Staying on target thru the holidays...

[Veronica]

At parties and big dinners I'm very picky and try to eat only the things that are holiday specific. I don't really need a dinner roll... I can have that any old time. But stuffing! That's a once year thing for us. Who needs a cookie when there's pumpkin pie?!

Exercise wise - I have a monthly mileage goal that forces me to get out on the bike. I've been a little lazy the last few days because I've exceeded October's goal by a bunch.

But starting tomorrow... I need to get my butt on the bike since my goal is to ride 406 miles in November. And they have to be outside miles.

Our families are all on the East Coast so that makes it a little easier.

V.

[CyclChyk]

Some of the girls I work with know I am on a health kick to drop weight, lower my BP and my cholesterol, and look out for my best interest. They do this by promptly removing any candy/treats I may be given (for themselves of course), sassing me if I even entertain the idea of eating a Krispy Kreme donut (boston cremes are my favorite and we have insurance agents who bring us 2 dozen donuts every tuesday. I am reduced to sniffing the box ). This solves my problem of holiday junk.

My family here is small and disfunctional so we never have big special dinners. Plus my cooking is horrible. Great with wings; that's about it. So we just have the normal everyday stuff. No need to worry there. (My DH's family in Maine goes all out..... sigh.....)

As far as parties go, I am going to make absolutely certain that I eat PRIOR to going. This way if I eat anything while I am there it will be select nibbles as my appetite will be sated from my earlier meal.

I'll let you know in January how well it works out for me.

[mimitabby]

At thanksgiving, since I detest the feeling of being stuffed, and I want to try EVERYTHING, i take little tiny tiny tiny servings of everything. I watch others pile stuff up on their plates. If i am still hungry (probably not, i've been eating olives and crackers all afternoon) i have some more of just the one or two things that I thought were my favorites.

[Offthegrid]

I get weak at the knees for anything pumpkin. That said, I may limit myself to three slices this Thanksgiving.

In all seriousness, I'll probably try to fill half my plate with salad and veggies, have a reasonably sized piece of turkey and a dinner roll (my aunt makes them so yummy!).

Followed by, of course, the three slices of pumpkin pie of different varieties.

Fortunately, being single and not doing any cooking, I won't have leftovers to contend with.

[light_sabe_r]

Halloween's never been big here... You get the occassional trick or treater (and When I say that I mean every 2-3 years we got one... We were never prepared anyway) We don't have thanksgiving here either...

It's CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR'S and Australia dy that you have to worry about down here. And if you're in year 12, SCHOOLIES happens before that...

So yeah. SCHOOLIES WEEK, Then a whole heap of Christmas Parties leading up until Christmas and Boxing day, then New Years Eve, New year's Day and then three weeks later, Australia Day. So effectivly 2 months of drinking, bbq, stuffing yourself silly, Beaches, Sunshine and did I mention drinking???

[mimitabby]

so what exactly happens during Schoolies week?

[emily_in_nc]

My Halloween strategy: Live in a neighborhood with no kids down a long, dark, gravel road (no streetlights) on acreage. No candy to buy, no temptation.

My Thanksgiving strategy: Always go to someone else's house for turkey day. Take a couple of dishes to help out, but come home with empty platters and a full belly, no leftovers. One of these years my family is going to revolt and force me to have Thanksigiving dinner at my house, but it hasn't happened yet!

My Christmas strategy: Don't bake Christmas cookies. And repeat "My Thanksgiving Strategy". Also, instead of going to the mall to Christmas shop on my lunch hour, go to the gym. I never see any women there in December so suspect they're all shopping. I do most of my shopping online.

It doesn't always work, but typically I don't gain over the holidays. The years we go to my in-laws for either turkey day or Christmas, I can count on a couple of lbs. to lose when I get home because the food is constant and excessive, and there's not a lot to do there but eat. All that driving (one full day in the car each way), and then being in Ohio during such a cold time, it's hard to get any exercise. This year we're going to the coast (NC) with my Mom and step-dad for Christmas, so we can walk on the beach every day. I'm sure there will be lotsa food and restaurant meals, but plenty of time to walk it off!

Emily

[light_sabe_r]

so what exactly happens during Schoolies week?

Most of the high school graduates from Around Australia gather at designated spots and party. Free events are put on, many national radio stations braodcast their nightly and weekly countdowns from the event, It's just FUN. (and the underage drinking, surf sun and sand, and just hanging out with all your high school mates, not just from your school but all over your state)

The gold Coast is the biggest hot spot of them all (been there done that! Was the best week of my life for about 2 years. ) They even made a movie about it...

I guess the closest thing to liken schoolies to is SPRING BREAK... only it's the start of our Summer holidays too.

Most schoolies come back from that week and get a job until it's time to go to University 3 months later...