2009 Holiday Survival Challenge: Week 1

I bring a SB friendly item with me to the party. I have brought veggies with hummus, a big salad, and chilled shrimp.  That way, I know there will be something there that I can eat and the hosts love having help with the food.

Andrea

I always offer to bring something to a party.  That way I know I will have something healthy and delicious to nibble on with a single glass of red wine that I sip all evening.

Good Morning Richard.

Week 1 Assignment:

What is your best smart-eating strategy for holiday parties and events?

Now my first answer would be "Drink! don't eat!"   Oh, but wait, that isn't really a smart strategy, is it? (I'm kidding).

Interestingly, my best success with this way of eating was through the holidays so I went back and reviewed my journals and this is what I did that worked.  And this is what I plan to do again!

1) eat a salad before I go so I'm not hungry-if I'm on the run, I'll grab a cheesestick or 2
2) keep a glass of water or soda water with a lemon or lime (to be festive) in my hand at all times to sip and keep that "nibbling habit at bay.
3) if potluck, take a "legal appetizer"...lots of veggies with hummus, devilled eggs, etc.
4) Pre-Plan!  In this case, it's behavior modification I aimed for.  I'm a nervous nibbler in crowds (it was a lot easier when I could smoke at these things but I haven't smoked for 13 years and I ain't gonna start back up!).  
~ Make a game of occupying myself AWAY from the food.  My greatest success was keeping occupied by learning as much as I could about everyone at the party.  I would have a couple questions (yes, I actually wrote them down and kept them in my pocket to review when I was out of sight of everyone).  I would try and find out everyone's place of birth and where they were raised, or their ethnicity and what they found to be their favorite part of being raised with that culture. Or I would ask everyone about a favorite pet (this is a great one, we all love to talk about our pets).  I avoided "family converstaions" since the holidays are rife with strife over family relationships and I avoided health topics as I didn't want to get into an"organ recital" while someone loaded me with info about their current health issues.  Instead I kept it light and mostly, I listened and asked probing questions.  It was fascinating.  And it kept me from eating cuz I was too learning interesting things about others.

Such good answers, winefairie!

I don't go to many parties so it's not too big of a problem. The 1 or 2 that I do end up at I just stick to the salad and meat and leave the starches/dessert alone. For drinks, I stick with red wine, or vodka/soda water.

For our holiday party at work, I'm the one who picks out the menu so I am for sure gonna have a lot of stuff I can eat :-)

Kia

I'm going to plan ahead - eat something small (cheese stick or nuts) before I head to the party/event.  I am also going to remember to stick with only one glass of wine and drink it with something beach legal, like veggies.  

I don't go to that many parties, but I've found that it helps me to eat something Beach friendly before I go so I'm not so hungry.  I've also taken something beach friendly when it's a pitch in.  Most of the parties I go to will also have a fruit plate and a veggie plate along with ham and turkey, so it really isn't a problem finding the right foods......just having the willpower to avoid the desserts and chips.  That's my Holiday Plan.

Here we go again into another holiday season!  I do try to make sure that I have a nice meal before going to holiday events, especially family events because they seem more casual and seem to run for a longer time.  Also many holiday gatherings I attend ask for a dish to pass.  I always try to bring a veggie or fruit tray so that I am sure there is something beachy for me to nibble on while I am visiting.  I also have drink mixes that I can add to my water so I feel like I am drinking a treat. 
   When at the event, I try to place myself as far from the food/snack table as possible.  Then while I am visiting with family and friends food is out of sight and out of mind.  If I do take a snack, I always take a very small sampling of things that do not look beachy to me and tend to grab more veggies.  I take small amounts to try and that way I don't feel like I am depriving myself of something delicious but by taking a small amount, I can keep within the 3 nibble rule.  Also if you take small tastes, you will reaize that you are full before you grab larger amounts of food.  If I really want something that is not on my SB list, then I have hubby take a serving and I try to keep my nibbles to my three bite rule. 
   Well, I am looking forward to all the great ideas my SB friends share with each other this week.  We will get through the holidays at a team. 

Thanks Richard for spearheading this holiday challenge - need a little help to stay on the right path and not find myself lost in a tin of cookies!  I did post to this site about 10 minutes ago...or so I thought!  I'm one of those computer people who loses things on line and can't seem to find the right path of where things go sometimes!  Ah well...

jack

Dear Richard,

My best strategy for holiday parties - I make sure that no matter whose house I go to, I take a tray of raw vegetables and dip that I know I will enjoy.  This way no matter what else is there I know I will have something fun to fall back on.  The dips I bring are usually hummus based, eggplant based, things I like to experiment on.  I'm not a strict recipe follower - I take what I like from few here and there to create dishes/meals I like.  I also try try try to remind myself when faced with sweets/gooey foods that I already know what these foods taste like, nothing new really to try, just the yearly temptations! 

RICHARD . I AM GOING TO TRY AGAIN , THE IST TIME I DID THIS ONLY HALF MY ANSWER POSTED.

EATING OUT FOR THE HOLIDAYS IS NOT A PROBLEM FOR SOME REASON I AM STRONGER WITH A CROWD AROUND ME. IT IS LIKE I AM SHOWING OFF. I HAVE FUN WATCHING WHAT THEY ARE EATING. I DO USALLY EAT BEFORE I GOAND PLAN A NICE TREAT FOR WHEN I GET HOME. I DO SIP ON D SODA AND RED WINE PLUS I KEEP SOME NUTS AND SF MINTS WITH ME.

Amen, Wheezee!

I think the best part of my holiday planning is the fact that I'm not really going anywhere for the holidays so I'm in more control of what I eat. But if I do go anywhere, I'm going to make sure I'm hydrated (so I dont get hunger signals when I'm not hungry) and that I bring something to share that's SB friendly. If I absolutely cannot control my cravings (which hasnt happened yet) I'll make sure I follow the "3 bite rule"-- and that's not 3 bites of every single slice of chocolate cake, either! Lol.

So far, everything that is posted here is also my strategy: eating lots of veggies and protein, limiting alcohol and drinking a diet soda or water instead, eating slowly and enjoying the company around me. If there is something I just HAVE to try that is decadent, I will remember Dr. A's Three-Bite Rule and choose my treats wisely!

Also, for me, it is important to stay mindful of the fact that I've worked really hard to lose what weight I've lost so far. How will I feel if I totally sabotage my efforts? Eating healthy and making good choices is loving myself, which is the best gift I can give me!

Bringing SB approved items with me to the parties, letting everyone know that I am on a meal plan  that is healthy for me.  I look forward to the Challenge as this is my first Challenge on my weight loss journey.

Your first challenge....thatis great!   You will find so much support here for this holiday challenge.  I have participated in several challenges and they really do help  you refocus your goals. 

I try to eat something before I go to a party and then try to only eat (At least mostly) things that are SBD OK.

Not sure why I am getting two photos on here. It doesn't look that way on the normal posts.