Thursday, November 17, 2005
Sabotage (The Enemy of All Diets)
Wow, can you believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away! I wonder how many of us are going to have to deal with friends and relatives who will try, either consciously or subconsciously, to sabotage our diet during the holidays? Chances are most dieters will be faced with this situation at one time or another, especially at this time of year.
Wait! Did you happen to notice that I used the word "diet" in the previous paragraph? One big problem with diets is that there's always somebody who's trying to get you to cheat! I hate to say this in a public forum but, a lot of times, it's because they're jealous. Your determination and success make these types feel ashamed that they haven't done anything about their own weight issues. Of course, not everybody who tries to sabotage you is green with envy over your new, "flabu-less" physique. Almost everybody has a well-meaning friend or relative who will say "I made it just for you" (guilt) and insist that "it won't hurt to eat a little bit" (a lie!). Although people like this have good intentions, what they don't realize is that they might as well be pushing you to use drugs. Can you imagine granny encouraging you to go ahead and snort some coke because "a little bit won't hurt?" Of course not! But she undoubtedly won't think twice about pushing a decadent, carb-laden dessert, which might be just as bad for you if you're sugar sensitive like me. Perhaps the analogy of comparing sugar to drugs sounds extreme, but for those of us whose bodies cannot handle the white stuff, it's reality.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but a low carb lifestyle really does solve a lot of the problems that plague traditional diets. For one thing, there's no need to announce that you're on a diet. It's not like there's any chance you'll be showing up at a party with weird foods that will draw attention to what you're eating. You're simply restricting your intake of carbohydrates, that's all. There's no need to feel deprived either, since holiday dinners typically include a wide variety of scrumptuous low-carb foods you can enjoy -- like turkey, ham, a variety of non-starchy vegetables, olives, sour pickles, and cheese. In a pinch, you can even munch on some of the fresh fruit and nuts that are spilling out of the cornucopia centerpiece. Nobody will even bat an eye, trust me.
If you're not quite ready to handle Aunt Mildred's aggressive pie pushing tactics yet, here's a little trick that worked for me. I've discovered that if I tell people that I'm abstaining from sugary and starchy foods due to a medical problem (technically true), they back off. You don't have to explain it; in fact, it's even better if you don't. If Aunt Mildred starts to ask embarrassing questions, just smile and change the subject. Believe me, 99% of the time, people like your Aunt Mildred will get the message that you don't want to discuss it. Every once in a while, you'll have to deal with the other 1% -- the ones who can't take a hint. Short of whopping them upside the head with a two-by-four (tempting, yes, but never a good idea), the only effective way I've found to deal with these boorish people is to crack a joke. My favorite response to people this is, "I can't eat that because I'm allergic." If they continue to press for details about the symptoms associated with your allergic reaction, just say, "It makes me break out -- in fat!" Works every time! Pretty soon everybody starts laughing, and the conversation moves on to more interesting things than what people are or aren't eating.
I don't know about you, but I sure don't plan to let the diet saboteurs sabotage my efforts to become thin and "flabu-less." And, honestly, there's little need to be concerned if you've made a permanent commitment to the low-carb lifestyle.
Wait! Did you happen to notice that I used the word "diet" in the previous paragraph? One big problem with diets is that there's always somebody who's trying to get you to cheat! I hate to say this in a public forum but, a lot of times, it's because they're jealous. Your determination and success make these types feel ashamed that they haven't done anything about their own weight issues. Of course, not everybody who tries to sabotage you is green with envy over your new, "flabu-less" physique. Almost everybody has a well-meaning friend or relative who will say "I made it just for you" (guilt) and insist that "it won't hurt to eat a little bit" (a lie!). Although people like this have good intentions, what they don't realize is that they might as well be pushing you to use drugs. Can you imagine granny encouraging you to go ahead and snort some coke because "a little bit won't hurt?" Of course not! But she undoubtedly won't think twice about pushing a decadent, carb-laden dessert, which might be just as bad for you if you're sugar sensitive like me. Perhaps the analogy of comparing sugar to drugs sounds extreme, but for those of us whose bodies cannot handle the white stuff, it's reality.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but a low carb lifestyle really does solve a lot of the problems that plague traditional diets. For one thing, there's no need to announce that you're on a diet. It's not like there's any chance you'll be showing up at a party with weird foods that will draw attention to what you're eating. You're simply restricting your intake of carbohydrates, that's all. There's no need to feel deprived either, since holiday dinners typically include a wide variety of scrumptuous low-carb foods you can enjoy -- like turkey, ham, a variety of non-starchy vegetables, olives, sour pickles, and cheese. In a pinch, you can even munch on some of the fresh fruit and nuts that are spilling out of the cornucopia centerpiece. Nobody will even bat an eye, trust me.
If you're not quite ready to handle Aunt Mildred's aggressive pie pushing tactics yet, here's a little trick that worked for me. I've discovered that if I tell people that I'm abstaining from sugary and starchy foods due to a medical problem (technically true), they back off. You don't have to explain it; in fact, it's even better if you don't. If Aunt Mildred starts to ask embarrassing questions, just smile and change the subject. Believe me, 99% of the time, people like your Aunt Mildred will get the message that you don't want to discuss it. Every once in a while, you'll have to deal with the other 1% -- the ones who can't take a hint. Short of whopping them upside the head with a two-by-four (tempting, yes, but never a good idea), the only effective way I've found to deal with these boorish people is to crack a joke. My favorite response to people this is, "I can't eat that because I'm allergic." If they continue to press for details about the symptoms associated with your allergic reaction, just say, "It makes me break out -- in fat!" Works every time! Pretty soon everybody starts laughing, and the conversation moves on to more interesting things than what people are or aren't eating.
I don't know about you, but I sure don't plan to let the diet saboteurs sabotage my efforts to become thin and "flabu-less." And, honestly, there's little need to be concerned if you've made a permanent commitment to the low-carb lifestyle.
// posted by Beauty and the Brain @ 5:11 PM 
