Family is trying to sabotage my 'diet'

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  • bnjones23
    bnjones23 Posts: 86 Member
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    Thankfully my mother is the reason I started eating healthier and exercising. She was my inspiration as I am hers. However, when I go home to visit my father its a completely different story. He constantly tells me and everyone else that I can't be his daughter since I don't eat mayonnaise (never have liked it) or I don't scarf down chili dogs and gorge myself with sausage gravy and biscuits. Them my stepmother chimes in "oh Brandy doesn't eat". Yes I do! I just don't eat crap that you can't even pronounce the ingredients in it! Very frustrating but I'm used to it. I'm just glad there's a Subway a couple miles down the road from their house and I always bring a cooler full of groceries from home when I go. :smile:
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    This is what I mean.. I've said it before, this is why I don't generally tell family I'm TRYING to lose weight. My mom comes over for dinner tonight. She brings a big bowl of cookies and a cake. It's like what the heck? She knows I don't want that junk, she knows it's hard to say no to chocolate chip cookies, but still. You'd think she'd want to help, or support me... Bleh


    and NO I didn't have any!! :laugh:

    Anyone else go through this too? It's driving me bonkers.

    spray bleach on it and put it in the trash.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    I'm a vegetarian and it never fails that my mom brings and offers me meat during each of her weekly visits. I've had years to try out every kind of reminder and rejection I could think of. I've shouted, screamed, sounded patient, thankful, used logic, etc. She still does it. Maybe it's mom-brain. They have an overwhelming desire to comfort you and it overrides there common sense or something. I sometimes smother my son in kisses and am deaf to his initial screams to stop.

    This^^

    moms and grandmas all do it...

    No, I disagree with this, totally. It is to do with control, not "making people feel better" - how could anybody think anyone would feel better by giving them something they are desperately trying to avoid or are keeping out of the way in order to maintain their own lifestyle.

    All this "just have the one", "it won't hurt", "denying yourself treats all the time is not good" etc etc etc - why the hell should anybody have to "give in" just to appease others who take it upon themselves to bring stuff to somebody else's house EVEN when they have requested they do not do that - it is a total and utter attempt to control, whether subconsciously or consciously done who knows, but it is wrong.

    One of my daughters is a veggie and when we had a BBQ last year, I ensured that her and her boyfriend (also a veggie) had food that was completely vegetarian and I did not allow any of their food to go anywhere near meat or fish and I also would not allow the veggie stuff to be served with utensils that had been used to dish out the meat-eaters' food, it would not be fair to do so and I would hate it if I were veggie and that happened to me. Their stuff was also cooked on a separate grid.
  • DefConJen
    DefConJen Posts: 20
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    Just do what every child does when their mother or grandmother does something that annoys them or (my favorite) gives advise and tells you how wrong you're living your life .... SMILE, TAKE IT... then do whatever YOU want! Next time say " thanks mom, that's so considerate, or lovely but I'm not hungry right now." Make her feel great for doing her motherly duties ... then trash it when she leaves. =]


    This! Although easier said than done. I'm sure it is not malicious, but they do wear down your will power.

    My mum is dreadful, her own weight yo-yos - not as extreme highs as me though - and if its about health/diet then she has been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

    But...she can't help herself, if I go to her house she offers some kind of food every 5 mins, wanders in to the room with a biscuit, icecream, chocolate bar, etc, etc, if she comes to my house she wants to take you out for lunch, coffee & a cake, etc 'my treat'. Then in the next breath she'll tell you how she eats like a bird and is putting weight on! *sigh*

    My son described this conversation with her;
    Mum: Do you want a slice of pie? There is lots.
    Son: No thanks.
    5 mins later
    Mum: Do you want some pie? There is half left.
    Son: No thanks.
    5 mins later
    Mum: Do you want some pie? There is a bit left.
    Son: No thanks.
    5 mins later
    Mum: *walking through room* All that pie has gone you know...!
  • MissShancey
    MissShancey Posts: 464
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    Just eat one cookie! You can't go through life never eating another one. That is not reasonable. In fact, I may just go have one right now, if I can find one. You could have one cookie every day and still work it into your calories. Abstinence is not the answer. Staying under while finding balance with things you view as treats while meeting nutrition needs will make you a happy dieter. Just tell her, I'll save the rest for a treat later.

    Yes its important to not make any food “off limmits” and to incorporate everything she likes to eat in to her new healthy living lifestyle, but it isnt right for her mother to parade a tub of cookies and whole cake in front of her face.. her mother could have just as easily provided a fruit salad or some cottage cheese with berries.

    ********
    Regarding the topic:

    The sad truth is that some times when the older generations see us youngsters trying to get our weight under control or making positive changes in our lives when they havent yet had the courage or strength to make the change them self they get jealous and intentionally try to make us fail just so they can say .. “see i couldn't do it and neither can you”

    Some mothers even blame there weight gain on there children “i cant work out because im busy doing stuff for my kids” ...”i cant eat healthy because i have to keep snacks in the house for the kids” ... In reality they should be active with the children and be providing the children with healthy snacks as well.

    bottom line is some families just dont have your back ... My family was not supportive of me at all in any aspect of my life, as of today i havent spoken to them in a year and a bit and i have lost 44 pounds, saved a substantial amount of money and taken huge steps toward completing all of my educational goals ... being around negativity is never a good thing but if you have to then you have to .. just tell your self all you need is you, dont judge your self worth on what they think ... get healthy for you!!!
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    The only person that can sabotage your diet is you. That's like saying "I went to the grocery store today and they had big bags of M&Ms on sale. Don't they know I love M&Ms but they tempt me with them anyway."
    The difference is that the M&Ms can't jump in the cart without your cooperation, and they don't follow you home and repeatedly shove themselves into your face saying "oh, just have one, what could it hurt?" like her mom is doing.

    The cookies don't jump out of the bowl and into her mouth, either. Tell her Mom what it does hurt. Her pride, her diet, her well being. The truth sometimes hurts, but it is usually the best thing to say.

    Like Bobby said, is she comes to the door with cookies, don't answer the door.

    Good grief! How idealistic some people's lives are.

    Do you live all of your life this way? Not being funny, but what you suggest is totally unrealistic and would end up causing great rifts amonst familes.
  • MissShancey
    MissShancey Posts: 464
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    Doubt she's trying to sabotage you unless she doesn't give a crap about her child and is an evil witch...which is unlikely. She just forgot.

    Congrats on resisting the temptation.

    LOL I JUST told her a couple hours before she came over.
    So, your mother is being wicked?
    If this is what you are saying, sever the relationship.
    Problem solved.

    That's just too harsh.

    Not only harsh it is ridiculous and unrealistic.

    Its not unrealistic or ridiculous ... some relationships are toxic and need to end. Period
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    This is what I mean.. I've said it before, this is why I don't generally tell family I'm TRYING to lose weight. My mom comes over for dinner tonight. She brings a big bowl of cookies and a cake. It's like what the heck? She knows I don't want that junk, she knows it's hard to say no to chocolate chip cookies, but still. You'd think she'd want to help, or support me... Bleh


    and NO I didn't have any!! :laugh:

    Anyone else go through this too? It's driving me bonkers.
    So..... It bothers you when she brings cake and cookies over because you mentioned you're losing weight, but it would be perfectly OK for her to bring over cake and cookies if you don't tell her you're trying to lose weight?:huh:

    What are you on about LOL
  • reallyregina
    reallyregina Posts: 62 Member
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    I had a friend that would do this. She would want the treat (let's say cookies). She'd take one bite and keep pushing the package onto me. I think she was ok if I lost weight as long as I was bigger than her. Once I realized what she was doing I noticed she did it ALL the time. Constantly trying to get me to eat more than her. Eventually I just started to take a bite and when she wasn't looking toss the rest. That way we were both happy.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    Doubt she's trying to sabotage you unless she doesn't give a crap about her child and is an evil witch...which is unlikely. She just forgot.

    Congrats on resisting the temptation.

    LOL I JUST told her a couple hours before she came over.
    So, your mother is being wicked?
    If this is what you are saying, sever the relationship.
    Problem solved.

    That's just too harsh.

    Not only harsh it is ridiculous and unrealistic.

    Its not unrealistic or ridiculous ... some relationships are toxic and need to end. Period

    i agree. people suck. if they're not on your side, why are they in your life?
  • kimmianne89
    kimmianne89 Posts: 428 Member
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    Yeah kind of.

    I go to my sisters house, she says shall we have chinese for dinner, I say no its okay, she says come onnnnn once wont hurt, I say no I cant afford it anyway. She then goes ahead and orders it and pays for me. Really sweet but I DIDDNT WANT CHINESE and I am not strong enough to resist when its paid for infront of me. lol. Then last night I went over my friends house and he ordered pizza and paid for it, so yeah I'm getting free food but I really don't want it. Theyre all fattening me up lol. I only had two small slices and left it at that but still... -.-
  • christakersey
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    It was a legit question to see if anyone else goes through it as well, I wasn't exactly sniveling? Just saying. She knows it's hard for me, and I asked her to stop doing this all the time, I don't want my kids eating so much sweets either.

    Don't worry, I've noticed that Bobby seems pretty snippy on other posts too, so it's not just you. :) About the just eating 1 cookie, I can't eat just one. That's how I got to be overweight in the first place, that and 4 kids anyway! But yeah, it's better to avoid the that first one and start the sugar frenzy!
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
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    Doubt she's trying to sabotage you unless she doesn't give a crap about her child and is an evil witch...which is unlikely. She just forgot.

    Congrats on resisting the temptation.

    LOL I JUST told her a couple hours before she came over.
    So, your mother is being wicked?
    If this is what you are saying, sever the relationship.
    Problem solved.

    That's just too harsh.

    Not only harsh it is ridiculous and unrealistic.
    Oh well, then have your cake and eat it too.
    Remember, the one in any relationship who cares the least gets to make the rules.
    And you won't here this from the "echo chamber".
  • wrevhn
    wrevhn Posts: 864 Member
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    it happens.

    with hubs family, i tell them things like diet or gluten intolerant, but they never really LISTEN. they guilt trip big time into stuffing you, and my family is obsessed with cooking too. So between the two and birthdays falling around the holidays, I gain 20lbs every year in holiday crap everyone hounds me on. my lil sis is a very touchy ex anne so I have to not make a big deal around her or it could set her off. Its stressful. I gained soooo much quitting smoking from this too. But I have realized, I got to be mean with it. hubs supports me and this year....i'm being strict for the holidays.

    almost tempting to take a cruise or island vacay for the holidays to avoid both feeding frenzy sides.


    be strong girl. get fierce to look fierce.
  • amy1612
    amy1612 Posts: 1,356 Member
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    Just eat one cookie! You can't go through life never eating another one. That is not reasonable. In fact, I may just go have one right now, if I can find one. You could have one cookie every day and still work it into your calories. Abstinence is not the answer. Staying under while finding balance with things you view as treats while meeting nutrition needs will make you a happy dieter. Just tell her, I'll save the rest for a treat later.


    Yeah, amazing advice, 'go eat a cookie'
    Dont go eat a cookie,you can, if you WANT, go through life without eating another one. Theyre not a life sustaining force, its a cookie. Seriously.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    Doubt she's trying to sabotage you unless she doesn't give a crap about her child and is an evil witch...which is unlikely. She just forgot.

    Congrats on resisting the temptation.

    LOL I JUST told her a couple hours before she came over.
    So, your mother is being wicked?
    If this is what you are saying, sever the relationship.
    Problem solved.

    That's just too harsh.

    Not only harsh it is ridiculous and unrealistic.

    Its not unrealistic or ridiculous ... some relationships are toxic and need to end. Period

    You actually consider the OP and her month's whole relationship as toxic??? There is nothing toxic there, except her mother's ability to understand not to take certain food to the OP's house, it does not require a whole severance of the bloody relationship.

    LMAO never heard such an over-the-top "solution" in all my life!
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
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    The only person that can sabotage your diet is you. That's like saying "I went to the grocery store today and they had big bags of M&Ms on sale. Don't they know I love M&Ms but they tempt me with them anyway."
    The difference is that the M&Ms can't jump in the cart without your cooperation, and they don't follow you home and repeatedly shove themselves into your face saying "oh, just have one, what could it hurt?" like her mom is doing.

    The cookies don't jump out of the bowl and into her mouth, either. Tell her Mom what it does hurt. Her pride, her diet, her well being. The truth sometimes hurts, but it is usually the best thing to say.

    Like Bobby said, is she comes to the door with cookies, don't answer the door.

    Good grief! How idealistic some people's lives are.

    Do you live all of your life this way? Not being funny, but what you suggest is totally unrealistic and would end up causing great rifts amonst familes.
    You keep getting solutions that work, but to you, it's all so "unrealistic"...:laugh: :laugh:

    Is it such a stretch that not everybody is willing to pander to the absurd notions of other daft people?
    Here's the deal.
    I have lots of supportive people in my life.
    And those who are NOT supportive, I cut off, and that includes family and life-long friends.
    OFF WITH THEIR HEADS
    And some have gone their way while others have come back, hat in hand, totally willing to respect my boundaries.
    That is how it works for self-empowered people.
    I make the rules.
    You follow my rules, or get out of my life.:drinker:
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    Doubt she's trying to sabotage you unless she doesn't give a crap about her child and is an evil witch...which is unlikely. She just forgot.

    Congrats on resisting the temptation.

    LOL I JUST told her a couple hours before she came over.
    So, your mother is being wicked?
    If this is what you are saying, sever the relationship.
    Problem solved.

    That's just too harsh.

    Not only harsh it is ridiculous and unrealistic.
    Oh well, then have your cake and eat it too.
    Remember, the one in any relationship who cares the least gets to make the rules.
    And you won't here this from the "echo chamber".

    No, that is just how you experience things, it is not how everybody lives.

    I think you need to review your current situation.
  • Kara_xxx
    Kara_xxx Posts: 635 Member
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    My son described this conversation with her;
    Mum: Do you want a slice of pie? There is lots.
    Son: No thanks.
    5 mins later
    Mum: Do you want some pie? There is half left.
    Son: No thanks.
    5 mins later
    Mum: Do you want some pie? There is a bit left.
    Son: No thanks.
    5 mins later
    Mum: *walking through room* All that pie has gone you know...!

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    The only person that can sabotage your diet is you. That's like saying "I went to the grocery store today and they had big bags of M&Ms on sale. Don't they know I love M&Ms but they tempt me with them anyway."
    The difference is that the M&Ms can't jump in the cart without your cooperation, and they don't follow you home and repeatedly shove themselves into your face saying "oh, just have one, what could it hurt?" like her mom is doing.

    The cookies don't jump out of the bowl and into her mouth, either. Tell her Mom what it does hurt. Her pride, her diet, her well being. The truth sometimes hurts, but it is usually the best thing to say.

    Like Bobby said, is she comes to the door with cookies, don't answer the door.

    Good grief! How idealistic some people's lives are.

    Do you live all of your life this way? Not being funny, but what you suggest is totally unrealistic and would end up causing great rifts amonst familes.
    You keep getting solutions that work, but to you, it's all so "unrealistic"...:laugh: :laugh:

    Is it such a stretch that not everybody is willing to pander to the absurd notions of other daft people?
    Here's the deal.
    I have lots of supportive people in my life.
    And those who are NOT supportive, I cut off, and that includes family and life-long friends.
    OFF WITH THEIR HEADS
    And some have gone their way while others have come back, hat in hand, totally willing to respect my boundaries.
    That is how it works for self-empowered people.
    I make the rules.
    You follow my rules, or get out of my life.:drinker:

    Blimey BC calm down, you'll burst a blood vessel!!!!

    Just got one thing to say, I would never be in your life, you are too rigid for my liking and too controlling. What's with all the shouting? Are you ok?

    You are not as self-empowered as you like to think you are actually, you are actually controlled by your emotions and everytime it comes across in your postings. You think you are in control but you react in the same way everytime.

    You call other people daft and yet your ideas are the daftest of all to some other people.

    Continue cutting and culling in the end everybody you had close will be gone because there is only far you can push people as the OP is finding when continually trying to tell her mother not to bring crap into the house. I do think, however, it is highly unlikely she will just cut her mother out of her life because of some crap food, that would be very "over-the-top" and unwarranted.