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Original poster

6am Quality Street diet

166 replies

Helenahandkart · 27/12/2023 06:36

Perimenopausal insomnia means I’m sitting in the couch at 6am eating Quality Street musing about all the people who say that they’re starting their diets today.
How is it possible to start a diet on the 27th? Do these people not have any Christmas chocolate?
I have a fridge full of cream and Baileys, there are peanuts and Twiglets everywhere, and mountains and mountains of chocolate and sweets and gingerbread houses - most of which were given to us as presents. Any plans to diet are postponed until we’ve worked our way through it all.
Do the dieters just throw it all in the bin? And not go to any new year parties?

OP posts:
Brird · 27/12/2023 08:30

Enjoy your chocolate OP. I agree it's too early to start on the sensible eating, though I do sometimes at this point if not with family / no more social occasions coming up.

I live by myself though, so easy to control how many biscuits etc I have lying around to be eaten.

rc22 · 27/12/2023 08:30

I've got loads of chocolates left that were presents. I'm trying to go back to eating relatively healthily today. I'm planning to do what I've done with Christmas chocolates in previous years and just have a couple with my after dinner cup of tea each evening until they're gone!

Original poster
Helenahandkart · 27/12/2023 08:31

NoWordForFluffy · 27/12/2023 08:19

She's also allowed to indulge at Christmas! Why are you searching for her posts? That's weird.

Show quote history

I see this a lot on other threads. It is a bit weird isn’t it. Quick, let’s discredit the OP. She’s enjoying a biscuit. LET’S TAKE HER DOWN.

OP posts:

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Swirlingsnowflakes · 27/12/2023 08:34

I bought one big mixed tray of ferrero rochers and that was it. There's still a third of it left and I have three dc.

We did a cheeseboard on christmas day for lunch as we have Christmas dinner later in the evening.

There's no chance I'm going to go crazy and go into the new year feeling crappy. By first Jan I'm usually well on my way to enjoying a healthy kick start.

Catsknowbest · 27/12/2023 08:39

nutster · 27/12/2023 08:07

OP you sound to me like you’ve very much lost your way with regard to health, diet and sleep.

Mmm...really?? My sleep has gone to dust since peri and I don't see that as "losing my way"

rb472 · 27/12/2023 08:40

I don't know if it helps to hear this OP, but I'm 11weeks+4 today and I desperately want to eat all the Christmas food in the house but for feeling sick all day every day!

I could have cried with joy when I ate a Christmas sandwich on Christmas Eve without feeling sick, and since then nausea from waking to sleeping.

Please eat the chocolates and enjoy them!

If you are worried about the weight, you know the drill, try new exercises, find something that makes you happy

margotrose · 27/12/2023 08:43

We have tonnes of chocolate and biscuits in the house (all gifts from clients) but honestly I don't have a huge sweet tooth so they tend to last us months. We haven't even opened most of them 🙈

I prefer crisps, cheese, crackers and anything savoury and most of that's gone already.

OhIlovetosew · 27/12/2023 08:44

I made a huge point of no chocolate for me for Christmas and I made chocolate santas sleigh table decs for everyone and that was it this Christmas apart from a small box of chocolate biscuits and a chocolate cake which no one ate and I’m going to freeze in slices.

MIL cut back on all snacks bits like sausage rolls and mince pies and we’ve eaten pretty much everything she did bring. She’s on SW and didn’t want to take it home so I respectfully asked her just to make enough for the two days.

I’ve eaten my sleigh, munched most the chocolate biscuits and I’m seriously thinking of just chucking some stuff because I’m the only one that will eat it and no one cares about my weight other than me and I have no will power, especially at 6am, or 2am.

I’ve already decided that next year the box of biscuits is going to be a couple of small packets because I’m quite good at not opening things BUT if it’s open I can’t leave it alone!

OP I hope you enjoyed your 6am moment but if you choose to dump the rest don’t feel bad, feel empowered.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 27/12/2023 08:46

Ugh- I am neither starting a diet, nor interested in being the food police, but eating chocolate at 6am would make me feel queasy and crap.

We've got a fair bit of food left, but not much of it is sweets or chocolate tbh. Most of it can be made into reasonably healthy meals. There's a fair bit of cheese that needs eating up though! I'm planning to do dry and healthy/nutritious January, but no calorie counting or major restriction. I'm done with all that tbh - it doesn't work long-term.

Original poster
Helenahandkart · 27/12/2023 08:54

I didn’t buy any chocolate for myself this year - it all came as presents. I did buy mince pies and clotted cream, so am taking responsibility for that.

I’m not ‘on a diet’, nor am I planning to start one soon. But I will resume my usual fairly healthy and balanced eating regime once all the Christmas crap has been enjoyed.

In previous years, I have dumped bags full of chocolate in the bin or given it to the food bank. But now I think, it’s just a few days, it won’t make much of a difference in the scheme of things. I love chocolate, why not eat some occasionally.

I hate how this thread has turned into a lecture about healthy eating.
I really was just looking at the pile of selection boxes next to me and idling wondering, in response to the multiple threads about post-Christmas diets, why anyone would choose today to start. Sometimes I forget that you can’t just do casual chit-chat on Mumsnet.

OP posts:
Projectme · 27/12/2023 09:00

I was having my first coffee of the day, on the sofa, with the Xmas tree lights twinkling at 6am with a box of m&s choc biscuits. I never buy m&so biscuits, so this was an absolute treat!

And no, diet won't be starting anytime soon as I'm not throwing away food!

dudsville · 27/12/2023 09:02

@Helenahandkart , this thread has attracted a miserable bunch! For me i certainly wasn't planning on dieting today but i over indulged the cheese board last night and was seriously contemplating it in the night!

dudsville · 27/12/2023 09:03

Oh and i have chocolate for breakfast a few times a year - my birthday, easter and Christmas!

Original poster
Helenahandkart · 27/12/2023 09:04

Birthday cake for breakfast the day after my birthday is the best bit of a birthday.

OP posts:
Original poster
Helenahandkart · 27/12/2023 09:09

I was planning on eating purple kale, broccoli, and halloumi for dinner btw*. So I hope that appeases the salad aficionados.

*followed by a substantial number of Ferrero Rocher, with a brandy butter chaser

OP posts:
daffodilandtulip · 27/12/2023 09:16

I hate all this shame and regret that you're meant to feel as soon as Christmas Day is over. Just bloody enjoy the festive season!

Angrycat2768 · 27/12/2023 09:18

Im in Tenerife. The chocolate is disgusting. Curses to you!

I have discovered some rather delicious almondy nougat concoction I have been scoffing instead.

Original poster
Helenahandkart · 27/12/2023 09:19

In an ideal world the Quality Street diet would last until early March, when the misery of winter is over and I can start looking forward to strawberries and sunshine.

OP posts:
Original poster
Helenahandkart · 27/12/2023 09:19

Angrycat2768 · 27/12/2023 09:18

Im in Tenerife. The chocolate is disgusting. Curses to you!

I have discovered some rather delicious almondy nougat concoction I have been scoffing instead.

I’ve got loads of nice chocolate here. Just saying 😂

OP posts:
NoWordForFluffy · 27/12/2023 09:19

We had all the leftover veg made into veggie burgers for dinner last night, with the red cabbage. I did have a chunk of cheese in a roll earlier in the day though, so not entirely virtuous!

Plus we still have a fair amount of booze we're wading through!

JenJenJenJenJenJen · 27/12/2023 09:20

I’m normally a chocolate fiend. Generally a fiend for food anyway but especially so at Christmas- could never ignore all the M&S stuff at this time of the year- the chocolate nuts, Merry Munch, salted caramel whipped cream, desserts etc.

It all caught up with me so I’ve been on a diet since the summer. It’s going really well, I’m down 3.5st and four dress sizes. I was a bit apprehensive about Christmas because I know my self-control isn’t great but I really didn’t want to undo my hard work.

So I asked family and friends to not give me any food-based gifts this year. They’re happy for me losing weight and are very supportive. Any chocolates I’ve had from non-family (work, my cleaner etc) I’ve graciously accepted but then re-gifted or donated.

I’m being much stricter than I’ve been previously but it’s paying off. I guess I feel I’ve worked so hard that I don’t want to sabotage myself. And I don’t think dieting is necessarily a bad thing. I’m feeling better about myself than I have in years and am genuinely enjoying feeling more in control of my body and health.

Original poster
Helenahandkart · 27/12/2023 09:24

That sounds great, and I’m glad your friends and family have supported you. I think stopping a diet at Christmas makes it really hard to resume one afterwards, so continuing with it over Christmas makes total sense.

OP posts:
ItAintGonnaGoDownEasyIfItAintCheezy · 27/12/2023 09:30

We've managed this by not buying too much 'treat' food this year.

Not gonna lie, I did miss a chocolate tub on Xmas day, but we usually get all 4 so I was glad we didn't this year. We got a couple of different bars instead, to limit the mindless eating.

We didn't buy Mince pies because only I like them and I didnt want 6.

We did go all out on different cheeses and crackers though so we went savoury instead of sweet this year.

Catsknowbest · 27/12/2023 09:30

Helenahandkart · 27/12/2023 09:09

I was planning on eating purple kale, broccoli, and halloumi for dinner btw*. So I hope that appeases the salad aficionados.

*followed by a substantial number of Ferrero Rocher, with a brandy butter chaser

👏🤣

Vhrukn · 27/12/2023 09:32

Yup. I have 2 stone to lose, once I've eaten everything in the house 😂