I can't believe it's already December, but as I was sitting here making my mental list of to-dos for the next few weeks I realized that I need to address the issue of how I'm going to adjust the food. I guess Thanksgiving came and went and wasn't a big deal because it wasn't on my turf. But for example, my kids look forward to the sour cream coffee cake every year (and I usually make about 10 and give them as gifts.) We are on our own this Christmas because we just saw my family, so I know that they will expect a "feast." And while I'm not a big Christmas cookie person, they are just the age that they will want to make them. So far I have found the parties fairly easy to handle, but this has me a bit stumped.

How have you adjusted your holiday plans if they used to be around food? Nothing like a sleeve to point out how much of our socializing and traditions are about food...

I am only 3wks out...but baking doesn't bother me. I don't care to eat t. It's weird. I have no want for it, but I will do the cookies and go to Cosco to get some foods. I guess I will see how I handle it

Maybe it's because I have some time under my belt, but nothing has changed except, well ... the choices and quantity.

We have a large cookie baking and decorating party at my house every year, I just have one cookie instead of 10.

I have already made over 20 batches of English Toffee that I give away to friends, family and co-workers. Probably will be making about another 20 batches before the season is over.

My holiday dinners would make any mother proud. They are huge feasts which my friends and family enjoy. I just have my portions and I am quite happy about it.

So, nothing has changed for me. Except I just don't go overboard like I used to.

Thanks Sleeve!!

We used to make flour/salt dough ornaments. It was just as fun as making and decorating sugar Cookies but you get to keep the ornaments. Here is a recipe for it (there are lots on the web) http://allrecipes.com/recipe/dough-ornament-recipe/

Traditions of baking together, making a gingerbread house with my kids, a large fish feast on Christmas Eve are such an integral part of our family holiday that I would not change them. I too will just have small portions and stick with logging food into my fitness pal, keep up excercise routine, and get in enough Protein.

One tradition that will be new this year that I'm really looking forward to is not making the same New Years Resolution I have made to loose weight every year for as long as I can remember. It actually brings tears to my eyes to think this will be the first New Years Eve I will be pleased with my weight.

This is a hard time of the year for those of us that got over weight from sweets and other carb goodies. Its all around us and will always be. Time to kick in the lifestyle change. With the sleeve being the new tool we can keep our traditions and eat in moderation. Track to watch those cals. Weigh to watch the pounds don't creep up too much. Add new traditions that don't include food. We can get through this holiday with our tools and support

I'm kinda like PDX man now. I just eat less and try to enjoy the family. Hard as that may be (the family part I mean).

But you nailed it...nothing like being sleeved to make us realize that it has all been so food centered.

I am a baker. And a fine bread baker. I baked (a LOT) of breads for the family at T'giving, and will do so for Christmas. But breads are not on my plan... I do NOT do well with simple or processed carbs.

But all is OK as I focus on the many other and more family-centric parts of the holiday.

And with new grandbabies around, I can have lots of new "wonders" to focus on!

I also plan to just have a small bit of the things that I want at Christmas. I'll cook most of it so I can secretly "adjust" the recipes to fit my new lifestyle. Here are some of the "adjustments" that I made at Thanksgiving:

1. I replace sugar with Brown Sugar blend Splenda in the sweet potatoes and just put marshmallows around the outside leaving the very middle marshmallow free for me.

2. I use 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup and 2% cheddar in the green bean casserole. I add chopped onion to the green bean mixture instead of the fried ones and top it with the fried ones in the same manner I do the marshmallows on the sweet potatoes.

3. I added asparagus to the menu this year and it went over really good.

4. I omitted the butter from my dressing this year and, WHO KNEW, no one even noticed because of all of the protein we coonasses put in our cornbread dressing.

Just a few of my "secrets" and no one but me and my hubby know, lol

Since I decided a month ago to maintain till after the holidays, it makes it a little easier. My stepson and his fiance r driving down from Wa to So Ca for Christmas this year so my husband will have both his kids home for the holidays this year. So I plan on cooking alot. I always make my speical gingerbread for gifts, caramel oat bars (stepsons fav), cranberry muffins, and chicken and dumplings. For Christmas Day Im planning on crock pot Christmas Breakfast (put it all in the nite before and wake up and the magic is in the crockpot). My FIL makes his famous prime rib (for about 20 people) and I'm doing the Desserts (coconut creme pie and pumpkin cheesecake). The day after Christmas we're taking hubbys kids to Knotts berry Farm so Im sure there will be a funnel cake thrown I n for good measure.

That's my plan for the holidays. Lucky I don't expevt to lose anything till after Jan 2nd!

Sorry, I guess I misunderstood and thought this was about new traditions, not continuing old ones.