A few weeks ago I made a pact – I would say YES to everything. Not to cocaine or anything crazy, just to social events. For the most part it has been a pleasant, yet exhausting adventure. I’ve attended cocktail parties, happy hours, birthdays and way TOO many holiday shindigs. It’s crazy what conversations come up once I started talking about living with T1D. My friends had no idea I had to worry about anything other than over consuming on the booze as they were in the same boat.
As I entered my dear friend’s home, the first words from her mouth were, “I don’t think you can eat anything we’re serving so I fixed a spinach salad for you and it’s in the fridge“. At another social gathering someone asked, “Can you eat that“? As I embarked on my third party in two days, it was clear I needed a game plan to address situations like this and keep the “betes” from taking over my social life.
I don’t want anyone to worry about my dietary restrictions (all of which have nothing to do with diabetes). No one wants to be “that guest” at the party so I created a plan of action.
- Be open and honest about having Type 1 diabetes.
- Stay hydrated. I walk in with a bottle of wine and a bottle of water.
- Eat something before you go. There are a number of reasons why this makes sense.
- You’ll have food in your system before taking in booze.
- You’re playing it safe should there not be anything you care to eat.
- Be careful about grazing.
- It’s so easy to drop by the food table every 15 minutes for a light snack. This can be good and bad, so be sure to test.
Year one of implementing this strategy has been a success, but I still have NYE and my 40th birthday on the horizon…
What is your favorite strategy for not overindulging during the holidays? What tips do you have for fellow PWDs? Let us know in the comments or on the DDG Facebook page!