Surviving Christmas

[ontheway2Stephanie]

It will be very, very hard for me to not cheat for Christmas. I will want those Christmas cookies, the snack mix my grandma home makes only once per year, the cheese rolls that have been in my family for generations... you know. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

What do you do? Come off for the day? Not cheat at all? Stay strong? My brother and my husband are also doing Atkins, and have been doing it longer than I have. They are both planning to cheat for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day, as they both cheated for Thanksgiving and it didn't affect them at all. The questions is, what do I do? I don't know yet.

[mkline71]

Re: Surviving Christmas

It just depends on you; are you like your brother and husband. What I mean is that can you just "cheat" for one day and then get right back to Atkins? If you can then I'd say go for a day of cheating. It is not the best thing to do but if you are going to cheat and regret it then I say have one cheat day planned with no regrets but make sure to get right back on the program.

I personally am the type of person where 1 cheat day would turn into 1 week and then 1 month...and so on. I'm going to stick to the program this season but I can see why someone would want a cheat day. (especially with the great food you described from your Grandma)

[Machiavelli]

Re: Surviving Christmas

My family always does "cookie decorating" as a group on Christmas day.

Well, eating the cookie is a no-no for me, but I think I'm still going to decorate one.

[liv]

Re: Surviving Christmas

For me last year and this year it will be all about being prepared. There are things that are legal to eat that are very delicious treats and I will be preparing some of those for me. Anyways that is my approach.

[Machiavelli]

Re: Surviving Christmas

Liv, I'm still pretty new here, is there an induction friendly desert recipe section somewhere on the site?

[liv]

Re: Surviving Christmas

There is a dessert recipe section - some of the recipes is induction friendly. So check it out. (The cheese cakes are great)
Also there is Linda's Low carb recipes. She has a big selection of recipes. She stars all her induction friendly recipes.
Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes - Home

[Zarabelle]

Re: Surviving Christmas

I have always been such an all or nothing type of person... so I either am on plan or totally off it with bells on! On Christmas day (just for the dinner), I am going to relax slightly but not go mad. I won't have mince pies, christmas pudding, baileys and other hugely carby things but I may have a couple of roast potatoes and some gravy. I am not giving myself two days off as I know that would spread in to two weeks off or 'I'll start again on 1 January'. Do what feels right for you but be sure to get back on track as soon as possible. Zx

[Machiavelli]

Re: Surviving Christmas

If I were closer to my goal weight, I'd consider it. But I still feel like I'm in that danger zone where a slip up might lead to a complete collapse.

Liv, thank you for the recipe link, I've added it to my favorites.

[girlie50]

Re: Surviving Christmas

It is totally how you feel. Like everyone before me said, if you can get bak on track right away, great!. if not, then think about it more then twice!..
I hope i can stay cheat-free. But no guarantee..

Recipe: Somewhat-sugar-free-marble jello:

choose 2-3 sugar free jello flavor, make them as usual. and then cut up into medium size cubes.
also get another sugar free jello that is lime or lemon flavor, make as usual but when you put it in the fridge to firm up, ONLY leave it ther to cool, not to firm up.
When the lemon/lime jello is cooled place all the cut up cubes in a preferably a glass baking dish. then you can just pour the cooled off jello over the cubes and then put in fridge to firm up.. and that is it....
it is sugar free, looks beautiful and its atkins friendly...

[IrishSarahHB]

Re: Surviving Christmas

Every time i say " I'll just go off for the day" It ends up being more like 2 weeks... So for ME .. Thats would be a NO! I have learned my lesson about that.

Try to remember that this is just 1 christmas... There will be plenty more Christmas's .. This year you have to skip out on all the carby stuff.. but thats ok ...

Try to make some low carb alternatives to your favorites

Good luck!

[smarie]

Re: Surviving Christmas

I cheated for Thanksgiving and couldn't get back on for a week. So for Christmas I think I will make some low-carb alternatives for my favorite treats. I will also allow myself to eat things from OWL, like nuts and maybe berries, that way I can have more recipes to choose from.
It might be still cheating, but I think it's better than full out eating sugar.

[kimbat06]

Re: Surviving Christmas

Thanksgiving was really easy for me-- I just ate ham and turkey with veggies.

But CHRISTMAS... this is going to be hard. My mom makes lasagna every year with yummy garlic bread. So yes, in other words, I DO plan on cheating on Christmas Eve and Christmas. But let me tell you, I will not be stuffing myself like I usually would. I am going to be watching portion control. I will have a cookie, but only one. Only one serving of lasagna and one garlic bread. But plenty of veggies and salad! I haven't had ONE slip up on this diet since I started almost three months ago, so I figured a couple days won't hurt as long as I get right back on track.

[ontheway2Stephanie]

Re: Surviving Christmas

You've all had great thoughts and ideas! I think I will not make a decision until the day of. If I do cheat, it won't be the same way I cheated before, when I ate stuff that I normally couldn't eat just because it was there and I was "cheating". This time, I will simply allow myself to have the few things I would like, but there will be no outright pigging out.

[trisarahtops]

Re: Surviving Christmas

i have to face the annual christmas bfast of pancakes and sausage gravy at mom's house. i was debating - should i cave in for one meal? or will that start a downward spiral of self-loathing? (i exaggerate!) i think i'll be OK skipping it this year. the breakfast at mom's house is so tightly knit with my childhood i feel like i'm grown up enough now to let it go. i can still have the eggs and bacon so it should be fine. it also helps that mom decided to forgo any and all baking - no cookies, cakes or pies. i say stick with your woe. remind yourself that you have worked so hard for this and you will not be beaten by food. you are stronger than that cookie!!

[clogger]

Re: Surviving Christmas

My strategy is to stay on plan for Christmas. I've decided I want success more than food ! What benefit will I get from eating anything non-Atkins? None. In the past I thought "I'll just eat this one thing" and it turned into a lot of time off plan and undid some of my progress ~ the progress I worked HARD for. I don't want to get burned so I'm not going to play with fire!!!

I offered to bring deviled eggs and herbed-green beans so I know there will be two Atkins-friendly dishes for me to eat. I'm still sweetener-free so no dessert for me even if it's low-carb and legal.

Whatever your choice ~ think about what is BEST for YOU. If you decide to eat on plan then you must plan ahead. As it's been said if you fail to plan you plan to fail.

Good luck to everyone!