Two weeks ago at home group we were having a pot luck dinner. I didn't leave it to chance that there would be anything that I could eat. I knew that there probably wouldn't be. So I brought a salad and dressing and some drinks. I also brought a 4oz of chicken to put on the salad that I was having and made sure that I got a diet drink. As I sat down at the table with my salad dinner, N said "You're still on that diet!" like she was disgusted. I told her yes, and I would be for life. She was incredulous. She doesn't get it. Eating a plate full of carbohydrates isn't an option for me. I sat there thinking how unfair the criticism was. I mean, I didn't look at the plate full of cake and cookies that she brought to the table and say "My God! You are putting that in your temple after eating a plate loaded with scalloped potatoes and mac and cheese?" I truly think that if you decide to be offended by something you surely will be.
So tomorrow night is home group again. The fare is pot luck again. But this time someone is bringing pulled pork and someone else is bringing salad. It doesn't matter what I bring I will be able to eat. I was getting happy. I was planning on making a cheese cake made with Truvia and a broccoli cheese casserole made with ground cauliflower instead of rice. Believe me there is no taste or texture difference with the changes. But then tonight I got the message. "S decided that we would meet at Gondolier's instead of the church. And the time has been changed from 6:00 to 5:30 to miss the rush." Grrrr! Gondolier's is an Italian restaurant and there isn't one thing on their menu that I either can or will eat. All of their salads are based on feta cheese, which I hate with a passion and everything else has pasta in it, or is breaded and fried, or is pizza or wrapped in pizza dough. Not one thing I will eat. Someone must have reminded S that I don't eat at Gondolier's. S decided that instead, we will go to Los Bravos. Ummm Hmmm. So we will exchange pizza dough and pasta for rice and tortillas.
I'm really not that difficult. I ate last night at O'Charley's with my brother and had a nice steak covered with blue cheese and mushrooms and vegetables and at lunch today I went to Long Horn's with my friends and had close to the same. I can eat chicken salad at Steak and Shake or Chic-fil-a or eggs and tomatoes at Waffle House. I can eat pork chops at IHOP. I can even find things at the Chinese Buffet that I can eat...but Italian and Mexican poses serious problems for me. S is addicted to carbs. It is apparent. So after telling the group that I wouldn't be joining them because I probably couldn't find anything there that I could eat without spending a fortune, I got this message..."You are still on that diet! When will they let you off it?" I tried to find a nice way to email them back to tell them that the health problems that I have that demand this diet are chronic, they can't be cured. I will be on this diet until I go Home. So if I have to sit one out here on earth, I'll catch you for dinner in the Kingdom.
4 comments:
Wow...what a difficult thing to go through! It would be so much easier if you could just say you have Celeiac's disease and must eat gluten free. People seem to understand that better. A friend of mine has it and I try to work around her diet whenever we eat together. It's not her fault and she's not being difficult.
I think bringing your own food is great. You'll be comfortable. At a restaurant, you could ask for a speical gluten free salad to be prepared (because the chef should understand those terms). My friend asks for chicken to be grilled without anything on it. No one ever seems to mind.
But as for Ms. S....I would confidently inform her that it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle. It's not for weight loss, it's for life. She's going to need it broken down if she's ever going to leave you alone. Some people just don't get it. Ask her if she's up-to-date on her life saving skills if you have bad reaction from the Mexican food. :)
Thanks She. The ideas are good, but the celiac thing backfired on me. For the women's banquet last year they asked if anyone needed a gluten free dinner and I asked for one. They served me white rice instead of mashed potatoes and a rice krispie treat with a chocolate dipped strawberry. I age the strawberry because chocolate doesn't really affect blood sugar all that much. In the town I live in there are probably 100 restaurants that I can eat happily at, but I don't think S understands the difference between a starch and a protein. The S that does the catering for the church talked with me and does get it now, so most of the meals served at the church she will have a plain meat and a salad or non-starchy vegetable for me.
I think the real problem with people at my church understanding it is because so many of the other type 2's just take the pills or shots and eat whatever they want. It's hard to take one persons disease seriously when everyone else won't take their own disease seriously.
Yes, our culture revolves around food, doesn't it? Still, it is the time together that is important. I have Crohn's disease and have trouble with many foods. I don't really expect others to remain aware of my limitations but it is hard sometimes. I have found most restaurants to be kind when asked to hold the garlic or whatever. I wonder if the comment to you was less criticism and more sympathy. If it was criticism, I hope you can forgive her ignorance.
Hi Susan, I have been considering your comment and I do think that when N asked the question she did it with an air of annoyance, like "why are you still bothering us with your stupid diet?" type attitude. It is pretty typical of her and for the most part I just ignore that aspect of her personality. When S asked it in an email, which was replied to all I think he was just shocked that I still was eating that way, and he really doesn't understand proper nutrition. At 65 years old he still thinks that a diet of hamburgers and pizza is just fine. Lucky for him that he hasn't needed to. The S who does the catering is just sensitive that way. Her daughter has severe food allergies so she has been in the same place that I am for a while.
When I wrote the post I was just annoyed at S who wrote the email for several reasons but mostly for the change from the church to a restaurant. It is easier at the church to control what I eat because I can bring it. And everyone had already bought the food to bring. And there were a few families with small children or limited incomes who couldn't afford the restaurant.
I did end up going but only because some of my very close friends asked me too. I had to order the fajitas, which are expensive because the other low carb offerings were more expensive. Oh, and N shook her head and rolled her eyes when I asked the waiter to hold the rice.
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