Count me in as a big time holiday baker too — who will be joining Mel in Grinchdom this year. I continued baking even after starting my new way of life two and half years ago, partly because DH loves my goodies (he’s lactose intolerant, so can’t eat most commercial baked goods) and partly because I just enjoy baking. I kept up the Christmas traditions of cookies and fruitcake (yes, Julia Child has a good recipe that doesn’t produce a fruitcake resembling a brick ) — made 17 varieties of cookies last year and countless pies etc for Thanksgiving. It certainly made life harder for me, though, with all the temptation and I asked myself why I was doing it? (because it was expected, it was tradition, blah blah).

This year is going to be different. DS has diabetes and can’t eat the treats. I’m certainly not going to eat them. So I’ve been thinking about how to handle the situation and here’s my plan. I’m going to ask DH and DD what three kinds of Christmas cookies they can’t live without, make just those, and let the two of them hide their stash far away from DS and me. No cookies for friends, neighbors, anyone. For Thanksgiving, I’ll make just two pies and a FF/SF pumpkin dessert for DS.

I think at the root of all this cooking is some belief in me that food = love. I definitely want to break that connection.

Dip — I cracked up over what you wrote about eating the chocolate chip cookie dough. I had a neighbor who did that, chased it down with a huge amount of Pepsi and thought she was going to explode when the carbonation in the Pepsi reacted with the baking soda in the dough.

Meg

Meg,

How do you avoid this temptation? Do you eat any of it? That's what I was wanting to talk to you about...your current eating habits. I couldn't remember if you are a BLFer. Do you eat what you want, just small amounts?

BTW...don't you have a web site somewhere? I was thinking that you do. What 's that web addy?

Sandy -- it's hard to avoid temptation because it's all around us, everyday, everywhere we go. Our culture has made it so easy for us to eat huge portions of junk foods by making them readily available -- fast food at every corner, mall food courts, Krispy Kremes in my grocery store!!! (I still feel betrayed) I can't even buy gas without running a gamut of donuts and candy bars and snacks (unless I pay at the pump ) So rather than avoiding temptation, I just deal with it with a lot of self-talk.

What works best for me is not to eat any of it. Once I start, it's still hard for me to stop. Some day I may be able to eat "moderate" amounts of say, cookies or candy, but I'm not there yet. Once in a while. I'll plan on a free meal, usually a dinner out or a special occasion (I don't do BFL so never have done Free Days). But 99% of the time, I stick with my short list of clean foods.

I don't have a web site.

HTH!

Meg

How strange - I never saw that there were new responses since I posted...

Anyway, no, I'm not a dough eater - never had that problem, thank goodness! And, it's not really about me not being able to reisist the stuff - after all, I do have my free day if I wanted to have some, but I don't think I will.

I think my dilemma is coming from the fact that I LOVE to bake for people, yet this year I will feel conflicted about making stuff that I now will consider as "nasty" for people. Even though I know that they will eat the stuff anyway, I feel like I shouldn't contribute to this.

I'm just thinking about the coworkers and neighbors who will wonder what's going on with me this year! If I don't bake, it will be hard to come up with some sort of gesture to do for them all - I'm not really crafty, which is why baking was ideal.

So, maybe the solution for me is to find some more healthful recipes for things to make for people. Dip, would you share your zucchini bread recipe? Anyone else have any recipe suggestions?
Cindy

Meg,

Thank you for the response. One more thing...I know that amoung the hundreds of posts that you've made, somewhere there is a list of the "Clean Foods" you eat, along with your story as to how you were able to get fit so fast. I want to follow your routine so that I can get the same results in about the same amount of time.

I weigh less than you did when you first started but non the less, I still see your results and am motivated by you!

If you have the time, perhaps you could tell me about how you made goal (i.e. excercise routine, eating structure, etc.).

Also...I see that in you after photos you have the flatest tummy. Did you get that mainly through workouts, or did you have cosmetic surgery? As large as my belly is, I doubt that I can get it like yours. I would be very interested in knowing what excercises will get mine the same as yours and also a plump butt.

Meg, yesterday something happend to me that has made such an impact on me. I have a home daycare and yesterday, me and my family went to the mall, which was very busy, and I was dressed very sloppy (not that anything will cover my fat anyway) and I was praying that I wouldn't run into anybody. Well...what do you know...not only did I run into one previous family that I cared for, but three!!!!!!!!! They all saw me, and we chated. Talk about wanting to just die right then and there....I could feel there eyes looking me up and down.

To make matters worse...one of my previous Moms had just had a baby 4 months ago and she looked like she had never had a child!! She was beautiful!!!!!! No stomach, great figure. I called her last night to comment on her beauty and to ask her how in the world she keeps her figure. SHe told me that it's with a lot of hard work. Meg, she's NEVER been over weight. She told me that she gets up at 4 am and works out for one hour and then another hour in the evenings. She says she's addicted to working out and even laughed about how while we were talking, she was doing lundges in her kitchen.

I'm so jealous, sick to my stomach, and praying for hope. I truly do feel hopeless. I just don't understand how the fat I have can shrink up and firm up and look like her.

Thanks for listening....I need to vent.