Take it off | Talking Turkey

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This was me at Thanksgiving in 2010.

I know how to bring the love to the holidays.

This is me now...well, the most recent full body photo I could find.
Is my kid a little lady or what? Geez.

Anyway, as you can see it's quite a difference. Thanks to Medifast, I am going into this holiday season nearly 100 pounds lighter and in control of my health.

The holidays are usually a huge source of food anxiety for me. With my recent mini-meltdown over all-things-ever-thought-of-to-get-worked-up-about-for-no-good-reason, I thought for sure this Thanksgiving would be a source of much strife as well. But...it isn't. Would you believe me if I told you that I'm not worried about Thanksgiving at all?

It's fine if you don't believe me. I hardly believe it myself. 

You might be thinking 'Of course its no big deal. You met your goal and even though you've had a little gain, you've maintained pretty well.'

Have you been paying attention AT ALL? Dude. I'm a freaking mess, like, all the time. If I'm not thinking about what I'm eating, or what I'm going to be eating, I'm thinking about what you are eating and if I can have some of it. 

Okay, maybe its not that bad anymore. But if you aren't going to finish that, I am kinda hungry.

For real though, I still get all worked up about food, regaining the weight, getting back to my original goal, blah, blah, blah. You know, all the same tired shit I've been whining about for nearly two years. But this holiday, Thanksgiving, I'm not freaking out. Not even in secret. I just don't care. 

Here is why: I've been back on the 4&2 plan for almost two weeks. I'm down 3 pounds (current weight: 148). And it hasn't been 100%. Did you hear that Hostess went out of business?
This girl totally went on the hunt for any remaining Hostess products she could find. No Twinkies to be found but I have a nice stash of those chocolate cupcakes with the swirlies in my freezer. Izzy and I shared a package of those tiny donuts and we are still on the hunt for at least one package of regular Twinkies.

So I haven't been 100%. And more holiday stuff is fast approaching and there will be pecan pie. Lots and lots of pecan pie. Pecan pie that I will eat AND enjoy. Without guilt. And maybe with a little Cool Whip. 

And even though these dalliances with off-plan foods are not helpful to my goal of regaining my 100 pound loss, they are a part of life. Food is not just fuel for the body but part of enjoying life. Just like holidays are not meant for every day, neither are the treats that accompany them. That's why I go into holidays with a plan and a back-up plan!

My plan for maintaining (and hopefully even losing!) weight during the holidays
(and yes, I do realize this post would have been WAY more helpful if I had posted
it a few days ago. But hey! I'm early for Christmas and New Years!)
  • Stay on plan as close to 100% as possible in the weeks leading up to the holidays.
    Don't 'bank' calories by skipping meals. This includes the day of a big holiday meal or party. Starvation never works as a means for weight loss or maintaining and the holidays are no exception. Besides, aren't the holidays stressful enough without turning yourself into a cranky bitch due to low blood sugar?
    Today as of this posting, on Thanksgiving day, I've had two Medifast meals and for lunch I'm having some egg whites. I'm keeping it low-carb but still consuming the same amount of calories that I normally do by this time of the day.
  • Continue to set goals
    Keep it realistic but give yourself something to work toward during the holidays. Perhaps you want to log a certain number of hours at the gym by December 31st, or a certain number of miles. Maybe you can set a reasonable goal of 4-5 pounds lost by the new year. It could even be as simple as drinking more water than usual. And don't forget to reward yourself for meeting those goals (but not with food!).
  • Modify recipes so they are calorie-friendly or use alternative foods
    Mix in lower-carb almond flour with regular flour for baking, oils and butter in baking for applesauce, replace milk and sour cream with Greek yogurt, use half the amount of chocolate chips a recipe calls for. Indulgence is fun - but it stops being fun when it hurts your long-term goals.
    I'm taking Cheesy Baked Cauliflower to Thanksgiving to eat instead of mashed potatoes. I just saved my carbs for pecan pie. ;) 
 Cheesy Baked Cauliflower
  • 1/2 cup of low-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth (optional and I usually skip this)
  • 1/2 an onion, sauteed (optional, tastes great but cooked onion will up the carbs)
  • 1 large cauliflower head, cut into florets (I like to pre-steam for faster cooking) 
  • Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. 
  • Get moving lazy bones!
    Blargh. So full. So lazy. Oh look! Leftover pie!
    Get your ass out of the kitchen! The surest way to avoid picking at leftovers is to get out of the house. Even if you don't feel like hitting the gym or running, get out for a short walk or hit the mall and do some window shopping. I don't have any facts to back this up but I'm pretty sure running with the herds at a Black Friday sale burns like, 800 calories in 30 minutes. Between the aggravation and fighting for your life, it must burn close to that.
  • Moderation!
    Take small 2-3 bite portions of each dish. You can always go back for seconds. But if your family is anything like mine, there are tons of side dishes. By the time I get through my 2-3 bite portions of each food, I'm pretty full and don't really want another helping. 

If all else fails, get right back on the horse the next day. Not two days from the holiday or wait until the holidays are over.

So how did my Thanksgiving go? I did all of the above and thoroughly enjoyed my pecan pie. :) Tomorrow,  I'm looking forward to being back on track; beginning with a brisk walk in the park with Izzy and maybe even some Black Friday combat. 
• • •
First year: 77lbs
Week seventy four: -2 lbs GOAL!!!!!! 100 POUNDS LOST! (140 pounds)
Current weight: 148 (-3lbs)

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*FTC Disclosure: Medifast provides their products for my personal use for free. I am not paid or compensated in any other way for mentioning their products. All thoughts written here are mine. I love complaining so I would tell you if I didn't like something in the program. :)

Medifast products and the Medifast Program are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. Any medical improvements noted while on the program are related to weight loss in general, and not to Medifast products or programs.

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