Birthday cake....

Have a SMALL piece, or just ask them for a bite of theirs, I noticed kids like to feed their parents. (I'm not a parent yet so I could be wrong )
A couple bites won't hurt

Sure! Tell a fib. Simply tell them the doctor said you can't have it. Most kids at that age listen to doctors and will respect the fact that you do. Tell them your doctor told you that when you get to a certain weight you'll be able to have a small piece of cake, but not until then. Not only will your kids understand, they'll start encouraging you to lose weight so you can have a piece next year!

Of course, if fibbing isn't a thing you feel comfortable doing, simply have a ultra-thin sliver and tell them it was enough to satisfy you.

You might even go so far as to tell them that cake isn't the most important part of their special day, they are! Give them big hugs and tell them you love them more than you love cake.

Have a small piece or just have ice cream. I had to go to a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese with my daughter and so not to offend the family I ate an ice cream cup and I felt better because I ate something and also because it was way less calories and fat. If you choose to have the cake do an extra workout. That's just what I would do:)

Have a piece, it wont hurt. Its a special day and I think you cant deprive yourself or you will start hating the eating better, healthy living lifestyle!!

Enjoy...but in moderation :bigsmile:

One more thing to remember...cake doesn't make the birthday. We don't need to eat junk in order to celebrate a special occasion!!!

I just had two birthdays in one month so I feel your pain, I just factored in the cake for my caloris I had very small slices just enough to get the taste and then worked it off on the treadmill! I do think though if cakes your weakness and it will lead you to stray that maybe just give them thier cake and dish out everyone elses and just not call attention to you not getting a piece, if they happen to ask tell them oh mommy just doesnt want cake but I am so happy your enjoying your piece you'd be surprised that is probably a good enough answer...and surely the 17 year old will understand. You can do it!!

I just had two birthdays in one month so I feel your pain, I just factored in the cake for my caloris I had very small slices just enough to get the taste and then worked it off on the treadmill! I do think though if cakes your weakness and it will lead you to stray that maybe just give them thier cake and dish out everyone elses and just not call attention to you not getting a piece, if they happen to ask tell them oh mommy just doesnt want cake but I am so happy your enjoying your piece you'd be surprised that is probably a good enough answer...and surely the 17 year old will understand. You can do it!!

Here here! My mantra has become "I don't need cake to celebrate". It sort of rhymes if you say it over and over again :-)

Life is about the celebrations...! This is a lifestyle change and you can't avoid cake for the rest of your life. Eat a small piece, skip the ice cream, and plan ahead for it. Walk an extra 20 minutes or else just cut your calories somewhere else in your day. Even if you go over by 200 calories - it's your babies birthdays. Enjoy yourself!

I agree, you can't completely cut out things because that's how you fall off track.

Being barely 20 and having a 17 year old boyfriend (almost 18), I'm kinda offended that you have to ask what to say to your 17 year old. He is almost an adult and at that age should be talked to like one. If you really feel your kid will freak out if you don't eat cake (and I doubt it) then you have more than one issue at hand...

For the five year olds, a little slice won't hurt. I have a limit of 1200 and managed to eat cake on my birthday & eat it for a few days after (small family + store cake = lots of leftovers).

Either way, prep ahead. Count out everything you're going to eat the night BEFORE so you know if you have to have a work out or not.

We have four birthdays in a six week period of time AND I decorate cakes as a hobby so I've got a family full of cake snobs. Usually I'm all caked out by the time my birthday gets here at the end of the group (did I mention there is an anniversary cake in there too?) I usually have a very small piece because I do like it but if I really didn't want it my kids would respect that. One way I deal with all this cake is I have 6" cake pans that make a very small cake and gives us only two pieces each for our family of six. (This is a 4" tall cake so the pieces are tall but thin.)

This year for my son's birthday I made a flour less, gluten free, sugar free chocolate cake with sliced strawberries that was pretty good, low in carbs and much lower in calories than we usually have. I had promised him we'd go for ice cream if he didn't like it but the whole family loved it. The cake was made with canned black beans and instead of sugar I used erthritol (sp?) which is a sugar alcohol in granulated form that has less negative impact on the digestive system than Xylitiol but still tastes decent.

Are you baking the cake? If so, there are ways to slightly improve the nutritional value. You could:

1) Replace 1/3 of the regular flour the recipe calls for with coconut flour (higher fiber, lower carb).
2) Replace the oil the recipe calls for with applesauce.
3) Replace part of the eggs the recipe calls for with egg whites.

But, even if you don't do this, there is no reason to beat yourself up for having birthday cake with your children! Just make sure you eat healthy protein and fiber-rich foods for your other meals (especially breakfast), and have a smaller piece of cake than you usually would. And drink plenty of water. The good meal(s) before hand will help keep your blood sugar stable, so you don't have a spike leading to more cake (and a downward spiral of cravings)!

Ok, I totally have to share the adorable birthday card my husband and daughter got me today because it's relevant to this topic. lol

Are you baking the cake? If so, there are ways to slightly improve the nutritional value. You could:

1) Replace 1/3 of the regular flour the recipe calls for with coconut flour (higher fiber, lower carb).
2) Replace the oil the recipe calls for with applesauce.
3) Replace part of the eggs the recipe calls for with egg whites.

But, even if you don't do this, there is no reason to beat yourself up for having birthday cake with your children! Just make sure you eat healthy protein and fiber-rich foods for your other meals (especially breakfast), and have a smaller piece of cake than you usually would. And drink plenty of water. The good meal(s) before hand will help keep your blood sugar stable, so you don't have a spike leading to more cake (and a downward spiral of cravings)!

i've used baby food in place of eggs in muffin mixes the same could probably be done with a cake. i usually use 1 4oz jar of baby food per box of muffin mix so 2-3 jars should be enough for a cake mix.

Ok, I totally have to share the adorable birthday card my husband and daughter got me today because it's relevant to this topic. lol

Too cute!!!!!

Cakes are my weakness as well. I always have the best intentions to only have a "small" piece but then that turns in to sneaking and getting another and another. Cake and I are best left totally seperated.

Well I doubt you will offend your children by not eating cake...I have 5 year old twins as well and they could care less if I eat cake, as long as they are eating it thats all that matters to them Do I personally turn dow cake? um no, had 2 pieces this weekend LOL. Your !7 year old is also old enough to understand why you may chose not to indulge.