Sunday Luncheon with the In-laws
All rightie, as I expressed in a post about a week ago, my husband and I always eat lunch with my in-laws after church on Sundays, and this usually involves eating fast food of some kind. When I was last on my diet, I did not eat the fast food; I ate something low fat instead that I brought myself. Well, my father-in-law especially always seemed offended that I did this, and over time I eventually gave in and started eating what the family was eating again.
Well, I told Phil that I simply could not do this anymore. I needed to knuckle under and eat what I *needed* to eat in order to get back on track and to get this weight off. He agreed with me, saying that he had been worried about me (I think we were both thinking of the cinnamon rolls when he said this).
Our church building is located right next door to a Kroger store, so after church let out Phil and I went to Kroger's to find me something that would be okay for me to eat. I made my selection (fat free hot dogs and fat free potato chips ... perhaps not the best of choices but I was feeling a little sorry for myself all the same and needed that comfort food). So we went over to my in-laws' house, and Phil announced that I was eating my own food today.
My mother-in-law said, "Awww ... that's very .... admirable."
I was acutely aware of the pregnant pause before the word "admirable." Made me wonder if "admirable" was code for a completely different word.
So, then, the family began to figure out what they were going to eat, and Phil suggested Pizza Hut. This was especially cruel because pizza is my favorite food. I burst out, "If y'all get Pizza Hut, I think I will just cry!" Everyone laughed, even though I was serious as a heart attack, and they finally settled on Arby's.
Now, fast food choices at their house is built around the idea that the restaurants are selected due to the coupons in that week's browser, and Phil's dad began to rifle through the drawer looking for the Arby's coupons. He did not find them. He asked Phil to look. Phil could not find them, either.
And then, in a moment when they couldn't decide what to do, Phil's dad said, quite seriously, "Well, we might have to make Auburn cry."
I felt an overwhelming feeling of despair and anger at these words. Here I am, trying so hard to be good, surrounded by people who were blessed with thin genetics and could eat solid sticks of butter for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and never gain a pound ... and they are going to torture me. And then I thought that I couldn't believe that I didn't have enough will power to fight pizza when I had perfectly fine hot dogs to eat. And then I wondered if I was really going to be able to do this every week.
And then the family decided on Taco Bell. I was relieved. Taco Bell is not a favorite choice of mine even under the best of circumstances. It would be easy-peasy to isolate myself from that.
So the family ate their Taco Bell, and I ate my food, and I feel like it was about as good as a success as I could hope for.
I long for my own house that we can go to after church services are over, and we don't have the fast food fight, and I can cook something delicious and healthy for lunch.
So there it is. I didn't analyze it, I didn't sugarcoat it, I just told it. Was it a win?
Posted in: fat free hot dogs, sunday luncheon on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at at 11:02 AM
I think it's a win! They should be more supportive as in-laws. They may not understand what you're going through, but they should see you as a woman who wants to be healthy!
It's awesome that you took your chips and hot dogs with you! I don't know many people who would!
Definitely a WIN!
I think it's awesome you brought your own food and that Phil was with you on this.
Due to food allergies myself and my youngest can't eat certain things, and in the early days of eating out, potlucks etc when I would bring our own food I was soooo tired of having to explain it each and every time. Not to mention the resentment of all the things I could not have (but loved) while in the midst of people chowing down. Brutal. But, it does get easier. Eventually. Keep up the good work!!
Definitely a win, because you took care of yourself in the face of the comments and pregnant pauses of the family. Good job!
I love your humor and lol at "serious as a heart attack". I may have to steal that line from you! And thanks for the comment on my post today...I am going to read the post of your friend's that you left me the link to. Thank you for the award - isn't this blogging stuff great?
anytime you try to take care of yourself especially in the face of adversity is a definite WIN!
It sucks that you have to fight this every Sunday though. That would wear me out.
I'm proud of you!
Absolutely a win. It sucks that they aren't more supportive of you and your goals and your health. But I bet they truly do come to admire your sticktoitiveness when you say no to pounds and yes to you week after week! I'm proud of you for standing your ground. You're worth it!
That was a TRIPLE win...
1) You brought your own food despite a social pressure not to.
2) You voiced your opinion (albeit jokingly) about Pizza Hut being a bad option for you temptation wise.
3) You were honest about it and didn't sugarcoat it.
You earned THREE victories in one meal.. those victories add up too.
You can do this.
josh
I just found your blog and read a few of your posts.
How you use the word diet, and how it seems you view a diet, really makes me a bit uneasy.
A diet should be a lifestyle change that you welcome, not:
"Well, I stuck to my diet today, as hard as it was. I got soooo hungry this afternoon, but I overcame ... just kept thinking about Thin Auburn."
"Neither of which are good when I'm trying to diet. I think I am doomed for tomorrow."
A diet is not a chore. You should NOT be hungry on a diet, ever. This turns it into something negative, uncomfortable, and maybe even painful. Next, you start dreading it.
Seven years ago when I started eating healthy (I have NEVER used the word diet) I was likely eating more food then when I was a 36 BMI. But it was healthy food and I was exercising. I enjoyed it, it made me feel good. Never in any way did it want to make me cry because I could not eat with anyone else. I actually did not want to eat all that Pizza Hut, compared to not allowing myself to. I made a decision to eat something else, and felt stronger for it.
A diet should not be a punishment for being overweight or for that piece of cake you had yesterday