Christmas Dinner is around the corner.....

cramernh

Would love to learn of people's menu and what you have planned. If you are planning to stay on-program OR playing to go all-out, what are you planning?

(Side Note: please dont post on here why people would ever think of staying on program, this is suppose to be a fun thread filled with food, not judgement... thanks!)


I just ordered my Prime Rib, I have a spice-rub already mixed and ready to go.

"Duchess" style mashed potatoes for my husband.

"Duchess" style cauliflower mash for myself.

Roasted colorful vegetables like colorful bell peppers, zucchini, summer squash, fresh sun-dried tomatoes, portabella mushrooms, onions with an herbal olive oil for roasting

Bowl of roasted-caramelized garlic cloves (OHHH its like candy!)

A wild mesclun salad with yellow heirloom tomatoes, red bell pepper strips, thinkly sliced red onion, english cucumbers in a homemade vinaigrette of fresh herbs and import grainy mustards using champagne vinegar.

Freshly baked braided garlic bread for my husband's sopping addiction (LOL)

Typical appetizers of picklings, deviled eggs, his cheese-meat tray with crackers, spreads and such.

Dessert:
A macerated Cherry Cheesecake - the cherries will have "Three Olives Cherry Vodka" infusion...

A "Grasshopper" cake featuring DeKuyper's dark creme de minthe, homemade Kahlua and Godiva's white chocolate liqueur on a freshly baked devil's food cake, Crushed Andes candies....

Im making a homemade soymilk-based icecream for myself - will use some wild berries to naturally sweeten it up!

rickyd88

I've decided to have the same thing I have every year, some quorn turkey, stuffing, yorkshire puddings, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, gravy and some cranberry and apple sauce.

Only difference this year is that I'm having it on a side plate instead of a main plate, meaning my portions are a quarter of the size.

BobbyClerici

Christmas is always a food orgy.
Pies, meats, dressings, booze and on and on. There is NO WAY I am going to even attempt to stay on program.
I have a weekly "free day" where I can double up on calories with little consequence. It takes only a day or so to recover.

Holidays are a complete binge though. And it takes me a week to recover. We have such gatherings 3 times each year: thanksgiving, x-mas and Easter. EAT EAT EAT!

I just go with it, and I am so miserable by feast's end that getting back on track has not been an issue.

rochey1098

If I'm honest I'm taking time away from the program at Xmas. My family doesn't get together often and so I like to let myself go when they do :laugh: I think I'll drink and eat myself into a mild coma :drinker:

gsager

For Christmas is will be my 2 sons and myself so I was thinking of having fajitas chicken/beef. Maybe some Queso dip. I have to work from 8 to 12. I work at a gym and always work Christmas so that the people that want too can get a quick work out in. And one of my sons is a bodybuilder, I'm not selfless.

mainscott

My plan is to enjoy what my favorites are from the foods that are layed out in our spread without guilt...What I will do this year differently than past is make sure that any unhealthy leftovers leave the house with others to enjoy. I hate wasting food and if it is in the refrigerator it will get picked on until it is gone. I am planning on buying a whole beef rib today, opening it and leaving it unwrapped in the fridge until the 30th December to age it...At that point I will trim up the dryed edges and cook it for New Years. Nothing like aged Prime Rib Roast to bring in the New Year. For any of you who have never aged a rib roast feel free to message me and I can advise. I have that dialed in!!!! Scott

Papillon22

I haven't planned a menu yet, but whatever I decide to cook will be part of the program. I don't consider any food to be forbidden, because it'd be unrealistic. So, whatever I eat will be logged; otherwise, I feel I'd just be kidding myself!

jam3114

Oooooh I love christmas dinner - it'll be the usual - turkey, ham, roast potatoes & veg, stuffing, gravy & as yet some form of dessert just can't decide on the easiest yet

I may skip the program Xmas day but the plan is to be as normal where possible but to enjoy & have fun :happy:

sagetracey

Everything in moderation for me and this year will be extreme moderation as it will be my first Christmas with my lapband.

udallmom101

We have a different kind of Christmas dinner. Our families are all over the place, from North Dakota to Western Kansas. We get together with everyone early and don't leave our house on Christmas day. We like to allow the kids to enjoy their time with their gifts. I usually fix a big crock pot of chicken and noodles, we have mashed potatoes, and then I fix a little special treat for dessert. We just take the day slow and enjoy the time we have as a family to slow down and take in all the love and little things around us.

MariaAlbinaxoxo

I'll be at my grandparents for Christmas so I'm not sure what they're having but I hopefully am going to be 8lbs down by then, which is 2/3 of the way to my goal, and am going to enjoy myself. Actually, I'll probably go over on Christmas Eve and then stay on track (or close to it) on Christmas. Being Italian Xmas Eve is really the main holiday with our Feast of the Seven Fishes. Can't wait for all you can eat fried calamari and shrimp! Oh and stuffed olives... is it Christmas Eve yet??

BeautyFromPain

just the usual - steak or turkey or ham, and they always have loads of salad. for dessert triffle with whipped cream and jelly yum

in saying that, moderation is key. i may also do a massive workout before/after

it's one day of the year, enjoy it!

thoma74

We will be with my family this year for Christmas. Everyone is bringing a dish. My thoughts are that I can't control what they make and what's in it, I can only control what I eat and how much. BUT I'm going to enjoy myself too. We don't get together often.

sc1572

Doing what I did over Thanksgiving...

Logging an estimation, going off for the day, and enjoying myself. Plus, I normally throw out leftovers after one day, have a gym over Christmas back home, and a half marathon to use for motivation.

Can't enjoy a lifestyle change without enjoying your favorites! I'll say no to some stuff, but how often can I get my mom's homemade sugar cookies or white chocolate Oreo cheescake?!

ncwingnut71

Because my daughter doesn't like turkey, we have been getting into the habit of doing ham for Christmas. I will do ham, sweet potatoes, broccoli/cauliflower and cranberry sauce.

I have been seeing a lot of people say prime rib - do you do the roast or is it a large prime rib like steak? Just curious.....my hubby would love if I did that!

nickymaire

xmas is my favourite day of the year so im letting lose.

we have over 20 people coming so
Gravlax (cured salmon)
a ham is a traditional must
roasted chickens
some kind of roasted lamb or pork
roasted potatoes
lots of salads (its summer time in nz)
fresh seafood like pipis, mussels, prawns and scallops
i have samoan family members so we also have choy suey , steamed taro leaves in coconut cream, fresh taro YUM!

and for dessert pavlova with fresh summer berries!

shelbyfrootcake

Dinner with my parents on Christmas will be fairly tricky (they have enough problems wrapping their head around me not eating meat without worrying about diet friendly food as well) but I can pitch up with Quorn turkey and eat a lot of veg.

Boxing day with the in laws will be a nightmare though. Huge portions, even when I ask for a small portion, which I'll look rude if I don't at least try to eat, lots of fatty and sugary stuff and confused looks when I decline the booze. *sigh*

shelbyfrootcake

What are 'Duchess' style cauli/potatoes?

1953Judith

My plan is to enjoy what my favorites are from the foods that are layed out in our spread without guilt...What I will do this year differently than past is make sure that any unhealthy leftovers leave the house with others to enjoy. I hate wasting food and if it is in the refrigerator it will get picked on until it is gone. I am planning on buying a whole beef rib today, opening it and leaving it unwrapped in the fridge until the 30th December to age it...At that point I will trim up the dryed edges and cook it for New Years. Nothing like aged Prime Rib Roast to bring in the New Year. For any of you who have never aged a rib roast feel free to message me and I can advise. I have that dialed in!!!! Scott

Sending the leftovers home with the young adults at Thanksgiving was a win/win. It really let us have our favorites without going down a slippery slope. All of the young adults live in apartments with small kitchens so they were happy to have some major foodstuff in their possession. My only regret was that I should have retained a bit of the turkey. Your prime rib sounds phenomenal. I wish you would post the instructions on a separate thread.

momma3sweetgirls

I will eat what I'm served! We're spending Christmas with my parents. It's the usual fare of turkey, dressing, broccoli & cauliflower with cheese sauce or course, mashed carrots, canned peas (my brother always requests this), and cranberry jelly. And for dessert (if I have room), amaretto cheesecake or carrot cake dripping with cream cheese frosting...***drool***

After dinner, I plan to roll myself to the nearest couch (or spot on the floor) and moan a little...with a smile on my face!

lilyinlove

I am going to stuff my face!!!

Pidders89

I am going to stuff my face!!!

HERE HERE!!! it's only once a year and i plan on enjoying it and not missing out on anything!

xxx

frugalmomsrock

We sometimes have a moderate dinner mid afternoon. It's basically Thanksgiving all over again. Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, veggies, sweet potatoes, pies. We don't always do it-it really depends on whether we go to my IL's house or not. If we stay at our house, we don't unless we have someone coming (this year we definitely don't, and I don't know if we are going to the IL's in the afternoon or not).

Our big thing is brunch. I make a huge spread after we open presents, while the kids play with their new stuff. I make pancakes, french toast, muffins, eggs, tofu scramble, [fake] bacon, [fake] sausage links, [turkey] sausage patties, fruit, and whatever else I can possibly find. lol I'll definitely eat, but I will try not to overindulge.

adlwilmot

Christmas is always a time when my family over indulge in good food. I'm not going to change that this year, even if it means that I put on everything I've lost. Because on the plus note I'll be my original weight and not my original weight + Xmas indulgence! I'm going to continue with the exercise and maybe pump it up a bit in order to try and up the damage limitation, and that way hopefully not sway things quite so much. If there's one thing I've learnt since I joined this site is that there's no point viewing food as the enemy. You just need to be sensible and avoid depriving yourself of something you want, because THAT's what will lead to failure and self loathing.

grrrlface

I'm plan on making the most of it and I'll eat whatever's put in front of me! :P
Christmas dinner is the best meal of the year so no tracking for me!

dcmat

Is so hoping to keep under by being sensible, but as soon as those ‘pigs in blankets’ come out of the oven…..

Hoping to get a couple of hours on the bike whilst everyone else is in church…or is that just too sad?

Vhovell

I've decided that if i reach my goal weight (5 more lbs to go) i can relax a little and not be really good...however, if i don't reach my goal i will be monitoring everything...

We're having 4 Christmas meals this year...one on the 14th, one on the 15th, one on the 25th and one on the 26th...i certainly know they won't be a larger portions as previous years though as i can't physically eat as much!!!

LauraHasABabyJack

We're hosting Christmas for the second year. Last year we did a garlic, spinach and chickpea soup and bison chili. This year we're putting out a baked potato and salad bar for dinner, possibly with a veggie soup as well. With toppings options, dinner can be as healthy or indulgent as each person chooses. Dessert is going to be s'mores with marshmallow roasting at the wood stove. There's so many kinds of marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars, this will be fun! Our kitchen is very tiny and my oven is hit or miss so I'm keeping it simple.

honeysprinkles

that all sounds really good! my family does Christmas pretty much like Thanksgiving, so we'll have ham, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams, deserts, deviled eggs, biscuits, etc! And I don't plan on counting calories that day. I didn't on thanksgiving and I still ended up losing after a few days so I'm not too worried about it!

kseltzer

Bump for reading later

MommaFuhrer

We stay at home for Christmas so that the kids can enjoy their day and all of their new toys! We usually just have snack type food, meat, cheese and crackers, veggi tray, and TONS of cookies! I am planning on just enjoying the day and not worrying to much about what I'm eating! :happy: ~Jessica