...but it's not you! It's me!
I just figured out last week that I am a social-eating/drinking enabler. A few of my really good friends and supporters helped me figure it all out (Molly, Sheri, Lori and Beth - love you!!!!)
"What are you going to eat? I kinda want an appetizer, but not the whole thing. Will you split it with me, Georgia?"
"Okay. Order whichever one you want."
"Geo, I wanna have a dessert, but I don't want to be the only one who has one. Are you going to get one?"
"Sure! I was just thinking I'd like something to go with my coffee."
"Why aren't you drinking? Is water the only thing you're going to have? Well, that's no fun! Are you on medication?"
"Oh, um, no...I'll have a gin and soda."
For some reason, I can't stand my dietary ground when I'm with friends and we go out. I don't quite know why, but it ends here. If you want to go out with me because you want to eat what you want to eat without being questioned, I'm here to tell you that you are free to order whatever you want off the menu. You won't get any judgement from me! I just can't eat that.
You wouldn't ask someone with a strong peanut allergy to split a pb&j with you. Well, I'm here to tell you, if I eat something with you in order to support you, my ass will swell to gargantuan proportions. And they don't make an epi-pen for that!
If you find that I can't stick to my plan when I'm with you (and The Paleolithic Plan has been working so well - despite the summer of social eating and very little exercise), then you have my permission to remind me that I'm on a Plan and that you don't need me around to enable your off-Plan eating choices. The holidays are coming and I have a few food-centered social events coming up that I want to spend actually talking to people and not feeling like crap later for having too many Christmas cookies that I don't even like.
(But don't stalk me when I'm in the buffet line and try to embarrass me out of making poor choices. Show some restraint!)
3 comments:
I've gotten really good at saying, "I don't eat that. Sorry. It's all yours. Enjoy it."
Now, my siblings make stuff I can eat. I go to family stuff, and voila, a low-carb, sugar-free dessert whipped up by sis. A lower fat, healthful fat, multi-veggie meal with fruit for dessert made by SIL.
Saying no long enough is empowering, cause it shows folks you are damn serious and then THEY want to enable you to be good. It's like they join the team. I love having a team helping me!
Keep the friends. Learn to say no. :D
I am Non-veggie and my girl friend is pure veggie. I am a chicken fan and she is Salad. Whenever we go out for dinner she always reminded me that she is not going to eat "animals" and I always asked her why not "animal". She said that when I eat animals, she felt that I am still in ancient age.
This always goes on and we both eat our own food..
I had to laugh and agree. I was out recently at a bar for karaoke night with my daughter who basically dragged me out. I don't drink, and have no problem with drinkers, or sipping my seltzer water without feeling out of place. A very drunk young girl came up to me, with a pitcher of beer from which she was sipping and said I was a good singer, she thought it was sweet that I was out with my daughter, and offered to buy me a drink. I declined and she made a face...so I offered that I can't drink due to medical issues. She said...well then, to be here with all us kids and have the courage to go up and sing and have a good time, and do all that without a drink -- well, you're just the coolest chick in the whole bar tonight. Yea--coolest chick--that's me! You have to stand your ground with your friends--and if they don't understand, its on them, not you.
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