Question for Today-Holidays-Love Em or Not?

I will HIDE from the holidays, but I don't hate.  I will get testy with food pushers though towards the end of the season.....NO, DA**IT I do NOT WANT that  ___________ and why do you care?  LOL.

My terrible sin is that I give the lap band a bad name in my family, because if I don't want to eat something I just say "oh, I can't, I'll puke" and people leave me alone.  (and I have a good chuckle about it) 

 I like the idea of spending time with my family but for only very short periods.  The food is always very scary; my brothers and I bring various dishes and they try to make them healthy but when you have to explain that sweetened condensed milk isn't sugar free, there's a long way to go.  My mom is very controlling about how holidays should be spent and I usually end up leaving early.  There's not a big fight or blow up but I'm the first to leave.  I try to go to a movie and take a long walk at Regional but the walk may be impossible this year.  Anyway, I will make good decisions about what goes in my mouth.  donna

Ahhhhhh-you said it-the s-word (should).  I have not even divulged my holiday menu except to ask for Mom to make the Cranberry relish and that is ALL.......(and to assure her there will be a green salad-she can't eat unless she has a dang green salad)......oh and to assure her that Bill (my brother) WILL have his stinking fruit salad and she doesn't have to make it.....sheesh.  Ok, that leaves about 3 side dishes....but dang it, I'm NOT telling.

 

I hate the shoulds shoulds shoulds......

Like "WE should have sweet potatoes for T-giving" even though we eat them all year round and no one likes them with marshmallows..... (hint, not going to have marshmallows on them this year either...blech, nasty stuff......)

 

But with turkey as a main course, good decisions are pretty much a slam dunk-my motto last year was eat turkey until you are full....and then when hungry again, eat more turkey.  It worked pretty well.  This year I am alternating turkey with ham.....but still plan on it working well.  Solid protein is our friend. 

Donna, Darling...  I had such a fun and snappy thing to say.....but i must refrain....   oh the anarchy i could have had....

Wink, wink...

T.

 Oh, Tom, it took a while before I saw what you were talking about.  Now I'm laughing at myself.  I have 5 brothers and at least 2 of them would have had a fun and snappy thing to say, 2 would be tactful and ignore me, and 1 wouldn't get it.  donna

Deb,
When I was little my family income was not great...we had foster sister and brothers and my parents would take in kids off the street. So for me Christmas is bitter sweet. I miss the family being together and the one time a year I would get new undies and perfume. I miss the homemade decorations and the baking that would bring great smells into the house. AND I MISS my parents the most. We had a tradition on Christmas Eve We would sing carols and talk about what we would truly love to have and what we truly needed...afterwards I would grab my Dad's nose and make it turn red like Ruldoph...Not a Christmas went by that our family was together including AUnts Uncles and cousins.
And now I make fudge and some goodies in memory of my family. I go and buy things for people I dont know and I always thank GOD for my family..they were the greatest gift outside of Jesus Christ I have ever had.
As for the drama that alot of families have..lol I am over 1300 miles away so I have not been in any of it for a long time. But this year I am going home for Christmas and for the rest of the winter...so drama will be all around...

Boy, what a lot of humbugs !!!  I love the holidays.  I love fixing up the house to look festive, I invite anyone and everyone that has nowhere else to go, I cook to my heart's content and then sit back and watch the fun !!!   We always do something crazy which is a good ice breaker and conversation starter.  Isn't the point to enjoy those you don't get to see often?  I look forward to each every day and wish you all the same !

Lynn, you have the right idea I think.  For some of us it gets all mixed up in not being good enough or like everyone else.  I can breeze along in relative seclusion year round, but this time of year it feels like my differences are spotlighted.  And my family aren't the most tactful creatures in the world although they are trying to do better.  My new "answer for everything this year" is going to be "I can't answer a question like that without defending my choice or attacking yours, so I'm going to pass...."

I really think a lot of family drama is poor communication skills rather than mean intentions. (Maybe I'm naive, but I'll just stay that way). 

I LOVE THE FAMILY TIME INVOLVED IN THE HOLIDAYS BUT THE FOOD IS WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT SO ASK ME AFTER THANKSGIVING!!

The great holiday coping tip for ALL WLS-eat your protein first.  (Don't FILL up on protein unless you don't want to partake of any goodies at all......or if you DO fill up, stop eating).

I celebrated the Miracle of the Lap Band today-ordered an omelette, ate till I was just about full, and ordered a Brownie Fudge Sundae-knowing full well I wouldn't be able to eat enough to hurt myself....I enjoyed my few small bites and then marveled at the next feeling-I was completely disinterested in the remaining goo-and didn't feel a bit guilty either.

If you are new at it-and eat too much protein, don't try to pack in the dessert, just wait till later-it will still be there.  I pretty much limit sweets to the actual event/day itself, but pre WLS my sweet tooth isn't what it used to be.  When I started I decided I would have a sweet, guilt free and joyfully, every two or three days-and it usually works out to like once a week.  I'm ok with that too.