyaki suace and brown sugar and tossed all the shrimp into the pan. And he was a nurse for 40 years!) I’ve made salad when I’m down there visiting and no one else will touch it. </p>
<p>Wow Counting Down, shame on that nutritionist! Someone asking for help and basically giving them a free ticket to “no progress” for the next 3-4 weeks?! </p>
<p>Family can put you in a really tough spot, CD. When my father was alive, my mother still prepared all of his favorite foods from his pre-diabetic days, telling him he could have “a little of each”. That was like putting a 25 pound bag of dog food in front of my Labrador and telling him he could eat until he was full - Labs are never full. </p>
<p>Holidays are really tough for me because I am the primary chef in our house and I really do try to cook healthy meals that will appeal to everyone, not just me. At times they act as if I’m offering them cardboard. H just got the news that he is starting a statin, so hopefully that will be his wake-up call that he needs to do more diet and exercise wise. I used to do a lot of baking over the holidays, and this weekend I am doing a lot of baking for my mother - her contribution to the holiday cookie sale, her gifts to neighbors - I want to ask why am I still doing all of this? </p>
<p>So here’s my question: I think I am at a healthy weight but I do eat quite differently and I get a lot of exercise. S lives with us, and he is overweight. H is extremely overweight. D will be coming to visit over the holidays and she is extremely overweight. All of them have already made their requests for their holiday favorites, which aren’t necessarily the best things in the world for them. Do I make them? They are things I would like to eat as well, but don’t. </p>
<p>Yes, make the dinners they are requesting for the holidays. Now is not the time to make them feel bad. However, i wouldn’t bake things that can be left out to just nibble on. You could use the excuse that it’s too hard for you to have that around. If the things they are wanting are those types of things, I don’t know what to tell you because I don’t know your relationship to them, if they will believe it’s about you, their personalities and how they would take that…etc.</p>
<p>Yeah, clearly I need to see a nutritionist that my primary doc recommends. Had been hoping that the one that comes with my monthly fee at rehab would be helpful…“eating moderately” would add another ten pounds by January.</p>
<p>Sabaray, my dad did the same thing when cooking for my mom, who was diabetic, bedridden, had congestive heart failure and was severely overweight. One of my sisters and her H are headed down the same road. Vegetables = sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows or canned green beans with fake onions and mushroom soup. DH is diabetic (also severely overweight) and does most of the cooking. He has not significantly changed his eating habits, and I no longer eat most of what he makes. It is an ongoing sore spot for him.</p>
<p>It’s hard to walk the fine line between taking care of myself (because at this stage it IS a matter of life or death) vs. trying not to appear morally superior because I’m eating healthy food. I don’t say anything to my sibs about what they eat – but I still get flack and pressure to eat. </p>
<p>Makes me wanna stay home!</p>
<p>I don’t have as hard of a time with H just telling him “no”. Some of the things people want, or think they want, are just out of habit - we’re conditioned, I think. My mother continues to make this jello salad that she is convinced is my favorite - so it appears at every meal. I eat a spoonful to keep her happy. At Thanksgiving, we had world famous green bean casserole - but also had hickory smoked cabbage with bacon. Guess what got eaten? </p>
<p>Conmama, I think that’s a good idea - keep the peace with the kids as least. </p>
<p>I’d make the food requests once. Don’t feel like you have to do it every day. Like make that special meal one time, the best cookies one time. Or do they have days worth of favorites? !!! I think it is fair to set aside a few meals for holiday faves, but you don’t have to make every meal a calorie blow out. </p>
<p>Will the family go out and exercise with you? Low key stuff, like let’s take a bike ride or let’s walk around the neighborhood and look at the lights. My family (sibs) is pretty lazy and unfit as well. If I can talk them into an excursion to see something, they will walk. </p>