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How to cope with 1st Christmas as a diabetic

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Amigo

Amigo

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I apologise that this may seem almost trivial in view of what others are experiencing at the moment but this will be my first Christmas as a Type2 diabetic (well diagnosed anyway) and it's already proving an extra challenge.

The shops are full of tempting goodies and the festive food is hard to avoid especially if you're cooking for a family. In truth, do others cheat a bit at Christmas or are you all saint like in your resolve to be good all year round?

Because I'm diet controlled alone, I'm not sure I can afford to loosen my grip at all and high numbers scare the life out of me.

How do others manage this at times of high temptation?
 
Saint like - Umm not me! 😛
To a certain extent I tend to go for portion control - a little bit of a treat occasionally won't hurt.

I tend to forego any pudding but I'll allow rosties and may a few other small things. Generally i still manage to put on a couple of extra kg over xmas - but that's more because I don't get so much time outside due to the weather. The only thing I've really knocked on the head is having some sparkling wine as they are generally very sweet and give me a high later (when thew alcohol has worn off).

Remember it's the carbs that makes your numbers climb. So having a nice roast meat that you wouldn't otherwise have won't hurt.
 
We all need a treat from time to time. Relax and enjoy Christmas and allow your self some treats. Among the things I do to get round it is make custard with soya as it reduces the carbs and as we have custard with something sweet I don't put sugar in it. It all depends on what you like, I am not keen on mince pies or Christmas cake so make up for it with the chocolate box.
 
I agree. While I don't 'go nuts' and pig out on the pud, I will have small amounts of the good bits and thoroughly enjoy the treat. Have a bit of what you fancy on he day then go back to being a 'good' diabetic on Boxing day.
 
The best post I have read on this was by Jennifer of 'test, test test' fame, which I found a couple of years back via AlanS (test review adjust)'s blog. Well worth a read:

With the holidays coming up, give yourself permission to be human.There is a lot of great food that will be out there soon. Don't try to steel yourself against all of it. You most likely won't be able to, and then you'll have guilt on top of it.

Choose your times. And then enjoy a piece of cake. A dollop of mashed potato. That holiday cookie that only shows up once a year. Make it your CHOICE, not a moment of weakness that will haunt you. That way you'll be able to enjoy it so much more, AND not fall into the "well I messed up, might as well eat the plateful".
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Whatever you decide to eat or not eat, the most important thing is that YOU control it. If you choose to have some pumpkin pie, make it your conscious decision. Not a mindless "What the hell" or a forced "NO"through gritted teeth. You decide. Only you.
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Full post (with much more detail) here: http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.co.uk/2006/11/thanksgiving-and-other-feasts.html
 
I find getting out for a good walk after Christmas and Boxing Day lunch works wonders. It's easy for me, because I'm in charge of the catering, but I reckon, if you're serving Xmas pud, there's no reason to produce mince pies as well, save them for a treat to look forward to another day. I also cook a smallish pud, so once it's gone it's gone, and nobody needs seconds after all that turkey anyway. The upside of this is, I've been able to look really smug come Jan 1 when I haven't put any weight on, and everyone else is looking glum and letting their clothes out!
 
Well I honestly believe Amigo that there are two days in every single year that are carbohydrate-free!!

One is Dec 25th and the other, is your birthday.

OK ?

Oh - and I just have a bit of whatever it is I fancy. After all - what with avoiding whatever it might be for all this time - if I have shedloads it will most likely make me throw up. And I by no means regard CUSTARD as a treat - hardly what anyone would have on a special occasion, which is when you have treats isn't it? - custard is just very very ordinary food! If you can put custard on it, you can put cream on it. Cream is carb-free. Cream is also a treat anyway, something you only get on high days and holidays - like roast chicken - only Xmas and Easter when I was little! Need I say more?
 
Hi Amigo. Definitely not a trivial sounding question. Being a chocoholic it's a real struggle for me so I just try to enjoy what I have but limit it as much as possible. The xmas dinner needn't be too bad if you can pile lots of meat and veg on your plate and limit the rest. As its only one day a year I don't think it does too much harm except maybe psychologically. I struggle to get back on track if there's things laying around after. Christmas can drift on for days if you don't make a definite plan to return to sensible eating straight away. You seem to be very controlled most of the time though so deserve a relaxed day 🙂
 
Some great advice everyone and thanks for understanding 🙂

I'm not so worried about the Christmas dinner itself but the goodies that linger around the house after that. At the moment, because it's my first year in this position, I feel like I'm walking round a delicious sweet shop with my mouth taped shut! :( This requires such a massive attitudinal shift and I can see why people struggle.

I absolutely know I'll still feel compelled to test but I'll need to relax the parameters a bit. Portion control and going for a walk afterwards are obviously the key. Fortunately I'm not mad on mince pies and Christmas pudding but there's some little marzipan Yule logs that the bakers have only this time of the year that I crave!

I think the point everyday makes is important too. As long as I'm making the conscious decision to control a bit of excess, I won't feel like I'm mindlessly running amok and causing myself risks.

Thanks everyone x
 
Amigo said:
Some great advice everyone and thanks for understanding 🙂

there's some little marzipan Yule logs that the bakers have only this time of the year that I crave!
Thanks everyone x
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I think a couple of those spaced out would be great. Hope you enjoy them! 🙂
 
If you're looking for saints, I think you're looking in the wrong place! :D I fell off several wagons this morning with a scrumptious slice of chocolate cake - boy did I enjoy it🙂
 
I had one christmas as a (wrongly diagnosed) type 2 and must say it was difficult at times. The things that helped me were to keep to a daily carb limit (which was upped a bit around Christmas time) but to choose my carbs wisely. Thus I could have room for treats but not feel like I was out of control. At my work christmas meal I put on another plate, or gave away half my potatoes and cut my desert in half and gave it away immediately. Thus I wasn't having to leave my potatoes or half my pudding but enjoying the food on my plate. I eat any sweet treat slowly and really think about it, thus I enjoy it all the more (I find not talking to people at the same time helps,). It is a treat to be enjoyed, not something I am guiltily shovelling down. I tend to find it easy to say no to shop bought treats as I have have managed to convince myself that I don't need to taste something I already know, but I enjoy a small piece of homemade treats. I can cut a piece of 50 gram cake by eye (not something I should really be proud of...). I guess I am writing this, not to sound like some sort of bah humbug control freak, but because I think you are looking for ways of still feeling in control, but enjoying it too. Happy christmas! 🙂
 
Mince pies (shop bought) should probably be avoided! They're horrid anyway.

But one day of overdosing on carbs won't hurt, especially if you go out for a brisk December stroll after lunch. Just plan for low carb meals on Boxing Day.
 
One of my colleagues last year brought all the excess chocolates into the office from her house such that she wouldn't get tempted.

So instead she goes around tempting the rest of us 😱:D
 
Well I'm actually going to say something alarming for a control freak (yep I admit it I'm a fully paid up member of the club). Let go. It's Christmas and part of the fun is nice food. I choose my treats wisely (hotel chocolate goodies, Yule log) then I just eat what I really want. It's actually really important that you know that you can lose control a bit and then get it back again, it reinforces that you're doing the right thing the other 360 or so days a year. I know that's easier with insulin, so I'm not being flippant I promise you, and losing control terrifies the socks off me (that DKA experience was enough for one lifetime), but consciously accepting that you are temporarily loosening that control is part of managing the condition. It took me a long while to get to that point, but a conscious "letting go" was a big part of it. Test your boundaries, prove you can come back from a period of less control, feed your soul or whatever you believe lives inside these meat sacks of ours, youll come out of the other side knowing (and I mean really knowing) that you've got this 🙂.
 
Ive also been worried about my first christmas as a diabetic, I have decided on what to do.
Christmas day will be at our house, me, my other half and his mum, traditional crimbo dinner with all the trimmings. We'll be too stuffed after that for anything else! Maybe cheese and biscuits in the evening.
Boxing day we will be at my partners mum's house, repeat of christmas dinner (but smaller scale). And i have to have my partners mum's trifle. Its bloody delicious!!! I cant not have any of that. The rest of the time I will be at work anyway.
 
I think the trifle just might be on the menu stitch. Comparing the carb content between an M&S trifle and their Christmas pudding, the trifle has a third of the carb content.

I'd usually make my own but then I absolutely know I'd eat it! 🙄
 
Last year my other half mum run out of sherry so she used Malibu instead, about 1/2 bottle!!! Was very nice though.
 
I'm a Christmas dinner hater, I know, it's very un-Christmassy of me! So I'll be eating chicken Caesar salad and tiramisu. It's OK though I love a Yule log and a chocolate orange so there will be a good nod to Santa o_O
 
Everyone seems to have something associated with Christmas that they'd absolutely hate to have to give up. And it's not usually sprouts! :D

Apart from those goey gorgeous little Yule logs from a certain baker, I love the chocolate caramel sweets from Quality Street but dread anyone bringing a tubful for us this Christmas! Why do the huge boxes and tubs of sweets look cheaper to buy this year or is it my imagination now I can't have them!
 
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