maintaining & holidays

ok so I have always wondered if you are maintaining your weight (especially after a significant weight loss) are you allowed to go all out on holidays like thanksgiving where you go up a few pounds the next day from water but go back to your routine and go down? I stick to maintenance on holidays when I can mostly because I had binge eating disorder and flip out when I feel/look bloated now, even though I know it's just temporary...it's just I feel like I don't enjoy the holidays as much...I just want to be eable to eat and eat a few select days out of the year, but always am reluctant to as a maintainer...

what do others do?

Enjoy yourself, in moderation for the few holidays and birthdays, anniversaries a year and maintain your normal routine other days. If you have any gain it won't be permanent. Just don't fall into the trap of eating whatever is available from pre-Thanksgiving through New Years. There will be plenty of temptation, just keep in mind eating whatever you want versus what your body needs is a choice and a deisre versus a need.

I have found that your body will let you know when you are full and giving into your cravings does not effect you as much as you think it does. Just remember to stick to water and low cal drinks before you eat. Keeps you full and you can still have what you want.. You will be amazed at how much less you actually consume now that you maintain. ( cuz your stomach really did get smaller)

What i am doing is only giving myself Christmas day and New Years Eve.  The other days are NOT holidays to me.  They require me to work out and do my best at healthy eating.  I have Christmas parties to attend etc.. but i will only make healthy choices..maybe a treat here or there.. but these arn't 'cheat' days to me.

Christmas Day, i am with my husband and kids and if i fancy something i'm not going to deny it. 

New Years Eve is big gala party with friends.. so i'll eat the canapes and drink the champagne and toast the new year in.   I won't work out New Years Day.

But come January 2, you better believe i'll be on that elleptical...

Thats my Plan.. Hopefully i'll stick to it!:)

i have no intention of worrying about it, if i can't enjoy the holidays whats the point right??

Personally i'm weighing for the last time this monday then im pretty much free for all till jan 5th, don't get me wrong most days im gonig to try and make "wise" choices and on the none special days im certainly gonig to try and keep thinks reasonable, for me it's about portion control eating 1 mince pie rather than a whole box, eating till im satisfied rather than till i need a fork lift truck to get out of the chair.

then in january having resumed normal eating on the 2nd ill weigh in on the 5th and see what the damage is, tbh im expecting a poud or two of gain but as long as i keep it sensible i don't expect it to be to bad, then ill just watch my weight for a few weeks if it doens't go down by it's self ill think about giving myself a slight deficit with some extra gym time till i shift it.

I think on christmas I'm just going to go nuts and eat whatever I want hahaha....if I want it, I'll eat it.  I mean seriously if I just ate literally whatever I wanted for ONE single day with no exercise other than going up from water weight for a few days, would anything happen?