Preparing for the Holiday meal!

So another Holiday is coming up. Our family will get together and the traditional meal will be served.   I have to stick to my diet plan, and I don,t want to wear the red shirt in the room.   My first problem is what will I eat, The second is what will I bring to the meal,  The third is how to explain to people that I am serious about not bring deprived because I eat no red meat, potatoes, Bread, Dairy,{except for some cheese}, I am most certainly not starving!  I am not crazy, I know how I felt before, and I know how I feel now.  I don't want to go to a family dinner and represent myself as the food police either.  I want to be discreet, even though I publicly proclaim my life plan to anybody who cares to read about it.  {How IRONIC!}   I am going because I love my family, and hiding out from family dinners is not an option.  
    I have to go confidant, and representing the lifestyle I am choosing.  I used to feel so embarrassed when I went to family dinners when I was so fat, I felt so self conscious.  I felt as if everyone was watching as I ate. {They probably were not, but I felt that way!} 
    As I have said before, I could talk about nutrition now, as much as I could talk about miniatures, or civil war reenacting.
   As I deal with in my own family situation here at home, I will just represent by example, do what I need to do, and figure out what to bring that I can eat freely with out drawing attention to myself by just eating carrot sticks and broccoli spears.{ I don't just eat that way anyhow!}  My husband is changing, and caring about his diet, my friends are noticing the big changes in me.  Some of my friends are interested in my nutrition plans.  
   I just want everyone to understand that although I am taking a radical step in forgoing for now, traditional medicine, I am using food as medicine, and I am very serious about this.  I want this to work out, I want to show people that faith, and perseverance, can work along with a healthy diet and mindset to if not cure my diabetes and other health issues, then at least I can keep them in check, if not reverse them.  
This is MY choice, I will defend it based on the changes I feel, and based on how terrible I felt under the medications I was on.  
     My family is very traditional, but loving, so I am just going to enjoy the day, and prepare ahead of time for my nutritional needs.  I am going to think about what to bring, and let my Hostess know ahead of time.   That sounds like a good plan.   DON"T LET THE HOLIDAY FOOD TRADITIONS DERAIL YOUR  LIFE PLAN!   Find a way to enjoy the days ahead without letting temptations get the best of you!    Thanks for looking in, Mrs Cook