My first christmas with T2

[jill55]

Hi all .... I was wondering if anybody had any tips for the festive period ? How do you get through it without massive rises in blood sugars ! ...I feel like it will be an ordeal trying to find what you can eat or drink so kind of dreading it ...

 

[Vince_UK]

Hi all .... I was wondering if anybody had any tips for the festive period ? How do you get through it without massive rises in blood sugars ! ...I feel like it will be an ordeal trying to find what you can eat or drink so kind of dreading it ...

HI Jill, I am in the same boat so as to speak, so you are defnitely not alone in this issue.
I love Chirstmas food terrifically and find the prospect of not having my mince pies, cakes etc quite depressing.
I will be watching here to see what advise is given if you don't mind.

 

[Dave W]

You are allowed occasional 'treats', and a couple of days of indulgence won't make a vast difference to your average BS level. Just be sensible, enjoy a slice of Christmas cake, a couple of mince pies, some Christmas pud (double cream with it is better than custard).Take it easy with roast potatoes but enjoy chicken or turkey and the veg. Forget about testing your BG for a day or two, cos you don't really want to know and for a couple of days of indulgence and enjoyment, it doesn't really matter in the long run.
Have a happy festive season!

Dave.

 

[Vince_UK]

You are allowed occasional 'treats', and a couple of days of indulgence won't make a vast difference to your average BS level. Just be sensible, enjoy a slice of Christmas cake, a couple of mince pies, some Christmas pud (double cream with it is better than custard).Take it easy with roast potatoes but enjoy chicken or turkey and the veg. Forget about testing your BG for a day or two, cos you don't really want to know and for a couple of days of indulgence and enjoyment, it doesn't really matter in the long run.
Have a happy festive season!

Dave.

Thanks for the advice Dave
Lifted my Pre Christmas depression quite a lot 🙂

 

[Ljc]

No need to panic. As @Dave W said, we are allowed the occasional treat. Just don’t go overboard on them, you can have smaller portions of the roast potatoes, stuffing, Christmas cake/pud and chocs etc, Let’s face it it’s only two days out of the year. And if you need a good excuse to not to have something being offered you that you know you really shouldn’t have because you’ve slightly overdone the treats, then I’ve found that smiling and patting ones tum whilst saying no thanks I’m stuffed helps

 

[Vince_UK]

No need to panic. As @Dave W said, we are allowed the occasional treat. Just don’t go overboard on them, you can have smaller portions of the roast potatoes, stuffing, Christmas cake/pud and chocs etc, Let’s face it it’s only two days out of the year. And if you need a good excuse to not to have something being offered you that you know you really shouldn’t have because you’ve slightly overdone the treats, then I’ve found that smiling and patting ones tum whilst saying no thanks I’m stuffed helps

Getting better Lin lol Vince is getting happier

 

[Drummer]

As I know that even small amounts of carbs send my BG levels up into the teens I will be enjoying a low carb Christmas just like last year - there is so much to enjoy without sugars and starches in the way of foods, and an additional incentive are the family - I have four grandchildren I'd like to visit, and other family and friends all far more important to me than eating.

 

[AJLang]

I hope you all find good ways to enjoy Christmas. I can't remember a Christmas without diabetes and for many years we were not told how adjust doses for Christmas food (not sure if it was even possible) but it hasn't stopped me from having a brilliant time at Christmas 🙂

 

[Amigo]

Don’t forget the importance of exercise at Christmas so a good post dinner walk will work wonders on the excesses we don’t usually have.

This will be my third Christmas with diabeties and I cope by having little tasters of things rather than the full monty I would have had pre-D. So a tiny portion of Christmas pudding, a mini mince pie, the odd chocolate instead of grazing with abandon.

I see it like this...nothing is banned but I’m making conscious decisions now and that’s the difference. There’s alternatives and I’m pretty keen on keeping my eyesight and limbs for foreseeable Christmases!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I’ve shared this once before, but whatever your type of diabetes or how many Christmases you have been through, I think 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".

...

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.


Full post (with much more detail) here: http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.co.uk/2006/11/thanksgiving-and-other-feasts.html

 

[jill55]

Thanks everyone i feel a bit better now about the festive time as trying so hard to get things under some slight control since diagnosis in october .... feeling quite proud of myself for loosing a stone just another 2 to go !!!!

 

[nickinwarwick]

I'm glad this thread has been started since I'm in the same boat too. (OK not first Christmas since diagnosis but first Christmas since taking things seriously). It's not the main Christmas dinner which I'm thinking about - I should be ok just having less (or maybe just one) roast potato. It's more the snacking that's a potential issue, the constant conveyor belt of chocolates, nuts, etc.

I don't really want to eat 'bad' things though, and undo any good work from losing weight and getting bg levels under control these last few months.

 

[Forgetful55]

I was very surprised yesterday after a lovely lunch out of two roast spuds lots of roast pork apple sauce and carrots two hours later my blood sugar was only 6.2. I had walked around afterwards but not a long walk just shopping in a town and then round a Tescos. Its only the carbs we have to watch.. NOT everything else.

After six months of lower carbs.. I still eat about 30g or sometimes about 20 g with each meal I am back in the pre diabetic range Hba1c.

It can be done and I am feeling positive about my first Diabetic Christmas.

So no worries.

 

[Forgetful55]

Have to add this.. was shocked to see that inspite of feasting on cheese butter nuts even pork scratchings on occasion and have to be honest I do like fish so lots of salmon my HDL cholesterol was 3.1 and the DSN said I did not need statins as my ratios were so good even though my total cholesterol was 6.2. Would not have taken them anyway to be fair. But I must conclude from this that it is high carbs and not high fat that is the problem with cholesterol.?

 

[ajax]

I have little leeway in which to manage my diabetes ..so I avoid ✻Xmas fare✻ altogether.

 

[Susie P]

So glad this thread was started it will be my first Christmas as well so its good to know we can have a little of what we fancy. I guess the important thing is moderation. As always this forum is full of good info.

 

[Beck S]

It'll be my first christmas too, and this thread has made me feel tonnes better about heading into Christmas. Thanks guys 🙂

 

[Dave W]

I was just thinking back to two years ago and my first Christmas with diabetes. Just about two weeks after diagnosis we won the star prize in the village school Chrismas raffle. It was a really massive hamper of Christmas goodies - all of them full of sugars and carbs. I had a portion of Christmas pud and a couple of mince pies and grand daughter and visitors did really well out of our win.
We did well in the raffle this year, but thankfully it was smelly stuff and not eats!

 

[Drummer]

Having always had to watch my intake of carbs due to my weight increasing so fast, I just don't seem to associate Christmas with carbs - and having found that I can make Yorkshire puddings with lots of eggs, some bread flour and diluted cream I will be having what is a fairly traditional Christmas dinner for me - and a very traditional tea to follow - including a trifle with real custard and a layer of fruit set in gelatine with almond flour sponge fingers, possibly with a layer of sugar free jelly in between. I might try out Dundee cake with alterations to make it lower in carbs - but am more likely to be experimenting with shortbreads as they are family favourite. Rather than a tin of ordinary chocolates various flavoured creams on discs of high cocoa chocolate might be concocted if I don't eat the chocolate as it comes. There are always options.

 

[JayBay]

This will be my third Christmas and I have to say I am really looking forward to it. I know what I can eat and as I do all the cooking and baking for the big day it is easier to control. I do a very low carb starter, don’t have potatoes and make a dessert that I can have small amount of with lots of cream and a really lovely cheese selection. I am busy all day and don’t eat chocolates and sweets. I have small glasses of bubbly and large glasses of red wine. At the end of the day I feel great, unlike everyone else in the house as they are sat in front of the tv feeling rather uncomfortable and a bit sick. I am busy all day and always walk the dogs after lunch. I love Christmas and diabetes is not going to change that, just make it a bit more of a challenge.