I'd just gotten over a major stall and dropped 2 pounds. Yay!

Then, granny's 85th birthday rolled around. I didn't really want to go, but she expected me to be there and...well...she's 85. After surviving for that long, she deserves to get her way.

Of course, this is what led to my downfall. My mom asked if I wanted a piece of cake. I, as a good girl, said no and sat down with my glass of water. My mom said OK and gave some cake to my kids and that was the end of it.

Not.

Grandma proceeds to hand me a piece of cake. I say, "No thank you, Grandma. I'm still on my diet and am trying to stick to it."

She proceeds to shove a fork in my face and say, "It's my birthday. My 85th birthday. Eat the cake, Becky."

What to do, what to do?

Of course I ate the cake. She's old. She's grandma. You don't say no to Old Grandma on Her Birthday. The talk I give my mom about "respecting my diet" and "understanding my new eating plan" doesn't fly with an old Southern Belle.

Back to the stall.

I had to laugh at your post! And I can relate - my mom is a food-pusher. I am staying with her and dad while I wrap up some business in the midwest, and she is constantly saying "why don't you just forget about your diet while you are here and live a little?" Well, the last time I visited for an extended period of time, I "lived a little" and gained back the whole 10 lbs that I slaved to lose. So, no dice, ma, I gotta do what I gotta do.

I just generally tune her out when she tries to food push. But it gets really annoying.

I can't say anything, I had bites of three different desserts at the restaurant lunch for my dad's birthday yesterday and then had the real birthday cake that my mom had baked and sent me pieces of to go after dinner last night...

Hard to say no to grandma.

I might have taken the cake when it was first offered and then stirred it around a little, made it seem like I was eating it and hoped grandma didn't notice. Though I still would likely have ended up eating the cake. You have to do what you have to do sometimes.

Why do we have grandmas? Grandmas are GREAT. I wish mine had lived till 85 years of age. Mine passed away at only 63 years old. We were so close. It left a huge void in my life that has yet to be filled. It's a very unique, special relationship.

I could see where it would be hard to say no though. Like I said, how I wish I had this *problem*. I agree with Shannon, the best thing to do is just swish that cake around and no one would be the wiser.

Get back to that plan. And don't let anyone or anything stand in your way of your hopes and dreams and that fit healthy lifestyle. Stick with it, really, really adhering to it, and there's no way that the excess pounds can remain.

Oh no! I'm so sorry. I'm not taking my grandma for granted! I <3 my granny like my next breath.

Sometimes, I just wish she wasn't a grandma...if that makes any sense!

But, yes, I do know how luck I am to have this "problem". Both my grandmas are still alive (85 and 82), and I know how important the time is, which is one of the reasons it's so hard to fight with her over 500 calories worth of cake. It's still frustrating ex post facto.

This would work with my other grandma (Mom's mom), but Dad's mom is a "plate cleaner," like an old Polish grandma with a Southern accent. She puts the plate down in front of you, and you'd damn well better finish it because she watches you like a hawk. And we don't hear about starving children in Zimbabwe...we hear about how her and her many brothers and sisters had to go without food during the Great Depression and how no grandchild of hers will throw away food just because they're a little bit full...She's crazy. (in a good way)

Oh yeah my husband's grandma is the same way- cooks very fattening and all- I am so careful every year at the family anniversary my hubby and I go to and yet I still manage to gain 5 lbs everytime!!

I'm tired of hearing about food pushers. Yea they are annoying, but I can be more annoying if I want to and I do have to resort to talking back sometimes. It infuriates me when someone tries to force me to eat something. As long as a kid eats some food, what is the purpose of shoving it down their throat? It is nothing short of abuse and I will never understand or excuse it. So what if your Grandma is 85? What kind of enjoyment is she getting out of watching you shovel cake into your face, is that a type of entertainment? Is it not enough that you are there with her? What does it matter if you eat or don't eat? What's the point of the celebration anyway? What if you just have one bite, is that enough to placate someone who is trying to control you? Sorry, I don't get it.

As far as people trying to guilt-trip me into eating something, I'm over it. I'm not budging. You can't force me to eat, period. If a "no thank you" doesn't suffice I'm equipped to get loud and pushy myself so grandmas of the world better watch out.

1 piece of cake doesn't have to throw you off. Get back in the saddle, maybe throw in an extra workout this week. You'll do great!

Ok so here is my take. and I miss my husbands grandmother every day!

I am not a huge cake fan but it is part of the celebration and sometimes it is easier to say just a small peice please ( I tend to do the cake serving anyway so I pick the size) but to the birthday person it is part of the celebration and the rejection with saying no can be hurtful to them. sometimes I say I will share with my son, have a bite tell them how wonderful it is and move on and no one is the wiser i did not have a huge hunking peice. I do this when I pick up my kids from a party too, there are cake pushers everywhere, take a peice, have a bite an pitch it.

The other thing I have learned in my old age this time around is that if I can't make room for a bite or 2 of cake (or whatever) than I am not really succeeding at this life change. I know that those few bites are not going to kill me, I may have to spend an extra 30 min of exercise over the next few days, but I made the birthday person happy by partaking and life is not all sacrifice till i get to goal. I am trying to learn on the way down so I can stay there.

L144S - ditto! I love your attitude of "vigilance in a relaxed way." I am trying to do the same because I hope I've got at least 50 or more years to live, and am striving for learning to reduce my stress as well. Best semi-white lie I can muster in these situations is "My doctor wants me to really keep an eye on my triglycerides and blood glucose these days" and pout a little. Most older folks live in awe of their doctors, and will let you off.

I don't think that would work at my age, but it's a good tactic! On the funny note, my grandma took the french fries from dinner away from my dad [diabetic] and said, "You need to skip these so you can have some cake."

Back to the original question....

Why do we have grandmas?

To keep grandpas from getting into too much trouble