my question is, do you all go over a little or have a cheat day for christmas,
I am thinking about it, but would like to know from the pros what there plans are.
I have been eating on plan since march, when I started, never had a cheat day before, so nervous about how I would feel, and if I would gain....
thank you all
x

hi-
sorry no one has responded yet. I'll try...
I don't believe in cheating, cheat days or going off plan. I do believe in planned flexibility for special events.
You are on Atkins so you should be moving into the maintaining phase of the plan, which involves (in my understanding) adding in more carbs to find the level that is right for you. I hope you are on OWL and moving into the next phase. This is a hard time of year for everyone- but you have done a GREAT job and I'd hate to see you get into trouble now. How about other Atkins people - what do you think?
E

Well, I'm sure not a pro but I will tell you what I do.
I still keep my carbs very low. I didn't move up the ladder like I should have.
I have ate off plan since I have been in maintenance but only a few times. For me, it does not cause cravings and I have gotten right back on plan. At Thanksgiving, I did eat, well overeat, and ate dressing and a lot of it. Up a few pounds but it came right off in a couple of days of low carb.
I'm not really doing it "by the book" but I'm doing it the best way I see fit for my lifestyle. I will probably eat off plan at Christmas but get right back on. I don't have a problem getting right back to low carb.
I have been maintaining since I hit my goal in July and as long as I continue to maintain, I will have days off plan when I see fit. That's just me.
I hope this helps. You will just have to find your own way. See what works for you and what don't. Everyone is different. Some find that they can't get back on plan and one off plan meal leads to weeks of struggling to get back on track.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Oh I forgot to mention, Congratulation on getting to where you are. Our stats are pretty simular. Good Job!

I agree with Eno...don't consider it eating off plan, but planned flexibility every once in a while. I firmly believe (although many here may disagree) that, if you don't allow for that flexibility, this Way Of Life becomes too hard...you begin to feel deprived. The trick, of course, is figuring out how to balance it so that "planned flexibility" doesn't become your NEW way of life.

Good Luck, and congrats on your progress so far.

thank you all so much,
still unsure on what to do...
I am debating on taking some mashed cauliflower over to brother in laws, for christmas dinner.....
I dont usually drink that much, but not gonna stress out over christmas on those extra glasses, I might tend to have....
Hope you all have a wonderful holiday
and congrats to you all as well xxx

I'm pretty flexible with the holiday...but ONLY the holiday! It's too easy to start justifying eating junk for several weeks during this time...my work party, hubby's work party, office cookie exchange, nibbling while baking for others, feeling impolite if you don't try some of a patient's homemade treats they've brought for the office, etc. So, my "rule" is to give myself license for 2 days, Christmas Day and the day after because that's when my sister comes down to celebrate.

It's my tradition to make lasagne for Christmas dinner (I've done it for years) and I'll eat it. Last year I ate enough of my favorite Christmas cookie to be on the verge of being miserable! One piece of fudge, etc. According to FitDay, I was up by about 6 lbs right after Christmas but it was all gone within 2 weeks of getting right back on plan.

I realize that, with all things, Your Mileage May Vary. And I agree that some folks don't seem to be able to "get back on the horse" after they've carbed-up for a day or two. You just won't know how you do until you give it a try.

Thank you corinne,
Have a wonderfull christmas
x

Hi Lian,
Congratulations on your weight loss.
I read on someone elses journal that when they went on a controlled cheat they only did so for one hour during the holiday not the whole day. I think this is a fair exchange. Lo carb all day, but bend it just a little to enjoy your traditions. Don't binge though because it will only make you feel sick. Your body is so clean now, it doesn't feel so good when you eat not so clean. I am no expert but I know how I felt at Thanksgiving after only a slight indulgement. Drink a small glass and sip it slowly. After all, you are celebrating! Good luck on your maintainence.
~Bella~

One last thing to add ... if you do decide to go off plan, make sure it's really worth it, with the foods you like best. For example, I planned to have some treats during our annual end-of-term dinner. But I still avoided the potatoes and stuffing (don't really care for them), had my veggies and meat, and then indulged in some dessert (OK, desserts!).

Oh, and you may feel kinda weird the next day - I call it a carb hangover. So make sure it's worth it!

Rachel