What is your holiday game plan??

I am trying to work on some holiday rules for myself to make it easier to stay the course over the next month or so. I really think I need a specific game plan so as not to over indulge, and also to not feel deprived. I need to find away to enjoy the holiday (including food) and still stay the course. We are going to disney world for a week at Christmas with my siblings, nieces and nephews, and parents. We're all staying together in a rental house. I'm VERY excited, but nervous because the drinks and food will be in abundance. I will say I have a secret weapon. My cousin is meeting us. She had a RNY about 3 weeks before my sleeve so we will have each other which I'm so thankful for!  I have a goal to reach 80 pounds down by January 4th (which will be 4 months post op for me). I think that will help me stay motivated but I'm wondering what everyone else does or plans to do to make it through this time of year successfully. 

I have one thing in my favor and you do too-I can't overindulge or I will feel really sick. I haven't felt really sick yet and don't want to. That is motivation enough for me. I am planning on having a couple ounces of turkey and then some vegetable, whatever is there. I was asked to bring a sweet potato dish so I am searching for bariatric friendly recipes now. Then I should be able to have a taste of what I bring also. I hope you have a wonderful holiday and lots of fun at Disney World. I will be there too, staying with family in the area. My husband and I are going to the Candlelight Processional at Epcot one night. Have fun with your family and make lots of great memories. I know you will.

I don't know if this qualifies as a recepie, but I make sweet potatoes with apples, it's delish! Just peal, cut them up, put on baking sheet (I use Pam to spray the sheet), cut some apples and put on top, put some cinnamon and cover with foil. Bake at 400F for about 40 min, sometimes up to 1hr, but check after 40 min, stir and possibly add more cinnamon.  It's really good and no additional fat or sugar (like most official recepies call for). It's still carbs, so can only eat a little after VSG. 

That sounds SUPER yummy!

Thank you so much! I hope you have an awesome time too! I'm very excited!! :) 

Mine is to celebrate being with my family in my healthier and happier body. Honestly, that is my game plan. This is the first time that I can remember feeling good about how I look and feel and I'm going to celebrate that.

As far as food - eat mindfully, but enjoy a dessert on a couple of occasions. Stick to plan :) Luckily, we don't have a whole lot of "celebrations" to go to and everyone knows about my surgery and, honestly, no one pays attention to what you eat or don't eat.

Thank you :) You should be so proud you have done awesome, thanks for the advice. It's weird because sometimes I feel like this is old hat and other times it seems so foreign and new. It's an interesting journey, that's for sure!! 

My Holiday Game Plan is to maintain my current weight.  I am still about 7 pounds from my final goal but I've been having some personal issues that I have been dealing with for the past several months so I have just been trying to keep my head above water.  I'm tired of beating myself up for not being at my final goal yet.  I am trying to stay positive and look on the bright side that I am closer to being a skinny ****** more than a fluffy one. 

I am telling myself though that I want to stay on track and would be super duper happy if I could at least lose 3-4 of these pounds by the end of the year.  I would be so proud of myself. 

I do wish everyone the best of luck in sticking with their holiday game plan; we are all in this together!!!

Jenn, you are so beautiful and whether or not those 7 pounds come off, you have done amazing and you inspire me :)

You are right to be thinking about a plan.  I would even encourage you to write it all out and carry it with you in your wallet. My holiday plan has changed through the years.  During my losing phase, my plan was very simple-I just stuck to my original food plan and didn't deviate at all.  It made me feel very powerful and courageous to be able to fixate on my goal and not deviate at all.  I think I grew a little in my own estimation of my abilities by doing it this way that first year.  In truth, I didn't feel deprived at all, I felt super charged with confidence and determination.  OK, maybe I even felt a bit heroic, all I can tell you is it actually felt pretty amazing to be able to eat with my head rather than my eyes and emotions. 

The second year I was at goal and my priorities had shifted somewhat.  I had already learned that I can control my eating and now it was more about finding the right balance for maintenance.  I was still very careful and thoughtful during this time.  This is when I first instituted my rule about never taking food that was being offered to me.  I would always politely refuse the offer and make my own choices and decisions about what I would eat after giving myself a minute to think it over.  I still use this rule today and never take offered food from anyone.  Even if the food is healthy, I might simply not be hungry or it might not be eating time.  Food no longer equals love to me and I encourage this separation by following my rule. This was also the year when I decided to splurge a little, but only during the actual feast meal. That means once for each holiday.  I ate whatever I wanted to as long as I followed some basic sleeve rules, such as protein first followed by some veggies.  If I still had a little room, I would indulge in whatever I really wanted.  This more or less meant that I would have a teaspoon of stuffing and a tablespoon of dessert. 

For my third year, I felt even more confident in my weight and my ability to bounce back.  I followed the same rules as I did in my second year, only I felt comfortable doing it more often.  This means that I indulged a bit on other occasions not only on the feast day.  However, I kept a very vigilant eye on the scale and if the scale started to show the slightest uptick, I would immediately pull back.

This will be my fourth year celebrating the holidays with the sleeve.  In truth, I don't really worry at all about following any specific rules now.  I simply live my life eating healthy almost all the time and keeping a close eye on the scale.  The holidays no longer seem dangerous or scary now.  It took a long time to get here, and I am glad that I took it easy in the beginning, now everything feels more automatic and requires a great deal less thought.

I hope this helps.  Good luck to you and I am really happy to see that you are planning this out.  It is really the only way to go in my opinion and I know my doctor would supportt that as well as he always talks about having a plan.