Happy Independence Day to everyone! I hope your day is filled with fun and family and friends!!
I was kind of chuckling because I got a message from a friend who said that they were having a party and wanted to invite me but didn’t because I don’t eat like everyone else at functions, and they didn’t want me to be uncomfortable, or their guests to be uncomfortable. They said they would be posting pictures and didn’t want me to be hurt that I wasn’t included. They were serving lots of pasta and salads, hamburgers. They thought it would be easier to not ask me. And I sat at the other end thinking….. What????
First, it is fine with me not to be included? I didn’t think anything of not being asked. Who cares??? I certainly don’t. TRULY…. How silly really.
It really is funny to me that as my weight goes down, people have entered my life and a lot of people have left it. I think this might be a sign of someone leaving and I am fine with it. Independence…. that is a powerful word!!!
In this journey, I have found the really supportive people. And I cling to them. They don’t care if I eat or don’t. And obviously someone doesn’t know me well, because I would never be uncomfortable in any social situation where food was involved. And I was raised to have the good manners to not make others uncomfortable. I go for company, not the great desserts. Did I really never notice that at parties, people are really watching what other people eat? Who is doing that?? Who really cares about that? I couldn’t tell you what anyone ate at any function. I only care about what I eat.
I go to all kinds of functions. Functions where food is served, parties, graduations, lunches with friends, dinner meetings, all kinds of “food” events. I have made it a point to not be the person who is saying,”Oh I am on a diet…” Blah…. Blah….. Who wants those people at a party? Not me, and I certainly don’t want to ever be that person!
So first, I am not on a diet. I have made a lifestyle choice. I made a move of INDEPENDENCE. I made the choice to follow this way of eating. I made the choice to follow it for life and minus maybe a day or two where I won’t, (which no I am not there yet) pretty much I am a lifer. You have to choose for yourself what you want. I set out to be independent of my Hashimoto’s Disease, to be finally free of its clutches that totally hampered and destroyed my life…..INDEPENDENCE DAY…. Mine was October 5, 2015, the day I started with Dr. Jack.
I admit there are difficult days. I wouldn’t be human if there weren’t those days. Holidays can be tough. Sit down meals at a big party are difficult. You go to a function and you see stuff and sure it looks good, but I always stop to ask myself what that is going to do to me. I have worked hard to reduce my cellular inflammation. I have worked hard to get my weight down, and hard to become more physically active. Not blowing all that for something goofy.
I try hard when I go to functions to be subtle. I search for the salad and raw vegetables. I look for baked chicken. And sometimes I ask what is being served before I go. Again subtle, “What are you serving? I would love to bring something!” AND YES I bring all kinds of stuff I never eat, BLT salad….. cream puffs…. scalloped potatoes…. pasta…. creamy salads…. cookies…. cake….
I NEVER say, “Oh my gosh, I would NEVER eat that.” I always instead say, “That looks delicious, I just can’t right now. You did an amazing job with all this food for everyone to enjoy.”
Another friend told me recently, she liked me better before I lost weight. What??? I asked what she meant and she said, I wouldn’t have minded stopping for coffee and a bagel or an ice cream cone. She said that I didn’t think anything of the joys of that go with certain treats. Well, okay, I can still stop and no, I might not make the same choices. So what? I don’t care if someone is having those treats, I just can’t risk what it might do. Would you tell a diabetic that same thing? Why do they care what I eat? I had no idea before what that was doing to my own body, that it was helping my disease to just feed it. It wasn’t helping and I didn’t know that. But I do now….. I AM INDEPENDENT.
I guess we all have to make choices for ourselves. But for goodness sake, when your friend is just trying to cure a disease, BE A FRIEND. STILL invite them. After all what they eat or don’t has always been their choice.
Enjoy your day….. Food is great.. Good choices are still delicious…. . But no meal is as great as people. Years from now, you won’t remember what was served but you will remember the people and the fun!!! Enjoy your independence!!! I AM!!!!