Reactions to my new way of eating...........

[SandyW]

I find it interesting that as some of my friends learn about me McDougalling, they kind of wrinkle their nose....one of them said she just wouldn't feel like her meal was complete unless it contained meat. Others are still hung up on thinking that you must have meat in your diet for one reason or another, and others ask how I can even feel full after one of my so-called "meals"! The best one was one who asked me where I come up with this stuff?!! I'm already getting tired of trying to defend myself to them as they don't even want to give me a chance to answer their questions because they just don't agree...it's very irritating. Have any of you had similar experiences? I did have one ask me about a website where they could read more about this, but I haven't heard anymore about it...and probably won't. As far as eating this way, so far I have not been hungry at all between meals...in fact, sometimes I feel a little too full after eating. Sorry, I just had to get this off my chest...thanks for listening.

[Porcelain Interior]

My husband still believes he isn't "full" unless he has a large portion of meat at dinner.

I think that the fullness SAD people are talking about is the bloated, and constipated feeling you get after eating refined/and animal product meals. The if I eat anymore I will barf feeling is NOT normal.

It's annoying for sure, but I just carry on and say, "Well I eat as much as I want and I don't get fat so I don't really need to worry about not feeling full."

[Sunny]

The reason most don't want to listen is because they are brainwashed into thinking there is only one way to eat ...SAD( standard american diet).

You will find it gets easier with practice to either ignore them or come up with something whitty to say

We had a thread going recently regarding the question: " how do you get enough calcium or protein ?" The answers that were used were:"where do cows get their calcium or when was the last time you feed your horse a steak " the normal reaction of people is confusion They associate strong bones,teeth and muscles to dairy and meat. They do not see the connection of these strong muscular animals and the fact they do not eat dairy or meat It is quite funny because they never seem to have a comeback to that !

So just enjoy your healthy lifestyle and come here for support.

BTW~~~I liked your quote in the signiture box.

[SandyW]

Thank you both...I feel a little better now. Maybe my hormones were flipping or something and made me very sensitive to their comments! LOL But, seriously, it is irritating. You both made some good points which made me smile so I will just ignore them and continue to eat the healthy way I am enjoying these days...we'll see who feels better in the end!

[LoriM]

My family still calls our food "berries, nuts and twigs." GRIN. My father is always *very* concerned that he will starve to death at my house when he visits, although I never offer exclusively McDougall foods when I have guests. I'm a good hostess, and feed them accordingly. (c: But I do offer a wide variety of dishes that fit our McDougall program alongside some more traditional SAD dishes, and they are always eaten joyfully, with requests for recipes afterwards. Our food isn't bland or boring; it's healthy. Unfortunately most people associate "healthy" with bland, boring or dry.

I have stopped being a McDougall evangelist. Grin. I just buy and prepare our foods in our home according to our standards, and eat in restaurants or at community dinners "the best I can" without drawing attention to it. Too many people have food allergies or sensitivities today for anyone to comment on what I eat negatively. Discussing food choices at the table (or before ordering) is pretty crass, actually, particularly lecturing someone else on their choices. So, I don't lecture, and I don't accept lectures from others. (c:

Now, that's not to say that I am not honest when someone asks how I maintain my health, or why I get by on so little sleep, or how I have so much energy. I definitely attribute it to my healthy diet and lifestyle! So, if they ask, "What do you eat that gives you such energy?" I'm happy to tell them the latest delicious recipe I've found. I just *rarely* answer these inquiries in the negative--you know, tell them what I *don't* eat. I have found that just mentioning that I "don't eat meat" or "don't eat dairy" makes the McDougall program sound like a diet, not a choice for health.

This program is SO much more than what we "don't" eat. In fact, now that I've McDougalled for years, I don't even think about it anymore. I get kind of flummoxed in public dining places that don't have vegetarian options. It's almost like, "Wow, they've ruined all the food!" LOL.

[Sierra]

My family still calls our food "berries, nuts and twigs." GRIN.

OMG!! I love it!!!!

[SandyW]

Discussing food choices at the table (or before ordering) is pretty crass, actually, particularly lecturing someone else on their choices. So, I don't lecture, and I don't accept lectures from others.

Hi Lori,

I don't, in any way, lecture anyone about my choices or force it on them at all...but when they are curious about the choices I make I begin to tell them about McDougalling and since they've never heard of it, they just don't think it's right so they wrinkle their nose.

I did, however, find it funny about your family calling your food "berries, nuts, and twigs"...that's funny.

[Sandie]

Discussing food choices at the table (or before ordering) is pretty crass, actually, particularly lecturing someone else on their choices. So, I don't lecture, and I don't accept lectures from others.

Hi Lori,

I don't, in any way, lecture anyone about my choices or force it on them at all...

When I read LoriM's post, my feeling was she was trying to let you know the part about 'I don't accept lectures from others.' I'm like that also as my son and I are the only veg*ns in our huge family. We'd get comments all the time about our way of eating but I learned a long time ago to not respond to the comments made at the table and they've pretty much stopped commenting. Now with friends and coworkers, I just tell them that I'm eating for my health. If they press for a more specific answer, I tell them to e-mail or call me later and we can talk. It works and it keeps our lunches friendly!

[Anne]

LoriM, responding with the latest great recipe is a wonderful thought! I hate saying no dairy, no meat because it chills the conversation. Just mentioning a great veggie dish is a terrific approach, thanks for the tip!

[noodle]

these are all great posts that have given me ideas how I can better respond to those asking about how we eat. Thank you everyone.

[Sher]

As another Tennessean, I am going to echo your experience. At first it really embarressed me, the comments & staring at my food. Now I relish my being different, I know it is simply that I am more open minded & willing to change and get out of habits & ruts, and they are not, and do not want to learn, nor change, no matter what the health benefits. You reap what you sow. I know myself when I eat the *typical* food, I feel sick. When I go back to my base of rice & veggies, I straighten out & feel better. McDougall's Revenge is the best teacher.

I don't push it. I answer their questions, IF they ask....I take my McDougall & other health books to work & leave them around to be seen and picked up, if they are curious. I get "oh, I couldn't LIVE without meat!" I smile and say, you really mean, you don't WANT to live without meat, you could actually live quite well without it, once you get used to it, and break the HABIT. I *do* call them on their b.s., but don't argue, just gently tease, as they tease me about my veggies and "weeds", or whatever else they say. I joke back with them, keep it lighthearted--I think that might make them more willing to possibly try it out one day...along with seeing you every day, and how much better you look & feel. If they are on-line and ask for more information, I sent them an e-mail with Dr. McDougall's site, forums, links to recipes, etc. They have the information & tools, it is up to them to take advantage of it.

Preaching doesn't help unless they want to change deep down. I had a friend, a smoker, had all kinds of health problems. She ended up in the hospital with collapsed lungs, she told all the horrors she went through in there, she NEVER wanted to go through that again. I didn't know it til the hospital thing, she also had emphysema. I was so proud of her, I told her the worst of the withdrawal was over. Two months later, we had a group get together, she said, I need to tell you something...I started smoking again (she wanted to drag out her ciggies, & was embarressed to do it in front of me without warning me, I guess). After all she went through in the hospital, knowing all the dangers. It was the HABIT.

I care so much about other people and hate to see them suffer, and wish I could MAKE them change, because I know that they'd feel SO much better. But unless they have that deep-down determination, make a lifetime change, it just ain't gonna cut it. All you can do is work on YOU, be the best example that you can be. You never know what influence that could have on someone, even years down the road.

I have never lived anywhere but in The South, so I have nothing else to compare it to, but have always thought it was probably more difficult being a vegetarian in a Southern state, especially in smaller towns/communities.

I think I sorta got off on a tangent.

Sher

[Venya]

Does anyone know. . . .

I know this is way off the topic, but I am having trouble uploading my avatar. I made it 80 x 80 pixels, saved it as a jpeg, and I keep getting errors. Does anyone know what I need to do?

Thanks!

[SandyW]

Hi Sher...I enjoyed your post. Since I am new at McDougalling and feeling so much better health wise already, I decided that I will just go on about my business of eating this way and just smile if and when others make comments about it...just seems easier that way. I am happy to report that the one friend I spoke about in my original post on this that asked for a website really did care enough to go read about it and guess what...she had sincere questions and is showing some interest because she suffers from a few problems herself. So, who knows! I agree that it would be great to help others out...but they must want to be helped and want to learn themselves...we can't make them change. It is exciting, though, once you yourself make this change and realize how much better you feel in such a short time...you do sort of want to shout it from the rooftops! So, what part of TN are you in?

[Sher]

Hi Sandy,

I live near Cookeville, which is about halfway between Nashville & Knoxville. I know there has to be more folks eating a plant based diet, but I've only know of 2; one that I lost contact with a few years ago (changed jobs), and the other works in a bookstore I love to go to.

Sometimes I feel that people think I am just trying to be picky/difficult--as I get older, I am getting better at not letting those things bother me, and just do my thing.

That is great about your friend, I hope she gives it a go. If you are like me, I get fired up when someone joins me in a project, it is like it is new for me all over again, and fun to have someone to bounce ideas off of.

Where do you live?? One thing I like about Dr. McD's plan, is you can follow it without any strange ingredients...you can actually have similar dishes/flavors to what you are used to, with a bit of modification. And you can eat pretty inexpensively, too. Just depends on how exotic you want to get with ingredients.

Sher

[KristaO]

My family still calls our food "berries, nuts and twigs." GRIN.

OMG!! I love it!!!!

Reminds me of my husband's cousin:
He called our food WEEDS & SEEDS! LOL.....