Here is the article I found which discusses how to manage the festive season. At least there won’t be any parties in my part of the world ! It’s from Megan Ramos .
It’s time to think about the Holidays! Between October and January there are literally hundreds of different celebrations around the world. As is customary, most revolve around family traditions that of course involve eating. This post isn’t about the evils of carbs. We all know what the science says about refined carbs. The point is how will we address the onslaught of all of them. This isn’t going to be a debate about whether you should or shouldn’t indulge. That choice is yours and yours alone. IDM isn’t the food police. We aren’t going to come knocking on your door to see what your choosing to put in your mouth. So what is the point? The point is to make a plan, starting now, on how it is you’re going to handle it all. I posted earlier about my plan. In my family there are certain traditional foods that we only get once a year. I have used this plan for the last 8 yrs. I started it on my first journey through Weight Watchers. My very first leader made a statement at Thanksgiving time that has stuck with me since and gets me through any challenging time. “The first bite is the best bite, after that, we’re eating to just eat.” Think about that. True isn’t it? That first Thanksgiving I used that statement as my guide. I knew the foods that were most important and I made my choices accordingly. I chose to eat my families traditional stuffing, which is a rice based stuffing. Instead of having 3 servings of it like I would have other times, I had one. I was satisfied. I forego the bread and the potatoes, because frankly I could eat those any day of the week. I filled my plate with the veggies and the turkey. I was more than satisfied. I also contributed to the meal things I knew I could eat.
This year my plan is the same. I’m going to contribute foods I can eat per my plan. I’m going to focus on the protein, the veggies, and the healthy fats. I’m going to have a small portion of the stuffing and my favorite pie. The difference this year is I have another tool in my arsenal. It’s called fasting. So, I will fast during the week leading to Thanksgiving, and I will fast afterward. The impact will be minimal if at all.
The Holidays in December are a bit more difficult because we’re faced with parties throughout the month, some last longer than a day or two. There’s all those food gifts we receive too. What do we do? Planning! That’s the key. We have to determine what’s the most important event, meal, etc. Everyone’s choices will be different. As I’ve said before there’s no one way to do it. We have tools to use however. Let’s face it, totally abstaining from indulgences probably isn’t a good strategy. Why? We know that total restriction will usually blow up in our faces and we’ll end up binging and totally blowing it. So having a plan is always best so we are making the best decisions we can. Celebrations are a fact of our lives and Dr. Fung has made it clear they should be enjoyed. They will be a part of our lives forever. So why not find a way to participate with the least amount of damage? Let’s reflect on our traditions. Which are the most important to you? What foods are involved? I know very few that don’t involve food let’s face it! What tools do you have at your disposal to deal with it all? Fasting is our greatest tool! It’s the one tool I now have in my arsenal that will keep me on the road to achieving my goals.
My plan for December to January is to work my fasting schedule around events. I’ll fast before, I’ll fast after, and during I will decide ahead of time what my indulgences will be. Megan Ramos in her recent Q&A talked about setting strict guidelines for ourselves. I call them my rules. I’ve had rules for myself for years where dieting is concerned. There are certain rules that have stuck with me whether I’m dieting or not. For instance, I have a no night time eating rule. I stop eating at a certain point. For me it’s usually by 6 or 7. I have another rule that certain rooms in my house our food free zones. It keeps me from grazing and mindless eating watching TV etc. Think about the guidelines you want to set for yourself to get through this holiday season. What are your triggers? What can you do to maintain control around all the temptations? How many carbs will you allow? How much protein and fat? One of the biggest issues I think at this time of year is what do you do with leftovers, especially if you’re hosting? The last time I hosted I packed up all the food and gave it to my family to take home with them. I left nothing around to tempt me. I love to bake and I bake all the traditional cookies at Christmas time. My exception now is, I don’t eat them. I pack them up and I give them away. I give them to my friends. I pack up platters and deliver them to the staff that takes care of my mother. I still get the joy of baking them, but I also have the added joy of giving them to others. Let them worry about eating them right?
If you google how to survive the holidays, you’ll come up with various strategies like dieting during the week and indulging on the weekends. Focus on the people and not the foods. Make the occasional party the exception to your diet not the rule. Volunteer to host the party so you have control over what to serve. Don’t go to a party on an empty stomach. Choose wisely from the available foods. Eat slowly and mindfully. My favorite is to keep a glass in your hand full of water and stay far from the food table. Ever notice how people congregate around the food? Maybe you’ll choose to try some new Ketogenic friendly recipes and make some new traditions. There are many more suggestions and perhaps we can come up with a list of our own. My recommendation for all of you is, think about your plan now. It’s not too early. Arm yourself with that plan and make it a rule you have to stick to it. You have to decide now what the acceptable outcome is for you come January when it’s all over. Are you ok with a gain? Will you be happy if you just maintain? Do you still want to continue to reach for your goals and have a loss when it’s all said and done? There’s no right answer to those questions. It’s what will work for you.
Additional Note: You are all aware about IDM’s recommendation on sweeteners. You also know that Dr. Fung has stated very clearly that life is to be celebrated and enjoyed. The holidays are a part of life. This is a debate about are they good for you or not. We all know that answer. This is about a personal choice of whether your indulgences will include them or not. It’s a personal choice. It’s not a right or wrong choice. It’s about making a decision, for yourself, what you can live with and how you’ll handle it afterwards. Let’s talk about some ideas and help each other handle the toughest time of the year!
Additional Resources:
https://idmprogram.com/how-to-fast-and-feast-for-thanksgiving/
https://idmprogram.com/thanksgiving-weekend-top-4-holiday-eating-strategies/
LC Thanksgiving Recipes:
https://peaceloveandlowcarb.com/low-carb-keto-thanksgiving-recipes/
Festive Beverages https://idmprogram.com/festive-beverages/
Surviving Holiday Parties https://idmprogram.com/surviving-all-of-the-holiday-parties/
