I've been thinking about the upcoming season of joy, love and food.

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".

The other side is all the family you're likely to be around this
season. Some may decide that they know what you should or shouldn't be
eating. They'll announce loudly, "Sara can't have that, she has the
diabetes". Exhausting. Or they'll push food on you "Oh come on, it's
the holidays, you can have a taste". More exhausting.

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.

When it comes to food and diabetes, I
discovered that I had to change "Can't" to "Don't" in my thinking.

I "can't" eat that cookie... means "Poor me, someone or something is not
allowing
me to eat that cookie". I have no choice. It's beyond my control.
(which also
means that sometimes if I do eat that cookie, then it's a "cheat" and
there is
the ensuing guilt and shame for being a bad diabetic).

I "don't" eat cookies... means that I have made a choice, it's not
something
that's part of my life. I am in control. (which also means that
sometimes
if I do eat cookies, I have just decided at that moment to make a
different
choice... no guilt, it's just my decision at that moment).

An bonus to this way of thinking and talking is when you are out and
about
and someone offers you something you would rather not eat at the moment,

don't works better than can't to get them to understand.

If you tell them you can't have ice cream, they will tell you can...
that
just a little won't hurt. If you tell them you don't eat ice cream...
what
are they going to say? Yes you do? And if they say, "well you used
to"... you can always say "I don't anymore". ; )

Hang in and Happy Holidaze!!

Jennifer

In article , Jennifer
writes:

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.


Good advice Jenn..
As always YMMV and this is JMO
Jeanne Type 2 Diagnosed 05/28/02
189/154/120