Christmas Struggles - TEMPTATIONS EVERYWHERE

AlexMac

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Hey all! T1 diagnosed at the age of 10 (now 32) How do people get on this time of year? I find the temptations an emotional rollercoaster this time of year (suffering pretty badly atm) everyone around me is eating whatever they like whenever they like using christmas as an excuse.....i definitely love sugar - really wish i didnt.........any suggestions on how to stay mentally positive this time of year?? What helps you all? Do you divulge? What insulins are you on? Im on levemir 2x daily and novorapid before meal times.

I find if i eat hardly anything my blood sugars are stable, which sucks because i have such a big appetite! I have the libre which has helped me alot this year! Godsend really. If i'm good i manage my blood sugars well but this time of year depresses me, where i think stuff it, im eating what i want when i want too, and then i suffer badly afterwards, and become mentally unstable, its not worth it in the long run but it tastes so good at the time!

I suffer with depression and supress it as much as possible but it always seems to come out in big blows, and im sure many of you suffer too, Ive never been on forums before but thought i'd join and say hey and try and reach out to fellow diabetics as im sick of boring my friends with diabetic chat haha. Its nice knowing were not alone in this world.

Anyway lovely to virtually meet you all :) stay safe this Christmas x
 

urbanracer

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I became T1 at age 54, just over 6 years ago. The first Christmas was fraught with worry about what I could eat. I love my roasties !
Now I am not so worried, I bolus as best I can and then correct afterwards if everything starts heading South. I find it easier to just roll with the punches.
 

EllieM

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Welcome to the forums @AlexMac . I must admit my blood sugar tends to stray a bit ( a lot) over Christmas. My partner has been known to give me chocolate covered almonds (my secret vice) and last year I ate too many. Though I injected for them I just ended up feeling a bit sick so I'm going to attempt to be much more restrained this year.

I think the trick is to attempt to have low carb treats that you like, so you fill up on them rather than the heavily carby stuff. Unfortunately I'm a lot more insulin resistant than I was ten or twenty years ago and things like mince pies, Christmas pudding etc etc just send my bgs into the stratosphere. But I can have a few roast potatoes and parsnips so it's a question of selecting carefully and injecting....

So, whipped cream with berries anyone?
 

AlexMac

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Welcome to the forums @AlexMac . I must admit my blood sugar tends to stray a bit ( a lot) over Christmas. My partner has been known to give me chocolate covered almonds (my secret vice) and last year I ate too many. Though I injected for them I just ended up feeling a bit sick so I'm going to attempt to be much more restrained this year.

I think the trick is to attempt to have low carb treats that you like, so you fill up on them rather than the heavily carby stuff. Unfortunately I'm a lot more insulin resistant than I was ten or twenty years ago and things like mince pies, Christmas pudding etc etc just send my bgs into the stratosphere. But I can have a few roast potatoes and parsnips so it's a question of selecting carefully and injecting....

So, whipped cream with berries anyone?

Ohhh the chocolate covered almonds are yummy - the dark chocolate kind? I must admit though once i get a taste for one the whole packet is finished LOL! Currently i have 3 boxes of quality street sat opposite me in my office, what isit with quality street this time of year, so many colleagues have tried to give me chocolate based gifts for a present where ive had to admit my diabetes and politely decline. Where's the prosecco at instead?!

What low carby tasty snacks are there? what treats do you go for? IS there a way to help with insulin resistance? Guessing you need double the dose if your resistance is high? - Ive snuck a couple of choccies in with my tea today - its hard to resist with them crying out to me all day! My problem is i want all the cakes, all the pastries and all the sweets but because i tell myself a sharp NO i end up crying.....just like a little child would.
 

AlexMac

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I became T1 at age 54, just over 6 years ago. The first Christmas was fraught with worry about what I could eat. I love my roasties !
Now I am not so worried, I bolus as best I can and then correct afterwards if everything starts heading South. I find it easier to just roll with the punches.

Hi! Roasties are good, carby but slow releasing so not to bad! I correct a lot too, end up doing 8-10 injections some days.
 

urbanracer

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Not being able to eat as many chocolate digestives as I used to.
Hi! Roasties are good, carby but slow releasing so not to bad! I correct a lot too, end up doing 8-10 injections some days.
Unfortunately, potato is 'my' arch enemy, in whatever form. It spikes me like crazy but it doesn't stop me from enjoying a chip buttie when I feel the need.
I saw your post above, tubs of Celebrations are scattered widely around our office and the company has purchased enough mince pies to feed Putin's army. What's a chap to do?:(
 
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Juicyj

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I tend to stock up on alot of low carb alternatives this time of year if I want a nibble, so smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for brekkie with livilife bread which is low carb, nibbles include cheese/olives/dried meats like salami/nuts, I do buy the chocs for the family and if I want a few then have them after dinner when more full and less likely to eat more than 2-3. I know it feels like temptation is every where though, my vice is the world's worst which is Christmas cake, once that comes out I am doomed. The trick is to not be so hard on yourself, it can be corrected and it's not like we can't manage our insulin to adjust to our needs.
 
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Lamont D

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I once was lucky to see The Temptations many years ago. But it wasn't around Christmas.

Girl, why do you want to make me blue.
My girl.
Just my imagination.

Unbelievable!

Keep safe.
 
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Jaylee

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Hey all! T1 diagnosed at the age of 10 (now 32) How do people get on this time of year? I find the temptations an emotional rollercoaster this time of year (suffering pretty badly atm) everyone around me is eating whatever they like whenever they like using christmas as an excuse.....i definitely love sugar - really wish i didnt.........any suggestions on how to stay mentally positive this time of year?? What helps you all? Do you divulge? What insulins are you on? Im on levemir 2x daily and novorapid before meal times.

I find if i eat hardly anything my blood sugars are stable, which sucks because i have such a big appetite! I have the libre which has helped me alot this year! Godsend really. If i'm good i manage my blood sugars well but this time of year depresses me, where i think stuff it, im eating what i want when i want too, and then i suffer badly afterwards, and become mentally unstable, its not worth it in the long run but it tastes so good at the time!

I suffer with depression and supress it as much as possible but it always seems to come out in big blows, and im sure many of you suffer too, Ive never been on forums before but thought i'd join and say hey and try and reach out to fellow diabetics as im sick of boring my friends with diabetic chat haha. Its nice knowing were not alone in this world.

Anyway lovely to virtually meet you all :) stay safe this Christmas x

Hi & season's greetings.

Been T1 since my 8th birthday. To be frank. I've always just valued ether the time off School as a kid & now work..
So we're looking at everything from, you can't eat that." To, "have a bit." & everything inbeween for the last 46.5 years with T1 regarding occaisions such as these?

I just don't do the sweet stuff.
Spuds are heavily problematic for me. Celeriac works & tastes nicer too.

It's fantastic you use a Libre.

Roller coastering BGs could be affecting how you feel emotionally?
I feel more tolerant of this time of year when my BGs are stable. I tend to feel more reclusive if my bloods are flying higher than a raindeer on Coke..
 
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Soplewis12

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If you're really wanting to stay on the straight & narrow tightrope...... why not treat yourself to a few chocs/treats with a meal and with carb counting take a bigger bolus. Kind of works for me but oh to have one day to eat exactly what you want, when you want!
 

JaneC

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Smoked salmon, nice olives and really good nuts such as pecans work as treats, I guess one very slight comfort of not eating everything that’s rubbish is not being afflicted with too many unwanted pounds/ kilos to get rid of afterwards!
 

Mungobean

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@AlexMac I understand exactly what you mean. I am tube fed and haven’t eaten a meal for around 7 years and I can almost feel myself starting to feel depressed about food at this time of year. Whilst food shopping last weekend, I could feel tears welling up, because all I want to do is shove a Christmas dinner down my neck. My family are very kind but I just kind of want to be left to my own devices. I get asked if I want to sit at the table while they eat Xmas dinner. Um no thanks. Do I want to have a small dinner and chew it and spit it out into a bucket? Really no thanks! I just want to be left to have a little quiet time and read my book, while they are eating their dinner.

I have a sweet tooth too and I want nothing more than to bury myself in a tin of Quality Street but I am trying to be good. I have started by not buying loads of chocolate for the house - none of us really want lots of chocolate lying around for weeks. I really wanted one of those personalised tins of QS (for the tin) but decided that we could do without having 1.2 kg of chocolate in the house! I have made a little compromise by buying a small box of beautiful chocolates from a local place. They cost me tons more than the tin of QS, but they do look beautiful.

It’s my first Christmas as a diagnosed T1 and I think that in short I am dreading other people fussing about what I should or shouldn’t have, over Christmas! I know that I sometimes I get looks if I eat something. I’m an adult and I will just try and keep things under control. If I cause myself to vomit or cause myself pain, then that’s my look out!

Anyway @AlexMac, keep your chin up and remember you have like minded people around.