Any special challenges?

[cruiser gal]

This past weekend I was faced with a special challenge...what to eat at the 50th Anniversary Party for my in-laws? I pondered about this in advance, at least 2 weeks before the dinner. I was baking desserts for the sweet table, thinking will I be able to resist. I psychologically was prepared. I said to myself, I am in control, its not worth it to CHEAT. The night of the party, as I was setting up, (making dessert trays), I pulled over the head waitress, and explained to her my dilema. She surprized me by saying she understood, as she too was following this WOE. She told me to leave it in her hands, and lo and behold, when dinner was served, mine was a bit different, no gravy on my chicken, more salad, legal dressing, no potato. I did not cheat at all, not even the sweets tempted me. I was in control!!!

Does anyone else have any success stories? I love hearing about other's successes, as they help me with mine :joy

[cleochatra]

Usually, we do find places to go where I am sure the food will be amenable to my WOE.

Still, I'm a person who knows how to scrape, push aside, and make food look like it's been enjoyed without really eating any of it. Explaining to people that due to blood sugar complications, your doctor (Dr Atkins--shhhh) has said that you're not to have foods with refined starches in them, "But my golly, this roast is amazing auntie Mahetabel".

Compliments coupled with a medical excuse always cut the muster at a function, keeps anyone from being in any way offended, and allows others to see how luxuriously your good "doctor" wants you to eat.

*hip bump*

Also, if it makes you feel better, last weekend I wo-manned a concession stand filled with pizzas and cookies and was never even tempted. Smelling items makes me happy. I don't need to eat it if I can sniff it!

[Elizellen]

We went to an 'Edwardian banquet' a while back and I emailed the hotel a week before the event explaining just what we could and couldnt eat.
I sent them a copy of the acceptable foods list and told them what from the OWL rungs we could also eat.

They really pulled the stops out and before each of the 7 courses the maitre d'hotel crouched down and whispered in my ear explaining just what we could and could not eat for the next course.

They even supplied extra choices for us when the desserts were served - we had a delicious bowl of berries and cream while the rest of our table had several helpings of sticky toffee pudding. banoffee pie, apple pie, pavlova, creme caramel and chocolate coated profiteroles. A couple of them even said they wished they could have had our dessert!!

So the moral of this thread is - if eating at an organised event call ahead and ask for alternatives. After all if we were diabetic or followed a particular religion's dietary rules we would expect to be catered for, wouldnt we?

[Kent]

Great story! It's amazing when you find a kind soul at a restaurant who actually gets it -- that they are in the customer service business. That waitress deserves an attaboy for coming through in a moment of mini-crisis. Good job in resisting the dessert trays and staying true to the WOE.

[Fluffynomore]

Great stories!

My grandmother died a couple of weeks ago and my sibs and I all flew down to Florida for the funeral. I didn't have time to plan and also had to take my elderly mother with me as it was her mother who passed away. I was proud of myself that I didn't blow my whole WOE. There was a Ruby Tuesday's we ate at and we went to my aunt and uncle's house after the funeral mass. They had a roasted chicken, some cheese and salad that were all perfectly legal. I'm not saying it didn't cross my mind to dip into the many other carby foods that were available but I really didn't want to move backwards since I lose so slowly on my own!

[LJ]

Just the other day . . .

My friend and I were eating in a Dakota's Steakhouse the other day, and we told our waitress that we were on OWL. After we had finished our meals, she came up to our table and told us that the management "required" her to describe (and push) the desserts to all the customers. She just smiled at us and talked to us for a few minutes about this and that, thanked us, and left our table, her duty seemingly done without tempting us to cheat.

I hate it when restaurants push you to have something you don't want.