Getting ready for Xmas!

[happynatsu]

Hello guys!
I was wondering, how do you cope with holiday lunches and dinners with your relatives ?

Do you pick the food you can eat and discard the rest?
Do you tell your relatives you're not in the mood for pasta and and wait for meat and poultry to be served?
Do you indulge in a small portion of dessert just because it s holiday or you resist any attempt of sabotage?

If I am to take on this WoE I want to be prepared and sure of my reaction in front of foods that I am not supposed to eat. Most of all I want to avoid eating foods that trigger cravings.

Besides, I don t feel much the Christmas spirit this year....

So tell me about your experiences with holidays and let's get prepared for the upcoming holiday season!

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Getting ready for Xmas!

>> Do you indulge in a small portion of dessert just because it s holiday or you resist any attempt of sabotage?>>

This phrase is quite handy, "No, thank you".

"Just because" isn't in my way of thinking.

Christmas (or any holiday, day of the year) doesn't mean I should eat food that will make me feel unwell, that will undo all the hard work I've done over the years.

There is no day/event that is an "excuse".

Read the chapter in your DANDR on "Eating in the Real World".

And ... think of these events as an opportunity to succeed ... rather than to "fail".

[Shrew2u]

Re: Getting ready for Xmas!

I've gotta say, I'm lucky there are diabetics in both my and hubby's family - so low-carb eats are in vast supply whenever we get together!

At work, it's tougher. I have used the following tactics:

• Politely declined
• Accepted, then eaten the innards out of a sandwich
• Accepted, then selected the lowest-carb items available
• Brought my own food to enjoy
• Enjoyed what was put before me...then gone right back to plan the following meal

It's easier when it's something like a box of doughnuts or cookies in the break room - I just avoid that room except to refill my water. Pot lucks are tougher; usually I bring a kick-butt (legal) meaty salad or slaw, then put a dab of more carby dishes on my plate.

With family, it can be a minefield - not eating [carby delight] could be seen as a personal rejection of [relative]. If there's a possibility for that dynamic, call up the relative(s) a week before the event and nip that thought in the bud. Lavishly praise both person and dish, express regret that you won't be able to enjoy it until (appropriate OWL Rung/Pre-Maintenance/Maintenance). At the event itself, make sure you bring one or more dishes that are delish and legal, then enjoy being with your family.

[And if you don't enjoy being with your family, re-evaluate whether you should even attend various family events. There is obligation...then there is self-inflicted martyrdom. Don't nail yourself to any crosses until Easter.]

[Elizellen]

Re: Getting ready for Xmas!

Good thinking to be thinking now about how you are going to cope with Christmas.

I have now been lowcarbing for 6 years and so my family know that I will pick and choose the available dishes that suit my dietary requirements, so there are no 'just one bite' suggestions from any of them.

The most comments I get are the 'can you eat this' ones, and I am even phoned for a chat about which foods I do not choose to eat in advance, which takes any stress out of the whole thing.

The first few Christmasses I was on Atkins I did the cooking at my Mother's house, so I could easily cater for my Atkins phase without worrying.

If eating out with non-family I always find out in advance what foods will be available and if needed I take extra dishes (to friend's houses) or talk to the catering staff beforehand (restaurants etc) and make sure I ask for on-plan alternatives to be offered.

I do often take a container with some slices of my almond/flax bread and/or parmesan/pork rind/flax crackers so if all else fails I can have that to nibble on when others are chomping at bread rolls etc or order the cheese plate for dessert.

In fact today we went out for the day so as usual I took two slices of 'bread' so I could order bacon and eggs at a café and make myself a bacon sandwich if we stopped for lunch at a place where nothing more 'Atkins-friendly' was on the menu. Sometimes I use the bread and sometimes not, but it is better to be prepared!

[Elizellen]

Re: Getting ready for Xmas!

One suggestion I would make would be to try and work yourself a few rungs up the OWL ladder by Christmas so you can 'legally' eat more veggies than the induction quantities at the main course, eat melon slices as a 'starter', have a few nuts or eat strawberries and cream for a dessert

[Elizellen]

Re: Getting ready for Xmas!

Oh - and if you reach rung 5 you will not 'have to cheat' if you want a glass of wine either

[chinadoll]

Re: Getting ready for Xmas!

I totally agree on moving up the rungs before Xmas. ANd offer to bring a dish to add to the table because of your diet and you dont want to inconvenience the cook to do something special. I also eat a BIG breakfast on the day so I am not starving and smelling all those good smells that trigger such emotional nostalgia.

[Georgiana]

Re: Getting ready for Xmas!

Do you pick the food you can eat and discard the rest?

I "can" eat anything... but I choose not to eat some foods.

Do you tell your relatives you're not in the mood for pasta

If I choose not to eat pasta and I have to say something, then I tell them, "no, thank you. Maybe later." Everyone forgets "later".

But to be honest, most of my relatives have better things to do on Christmas than monitor what goes into my mouth.

Do you indulge in a small portion of dessert just because it s holiday

No. I may eat dessert on holiday or on any other day of the year. I may eat dessert (low carb) today just because it's November 27th.

attempt of sabotage?

Whose attempt of sabotage?

I don't believe that just because some food is served someone attempts to sabotage me. The fact that it's on the table simply means that I have the choice to eat it. Or not eat it.