Trying To Maintain And Occasionally Refrain, & Not Go Completely Batshit!

The holidays aren't about the food as much as their about spending time with friends and family, but the food certainly comes into play - BIG TIME.

So this holiday season I'm trying to "maintain" and occasionally "refrain," and still enjoy all the tastes of the season.

And I have to say, by not denying myself, I'm able (for the most part) to not go completely bat shit with the carb overloading! At least.... for now.

Granted, the Christmas party on Saturday was a bit of challenge, what with the Roasted pig (porky was 5 feet long from head to tail); shrimp cocktail, veggie crudites, a tray of Italian lunch meats that was off the hook, cheeses & homemade antipasto, fresh baked rolls, lasagna, broccoli rabe,etc . And did I mention the trays of Italian Christmas cookies, brownie cake, and an Italian cheesecake that was at least a foot thick? Yeah, it was a totally insane spread!

The party had the potential to be a recipe for disaster, both gastrointestinally and blood sugar wise.

But I refrained from the rolls and the pasta, and the chips, and paced myself with the food/portions, and honestly, with such a crazy spread, diabetes or not, pacing yourself was critical! But the real key to keeping keeping the gluttony to a minimum, is to make sure catching up with friends & meeting new ones is kept up to a maximum!

And by focusing on the people and not the ginormous spread, I was able to thoroughly enjoyed the pork and cheese, veggie crudites, broccoli rabe, shrimp, & antipasto and avoid the feeling of feeling like my stomach was about to explode! I was also able to indulge in more than my share of cookies, and maintain my blood sugar all evening - I didn't go above 168.

Diabetesalicious minds want to know: How do you keep yourself from going batshit crazy during the holidays, and still feel like your not completely denying yourself the flavors & deliciousness of the holiday season?

And what are your absolute favorite holiday meals/treats to indulge in?