Birthday cake delimma

Everyone has their own point of view and areas that are slippery slopes. For me, I will eat a sliver of cake, but it had better be truly awesome cake and only very rarely. Quite honestly, I probably wouldn't even make a "diet treat" since although I truly enjoy my food I no longer consider it to be a treat or celebration. Besides, having a special diet treat makes me feel "different" than the rest of the group instead of one of the group that chooses to not eat cake today.

My usual in your situation is to make an extra yummy meal that I'm able to have some of, then make sure I don't overfill my sleeve so I can sip a cup of really good coffee while the rest have the cake. (I might take a bite of my hubby's serving)

My celebration is the people, not the food.

I agree with those who are saying, don;t have the cake.  Just because it's someone's birthday doesn't mean you have to consume their cake.  If you feel left out, then take something on your plan for you to eat.  If you start giving in to birthday cake (which they have every year) when will it end?  First it's a birthday cake, then it's an anniversary cake, then it's someone's wedding cake, etc.  I just wouldn't risk it.

Same advice, only substitute wine for cake.  :)  Hugs.

Touche Elina! :)

Very good points! I started thinking about the birthday/wedding/anniversary cake thing when it hit me. We're doing our 10 year renewal and I was totally planning on having fruit cups there for my bariatric guests, and cupcakes for the others. You're right, it IS a slippery slope. I know I would have a hard time with just one bite. So thanks for the reality check!

My oldest always asks me if I can have something before she offers it to me. At one week out, she made some awesome pineapple upside down cakes IN A JAR! (Creative little bugger!) She knew I couldn't have it, so she said, "Well Momma, at least you can SMELL it!" hahaha

I think I'm just going to make a good meal, like suggested, and have some tea or coffee during cake time. Besides, I'm always so busy at these parties, I don't have time to sit down for cake. lol

Thanks everyone!

May I make a suggestion for your renewal party? Please consider having really nice fruit cups for everyone, with perhaps plates of special cookies. We spend so much time being different and most of us really just want to be like everyone else...

When I have my girlfriends over I don't make something nice for them and something different for me. (except the first few weeks after surgery) I make something lovely we can all have - even if my portion is smaller.

Thanks! That is a good idea! Most of my friends are well into maintenance, but it is easy to forget about how left out someone can feel just by their options in food.

Ok... I am going to say it like this...

If YOU are asking about cake then YOU know it is already a problem for YOU.

This is very personal and each of us is different.

I can also tell you the WORST cake I have ever tasted was when a parent on a diet thought she'd order a sugar free cake that had regular icing from a bakery. Mmmm kitchen sponge textured, cardboard flavoured cake covered in over sweet, gritty icing. *shudder* I share this so you will NOT have your children have a "sugar free" cake. If it is that important to you that they do something healthier then make it so!

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.ca/2010/04/that-t akes-cake.html

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.ca/2009/04/black- forest.html

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.ca/2010/06/protei n-ice-cream-birthday-cake.html

With all of that said... I will still tell you that there were excellent suggestions to have something else and allow them to have the cake.

Think of this like accommodating someone's allergy. Typically you simply do not serve the person with the allergy a food they cannot have. Time to start thinking of things like cakes as your allergy for a while, or making them allergy friendly.

Maybe this is an odd analogy but it is how I live my life. I frequently have to consume something different from my family... They may come along for the ride with some of the tasty things I can have post op (egg bites, etc.) but as my husband says:

"I didn't sign up for this diet... but I get to eat it anyway."

My reply was:

"Only the things that taste good, and in a standard portion... so stop pretending you are not enjoying it!"

Oh and one last thought:

Why not get a tiny cake pan or two so there is just enough cake for 2 cakes when you split a batch made from a box. Then the cake can be cut into 3rds. 1 for each of them... While you try out something from the links above, or some tarted up greek yogurt treat.

Are you allowed fruit packed in water? Why not take 2 table spoons of finely diced peaches that were packed in water and top it with 1-2 table spoons of greek yogurt that you have added vanilla syrup to and blended together... And top it with cinnamon sprinkles. Sort of peach melba without the guilt and easier to eat/digest.

 

IMVHO you should abstain from eating that or any cake.  Let your daughter make a small birthday cake just big enough for the occasion at hand, and let your dear ones enjoy blowing out the candles and eating their cakes and such with only minimal, tempting leftovers.

I personally have abstained from eating birthday/weddingwhatever cake for almost 20 years.  It took my late mother-in-law a couple of years to accept that, but eventually she decided to stop fighting it and prepared a sugar-free dessert or a fruit bowl for me to have when others were eating cake.  (That was of her own initiative, because I was fine without dessert.)

Making your stand and letting those who have a need to know that you aren't eating cake is entirely doable.  Your kids will understand, and you won't have that one bite which might lead to something worse.

I'm not on any high horse, believe me, because obviously there were lots of dangerous foods from which I did NOT abstain.  :-/

It is better to make one of those very small boxes of cak mix into 6 cupcakes,let the girls have one or two each and give the others away or throw them away. why set yourself up for trouble?