LC hints for the Holidays
 

:( This will by my first year going throught the Holidays low carbing. I have lots of experience going throught the holidays "Low Fatting" :rolleyes: But L Cing is a whole new ball game ~ The main problems for me that I see ahead are:

1. Lots of candy and baked goods to resist
2. Coctails ~ such a social time of year

I'm sure there are other things to look out for.
I thought maybe those of you who have been through the holidays as a low carber before could give some hints and tips on how to handle all these temptations and also other things to look out for. For those of you who are new like me, what are your worries?

You can be social without blowing your diet ;) Who says you have to have a coctail to be social? Grab a glass of soda and walk around like you have a mixed drink. Only you and the bartender knows for sure. Remember if you do chose to drink, alcohol WILL have 10 times the effect it use to, so go easy on it.

My mom bakes all kinds of stuff during the holiday season. Last year I turned all her treats down in favor of the veggie and meat trays that were laid out. My mom kept pushing me to try one and I finally said "Mom, you know I haven't had sugar in 8 months and I am really afraid it would make me sick at this point and spoil the rest of the day for us". Subject dropped and we had a great day. :)

If people know you have resolve about staying on your diet and if you let them know how important it is to you that you remain failthful they understand. Most will admire your willpower.

How important is losing weight to you? How important is it to reach that goal? Remember those reasons when faced with a plate full of Christmas cheer.

:)

I do enjoy having a drink or two with friends. But really have never been a big drinker. Club soda with a twist of lime will probably work for me. I really don't have a problem saying no thanks to a drink, its just that I probably will miss it a little. And certainly wouldn't want to have 10 times the effect on me. That would be a disaster for sure. Through all of this I really have done well staying away from sugar. But I have done that before. Last year I was pretty weak at work and ate alot of Sees candy. I felt miserable but kept eating it. I would probably feel 10 xs worse this year so I think I will just promise myself right now that I will stay away from sugar. If I decide to have a drink I will have a Gin and diet tonic that I mix my self. I guess the big problem for me will be feeling like I'm hurting someones feeling by turning down their home baked goods. But really I just have to remember that there are plenty of others more than willing to eat them ;) Thanks for the input. It will be interesting to see if your Mom enourages you to eat the sweets this year or not.

This is a good thread. I'm becoming anxious already with thanksgiving just a few weeks away. My big thing is people saying, "You don't need to diet." when, in truth, I don't like to think of it as a diet. I really enjoy eating this way and know how gross I'll feel if I gorge on stuffing and potatoes. We'll see. At least we're all here going through similar things. Hope everybody does well!

I have been giving this a great deal of thought too...

Originally, I had planned on just having one day to blow it all out and just enjoy. The temptation of a house full of cookies, pies and candies was just too big a thought. Now that I have been able to re-start my induction this week and actually see some movement on the scale, I'm working hard not to lose that ground.

I am going to make sure that I bring to my mother's house and cheese tray with several yummy things on it, she normally has a roast or a turkey so that will be there already. I will also bring a mashed cauliflour cassarole with sour cream and cheese in lieu of any potato thing on the table.

For dessert, I'm going to make a LC cheesecake and some yummy lo-carb desserts for me and my friend...and when it comes time for the sweets, I will indulge in my own stuff. :D :D

Even if I do have to absolutely try a bite of something else, at least the bulk of what I eat will be more suited to my WOE. :)

At this point, I don't expect perfection or miracles...I just want to stay as balanced and as focused as I can.

Writing up a clear view of Christmas will help...it's NOT all about food! ;)

By the way...my job the week before Christmas is to bake the cookie trays...over 100 dozen different kinds of Italian specials...OY!!! Make them into trays and spread them around... Will I ever need some clarity on THAT day!! :(


:wave:

Xmas
 

Ahhhhhhhhhh Chocolate!!! My favorite thing in the world and of course around Xmas time there is no shortage of it. Last Xmas I made a point of not eating any regular chocolate. I knew that it would be difficult for me to completely abstain so instead I prepared ahead of time. I bought some Ross chocolate bars in my favorite flavors and cut each bar into bite size pieces. Then I put them in a crystal candy bowl and left them out on the coffee table. It felt freeing! I could have a piece whenever I wanted and when I did it really felt decadent. Just my two cents worth.

Enjoyed the many good suggestions for coping with holiday eating. I've been on the WOE for three months and I've been pleasantly surprised at how little attention people pay to what I'm eating. When I'm offerred carb stuff, I just smile and say no thanks. Really, what a person chooses to eat is and should be totally personal!
Cindy

I have already loaded up on my low carb treats for the holidays..i will take them with me! I have Ross choc bars...s/f gummy bears...tons of different nuts...cookie mix which i'll bake up...whipped cream with s/f syrups..and so on and so on :)
Just plan ahead..take alternatives with you so you don't have to go without!

I have yet to see Ross Chocolate Bars around here..maybe that's a good thing.

I make a thanksgiving dinner for relatives and friends. It's actually the only large meal I cook from beginning to end all year long. I'm arranging for my friends to bring the carb things like garlic mash potatoes. I will not stuff the turkey with dressing this year, I'll do a pan of dressing on the side. I am thinking about stuffing the turkey with celery, onions and a little apple. Besides the potatoes and stuffing I plan on green salad and string beans with bacon. Also, I will not have any carb leftovers, I have lots of plastic containers to send the extra home with guests.

I'm also thinking of making my favorite low carb chocolate mosse in addition to the traditional pumpkin pies my Mom will bring. Ummm, dinner sounds good to me.

It'll be fun comparing notes after the big day here on the forum. Thanks to the warnings of others who have eaten carbs at special dinners and reported how bad they felt I don't think I'll be very tempted to eat outside of allowable foods.

Katie

What are Ross chocolate bars? Also I have a recipe for low carb cheese cake. That would be good to make. Being prepared is probably the best thing to do.
As far as taking a day to just "blow it" I just don't know if that is a good idea. Its up to you but really if you have been staying away from sugar etc you will feel so awful you might wish that you had not indulged. I just had some lasagna last week and felt horrible afterwards. My stomach took about 3 days to feel un bloated. Maybe I'm extra sensitive but it really bothered me.
Keep the ideas coming ~ they are great.

Ross bars are s/f choc bars that taste BETTER then any gourmet chocolate bar i have ever tasted..i'm eating one right now...1 carb per bar ;) But they are made with mailitol..so i never eat a whole one..or the toilet will be attatched to me lol

Thanks, where can I find them?

Top 10 list for the Holidays
 

McRumi's Top Ten LC Strategies for the Holidays

10. Get that root canal you've been putting off
9. Arrive early; seek out and quietly throw all chocolate into the fireplace and start a cheery fire.
8. Put your Aunt's pot of mashed potatoes in the oven and crank it to 450 degrees.
7. Pretend you have a horrible cold and let them serve you green tea all night.
6. Tell your relatives NOW that you have already made plans to make that long-desired trip to Paris....and GO!
5. Keep your dog at heel and discretely feed him everything on your plate.
4. Designate yourself as family photographer and make yourself so annoying that everyone will avoid getting within 5 feet of you.
3. Throw the holiday party at your house...host and hostesses NEVER eat.
2. Tell everyone you are on a very strict low fat diet and CANNOT EAT ANY MEAT, POULTRY, CHEESE, GREEN VEGETABLES OR SALAD. Graciously give in when they heap your plate with exactly and only those items.
1. Help out at a soup kitchen or Meal on Wheels. In fact, get the whole family (nuclear or otherwise) involved.


Oh yeah, don't forget to give thanks.

I'm in Canada and i can get them at my local healthfood store now...sorry..not sure where you can get them...i used to order them online before they brought them in...i think it may have been at www.healthierways.com but i could be wrong...i'll try and find out for you :)

McRumi:

Funny, very funny. I supposed we better laugh at it or we might cry!

Katie

I think I might have to pass on the root canal! But maybe I can bring my dog with me~I guess I can eat the dark meat this year with out any guilt. Its my favorite any way. The hard part is I love stuffing with gravey on it. That will be the hardest for me to pass up. I'm not cooking the Thanksgiving meal but I will be doing Christmas and I'm thinking about doing a brunch. I think that might be easier to low carb than dinner.

Jenn thanks for the info one the Ross Bars. :) I wonder if they have them at GNC? I'll have to check.

Suzi - another chocolate bar to look for is Pure-Delite, they're similar to Ross I just like the texture of Ross bars. Also, regarding the Matiltol, if you take a digestive with the bar I find that helps alot. You can order LC chocolate bars, truffles, etc on line. I'm sure most of the LC sites have them.

If it's stuffing you want why not make it with LC bread, in Canada we have "Smart Ones" or you can order other LC breads on line. The gravy doesn't have to be thickened with flour, you can use Not-starch or nothing, just boil it down. Sure it's runnier but the flavor is still there.

McRumi - you are too funny! I wish I had a dog, I'll have to borrow one.

I have a great Pumpkin pie recipe, Nanimo bars and Truffles. I'll post some LC baking recipes in my journal as soon as I get a chance.

There are really so many LC alternatives that make it easy not to cheat. But if you feel you want to plan a cheat day that's OK too. To each his/her own! Happy Holidaying!!!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I was really worried about what I would eat. Thank goodness, my mother just started doing Atkins too! So now, she's going to be making LC gravy, cheese cake, cauliflower puree, and some other stuff I can actually have. I'm sure we'll also have the regular mashed potatoes and stuffing (which I will miss, but not enough to gain weight back for it :D ). I'm just glad I'm going to have really good-tasting options. Hopefully my resolve won't break when I'm passing the stuffing down the table. :rolleyes:

Plus, I'll probably bring along nuts to snack on. I don't eat dairy (intolerant), it'll be hard seeing all the cheese and crackers and chips before the big meal. The thing I'm going to have to work on is eating in moderation -- I think of Thanksgiving as a day to pig out, so it's going to be a little different for me this year. I'm glad to know I'm not alone in thinking this is difficult.

Nanimo Bars! Namino Bars! :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper:

:yum: :yum: :yum:

Please post the recipe!! Must add to my personal LC cookie tray!! :D :D

Thanks...

We are going to the inlaws for Thanksgiving. I already informed my MIL that I would be bringing some low carb corn muffins (Atkins muffin mix) so that I could have something to go with my turkey at dinner. I plan to bring enough that others may have them too... but I don't really care if they do or don't! LOL! I am also going to bring a relish tray of veggies and dip ... so I have something to nibble on ahead of time... particularly because I know the only vegetables that will be served with dinner will be CORN (big no no) and CANDIED YAMS (yuck and also a big no no). I am making a pumpkin pie cheese cake and homemade whipped cream sweetened with Davinci syrups... so I can have a good dessert too. I think doing all that will keep Thanksgiving manageable.

As for Christmas... I am making that meal and it will have LOTS of good low carb options... probably a beautiful prime rib ... with potatoes on the side for my family. :) And... I have already stocked up on my favorite SF chocolate - carbolite bars... and I think I will try that idea about cutting them up and putting them out... that way I don't feel deprived.

For Thanksgiving, I intend to focus on my goal and keep my eye on the ball. I don't have such a hot track record when it comes to holiday eating and I'll never realize my goals if I do the "just this once" song and dance.

Since we have Thanksgiving here, I will cook all the carby stuff that I usually cook, but I will eat only turkey and lowcarb vegetables. The carby leftovers are going home with my grown kids. And I will forfeit the annual pie eating contest this year.
asugar :wave:

<< My big thing is people saying, "You don't need to diet >>

Don't even tell 'em you're on a diet, Skamito! If you don't say anything, maybe no one will even notice what you're not eating. Usually, if someone offers me something that's a no-no, I just say 'No, thanks!' and then immdediately follow up with some other innocuous comment, like "Boy! This year's turkey looks like the best ever, doesn't it?
Even when people do comment on my not eating something, I say 'There's certain foods I have to avoid for health reasons, and I really hate talking about.'


McRumi -- You are absolutely hilarious!!!!! My favorite is ......

<< 2. Tell everyone you are on a very strict low fat diet and CANNOT EAT ANY MEAT, POULTRY, CHEESE, GREEN VEGETABLES OR SALAD. Graciously give in when they heap your plate with exactly and only those items. >>

Saboteurs really irk me!!!

For Thanksgiving I plan to eat LOTS of turkey. I also will have green beans and am thinking of trying the cauliflower "mashed" potato recipe. I think if I have alot of veggies and dip before the turkey part I will not even want any dessert.

But if I do want dessert, I will have one of the Ross Choc Bars that just recently arrived here in Indiana at the CVS store. They sound delicious so I will just have to indulge that day if a sugar craving hits. :roll:

Peg

Hey DoubleD, I bet Atkins corn muffin mix would make great cornbread stuffing! Thanks for the suggestion, I'm going to order a box today so I'll be sure to have it in time!

Now that I have a way to make stuffing legal, the only thing I'm still not sure about for Thanksgiving is dessert. I can pass on mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and sweet potato puff, my folks are being really supportive about providing lots of Atkins-safe food for me. But they have ordered this special cheese cake that's supposed to be beyond amazing, and I would feel really miserable and deprived sitting there watching everyone eat it. So I might go ahead and have a small piece. It would be my first cheat since starting Atkins and in a way I'm kind of curious to find out how it would affect me.

Edited to add that I found a couple of interesting cornbread stuffing recipes on the Bon Appetit website. I'll need to play around with them a bit, but I have to make it in advance anyway, so if it turns out OK I'll post the final recipe & carb counts. :)