Christmas dinner questions...

Let me see if I can say something about 'all the fuss'--I think most people are used to over-
indulging over the holidays, and we don't want to sabotage our losses and our new WOL, so we start
to dread that aspect of the holidays far in advance.

Most people do a lot more entertaining or attending parties than they normally would, and that,
right there, includes a higher consumption of points. Also, when you're with family, in my case, on
Christmas Eve, there is so much excitement and cause for celebration, you could easily end up
enjoying more food and drink than you normally would. You also make extras for dinner that you
normally wouldn't. Christmas is the only time I serve appetizers prior to dinner, usually different
kinds of cheese, and, of course, pickled herring. Dinner itself is three courses instead of two.
Since I hide a whole almond in the rice pudding for a prize, the kids gorge on dessert, I just sit
and laugh.

We also open our presents on Christmas Eve, that's where the chocolates come in.

Our Christmas celebration is a tradition my DDIL and DSIL have whole-heartedly embraced and I just
don't want to change it. This is also the first Christmas I've really looked forward to since my DH
died five years ago, so I intend to enjoy the time with my family, and if I gain a bit--so be it,
it'll come off again.

But you're right, it's a case of different food, plus eating at different times, and we just have to
hope our new WOL can see us through.

BTW, I don't think you're odd at all.

Linda

[email hidden] (Kate=A0Dicey) Am I odd? People here and elsewhere seem to be
twittering on about over indulging at Christmas, as if eating too much was mandatory! We never seem
to have MORE food - just different food! We have venison rather than roast chicken (today's Sunday
dinner), sprouts rather than cauliflower (though we do eat quite a lot of sprouts, as they are one
of my son's favourite vegetables), and Christmas pud rather than apple crumble! We might start the
meal with smoked salmon... And I shall have half fat creme fraiche with my pud rather than double
cream (don't like brandy butter - way too sweet!) We tend to eat the cakes and mince pies as parts
of meals, and the only real extras are nuts in shells (again, a favourite of my son) and a big
basket of fresh fruit. Chocolates? No, not many! I'm getting used to doing without, and DH, being a
type 1 diabetic, doesn't indulge much anyway! These days I'd rather have a reel of glittery metallic
stripy thread than an expensive box of chocolates! Points values for a couple of meals may be up on
the usual (8-i=3D10 rather than 7-8 for the main meal), but there's nothing disastrous in any of it.
Why do people get so bothered by it all? I love the excitement generated by making all the cakes (I
make lots to give away) and stuff, but we just eat it in ordinary meals! And I point every bite I
eat, same as usual, so there's no change there... Tell me - what IS all the fuss about?
--

Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons diceyhome.free-online.co.ukdiceyhome.free-online.co.ukOpen ↗
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

I have to agree with Linda's comments. Christmas means more family gatherings and more
(different) desserts than most other holidays many of them made with chocolate. This was the
first year that we went to the local club for Thanksgiving buffet dinner. Their spread at
Christmas time is twice as big.

"Kate Dicey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message -"]news:[email hidden]-
online.co.uk...

Quoted message said:

Am I odd? People here and elsewhere seem to be twittering on about over indulging at Christmas, as
if eating too much was mandatory! We never seem to have MORE food - just different food! We have
venison rather than roast chicken (today's Sunday dinner), sprouts rather than cauliflower (though
we do eat quite a lot of sprouts, as they are one of my son's favourite vegetables), and Christmas
pud rather than apple crumble! We might start the meal with smoked salmon... And I shall have half
fat creme fraiche with my pud rather than double cream (don't like brandy butter - way too sweet!)

We tend to eat the cakes and mince pies as parts of meals, and the only real extras are nuts in
shells (again, a favourite of my son) and a big basket of fresh fruit. Chocolates? No, not many!
I'm getting used to doing without, and DH, being a type 1 diabetic, doesn't indulge much anyway!
These days I'd rather have a reel of glittery metallic stripy thread than an expensive box of
chocolates!

Points values for a couple of meals may be up on the usual (8-i=10 rather than 7-8 for the main
meal), but there's nothing disastrous in any of it. Why do people get so bothered by it all?

I love the excitement generated by making all the cakes (I make lots to give away) and stuff, but
we just eat it in ordinary meals! And I point every bite I eat, same as usual, so there's no
change there...

Tell me - what IS all the fuss about?
--

Quoted message said:

Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons diceyhome.free-online.co.ukdiceyhome.free-online.co.ukOpen ↗
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

many do not have this amount of planning or control in their lives, also
many are not at their home environment so feel less in control as we say in
my family, at the mercy of the in-laws, Lee
Kate Dicey <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Am I odd? People here and elsewhere seem to be twittering on about over indulging at Christmas, as
if eating too much was mandatory! We never seem to have MORE food - just different food! We have
venison rather than roast chicken (today's Sunday dinner), sprouts rather than cauliflower (though
we do eat quite a lot of sprouts, as they are one of my son's favourite vegetables), and Christmas
pud rather than apple crumble! We might start the meal with smoked salmon... And I shall have half
fat creme fraiche with my pud rather than double cream (don't like brandy butter - way too sweet!)

We tend to eat the cakes and mince pies as parts of meals, and the only real extras are nuts in
shells (again, a favourite of my son) and a big basket of fresh fruit. Chocolates? No, not many!
I'm getting used to doing without, and DH, being a type 1 diabetic, doesn't indulge much anyway!
These days I'd rather have a reel of glittery metallic stripy thread than an expensive box of
chocolates!

Points values for a couple of meals may be up on the usual (8-i=10 rather than 7-8 for the main
meal), but there's nothing disastrous in any of it. Why do people get so bothered by it all?

I love the excitement generated by making all the cakes (I make lots to give away) and stuff, but
we just eat it in ordinary meals! And I point every bite I eat, same as usual, so there's no
change there...

Tell me - what IS all the fuss about?
--

Quoted message said:

Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons diceyhome.free-online.co.ukdiceyhome.free-online.co.ukOpen ↗
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

To add to everyone else's answer we don't do a "traditional" dinner in my family. We spend so much
time between our house, my parents house, and my MIL house (all of us live in the same town) that we
don't have time to make a dinner--we snack. We have cheese, crackers, smokies, vegi's with dip,
chips, desserts, etc... For me it's hectic and this has become a tradition the rest of my family
would be upset about changing so I won't make them just because I've changed my eating habits--my
philosophy is "it's normal for people to over-eat and over-indulge once in a while, everyone does it
at some point--I have to learn not to do it everyday". I'll also throw in--our family also has a
tradition of going out for dessert after driving around looking at Christmas lights and trying to
find Santa Clause on Christmas Eve and on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day we also do a lot of
snacking and no actual meals. On all these days we have foods we wouldn't "normally" eat as a
general rule for the day. I don't believe the over-eating is mandatory but it happens and coming to
the board and planning ahead for it actually helps me to stay in focus!! I hope this helps a little
bit in answering what it's all about!!

P.S. I don't think you're odd, your question made me think!!! 🙂

--
Janice
263/257/150 (maybe 130)

"Kate Dicey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message -"]news:[email hidden]-
online.co.uk...

Quoted message said:

Am I odd? People here and elsewhere seem to be twittering on about over indulging at Christmas, as
if eating too much was mandatory! We never seem to have MORE food - just different food! We have
venison rather than roast chicken (today's Sunday dinner), sprouts rather than cauliflower (though
we do eat quite a lot of sprouts, as they are one of my son's favourite vegetables), and Christmas
pud rather than apple crumble! We might start the meal with smoked salmon... And I shall have half
fat creme fraiche with my pud rather than double cream (don't like brandy butter - way too sweet!)

We tend to eat the cakes and mince pies as parts of meals, and the only real extras are nuts in
shells (again, a favourite of my son) and a big basket of fresh fruit. Chocolates? No, not many!
I'm getting used to doing without, and DH, being a type 1 diabetic, doesn't indulge much anyway!
These days I'd rather have a reel of glittery metallic stripy thread than an expensive box of
chocolates!

Points values for a couple of meals may be up on the usual (8-i=10 rather than 7-8 for the main
meal), but there's nothing disastrous in any of it. Why do people get so bothered by it all?

I love the excitement generated by making all the cakes (I make lots to give away) and stuff, but
we just eat it in ordinary meals! And I point every bite I eat, same as usual, so there's no
change there...

Tell me - what IS all the fuss about?
--

Quoted message said:

Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons diceyhome.free-online.co.ukdiceyhome.free-online.co.ukOpen ↗
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

When nothin' says lovin' like something from the oven (according to the ads), there can be extra
pressure during the Christmas season that began this weekend to eat the sweets and treats as a
gesture of affection.

During the rest of the year, planning for a single occasion or event isn't so hard. Or going off
plan for same doesn't spell weight loss disaster. But when the occasion goes on for a month--and the
temptations are ever-present--resolve can weaken. At my office, between the daily homemade cookie
contributions from staff and the gifts of candy from vendors lying about on every available
horizontal surface, I can't walk two steps out of my workstation without encountering some
delectable. Some days are easier to cope than others.

So I think being a-twitter with concern about over-indulging is an acknowledgment that vigilance and
planning and forgiveness are even more important during the coming weeks.

Prairie Roots

Kate Dicey said:

Am I odd? People here and elsewhere seem to be twittering on about over indulging at Christmas, as
if eating too much was mandatory! We never seem to have MORE food - just different food! We have
venison rather than roast chicken (today's Sunday dinner), sprouts rather than cauliflower (though
we do eat quite a lot of sprouts, as they are one of my son's favourite vegetables), and Christmas
pud rather than apple crumble! We might start the meal with smoked salmon... And I shall have half
fat creme fraiche with my pud rather than double cream (don't like brandy butter - way too sweet!)

We tend to eat the cakes and mince pies as parts of meals, and the only real extras are nuts in
shells (again, a favourite of my son) and a big basket of fresh fruit. Chocolates? No, not many!
I'm getting used to doing without, and DH, being a type 1 diabetic, doesn't indulge much anyway!
These days I'd rather have a reel of glittery metallic stripy thread than an expensive box of
chocolates!

Points values for a couple of meals may be up on the usual (8-i=10 rather than 7-8 for the main
meal), but there's nothing disastrous in any of it. Why do people get so bothered by it all?

I love the excitement generated by making all the cakes (I make lots to give away) and stuff, but
we just eat it in ordinary meals! And I point every bite I eat, same as usual, so there's no
change there...

Tell me - what IS all the fuss about?

Janice,

What I liked about your post is that you have addressed your need to change your overall eating
without penalizing your family. This is relevant to me as I couldn't see making DH take things out
of the house I might have difficulty with. It would be more secure if some of the snacks we keep
were temporarily out of here but in keeping with my commitment not to change things I couldn't live
with from now on I decided it was better to learn to deal with this while I was losing rather than
wait until I was trying to get the hang of staying at goal, Lee Janice Kennish
<[email hidden]> wrote in message news:xFwyb.267446$9E1.1409550@attbi_s52...

Quoted message said:

To add to everyone else's answer we don't do a "traditional" dinner in my family. We spend so much
time between our house, my parents house, and my MIL house (all of us live in the same town) that
we don't have time to

make

Quoted message said:

a dinner--we snack. We have cheese, crackers, smokies, vegi's with dip, chips, desserts, etc...
For me it's hectic and this has become a

tradition

Quoted message said:

the rest of my family would be upset about changing so I won't make them just because I've changed
my eating habits--my philosophy is "it's normal for people to over-eat and over-indulge once in a
while, everyone does it

at

Quoted message said:

some point--I have to learn not to do it everyday". I'll also throw

in--our

Quoted message said:

family also has a tradition of going out for dessert after driving around looking at Christmas
lights and trying to find Santa Clause on Christmas

Eve

Quoted message said:

and on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day we also do a lot of snacking and

no

Quoted message said:

actual meals. On all these days we have foods we wouldn't "normally" eat

as

Quoted message said:

a general rule for the day. I don't believe the over-eating is mandatory but it happens and coming
to the board and planning ahead for it actually helps me to stay in focus!! I hope this helps a
little bit in answering what it's all about!!

P.S. I don't think you're odd, your question made me think!!! 🙂

--
Janice
263/257/150 (maybe 130)

"Kate Dicey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message -"]news:[email hidden]-
online.co.uk...

Quoted message said:

Am I odd? People here and elsewhere seem to be twittering on about over indulging at Christmas,
as if eating too much was mandatory! We never seem to have MORE food - just different food! We
have venison rather than roast chicken (today's Sunday dinner), sprouts rather than cauliflower
(though we do eat quite a lot of sprouts, as they are one of my son's favourite vegetables), and
Christmas pud rather than apple crumble! We might start the meal with smoked salmon... And I
shall have half fat creme fraiche with my pud rather than double cream (don't like brandy butter
- way too sweet!)

We tend to eat the cakes and mince pies as parts of meals, and the only real extras are nuts in
shells (again, a favourite of my son) and a big basket of fresh fruit. Chocolates? No, not many!
I'm getting used to doing without, and DH, being a type 1 diabetic, doesn't indulge much anyway!
These days I'd rather have a reel of glittery metallic stripy thread than an expensive box of
chocolates!

Points values for a couple of meals may be up on the usual (8-i=10 rather than 7-8 for the main
meal), but there's nothing disastrous in any of it. Why do people get so bothered by it all?

I love the excitement generated by making all the cakes (I make lots to give away) and stuff,
but we just eat it in ordinary meals! And I point every bite I eat, same as usual, so there's no
change there...

Tell me - what IS all the fuss about?
--

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons diceyhome.free-diceyhome.free-Open ↗
online.co.uk Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

strange though it may seem, the actual holiday doesn't usually trip me up. It is all the visual cues
in the stores, and a kind of ongoing thing with me around this time of year.

"Miss Violette" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

many do not have this amount of planning or control in their lives, also many are not at their
home environment so feel less in control as we say

in

Quoted message said:

my family, at the mercy of the in-laws, Lee Kate Dicey <[email hidden]> wrote in
message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Am I odd? People here and elsewhere seem to be twittering on about over indulging at Christmas,
as if eating too much was mandatory! We never seem to have MORE food - just different food! We
have venison rather than roast chicken (today's Sunday dinner), sprouts rather than cauliflower
(though we do eat quite a lot of sprouts, as they are one of my son's favourite vegetables), and
Christmas pud rather than apple crumble! We might start the meal with smoked salmon... And I
shall have half fat creme fraiche with my pud rather than double cream (don't like brandy butter
- way too sweet!)

We tend to eat the cakes and mince pies as parts of meals, and the only real extras are nuts in
shells (again, a favourite of my son) and a big basket of fresh fruit. Chocolates? No, not many!
I'm getting used to doing without, and DH, being a type 1 diabetic, doesn't indulge much anyway!
These days I'd rather have a reel of glittery metallic stripy thread than an expensive box of
chocolates!

Points values for a couple of meals may be up on the usual (8-i=10 rather than 7-8 for the main
meal), but there's nothing disastrous in any of it. Why do people get so bothered by it all?

I love the excitement generated by making all the cakes (I make lots to give away) and stuff,
but we just eat it in ordinary meals! And I point every bite I eat, same as usual, so there's no
change there...

Tell me - what IS all the fuss about?
--

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons diceyhome.free-diceyhome.free-Open ↗
online.co.uk Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

yeah. That says it.

"Prairie Roots" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

When nothin' says lovin' like something from the oven (according to the ads), there can be extra
pressure during the Christmas season that began this weekend to eat the sweets and treats as a
gesture of affection.

During the rest of the year, planning for a single occasion or event isn't so hard. Or going off
plan for same doesn't spell weight loss disaster. But when the occasion goes on for a month--and
the temptations are ever-present--resolve can weaken. At my office, between the daily homemade
cookie contributions from staff and the gifts of candy from vendors lying about on every available
horizontal surface, I can't walk two steps out of my workstation without encountering some
delectable. Some days are easier to cope than others.

So I think being a-twitter with concern about over-indulging is an acknowledgment that vigilance
and planning and forgiveness are even more important during the coming weeks.

Prairie Roots

Kate Dicey said:

Am I odd? People here and elsewhere seem to be twittering on about over indulging at Christmas,
as if eating too much was mandatory! We never seem to have MORE food - just different food! We
have venison rather than roast chicken (today's Sunday dinner), sprouts rather than cauliflower
(though we do eat quite a lot of sprouts, as they are one of my son's favourite vegetables), and
Christmas pud rather than apple crumble! We might start the meal with smoked salmon... And I
shall have half fat creme fraiche with my pud rather than double cream (don't like brandy butter
- way too sweet!)

We tend to eat the cakes and mince pies as parts of meals, and the only real extras are nuts in
shells (again, a favourite of my son) and a big basket of fresh fruit. Chocolates? No, not many!
I'm getting used to doing without, and DH, being a type 1 diabetic, doesn't indulge much anyway!
These days I'd rather have a reel of glittery metallic stripy thread than an expensive box of
chocolates!

Points values for a couple of meals may be up on the usual (8-i=10 rather than 7-8 for the main
meal), but there's nothing disastrous in any of it. Why do people get so bothered by it all?

I love the excitement generated by making all the cakes (I make lots to give away) and stuff, but
we just eat it in ordinary meals! And I point every bite I eat, same as usual, so there's no
change there...

Tell me - what IS all the fuss about?

that is not at all strange, if you are in the store and see all of those
sweets and the ingredients to make them it gets you thinking about them,
Lee, makes not to self to add "can't be tripped up by bags of choc. chips,
to the short list of things it is OK she can't see...
Lesanne <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

strange though it may seem, the actual holiday doesn't usually trip me up. It is all the visual
cues in the stores, and a kind of ongoing thing with

me

Quoted message said:

around this time of year.

"Miss Violette" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

many do not have this amount of planning or control in their lives, also many are not at their
home environment so feel less in control as we say

in

Quoted message said:

my family, at the mercy of the in-laws, Lee Kate Dicey <[email hidden]> wrote
in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Am I odd? People here and elsewhere seem to be twittering on about

over

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

indulging at Christmas, as if eating too much was mandatory! We never seem to have MORE food -
just different food! We have venison rather than roast chicken (today's Sunday dinner),
sprouts rather than cauliflower (though we do eat quite a lot of sprouts, as they are one

of

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

my son's favourite vegetables), and Christmas pud rather than apple crumble! We might start
the meal with smoked salmon... And I shall have half fat creme fraiche with my pud rather than
double cream

(don't

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

like brandy butter - way too sweet!)

We tend to eat the cakes and mince pies as parts of meals, and the

only

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

real extras are nuts in shells (again, a favourite of my son) and a

big

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

basket of fresh fruit. Chocolates? No, not many! I'm getting used

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

doing without, and DH, being a type 1 diabetic, doesn't indulge much anyway! These days I'd
rather have a reel of glittery metallic stripy thread than an expensive box of chocolates!

Points values for a couple of meals may be up on the usual (8-i=10 rather than 7-8 for the
main meal), but there's nothing disastrous in any of it. Why do people get so bothered by it
all?

I love the excitement generated by making all the cakes (I make lots

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

give away) and stuff, but we just eat it in ordinary meals! And I

point

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

every bite I eat, same as usual, so there's no change there...

Tell me - what IS all the fuss about?
--

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons diceyhome.free-diceyhome.free-Open ↗
online.co.uk Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

Lesanne said:

yeah. That says it.

Maybe it's more different in the USA than I thought...

My parents were of an age that war time rationing made a BIG impression on - teenagers during most
of it! Neither wasted food. There was always plenty to eat and plenty for occasional drop in guests,
but it was never there to pick at 24 hours a day. Meals still happened at meal times, and, as I said
before, we might eat festive fare, but we didn't actually eat MORE than on other days... Because of
my father's working pattern that day, we had breakfast at much the usual time: and as on any other
day, it was usually porridge or cereal followed by eggs and toast... Lunch was usually home made
soup and a roll, followed by fruit
- there were always Mandarins at Christmas as a special treat, as well as apples and bananas. Mid
afternoon we'd stop for tea and a slice of Christmas Cake, and then dinner would be just like
Sunday dinner, but with a turkey and Christmas pudding rather than roast lamb and apple crumble.
There were always chocolates on the Christmas tree, but we only got one each per day!

I follow much the same pattern, though we usually have venison rather than turkey, so I didn't have
any problem last year fitting in the occasional glass of wine and slice of cake instead of my usual
WW snack bars. I think over the whole holiday period, the only days I didn't count points were New
Years Eve and New Years Day, and while I did drink my share of the wine, I also made sensible,
healthy food choices, such as poached salmon rather than pork pie, boiled spuds not mashed, no
butter on the veggies, salad without dressings, and the like. I gained about half a pound over the
two weeks. I just hope I do as well this week, never mind this Christmas! With my gall bladder op on
Dec 22, it won't be too hard to stay on points, I hope. The things MOST likely to snooker me are
roasted nuts and cheese! I just LOVE a nice bit of mature Stilton or Cheddar with my Christmas cake.

--

Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons diceyhome.free-online.co.ukdiceyhome.free-online.co.ukOpen ↗
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!