Buffets and Smorgasbords! Ooooo...la la! 11/28
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garlic7girl
Posts: 2,236 Member
I read a blog the other day about choices. It was very in your face and raw! some folks were very offended and the writer wrote a long letter about the heated responses she received.
The bottom line is I agree with her even though it does sting a little.
Take a look at a familiar scene:
You are eating with a few friends at a restaurant...you order fajitas add extra veggies and you skip the sour cream. You have water with lemon. You forgo dessert. Then it comes, "why don't you get dessert? It won't hurt you!" "You are so good all the time."
Scene 2: You at a baby shower and it is over and about to leave, "here take some cake with you." You, "No, I am fine but all the other food was delicious and I am full" Host, "please here just take it...you are skinny as it is it won't bother you."
Other sayings: "You eat healthy all the time." "You can have seconds." "Do you have to work out all the time?" "You don't eat fried foods no more?!"
As the writer was saying we are all responsible for what we put in our mouths!! Everything! There are food pushers but ultimately we are resposible! So accept that you put the Ho-Ho in your mouth and swallowed it whole!!! The beverages we gulp down with abandon. It is all very sobering. I truly believe that is why writing down everything even the bites, licks and tastes we do...because it all adds up. Everything you put in your mouth has an affect on your body: positive or negative.
Think on it. let me know your thoughts
CHALLENGE: think about every single thing you eat today before you eat and how you feel afterwards? Was it worth it?
Peace,
WW
The bottom line is I agree with her even though it does sting a little.
Take a look at a familiar scene:
You are eating with a few friends at a restaurant...you order fajitas add extra veggies and you skip the sour cream. You have water with lemon. You forgo dessert. Then it comes, "why don't you get dessert? It won't hurt you!" "You are so good all the time."
Scene 2: You at a baby shower and it is over and about to leave, "here take some cake with you." You, "No, I am fine but all the other food was delicious and I am full" Host, "please here just take it...you are skinny as it is it won't bother you."
Other sayings: "You eat healthy all the time." "You can have seconds." "Do you have to work out all the time?" "You don't eat fried foods no more?!"
As the writer was saying we are all responsible for what we put in our mouths!! Everything! There are food pushers but ultimately we are resposible! So accept that you put the Ho-Ho in your mouth and swallowed it whole!!! The beverages we gulp down with abandon. It is all very sobering. I truly believe that is why writing down everything even the bites, licks and tastes we do...because it all adds up. Everything you put in your mouth has an affect on your body: positive or negative.
Think on it. let me know your thoughts
CHALLENGE: think about every single thing you eat today before you eat and how you feel afterwards? Was it worth it?
Peace,
WW
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Replies
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I absolutely agree with this!! Unfortunately, my family are the biggest food pushers around...it is to the point where I will decline going out to lunch with my sister 90% of the time because she makes me feel like a freak because I am trying to be so careful about what I eat. Also, the BLT's really add up! I can be very bad about having a taste of this, a nibble of that, a lick of the spoon, etc. Lately I have tried to be WAAAY more conscious of the nasty little BLT's....they DO ADD UP!0
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I tend to put some shame in the offering.
Pusher: Aw cmon, a little donut isn't going to hurt. You've been losing weight so well you deserve a little something.
Me: So you want to be responsible for me getting fatter? Being at higher risk for diebetes?
Pusher: But it's just a little donut. Its...
Me: Its fat. I'm fat. I look at the mirror and hate the way I look. I'm miserable. Are you telling me you want me to be miserable?
Pusher: But...you wont..
Me: YES! I WILL! Look at me! The shape of my body already tells you that I'm weak. Are you really that cruel? Do you hate me that much?
Pusher: I..I..I...*runs off crying*...little donut....
And they never offer again.0 -
I agree, I log all my food for breakfest and lunch before I leave to go to work, that way I know I have what I can eat and if I want something from my snack drawer, I will think twice if it is worth taking away my intake for dinner. The girls I eat lunch with are always asking do you want some of this and your so good, you don't eat the bad things, its so hard to say no everytime they ask "do you want something from Mc'D's, are you sure ?? Looking at what we eat is so important to keeping our goal
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Hm... this is interesting and a good thing to think about. My boyfriend and I have cut back on buffets because we feel overfull and gross after. I have slowly been starting to realize, "Is it worth it if I don't like how I'm feeling after?"
As of my family, I am the biggest one and practically the only "big" one and they always give me weird looks when I say I will have a piece and cut me a piece smaller than they give the little kids. Grr..
I do this challenge every day and recommend it to everyone.0 -
I like the idea of reverse psych. I've done a gentle version of that with the hubby. He gets it now and isn't such a pusher. But work can be a bear. I love my phone - I have really been able to take some control with this site and my phone to know what the calories might be. I was able to say no this morning because I knew my breakfast and my lunch have me set up real well. I just told her I was at my calorie limit and said no thanks. She didn't push it.
My hubby's favorite restuarants are buffet style. I use to like them but now I shudder when I go in and look around at the customers. (I don't have a mental image of myself as heavy - so I'm looking and thinking - is that what I look like? Is that where I'm headed? I don't like how that looks.) I am so thankful that our favorite version is so far away from us that going there is a huge treat and it's like once in six months or so. Even then, it's a constant thought process of 'what can I eat' and I don't enjoy it anymore. I would rather go to our local mexican restruarant which has new owners who have re-done the menu and have all these really lovely healthy choices that make dining a pleasure. Food should still feed the soul and not always be just about the calories in and out. That's what the Fench say is wrong with our eating culture - eating is not an experience - it's something to get through as quick as possible. Food is part of life. And while I don't like a pusher, I tend to really think - what do I get out of that food? I practice as much as possible mindful eating and sometimes, what I want is something really bad for me. But I portion it out and know I better work it out of my system. Just a long lesson learned.0 -
Mr. Aak I hope you know you were apart of the inspiration of the Scenes and the quotes! I love it when you do it! You are so good!0
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I do not like buffet restaurants for two reasons: 1. I want to be waited on. 2. I want fresh cooked food. My husband told me about how nasty the buffets are. He would know he had behind the scenes experience.
I am pretty good about logging every BLT. ( I like that abbreviation but it makes me drool, LOL) However at this moment I do not plan ahead. I will work towards that because I know in the long run it will be far more beneficial.
Yes, I agree, I am ultimately responsible for what I eat. Actually I take full responsibility. However I do sympathize with both sides, the pusher and the push-over.
I have been the pusher to my little sis. I would get so hurt when I would have everyone over for dinners and she would not eat one single thing I made. I would try so hard to make healthful foods she would feel safe to eat. Many times she brought her own food. I feel it is rude to accept an invite and then not eat anything that was served. It makes everyone feel awkward. I believe it would be best to take in account of the foods that will be served and make contingencies to have at least a small portion. Just to give you an idea of where I was coming from, it was her birthday and I baked her a birthday cake. I made her her favorite cake. She did not even take one bite of her birthday cake. The worst was when I would hear how she went out to dinner and learn of all the alcoholic drinks and rich foods she ate but then repeatedly decline eating my foods. No, I am not a bad cook. I make delicious foods. LOL
I have been the push-over. My husband practically shoved a candy bar in my mouth to get me to eat it. Now that is going way too far. I did refuse that time. But just this week my friend did not eat all of her banana bread and asked several times if I would eat it. I caved, hey it was fresh baked banana bread.
In other words, there are always two sides and I feel it is my job to be respectful of the other person/s perspective. Changing my perception will change the way I respond. I want to respond in a way that creates peace and harmony not just for me but for others.
But boy is it work!0 -
I tend to put some shame in the offering.
Pusher: Aw cmon, a little donut isn't going to hurt. You've been losing weight so well you deserve a little something.
Me: So you want to be responsible for me getting fatter? Being at higher risk for diebetes?
Pusher: But it's just a little donut. Its...
Me: Its fat. I'm fat. I look at the mirror and hate the way I look. I'm miserable. Are you telling me you want me to be miserable?
Pusher: But...you wont..
Me: YES! I WILL! Look at me! The shape of my body already tells you that I'm weak. Are you really that cruel? Do you hate me that much?
Pusher: I..I..I...*runs off crying*...little donut....
And they never offer again.
This gave me an afternoon chuckle! Thank you
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I don't really have an issue with pushers, but I know what you are talking about. My issue is that I can not say no to myself, I am the pusher. So this week I am focusing on my calorie limit and staying under it and adding exercise daily. I am doing quite well at the moment. I am no longer pushing food to myself saying things like ' I have already lost and kept off those pounds so what if I do not lose anymore for a week' or ' why not I will just exerise more to burn it off' and then of course don't. So for me aka The Pusher I have to just say NO! Not anymore I am going to do this, I am going to lose weight I will no longer make excuses or sabotage myself. I am only looking and heading forward no more stalling or siting on the sidelines watcing. As for those who come across outside pushers just say ' thank you but the answer is still no' then smile and walk away.0
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I really enjoyed this post. My dad is a big food pusher when I go home for visits. He doesn't do it on purpose necessarily, but he loves to cook and gets offended if I don't take a big helping of whatever it is he made. He tends to think it is because I don't like it as opposed to me trying to eat smaller portions and live a healthier lifestyle. My roommates are also big dessert pushers. They always make comments like "Well you worked out today so you can have a cookie or two." etc. It's hard to turn them down sometimes, but I've gotten a lot better at it. I've actually successfully avoided eating any of the cupcakes my roommates mom brought for her birthday last night and I intend on keeping it that way. They look delicious, but it's not something that I really really am craving or want, and it's definitely not something I need, which is what I keep telling myself when I walk into the kitchen and see them.
I think it's a great challenge to truly think about what you're eating and more importantly why you chose to eat it. I know for me personally it has made me rethink a lot of the food choices I have made in the past and helped me to learn to make better ones in the future.0 -
The biggest problem I have with pushers is that they don't understand that with my food allergies I really can't have that dessert or dish or whatever. Now I get the "Oh well sorry I didn't know what you can have so I just made what I thought you could" or "well this doesn't have wheat in it, you can have it" When I as for the label to see what's in it or ask if it's certified gluten free (for example with oatmeal) they get offended because I don't believe them (have caught several people with this one). I've even had someone ask me what my reaction is, because if it's not too bad, I could just have a little bit (uh, sorry, the wheezing, coughing, gagging is because my throat is closing.)
As for buffets, I don't eat a buffets. I am a microbiologist and part of my work is for the Food Emergency Response Network, I do testing on food outbreaks, things like e. coli, salmonella, listeria... need I say more about why I don't eat a buffets?0 -
I don't really have an issue with pushers, but I know what you are talking about. My issue is that I can not say no to myself, I am the pusher. So this week I am focusing on my calorie limit and staying under it and adding exercise daily. I am doing quite well at the moment. I am no longer pushing food to myself saying things like ' I have already lost and kept off those pounds so what if I do not lose anymore for a week' or ' why not I will just exerise more to burn it off' and then of course don't. So for me aka The Pusher I have to just say NO! Not anymore I am going to do this, I am going to lose weight I will no longer make excuses or sabotage myself. I am only looking and heading forward no more stalling or siting on the sidelines watcing. As for those who come across outside pushers just say ' thank you but the answer is still no' then smile and walk away.
Great! I think learning to talk to ourselves in new ways--the ways that help us reach our goals--is a big part of the weight-loss process. It's definitely important for long-term maintenance. (I'm always happy when I notice I have a new way of thinking about things.)0 -
...As for buffets, I don't eat a buffets. I am a microbiologist and part of my work is for the Food Emergency Response Network, I do testing on food outbreaks, things like e. coli, salmonella, listeria... need I say more about why I don't eat a buffets?
Oh, no.
I don't want to know anything that will prevent me from enjoying my fave Indian food buffet! 0 -
Someone once recommended that I approach buffets like this:
First, look at the entire buffet to see what is available. Then, choose the three most enticing foods, get reasonable portions, and eat super slowly. After chewing slowly, evaluate if a second pass at the buffet is even wanted; one is often satisfied with the three favorite foods. (I don't always follow this recommendation, but I think it's a good plan nonetheless.)
As for how to respond to those who insist I eat more or take away food, I think I will say, "No, thank you." I can repeat it if needed, and I don't have to go into too much detail about my eating plans, weight loss plans, or current state of fulness in order to explain myself.
p.s. LOL! @ aakaakaak (There is a certain genius to shifting focus back to the food pusher by asking something like, "So you want to be responsible for my bad health?")0 -
SO TRUE. thanks!0
