Off to visit my 2 aunts this weekend: "High" and "Carb"

[LC Sponge]

I have 2 elderly aunts, one lives in Toronto, the other in Sarnia. They don't get to see each other much so every couple of years I pick up the one in Toronto and drive to the one in Sarnia.

These women think gourmet cooking involves Sherrif Scalloped Potatoes In The Box. And they are of the generation that believes family visitors must eat 6,000 calories at every meal. Neither one has every known overweight. One is about 90 and the other one is 80-something.

This weekend should be a major shock for them, since they have no clue about my WOE, they just know I've lost weight.

Not even sure they know what a carbohydrate is. THey'll probably think its a 4-wheel drive boat.

Wish me luck - see ya'll Tuesday next. My aunts also don't have internet access :confused:

[bluugirl]

Originally posted by LC Sponge
And they are of the generation that believes family visitors must eat 6,000 calories at every meal.

LOOL.. sounds like my parents! If they haven't seen u in a while, they are going to have the biggest shock of their lives!!!

[numberonewendy]

Not even sure they know what a carbohydrate is. THey'll probably think its a 4-wheel drive boat.

Too funny, let us know how it went. :wave:

[Natrushka]

:lol: Have a good time, LC and best of luck to you!!

Nat

[LC Sponge]

Good morning everyone. Arrived back from Sarnia via Toronto last night.

Won't go into great detail, but here's how the weekend started:

Aunt #1 in Toronto held dinner for me on Friday night. I had already low carb snacked in the car en route.

Dinner was chicken pot pie, rice, mixed frozen veggies (carrots, peas and corn) and lemon merainge pie for dessert.

I managed to talk her out of cooking the rice. I made her remove 1/2 the veggie portion from my plate, dissected the chicken pot pie to remove and eat the chicken, and had 1 forkful of the lemon pie. My aunt was nearly having kittens over my lack of *appetite*.

I told her that the meal she prepared, (neither pie was homemade - my family CANNOT cook, they *prepare* food - I on the other hand, can cook and therefore believe I may have been adopted and they're afraid to tell me) although wonderfully smashing, was a real *carbohydrate* meal.

Her response?


"What's a carbohydrate?"

:wave:

My weekend got more food-funny as it went on, and YES it involved Sherrif Scalloped Potatoes in the Box. Which I polietly had to eat a forkfull of. I was able to convince them I needed to cook my own breakfasts (omlettes) and ended up giving them an omlette making lesson on Monday. I also managed to cook dinner for them (low carb naturally) on Sunday night. And we ate lunch out every day. Whew.

Luckily I was able to get out and run a total of 14 km over 3 days so I think I minimized the damage.

These elderly aunts, bless them, are high maintenance people.

Glad to be home, in more ways than one.

[Ruth]

LCSponge:

Oh my,

You had quite a time with the dear aunties. I had to chuckle, picturing you at the table, "playing" with your food, "no appetite". You did an amazing job, congratulations on well implemented survival strategies. :clap: :clap: :clap: Your will power & strength were amazing: only 1 bite of lemon meringue pie!!! Kudos to you!

Ruth

[Holly]

It is difficult to help people understand how this diet works if they dont understand even the basics.

How lucky you are to have two elderly aunties that you can keep in touch with, regardless of how they cook. I have few relatives left to hear the stories and know how the choices I make are an improvement and empowerment that I have chosen over my family destiny.

You did an amazing job keeping true to the diet. Some situations are just plain old difficult.

Holly

[Sharon]

I agree you did a great job, in my opinion since you only visit these ladies so infrequently, a few extra carbs is worth their love and respect, since as you indicated it's just too difficult to explain.

If they are anything like people I know they are probably discussing how thin you are and that you hardly eat anything anymore, (since your food choices were so limited at their house).

You did good!! A tough situation.

[numberonewendy]

Well done Sponge.....especially with the pie....wow, one bite, now that's will power :clap:

[Shirlfe]

Funny! Aunts, Thinks low carb a four wheel drive boat. He he, Ha ha! Most of that generation never thought of counting a calorie or a carb or diet. And 80 and 90 years old, wow! This is the only woe that has worked for me. I lost quite a bit of weight years ago on this. Hoping it will happen again. Good luck with the high carb. day with your Aunts. Shirl :roll:

[Kirkwood]

I was following the posts, and congratulations to you on your will power. I'm going to be in the same situation over Christmas, and I've decided - Christmas Eve, I'm going to eat.

My 78 year old Grandma, the love of my life, makes homemade noodles, oyster stuffing, and many other things that would make this board cring with horror.

But, I love her, and it makes her happy to her family come together to eat the food she has prepared lovingly for us all. 20 years from now, I'm not going to remember the low carb ice cream I made to hold me over the holidays. I am going to remember the meal she made for me in love. Is this how I got the food = love mindset? Probably. But I know, even if it takes me till next spring to fix the damage of that day, it'll be worth it.

--Kirkwood

[LC Sponge]

Food is associated with celebration, togetherness, love, caring, wealth, family, friends, marking the seasons, reaching goals, winning something special, cultural events, achieving, planting & growing & harvesting.... there's probably gobs more....

It's a real balancing act to take part in all of the associations and remain on any WOE (not just LC). And then there are times when you just should go ahead and indulge... and accept a big foodie hug.

My aunts make it easy on me because they can't cook and what's more they truly despise doing it. I like cooking and they don't know if they are eating low carb. They adapted to my food choices pretty quickly considering.

On the other hand they would have STAYED REALLY cranky if I'd refused a game of Euchre. :)

[firespirit]

:D :D :D :D

This whole post has made me laugh. Ditto what everyone has said.

I'm planning a trip to Michigan in January, that's where I'm from.
I wish I'd have my grandmother to try and overstuff me, but she's no longer with us. My aunt, however not elderly she is, has learned from her though, so I won't be without some of the joy. My grandmother was a WW success story; she never could understand why I gained weight while trying to do exactly what WW told me to do. My aunt is diabetic and has lost quite a bit of weight over the last 5 years, but I'm not sure how she did it--maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised and she'll be LC too ;)

Worse will be my friends--the mostly vegetarian, high-carb girl they once knew is gone. I hope I can be as creative as you when the time comes. I'll try to remind myself to revisit this thread just before I leave.
:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:
To all you Canadians out there : In my 2 weeks in Michigan I'm going to try to get some friends to take me up to Ontario--Your country is beautiful. Now that I live on the west side of the US, I really want to get up to see British Columbia; I've heard that it is at least as beautiful as Ontario.