How Do I Make Them Stop?

I hear you there, kiddo. I would love to trade bodies with some of these people who have never had a heavy day in their lives and let them see just how hard it is for me...for about a month. Even then, they would only see a tip of the iceberg because a lot of the weight struggle is genetic and there from birth. In younger years maybe I could have lost the weight but in my old age I have gotten too tired to fight anymore. The weight is just another scar of life. I remember when I was in my 20s I had lost something like 30-40 pounds and men who never gave me the time of day before suddenly came out of the woodwork. I told them, "If I'm not good enough for you at 200, you ain't good enough for me at 160!" There is far too much judgment of overweight people. No one can know who has not lived in our bodies! I saw a presentation by Susan Powter once and she had me all excited. I was going to spend the money for her "program". She talked about her post-divorce weight gain and how she had ballooned up to 270 or something like that. She talked about losing the weight and walking down the hallway in the mall when she suddenly realized her thighs were no longer rubbing. Oh, what a glorious thing to not have your thighs rub! But then I realized that Susan Powter never had a weight problem until after her divorce and her weight gain was due entirely to depression, overeating and lack of exercise. For me, no matter how much weight I lost, my thighs always rubbed. They have rubbed since I was a preteen. When someone who has lived my life, lived with what I have lived with and struggled for as long as I have struggled comes up with something that works, then maybe I'll listen. Thanks for the tip about saying NO. I do say NO. But I would just like people to stop offering. It's like, I was at my friend's house a while back and she was trying to offer me something sweet. I told her, "No, thanks. I just want some ice water." That's all I wanted. She gave me the ice water but her eyes looked hurt that I wouldn't eat her decadent sweet. I don't even like the really rich sweets anymore. They don't taste good to me.

I said may have contributed. I have seen a few overweight vegetarians but I doubt you become overweight over eating carrots. The typical American diet is killing us. Too much salt, sugar, artificial flavors and preservatives. Pregnancy should be an excuse to over eat or eat the wrong foodd either (not saying you used it as excuse). If anything it should be a time to be even more conscious of what you are putting into your body.

Meant to say pregnancy should not be an excuse...

dreamy shes trying to say that yes some pregnancys do cause us to gain and its not because of overeating. do not judge alaskanray as weight gain in pregnancy has a lot of different causes,not all are overeating,do nogt judge our poster, its just not fair.

Pass it on, give it to the mailman, or the paper boy. Send it to the foodbank or to the Senior Center or the police station.

Yeah, sometimes I feel like I'm being used as a garbage can for them because they don't want to eat this junk, themselves, so they just assume I'll eat it. "Give it to akray...she'll eat anything!" Truth is, I won't eat just anything. I am quite happy with ice water when socializing. I know we culturally have to have something to put in our mouths when at a social function but who decided that it had to be fattening? When we get "secret Santa'd" at Christmastime is the worst time for these sweets. I don't want to be ungrateful...at least they thought of me(?), I guess...but I would really rather not receive anything than to get this poison, you know?

I have done all of those. I just don't want to have to deal with it. Oh, well...

oh just to suggest... "I really like 'x' but I can't afford it, I sure do miss the taste of it..." sort of "hint"

LOL...Thanks, Elic. That's a good suggestion. Here's hoping it works.

I, too, prefer the vinaigrette dressings. They also have the most flavor!

I'll let you be my friend! I love salads!

Yes, we could be friends , because we both love salads. Me, i like salad of all kinds. But i like most , salads with vinaigrette dressing because it has the least calories.

Actually, the Filipino community was in Alaska where I used to live. I've left there now and am living in Oregon in a predominantly white area now...a small farming community miles from the nearest large town. No, I have not heard of bitter melons. I'll have to look it up online. I do know that there has been much said about the benefits of cinnamon for diabetics and have tried to incorporate it into my diet as much as possible. I try to add it to my oatmeal and meatloaf. I grew up eating cinnamon as a sweet seasoning only but lately have discovered that it is good in savory dishes, as well, and try to use it there. I have also heard that devil's club is good for diabetes. Too bad I'm not back in Alaska where I could harvest it for free! LOL Oh, well. I would have to find out the correct dosage for it, anyway. I guess I'll stick with the cinnamon for now.

Thanks for the information. I'm sure I will learn a lot here, even if it's not available to me. The enlightening of the mind is always a good thing.

oh, anyway this information might be of some help, cause studies have been made here in my country where it grows abundantly, yes of course the culinary aspect that I know interests both of us, but just remember to take caution in taking any dietary supplement, good luck friend, here it is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_melon

Yes, it is a societal problem, a cultural thing, isn't it? I think my big point, though, is that if you really care about someone, you get to know them, know what they need/want/would appreciate, and give them accordingly. It does not make me feel loved to be given poison which is what this sort of stuff is to me.

Oh, I doubt very much that their intentions are all that nefarious. I think they just don't think. They don't eat healthy so they don't think I do.

Well, I can and do eat sweets on occasion...but they are very few and far between and I certainly don't put an entire cake in front of myself! These people are stuck in the notion that more is better and give me whole batches of cookies, whole cakes and the like. If the portions were smaller, even that would be better. I don't check my blood sugars but pay close attention to my A1C. If it gets elevated, then I start checking my sugars daily. I consider myself a renegade diabetic which means that, should I ever become insulin dependent, I will allow the disease to take me. I don't like poking myself to check my blood sugars, I am definitely not going to poke myself to take insulin! When the day comes that that happens, I have a do not resuscitate order on file and that will include no insulin! But that is many years off and I intend to keep it many years off by watching what I eat.

There is no way they cannot know of my condition. It is obvious from just looking at me. I think a lot of the trouble is that they eat junk so they just don't think about the detrimental effects it has on themselves or others. Sad to say there are a lot of folks out there who are not "junk aware".