Am I wrong?

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crimsonlady2014
crimsonlady2014 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I've lost about 15 pounds over the last couple of months. This is about the point where people at work start to notice and ask me what I am doing to lose weight. My standard answer is, "It's not rocket science. Eat less; move more." And that's what I do. However, yesterday I was at lunch with colleagues and I didn't eat any bread, ordered a salad with shrimp on it and refused french fries when offered. One co-worker - said, "Oh you're not eating carbs! That's how you're losing weight!" A classic "Ah ha I knew you had a secret!" moment. So I felt obligated to explain. I am actually eating a lot of carbs - all the veggies in my salad are in fact carbohydrates. Which makes most people's head explode. I do avoid refined carbs and white food as I like to call it - bread, pasta, rice, potatoes. Not because I am on Atkins or doing a low carb diet - just because I have a hard time controlling my intake of those foods. I want 3 pieces of bread not one. I want a pound of pasta not a reasonable serving size. I know it's not that food that's evil - it's my self control that's lacking. I have a much easier time controlling my intake when I eat fruits, veggies, chicken, fish etc. And I love all those things - I eat just about anything and can always find something I like - so I don't feel like I am depriving myself when I have spaghetti squash instead of raviolis - I'm really just after the taste of my mother's tomato sauce anyway. But I felt like I was on trial at lunch while trying to enjoy my salad. This woman kept insisting I was "on Atkins" - when I am just "on my own damn way of eating". I have cookies, cake, popcorn - the occasional granola bar - all refined carbs as well - but it's easier for me to have one cookie - than one rigatoni. I'm thinking of just telling people I've got a tapeworm...
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Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    You're not wrong.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    Tapeworm is good :D or eat that granola bar in front of them. Congrats on the awesome weight loss!!
  • ShellyBell999
    ShellyBell999 Posts: 1,482 Member
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    Hahaha,
    People are going to believe what they want to, even when it's pointed out to them. Just smile and keep eating!
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    People don't like that there's no magic way to lose weight. CICO is so boring and not at all flashy and exciting - so clearly you MUST be doing something else. Taking a pill or being on a fad diet is the only way don't you know?! Don't make me actually do anything to lose weight - I want some magic potion with instant results or nothing at all!! :p
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
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    You're not wrong at all. I might borrow that tapeworm thing.
  • sherbear702
    sherbear702 Posts: 649 Member
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    Tapeworms *snort*. That'd be fun to tell people just to see their reaction. I can picture it now "Oh, yeah. Haven't you heard about it?" "It's all the rage" "you can by the larvae in capsule form" "I eat whatever I want and the weight falls right off" "Oh, except now I have tape worms falling out of my butt. Gross, but totally worth it"

    Hahahahaha
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    You are not wrong.

    I had a really similar experience -- people got the idea that I was doing low carb or paleo since I will (subtlely -- I dread having it be noticed) remove bread from sandwiches at work lunches sometimes. I don't do this because I'm anti bread (and you'd think they'd notice I still eat pizza when we have that!), but I usually don't like wasting calories on a huge amount of white bread that I don't even like that much and would much rather have more salad and fruit and the meat from a second sandwich.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    You're not wrong at all. Trying to explain that you're not avoiding carbs and that what you're actually eating contains carbs will probably just confuse her. If you can fit it into your calories, go by the grocery store and see if you can get a single cookie, then eat it in front of her. That'll confuse her even more. XD
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,472 Member
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    sherbear702 wrote: »
    Tapeworms *snort*. That'd be fun to tell people just to see their reaction. I can picture it now "Oh, yeah. Haven't you heard about it?" "It's all the rage" "you can by the larvae in capsule form" "I eat whatever I want and the weight falls right off" "Oh, except now I have tape worms falling out of my butt. Gross, but totally worth it"

    Hahahahaha
    Do it!!!
  • LadyMcClure
    LadyMcClure Posts: 42 Member
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    You're not wrong. You're definitely not on Atkins. People are just dumb. I love that people don't know that fruits and veggies are carbs. So cute.
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
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    It scares me how many people we could easily convince to acquire tapeworms on the black market.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    My wife -- after a year of my doing this -- thought I was cutting carbs. Hell, I ate 450 grams of carbs that day alone. "You see me eating ice cream every night, right?"
  • VykkDraygoVPR
    VykkDraygoVPR Posts: 465 Member
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    kkenseth wrote: »
    It scares me how many people we could easily convince to acquire tapeworms on the black market.
    I see the potential for massive profit.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    VykkDraygoVPR wrote: »
    kkenseth wrote: »
    It scares me how many people we could easily convince to acquire tapeworms on the black market.
    I see the potential for massive profit.


    Already been done.
    tumblr_mb6q0g6hFW1rnseozo1_400.jpg
  • VykkDraygoVPR
    VykkDraygoVPR Posts: 465 Member
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    dubird wrote: »
    VykkDraygoVPR wrote: »
    kkenseth wrote: »
    It scares me how many people we could easily convince to acquire tapeworms on the black market.
    I see the potential for massive profit.


    Already been done.
    tumblr_mb6q0g6hFW1rnseozo1_400.jpg
    I know that. I merely wish to capitalize on those who don't. I'm sure it's ethical, don't worry.

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    If someone wants to believe you are doing something other than eating less, they will. You can't change people.

    I would simply have said "I am eating carbs now, so obviously I eat carbs. If you mean grains, I also eat them but this is what I choose to eat now." And I'd have left it at that.
  • Sarah4fitness
    Sarah4fitness Posts: 437 Member
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    "Whatever. Thanks, what I'm doing is working for me, how's your lunch?" ;)
  • crimsonlady2014
    crimsonlady2014 Posts: 6 Member
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    You guys are awesome. Thank you. I'm printing out the tapeworm thing and putting it on my wall.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
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    You're not wrong. In my case, most people assume that I lost weight (65 lb. total) from cycling and running. I have to tell them that's wrong; in 2013 I cycled 2000 miles and gained 10 lb; it came off in 2014 and 2015 because I counted calories and ensured that I burned more than I ate.
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
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    You're not wrong, but they aren't (completely) wrong either.

    First, there is not necessarily one definition that is considered low carb. Some people eat under 20 grams a day, some 50, some 100, some 150... However, MOST people who would say they eat low carb do eat veggies (as in your salad) because non-starchy veggies actually have very few carbs. When low carb eaters say they "avoid carbs" this is generally understood to mean some combination of starchy/refined/highly processed/high glycemic index carbs...not ALL carbs and not things like lettuce. But they might say they don't eat carbs because everybody knows what is meant, and it is incredibly wordy to constantly give a long detailed explanation when a shortcut will do.

    Most low carbers DO avoid refined carbs.

    You yourself wrote:
    I do avoid refined carbs and white food as I like to call it - bread, pasta, rice, potatoes
    THAT is something the vast majority of low carb eaters do.

    But what is the problem? People are always curious about other people, and getting questions from people you know relatively well is to be expected.

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