why do we do it at christmas time?????

We eat more, but surely overeating means being gorged and feeling sick. We certainly do not do that.

Anyway it is perfectly natural in all the animal world, look how many overweight dogs and cats there are. In the past when there were periods when there was not enough food and times when there was a lot, it was sensible to eat a lot and put on weight when food was available, ready to call on ones stores when food was in short supply.

Feasting has roots that go far back in history. As long as homo, not just sapiens, but other versions can be traced back, it can be shown there were times when there were great gatherings when everyone feasted. Why not?

Travelsafar

I’m like you, I always regret eating too much, it makes me feel really horrible.

We were wandering around Waitrose this morning, my husband kept picking things up, and I kept putting them back, how much chocolate can you possibly eat? And if it’s here, we’ll eat it, and definitely regret it!

At the risk of sounding smug or holier-than-thou, I honestly can’t remember when I last over ate. As I’ve got older, I think I have become less greedy. When I was younger, I remember leaving a restaurant feeling so stuffed that I had to sit down on the staircase until I could waddle down.
At Christmas I try and buy enough but not loads, the shops are open again on Boxing Day, I don’t think you need to be consuming leftovers for the next week and I abhor wasting food. I don’t buy chocolates or biscuits, if we are given any that is a nice treat, but if you don’t have them in you can’t eat them.

Not a problem for me, I've never had a big appetite and even less now I'm old.

Most 'Christmas food' is sweet and I'm not that keen on sweet stuff, although I'm happy to bake for the others.

Nor am I a great meat eater, so the menu at my son's house this year (BBQ and a glazed ham) will have a poor customer in me.
Fortunately, there'll be an array of salads, dips and cheeses so I certainly won't starve.

It's sad but I never feel hungry these days. I love food but by the time I've cooked it I've lost my appetite. And I only buy free range organic etc etc but DH does the shopping these days and loves cheap. Such a battle. I think because we are old we should to eat poor quality.

Older people need high quality nutricious food , more than younger people.

Stansgran that is sad. Can you buy or make snack foods that you just take our of the fridge and eat? In your position I would always have hummous and really good granary bread available, and cherry tomatoes, soup to just put in a plate and heat in the microwave, little peppers stuffed with cream cheese, just the thought of all those makes me feel hungry.

We always meet up for a family carvery a couple of weeks before Christmas and have never ever choose enough food just to cover one layer on the plate - something to do with getting value for money!
One thing I miss is that since my parents both died ( I lived with them) we no longer get the tins of biscuits/ chocolates from the aunts and uncles each year- as dad was one of 10, you can imagine how many we got! Mum used to even secrete several tins and produce them throughout the year!
I have. for the first time this year, had to buy a box of shortbread for myself!

I have decided next year will be different. I am not going to order any food, just go out a day or two behind and get in a few bits and bobs. I feel so full and bloated and its not even Christmas Day.

You ask 'why do we do it?. I say 'why not'. I love Christmas and everything about it - cant say I'm looking forward to Dry January but it has to be done.

MOnica
Nutritious yes but like any food as we age and become less active in moderation.

I'm making Christmas Dinner today! Two reasons. We live in a rural area and only have electricity (no gas in the village) and have sometimes has electricity "outages|" when lots of people use the supply at once - as on Christmas Day! Secondly, my niece is visiting from London and cannot stay with us, as she moves on to her brother's home for Christmas day. He has three small children, and obviously she wants to see them open their presents. We won't do a lot, but have goose breasts with the usual vegetables. No pudding, as she will have another thirty miles to drive after eating with us, and we don't want her falling asleep while driving!

Why regret ov ereating once a year. If we enjoyed it while eating OK. Then we all know it's normal to collapse on a sofa thinking wish I hadn't. But we do, so handle it. And enjoy. Happy Over eating.

“Some hae meat and canna eat
Some hae meat that want it
But we hae meat and we can eat
Sae let the Lord be thankit “
Says it all to me ?

It’s a good excuse to over-indulge. That’s why we have New Year’s Resolutions - I must eat less, and lose weight. Happy Christmas to all GNs.

I’ve had a sickness bug these past few days, luckily it’s gone now .... every cloud has a silver lining tho, I’ve lost a few pounds to give me a good start for Xmas, then I can put it all back on again ?

I have never understood why people buy so much food at Christmas. I have a few festive snacks for the evening with my feet up... Christmas dinner will be reasonably simple. I do have one bar of chocolate for when do watch It's a Wonderful Life. Other than that....simple.

Why do we overeat at Christmas? Because it's there, I suspect. It can be hard to resist. I'll visit my sister as usual but I'll try to avoid pastry as it seems to give me indigestion.
I got down to a reasonable weight and it takes self discipline to keep slim. Christmas doesn't help. Never mind, worse things happen at sea, as my dear old mum used to say.

Oh my goodness, you were just having fun! All of these theories. We are so lucky to have abundance. Enjoy!

CBBL.
I don’t see why having a pudding would be detrimental to your nieces driving ability. It’s natural to have a two course meal, isn’t it?
Surely a small portion of Christmas pud is allowed.

I do not overeat but boy do I overstock . Fridge and deep freeze full and I have no idea where anything is . I wish I did not do it but I always do to cater for family staying plus visitors and difference food preferences. . One day would be fine but my family have to stay so catering for lots of days .

Another overstocker here! So many kinds of food and drink I feel we have to have for Christmas, but now we have small appetites, and family live nearby so pay short visits without much eating and drinking.
I shall try to avoid waste, but feel guilty at my extravagance.
Next year will be different......

All my life I haved loved food, looking at recipes and cooking for family and friends. With my illness and treatments this year and the nausea I have totally lost all interest in food. My husband isnt much of a cook but tries to tempt me with his delicious scrambled eggs or a favourite sandwich but I really am not interested. I eat because I have to and yet despite the small amounts I am not fading away. To make worse I now have a throat infection which makes swallowing difficult.
So eat what you want as it's only a few days out of a year.

My fridge is full, my freezer is choc a bloc and my store cupboards are groaning. But I absolutely know that it will all be consumed by my lot, plus visitors, over the course of the next week.

I have never understood why people buy so much STUFF at Christmas. All those tins of biscuits! Not to mention how much bread they imagine they are going to get through in the single day the shops are shut.