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Christmas!!

Kerry-Michelle

Kerry-Michelle

Well-Known Member
Messages
176
Okay guys I know it is that time of year.. For some it's a pain in the bum but for others it's fun.. I'm struggling as it is my first christmas being type 1 and I've no clue in what I should and shouldn't eat this year Ive been told chocolate is bad but others tell me it's okay to have some?!? I was also told not to have Christmas dinner!! :o

I've asked my nurses and they've done a sum total of nothing to help me... Christmas is my favourite time of year (other than the cold) but the best part is the Christmas dinner and spending time with the family. I guess all I'm asking is what do I do and eat..

If anyone has any tips or advice it would be much appreciated!! :)

Many thanks
Kerry xx
 
I'm type1and I love Christmas too but it can be a bit of a minefield for diabetics.

What insulin regime are you on? If it's dose adjusted basal bolus then it shouldn't be too difficult to adjust things according to what and when you eat.

Some people here may say that being diabetic you should stay very strict and not break from your normal diet just because it's Christmas but in my opinion, having a few things that you really like and that might mess your sugars up a bit isn't the end of the world.... It's just for a few days. Of course you don't want to overdo it, but I personally don't see a problem with enjoying a Christmas dinner the same as everyone else, pudding as well. As long as you monitor your bloods then you should be fine.

I know it's a bit scary when you're new to it but you will get the hang of it and it'll get easier.

I look forward to reading others' opinions of this actually.... Maybe I'm just a naughty diabetic condoning 'bad behaviour'.... But it is Christmas!! :)
 
Hi :wave:
Well the general rule that I was told by a diabetic nurse is that steer clear of diabetic foods, they are expensive and will upset your tummy if you eat to much of them so no Thorntons diabetic chocolates. My friend was brought a box by his wife, thought yeehaaa they are diabetic so I can eat loads and spent the next 2 days on the toilet as he ate the box over 24hours, now there isn't many in a box either and they all taste the same! (this was actually reported on watchdog).

Now she also said that if you want chocolate, have some and in her exact words "BUT NOT THE WHOLE BLOODY BAR" :lol: so one or two roses or quality street wont do any harm, just don't eat the tin :shock:

As for Christmas dinner, again not a problem as picklebean said, just adjust your insulin dose for what you eat....I mean you must eat a Sunday roast? well whats different apart from the meat and stuffing an a bit of cranberry? cut down on the roast potatoes if you like, or eat normally and adjust, a little xmas pudding or trifle or whatever you have for dessert wont hurt either. if you start to hypo because you have adjusted too much...well all them chocolates wont eat themselves will they? :D

theres no need to lock yourself in your room in a straight jacket telling yourself you cant have this that or the other. Just be sensible and don't pig out on the sugary or high carb foods, remember your meds and make sure you test regularly to ensure good control.

Theres no need for diabetics to miss the fun at Xmas, but I wouldn't recommend any of this to anyone who hasn't got good control, that has to be in place first. If you have High blood sugars then you really need to watch what you eat I'm afraid.
 
please ensure to everyone that if you want a nice walk at xmas......do it before that big dinner please....long walks after may cause a frw unwanted heart problems.........don.t eat til your stuffed and walk al itlle a few hours later.
this is for rveryone ......read it in the papers last year......not to handy if you wanna get those bs after dinner i know but slowly slowly and you shpuld be ok xxx
 
Christmas Dinner is a beast. Roasties, stuffing, carrots, etc.. all high in carbs.

But ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!! I'll have no problem eating my Mums Christmas Dinner. 24 days to go.

You have to allow yourself a little treat now and again. And it's a good incentive to ensure that you are good up until Christmas Day!
 
You've been told NOT TO EAT CHRISTMAS DINNER? Oh hell no! One day of bad eating isn't going to kill me. It's the one day of the year I do go OTT but I think 1/365 isn't too bad. Just watch what you're eating carefully, injecting as appropriate. If you're on carb counting regime then as long as you attempt to calculate carefully then you should be covered.

I can't believe the advice is "no Christmas dinner". When I was diagnosed they tried to make me feel as normal as possible, that I could lead a perfectly normal life. So how can they now say you have to be excluded from such a family centred occasion. Even if you are on just standard 2 injections a day, you should still be able to enjoy a roast, just perhaps no dessert.

Good luck, and have a lovely Christmas!
 
IMHO, I can't see anything wrong with a Christmas dinner! Veg, lovely turkey meat and a couple of teaspoons of cranberry / bread sauce. Beats any ready meals which are high in salt and sugar and it doesn't have to be high carbs either if you go easy on the spuds and parsnips. My dietician always told me that people ith diabetes often stay clear of Sunday lunch and som often over bolus for it - it was her to told me that there was no real issue with this kind of meal. Hungry now :))
 
Kerry-Michelle said:
I was also told not to have Christmas dinner!! :o
Click to expand...


How strange :?

Christmas dinner is just like a Sunday Roast but a few more carbs if you have the full works, have a chat with your diabetes team on how to adjust your insulin if you are unsure, my DSN always told me to cut some slack on special occasions which to me is good advice, I don't particularly like the sweet indulgences of Christmas but do tend to eat a few more carbs over the festive period.
 
bethan90 said:
You've been told NOT TO EAT CHRISTMAS DINNER? Oh hell no! One day of bad eating isn't going to kill me. It's the one day of the year I do go OTT but I think 1/365 isn't too bad. Just watch what you're eating carefully, injecting as appropriate. If you're on carb counting regime then as long as you attempt to calculate carefully then you should be covered.

I can't believe the advice is "no Christmas dinner". When I was diagnosed they tried to make me feel as normal as possible, that I could lead a perfectly normal life. So how can they now say you have to be excluded from such a family centred occasion. Even if you are on just standard 2 injections a day, you should still be able to enjoy a roast, just perhaps no dessert.

Good luck, and have a lovely Christmas!
Click to expand...

I agree, why shouldn't we spoil ourselves for one day in the year. Thankfully this year we only get Christmas and Boxing Day - no extra days added because it falls over a weekend - so at a stretch that's 2 festive meals. To be honest I'm usually ready for a return to normal food by Boxing Day anyway ! I'll do the works but we do watch the amount of sweet things included. I have always been told to avoid diabetic products and just have a small amount of the normal product.

Have to laugh at the amount of people to be found in McDonald's once Christmas is over - us included - escaping the festive food and enjoying a bit of normality. If I am going to have a craving for fast food it's always after Christmas and it has to be a burger and for me it's a Christmas treat too !
 
Thanks for all the replies!!

My insulin is insuman basal two times a day at 6 units and I have novo-rapid when I eat normally around 3 units depending on why I eat, I am on a carb counting diet and I also have Metformin which I take twice a day too, I've only een type 1 since april this year so I'm still kinda new to it all,

Yes I was told to not have Christmas dinner and I cried.. Chiristmas dinner is the best part of the year..

I do have roast dinners but I just have the veg and meat... This is because I'm a slow eater and I'm not a fan of cold food.. Strange to some but that me :D


From what you've all said.. I'm going to have my normal Christmas obviously watching the carb intake and staying well :)

Thanks to all of you!!

I hope you all have a good christmas and enjoy your treats and Christmas dinners!!! :D

Kerry :) xx
 
I'm another one that's having what I want for Christmas dinner! I'm going to be as good as possible in the run up to the day and then just think "stuff it" (pardon the pun) and if I want a roastie, I'm having one!!

If chocolate is a particular minefield for you (as it is for me) then check out the Chocolate Paradise thread in the low carb forum...some very delicious and addictive recipes there :D
 
im not having xmas dinner as im working!!!!!!!! but can.t wait til i get home for cheese and pickled walnuts with celery and cracking a bowlful of nuts and of course a lovely glass of red wine....yumyum xx
 
Hi Kerry-Michelle,

I couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic after reading your post, and I hope my story helps you enjoy Christmas.

As my diagnosis began about this time last year, it ruined my Christmas as I was absolutely petrified as to what to eat. My HBA1C was 9 but I was very against medication and did what ever I could to avoid it. I thought that by going extremely low carb, I could avoid meds. Although I don't have a sweet tooth, I have a big apetite for carbs (esp roasties). I love Christmas and to me, I couldn't imagine a happy one without being able to eat what I wanted. Consequently, I had a miserable time and didn't really have a Christmas dinner as such. I reduced my carb intake so much that I suddenly started burning fat drasticly and so produced keytones and they thought I was type 1 so had start insulin on 1st Jan - Happy New Year eh! It was an awful time and to be honest I didn't think I would bbe around to see this Christmas.

Well, that was then..........a year on and I am tentatively looking forward to Christmas. To cut a long story short, I found ways of dealing with it, improved my HBA1C so the doctors let me come off injections and on to tablets. Some may be surprised to hear this but the main saviour for me was my nutritionist. She helped me understand so much. Unfortunately the very low carb approach does not work for me as it made me very ill, so I had to find ways of eating carbs that were ok for me. My nutritionist advised me on sensible portion sizes. I love Christmas dinner, this year it will be slightly different, but I would say.....enjoy lots of roast turkey but no skin/fat (no one should eat it anyway), lots of green veggies, a little stuffing, a few roasties (say a fistful) and maybe a teaspoon of cranberry sauce (i used to like about 3 tablespoon fuls but hey ho!), a spoonfull of bread sauce. I will enjoy a little bit of dessert but politely tell people I'm sweet enough already when I've had enough. My favourite dessert is actually Green and Blacks 85% cocoa chocolate as it doesn't spike me too much (just a few squares), or berries with cream, sugar free jelly and cream. I'll probably only have half a mince pie if any this year. Something else really helpful, as I was really worried about snacking, I found nuts or popcorn to be great, I never really liked nuts but I have become to love them now (of course they still have carbs but good carbs - i have say half a palmfulI).

Last year, I was so depressed to not be able to indulge in all the foods that they advertise everywhere, it was so upsetting. But this year, I just think, well, if I fancy a bit, I will have a little or maybe just choose healthy options. I have to make different choices now, but that's ok because I can choose, and I don't have to explain myself to others either, it's just a lifestyle choice, that's all!

I really hope this helps you to still enjoy Xmas and all the things you love, I wish you and everyone else a happy Christmas.

Thanks for reading... Ho Ho Ho! :lolno:

Tweetypie
 
I personally am really looking forward to christmas. This is my 3rd since diagnosis but my 1st since starting low carbing and having a much better understanding of diabetes.

Im all prepared. Ive got Black farmer chipolatas in the freezer(very low carb) along with streaky bacon for some pigs in blankets. Ive got lower carb sausage meat ready to make my own scotch eggs. Ive got my 74% cocoa chocolate from Lidl. Also I did a trial run of a low carb sugar free jelly trifle the other day and it was lovely. Ive got all the ingredients to try the Oat bran bread recipe Ive seen on here. I just need to go to Sainsburys with my nectar points in a week or so to stock up on cooked meats and cheese. Christmas dinner is being cooked by my dad, so I may suggest or even supply Goose fat to cook the Roast potatos in and will definately indugle in a few of those. Cranberry sauce is a must for christmas dinner, and after all it is only 1 day. Also I found some single portion christmas puds with brandy in, I will be having one of those with lashings of cream too!

As I live alone I dont buy any boxes of chocs. My friends are coming over for a christmas eve buffet and they all know Im low carbing. I will suggest that they bring crisps, bread and choc if they wish to add it to their buffet.

I have just been for my 3 month check this morning and my nurse was so impressed she wanted to take me off all my Metformin. I didnt want to come off it totally so we compromised that I will only take one at breakfast, as my morning levels are still high.

I don't intend to have many more carbs over christmas to what I have now as I still want to continue with my weight loss. It can be done and Christmas doesnt need to be cancelled!!!

Enjoy and have a lovely Christmas, I know I will :D
 
I am a strange creature because I was never that keen on roast potatoes or chips to start with, but I love parsnips, bread sauce and cranberry sauce.
I make my own, I use low carb bread to make the sauce, make sugarfree cranberry sauce, and will indulge in a roast parsnip, the rest is pretty much low carb food anyway.

I dont buy any chocolates, I make my own truffles, various flavours, ice cream, chocolate gateau and kahlua cheesecake - all low carb not that you would notice.
 
Oooh,just remembered, I saw a seeded snaps recipe by Nigel Slater the other day, using sphelt flour (don't know if that's suitable for diabetes) and seeds. Am going to try those for cheese and crackers.

Lenny, the trifle sounds good - trifle is my favourite Xmas dessert....... :wink:
 
Hi everyone..

I have spoken with my mother in law who is really into my diabetes and makes sure that everything is low carb sugar fat ect they are also doing the low carb diet that I am.. My other half is also very supportive and eats what i eat.. However they have had better results that I have.. I have not lost any weight since being on a low carb diet..

I'm kind of in a catch 22 as the nurses keep on at me to loose weight.. Since going on a course of insulin I put weight on I went from being a 12-14 to a 16 and I feel horrible in myself.. My last 3 month check up I was put on Metformin and my specialist said that it will make me bloated but only for a week.. It's now 1months and 1 week since I've been on Metformin and I'm still struggling with the bloating also I don't feel like I've lost any weight.. I have got to see my specialist tomorrow as they wanted to see how I'm getting on with the Metformin... I must add I've been working out as much as possible however I do work in a nursery with children for quiet long hours my normal day is 8.30am-5.30pm (which can sometimes be a killer day) I'm always on the go but eat little and snack on fruit and vegetables often..

This christmas I will be eating a Christmas dinner but low carb.

Also thank you tweetypie, lenny3 and whitbyjet I will be trying your Recipes if that's okay :)

And thanks for the Christmas wishes and I hope everyone has a brilliant christmas!! And a wonderful happy new year..

Kerry xx
 
Hi Kerry-Michelle,

I understand that insulin makes it very hard to lose weight. But with regards to the Metformin, many people including myself get dogdy stomaches from it, since I was changed to Slow release version my stomach has been so much better. Ask if you can change to that, maybe it will help.
 
Thanks!! :) I will ask tomorrow when see my specialist.. They put ne on it to lose weight and it's done nothing... But thankyou so much for the advice and help!!! :)

Kerry xx
 
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