How to eat sugar-free over a three-party weekend

August 21, 2019

Making an omelette for my son Monday morning before his meetings. He's eating healthy, too!
This past Friday I hosted our 5th annual book club sleepover. Then Saturday we went to a barbeque that our daughter hosted for her husband's birthday. Sunday we continued the birthday celebration here as our youngest son had just come home for a week of meetings at his company headquarters nearby.

A weekend like this could easily cause me to pack on an extra 3 or 4 pounds, but I was determined to stay faithful to my no-sugar plan. Thankfully, two of my book club friends are also trying to avoid sugar. It's always helpful to have allies!

The night of our sleepover we always go out or order in. We decided to go out and debated over Mexican but decided against that because of dairy allergies. Then we considered Middle Eastern, which I love, but nixed that because of my sesame allergy (in hummus). We finally decided that a steakhouse was the best option, taking into account all our special dietary restrictions. 

At this steakhouse, you cook your own steak on a 750 F piece of lava rock. Delicious with melted, flavored butter.
A salad (no dressing, just some balsamic vinegar requested on the side), a steak, and some vegetables fit right into my plan, and was so satisfying. Unfortunately, the Brussels sprouts were served in some kind of heavy sugary dressing. I haven't had sugar in any form since July 9, and one taste told me they were covered in it! Never even thought to ask if there was a sauce on them. So they were left uneaten. We did share a big side of sauteed mushrooms which tasted delicious with the steak.

I passed on the bread. No one wanted dessert, so another temptation was circumvented.

For snacks during our movie time, I had popcorn popped in olive oil, some grain-free, sugar-free chips, and some nuts. Tasty enough for even those friends not on a sugar-free diet.

Gifts bags for my dear book club friends -- pampering items, including sheet masks and cooling eye masks.
For breakfast, I made two breakfast casseroles, one with coconut cream and no cheese for our dairy-avoider, and the other with cream and cheese. No potatoes or bread in them. 
 
I made these ahead of time to avoid rushing in the morning.

 
A friend brought sugar-free bacon. I had the eggs and bacon and a small amount of fruit, which felt like dessert to me. I was able to bypass the scones, homemade bread, muffins, and juice.

It was a real advantage not to have had fruit for a while. It really felt like a treat, and made it easier to ignore the scones and bakery treats.


Lady Carlyle, one of my all-time favorite patterns.

In one of the guest rooms.
At the barbeque that night, I enjoyed a hamburger with tomato slices and some fruit again. No bun, no sugary condiments, no potato salad, no salad (it had dressing mixed in), no chips and dip or baked beans or ice cream. I handled this by staying busy serving and washing up and playing with my grandson. I also made a point of socializing instead of eating. The hamburger was big, and I felt full.


The next night I made shish kebabs and grilled marinated shrimp. I made a tzatziki sauce with yogurt, cucumber, and garlic, and brown rice. I meant to get pita bread to go with but didn't get to the store. I was able to eat everything except for the brown rice. 

For dessert I bought a bakery cake and a very small carton of ice cream. I had a cup of decaf coffee while the rest enjoyed cake and ice cream. Everyone said the cake was good. It was easier to resist than a homemade cake, and I sent the remains of it and the ice cream home with my daughter. We had leftover fruit from the weekend and I had a bowl of that on the table. I had thought I would have that instead of the cake, but discovered I was quite full and satisfied and didn't need it.

Oh, and for appetizers beforehand, I had olives, baked brie and grain-free, sugar-free crackers, cheddar cheese, and cut up veggies. I was able to eat these.

 I have to admit, after doing so well over the weekend, I felt very tempted on Monday and Tuesday. Like I deserved a special treat after being so good. I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn't deprived, and that I had enjoyed good, healthy food.

We are going to dinner tonight with family, and I told the hostess ahead of time about my sugar-free diet. I told her please not to be offended if I don't eat dessert. And also not to worry about me. I'll be fine with a cup of coffee. 
This is going to be my life. Am I really doing this?

Sigh.

One day at a time.

17 comments

  1. Wow Deborah, you sound like you are really doing well with this lifestyle. It's good to eat healthy food and it does fill you up so you don't need anything sweet to eat after dinner. It was a good idea to speak to the hostess ahead of time. Have a nice dinner and enjoy the week. :)

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  2. I always loved hearing about your bookclub sleepover parties!

    The pink-themed breakfast table was soooo pretty! I think I spotted a couple of RA tea sets...

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  3. You are doing great and making it sound great, too. I had steak this week and it just hit the spot. I'd have thought it was great to make it myself right at the table...fun!

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  4. It is so hard to stick with a special diet! Congratulations on your success over the weekend.

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  5. It sounds like you are doing great! We do have to watch the fruit, some is better than others. You must be shedding a few pounds. I haven't forgotten to write you, but I need to remember what it was about! But it sounds like you're learning all the ways to do the new lifestyle. I find a cup of decaf is good enough in place of dessert.

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  6. Oh, my goodness! I am SOOOOO beyond proud of you right now! This is AMAZING! That you could get through not one, but THREE events with NO cheating??? You deserve something wonderful, and God bless you for not allowing that something wonderful to be of the edible nature!! Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels...I will say it over and over and over again. One of the best rewards for good behavior is the great feeling you have inside knowing you have not packed on that extra 3 or 4 pounds, and you aren't having to re-lose it all over again. You stayed on track, you conquered and won the victory over the sugar enemy, and you are marching right along with a clear conscience! Will you please, pretty please, share your recipe for the breadless breakfast casserole. It looks SO tasty! So, so proud of you and your accomplishments, my friend!

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  7. You are doing so well! And the food you served sounded delicious!

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  8. Hello Deborah ~ congratulations on staying true to your new way of eating and living.
    Having the sleep over alone would have been incredibly hard, but you handled it quite beautifully.

    Your table setting is absolutely gorgeous, of course anything pink and I'm all in. :-)

    Delicious looking omelet and having your son teaming up with you on eating healthier would have been a huge blessing.

    Take care and keep up the good work~

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  9. I don't have a sweet tooth, preferring savory to sweet, but I do understand what it's like to crave certain foods. I am absolutely in awe of your ability to cater to so many food preferences/allergies while making everything look delicious and totally inviting.

    I recently read a book about the history of sugar. It's surprisingly responsible for many of the problems in this world -- sugar cane plantations were responsible for much of early slavery, in the Middle Ages people lost their teeth to it by the time they were in their late twenties and undiagnosed diabetes was responsible for many premature deaths.

    You are doing yourself a huge favor by eliminating/limiting your sugar intake.

    Brava, Deborah.

    Cheers, M-T

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  10. THat's truly a commendable weekend, Deborah! I'm proud of you for your lifestyle choices made.

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  11. Deborah, you did great on the weekend and I'm proud of you and the choices you made! Bravo!

    Hugs,
    Sandi

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  12. It's not easy. Popcorn has helped me through a lot of snack times. And I still like a quarter of a sugar free Klondike bar with some nuts when I 'need' dessert. My husband eats sugar so I like something to snack when he snacks! You're doing great though! I'm proud of you!

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  13. Oh my goodness...as good as all this food looks, who needs sugar? You have done well, my friend! Keep up the good work!

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  14. Dearest Deborah,
    That sounds good and I've had to live with these decisions for quite a while now.
    No salt, no sugar, no cholesterol laden food, watching my protein intake all the time; all due to my kidneys... High bloodsugar levels affect them negatively too so it is a MUST to live by the rules.
    Even with doing the utmost, sadly I figured out that I've progresed on to stage IV (top level...) from stage III. Not a happy tiding.
    Good luck to you and be rigid as it could cause worse problems as we all age.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  15. Who needs sugar, with the SWEETEST looking table, that you had!
    Drooling over all your pictures...

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  16. Your table looks beautiful! I know how hard it is to avoid sugar and carbs. I was diagnosed with diabetes last March. I am doing well controlling the high glucose count with both Metformin and diet. I eat tons of veggies, nuts, cheese, meat, and some fruit. Finding dining establishments that will cater to this diet isn't always easy. Good luck to you and God bless you!

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  17. You ARE doing this, and you are doing it well! Having resolve and giving yourself options that are pleasing (like steak, or the burger, or the fruit) helps so much. Great job! And I really think the bread especially, if you'd eaten it, would have made your gut feel awful about 30 minutes later. I'm enjoying our new emphasis on whole grains. They make your gut feel so happy!

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