Hi Teena, don't feel that you're complaining, 'cuz yer not! We all face this, and some of us (me!) have a long, long way to go to maintenance. In fact, my feeling about the holidays is that I will be thrilled and consider my efforts successful if I can just maintain my current weight until after NewYears, and forget about losing anything at all (except possibly my mind )

Instead of feeling bad because you "can't" have some of your favourite treats, why not give yourself permission to indulge. That way, you can really enjoy that shortbread cookie, or a baked potato, because it's "allowed" and not some forbidden thing that will make you feel guilty if you eat it. And you'll feel in control of the situation, and more likely to just have a small bit, then get right back to your lowcarb way of eating. Maybe cut back the carbs a bit for a few days after the feast, so at the end of a week, your carb intake balances out.

Another thing to remember is that, no matter which lowcarb program you are maintaining with, make sure you're eating enough PROTEIN. If you're having a slice or two of lowcarb bread, with a little sugar-free fruit spread for breakfast, that's nice, but where's the protein??. You must also have some eggs, or a scoop of cottage cheese or some ham too. You absolutely will not get your cravings under control without consuming adequate protein when you also eat carbs - even 2 or 3 carbs can make your blood sugar and insulin swerve all over the place.

Be prepared with the protein foods. I hear you when you say you're too tired at the end of a busy day. I always double recipes and freeze portions to toss in the microwave. Cook up a whole package of chicken thighs, they're delicious cold, with a dip of mayo & dijon, or thaw some frozen cooked shrimp and make a dip of mayo & horseradish. Those little cans of tuna and salmon are great too.

Here' a link to an earlier post on surviving the holidays http://www.lowcarber.org/forum/show...hp?threadid=286

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Doreen