Challenge yourself to get through the holidays with minimum or no slips!

[back2me2007]

I'm hoping someone would like to join me in getting through the busy Christmas season with minimal or no slips with eating carbage garbage!:eek:

It is tough as there are so many events without suitable party foods for a low carb eater.

I'm going to set my goal at one slip on Christmas day. I am going to strive not to have even that 1 slip but I am a realist. Moms house is the hardest for me! I did make it last year though.

So how is everyone planning to deal with the many occasions???

[Frank Hagan]

I've been very good over the past 9 months, with only a couple of inadvertent slips (finding the nutritional information at restaurants after eating!) I had ribs once, thinking they were low carb (they are extremely high carb because of the sauce) and just the other day had an egg, cheese, ham and sausage omelet that I found out later had 30 grams of carbs! What the heck? None of those ingredients have great numbers of carbs, so I suspect they used milk or something in the eggs.

Anyway, stuck to plan on Thanksgiving, and Christmas is at our house this year so I'll be able to stick to plan then as well. I have found it easier if I never cheat, kind of like a "carb-o-holic" approach.

[back2me2007]

Great job Frank! A 30 carb omelet? Oh my gosh!!!! Is there pancake batter in there maybe? Ihop does that.

We will have 2 Christmas dinners. None at our home. MIL's is not so hard besides the pumpkin pies! I can bring myself a big slice of sf pumpkin pie.

My Moms is very hard. She makes all my favorites and then sends them home with us. Peanut blossoms, spanish fudge and russian tea cakes. It is rough as she tends to feel hurt when you abstain and to be honest it is darn hard to abstain. She also always has great wine which does work.

[laughingW]

It's harder when you're new. My sweet tooth is gone finally and now all those things are just sickeningly too sweet, not fun even.

I always take things with a smile and even may eat a bite but then I find a way to get rid of the rest, give it away, move things around on the plate or otherwise fake it.

Even with the socially sacred 3-bite rule I can usually keep within the carb limits of a day. I always eat before parties to make sure there is clean food somewhere in my day.

[back2me2007]

It's harder when you're new. My sweet tooth is gone finally and now all those things are just sickeningly too sweet, not fun even.

I always take things with a smile and even may eat a bite but then I find a way to get rid of the rest, give it away, move things around on the plate or otherwise fake it.

Even with the socially sacred 3-bite rule I can usually keep within the carb limits of a day. I always eat before parties to make sure there is clean food somewhere in my day.

I wish I could say I'm new:jawDrop:. I think the 3 bite rule might work.

Maybe I should just make up my mind that "not at all is best" . I will still have about 10 lbs of baking in the house though after the holidays:(

[gitfiddle]

So how is everyone planning to deal with the many occasions???I still have a healthy respect for NEAN, but I may have a bite or two of a traditional family Christmas food. I just don't want to trip the trigger that leads to a binge.

I also consider a planned taste as something to be worked into my daily totals and not a slip.

[back2me2007]

Carol what is NEAN? I'm afraid that a bit could become a binge because the goodies all come back to our house! I do have these things you chew that block sweet taste. I should try a bite after chewing that. I tried a sip of soda once after trying one. They helped hubby a lot when he quit smoking.

[Ammy]

Can you believe it??? My family plans on having BISCUITS AND GRAVY on Christmas morning....THEN A FULL TURKEY/HAM LUNCH!!

Just in case anyone wonders where my carb addiction comes from...:rolleyes:

[back2me2007]

Can you believe it??? My family plans on having BISCUITS AND GRAVY on Christmas morning....THEN A FULL TURKEY/HAM LUNCH!!

Just in case anyone wonders where my carb addiction comes from...:rolleyes:

Sounds like here Ammy:D

[back2me2007]

I think really just bouncing ideas here and planning and putting it in writing will help me. Thanks everyone! I'm off to visit the treadmill and crank some music!

[gitfiddle]

Carol what is NEAN? It stands for Not Even A Nibble, Mikki. The more you use it, the better it works. This would be a great month to try it. You'll have lots of opportunities to practice! :p

Just in case anyone wonders where my carb addiction comes from...:rolleyes:Oh, I could tell you stories, Amy! :crybaby:

[back2me2007]

I know deep down you are 100% right Carol!!!!!!!! Ok I'll give NEAN a try through Dec. Hummm now I need a sweet little reward for myself once I accomplish it! Maybe a new sweater! After all there will be all those great Jan sales.

I'm also just going to check in this thread daily to check of you NEAN days:D

[back2me2007]

Well I blew it a bit with a few bites of carbage after 2 glasses of wine. My carbs in all actuality were probably not that much too high as I was at pretty much zero before the bites. However the quality of the food I took bites of was not good healthy food! Ok dust of get on the horse again. I can not believe how intoxicated I got on 6-8 oz of wine or how awful I feel now :( I may flop and fail on occasion but I am not done trying. Guess I learn my lessons slowly.

[gitfiddle]

Mikki, there may come a day when you'll look at the wine, remember the process it puts you through, and willingly decide not to start. :)

[bpm]

Yesterday - the most carbs I've had in a day except TG. 1- 1/2 cups of chili calc by fitday = 28 - finished the day with ecc of 38. Prot @ 132. As much as I love chili, I have to admit I was miserable during the nite. Back to the boring but feel good stuff.

[back2me2007]

Mikki, there may come a day when you'll look at the wine, remember the process it puts you through, and willingly decide not to start. :)

Ummm yes! I wish they could make wine flavored gum or something. It isn't really the alcohol. I just really enjoy the taste.
I added some kind of horrifying to me pictures to my journal to use for comparison and motivation also.

Ds is going to blow up some pics of me at goal to add to my exercise room also to remind me what I am aiming for. He also blew up a picture of my medicine with a big red X through it to hang up.

[back2me2007]

Yesterday - the most carbs I've had in a day except TG. 1- 1/2 cups of chili calc by fitday = 28 - finished the day with ecc of 38. Prot @ 132. As much as I love chili, I have to admit I was miserable during the nite. Back to the boring but feel good stuff.

Hope you are feeling better Monty! My mom once made chili with chopped cauliflower. It was not 100% right on but it was very good and gave it a good texture.

I add lots of chopped mushrooms and green peppers to mine instead of the beans. It is pretty good!

[Frank Hagan]

Well I blew it a bit with a few bites of carbage after 2 glasses of wine. My carbs in all actuality were probably not that much too high as I was at pretty much zero before the bites. However the quality of the food I took bites of was not good healthy food! Ok dust of get on the horse again. I can not believe how intoxicated I got on 6-8 oz of wine or how awful I feel now :( I may flop and fail on occasion but I am not done trying. Guess I learn my lessons slowly.

I guess the trick is to even out your carb allotment throughout the day. I find it really easy to eat very little carbs for breakfast (eggs and bacon and black coffee = 2g), then a bit more at lunch with some nuts as the "crunchy part" of the meal (5g), then want to consume the balance at night. Usually we have a green veggie that adds some carbs, and my snack of choice has been almonds and walnuts (both relatively low in carbs, but if you eat a ton of them ...)

But that's not really what the plan is supposed to be for me. My goal is to reduce the blood sugar roller coaster, where I get hungry, eat, am satisfied for two hours, then get extremely tired and feel hungry again (leading to one more snack ...) So it would be better to have my 30 - 40g of carbs spaced out throughout the day.

This is the final battle for me. I think I have the rest mastered. My blood work keeps improving, I'm losing weight and happy with my progress, but realize its a habit that could be my undoing when I head into maintenance. I might be better with no carb protein as a late night snack (such as cheddar cheese, bacon, etc).

[back2me2007]

I agree 110% on spacing it out through the day. As I diabetic my meter confirms that works much better. I have to agree maintenance is hard . I did great for a few years then started "tweaking" and I'm definitely not 134!

I never thought of bacon as a snack good idea. In my menus colby is a frequent bedtime snack with my pill. MMMM bacon sounds like a nice change.

You are really doing a great job and that is awesome your blood work keeps improving!

I have full faith I may slip and slide but there is not doubt I will get there. Then just to stay there!

Thank you so much for your insight Frank.