I know how you feel with the family tradition thing, mine is the same way.
I always hope for chocolate cake at birthdays!
I am going to ask my family to make or bring chocolate cake to my bday in December.
Why? You ask?
I HATE chocolate cake! I do not eat it and they LOVE it! It's a win/win!!
lol! that's the kind of stuff I do too - like I will buy candy for my (very active, underweight) 7 year old to have as a treat and I always buy things like Reese's cups because I hate peanut butter. (although the amazing thing is that I am not even tempted at this point - the longer I have been off all sugars and sweets and starches, the less interested in them I am. NEVER thought I'd say that!)
Secondly..I'm probably gonna sound mean butttttt..... IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY. I mean it should really only matter what you want. I really think they should respect your feelings on not having a cake. You can't/won't eat it so why should you have to watch everyone else eat it on your day.
Yes you have to deal with temptations everyday.. I just think on your special day it should be about you right? I have an overweight family who at the beginning CONSTANTLY tried to get me to eat crap. After I got it into their heads that I wasn't going to eat anything they offered, they stopped.
I look at food as an addiction but I know a lot of people do not. I always hear "a little piece won't hurt or a little scoop or a small whatever." But what they do not realize, that for me.. that one little piece of cake (example) would trigger me to eat a whoollleeee lotta bad stuff afterward so it DOES HURT.
If you think you would be okay not eating it.. then by all means, lets them eat cake! Just let them know before hand that you WILL NOT.
BTW my bday is on Monday and we will not be having cake
Secondly..I'm probably gonna sound mean butttttt..... IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY. I mean it should really only matter what you want. I really think they should respect your feelings on not having a cake. You can't/won't eat it so why should you have to watch everyone else eat it on your day.
Yes you have to deal with temptations everyday.. I just think on your special day it should be about you right? I have an overweight family who at the beginning CONSTANTLY tried to get me to eat crap. After I got it into their heads that I wasn't going to eat anything they offered, they stopped.
I look at food as an addiction but I know a lot of people do not. I always hear "a little piece won't hurt or a little scoop or a small whatever." But what they do not realize, that for me.. that one little piece of cake (example) would trigger me to eat a whoollleeee lotta bad stuff afterward so it DOES HURT.
If you think you would be okay not eating it.. then by all means, lets them eat cake! Just let them know before hand that you WILL NOT.
BTW my bday is on Monday and we will not be having cake
I really thank you all for your input.
Jonsgurl, I hear those comments too. "A little piece won't hurt you." "You've been doing so well, just a little bit will be ok." I know they mean well, and really truly care about me. I talked to my Grandmother and Mom today about my cake, and we're still going to do one and I'll blow out the candles and everything with them, but I don't think I'm going to be having any. I found out my cousin is the one who is baking the cake for me, she's a big baker and loves to bake, so I'm going to let her and It'll actually won't make me feel bad or tempted when they eat it.
How good is your will power. Here's a crazy idea. Blow out the candles making a wish you don't blow the next step. "Small piece please." Then walk around with the cake. Cut it, mush it and push it around. People will think you've been eating it. When you feel you've satisfied them toss the cake. You didn't waste much and you pleased people by sharing in the experience.
And if you pull that off PM me because I'm a cake lover and could never ever do what I just suggested. Good luck, happy birthday and have a great time.
Jonsgurl, I hear those comments too. "A little piece won't hurt you." "You've been doing so well, just a little bit will be ok." I know they mean well, and really truly care about me. I talked to my Grandmother and Mom today about my cake, and we're still going to do one and I'll blow out the candles and everything with them, but I don't think I'm going to be having any. I found out my cousin is the one who is baking the cake for me, she's a big baker and loves to bake, so I'm going to let her and It'll actually won't make me feel bad or tempted when they eat it.
Happy Birthday to you too!
Thanks! I think it is great that you have so much Willpower! Some things for me used to be so hard for me to say no to in the first place.. that those words would have me second guessing myself.
Right now I'm on a low carb/sugar diet as well so I can understand that as well.
I know how you feel with the family tradition thing, mine is the same way.
I always hope for chocolate cake at birthdays!
I am going to ask my family to make or bring chocolate cake to my bday in December.
Why? You ask?
I HATE chocolate cake! I do not eat it and they LOVE it! It's a win/win!!
Hahaha. That's a clever idea you have there!
Last edited by melodymist; 09-18-2011 at 01:38 AM.
Could you do something cunning involving requesting that the cake be decorated with lots of fresh fruit, and then just nosh on the fruit and not the cake? If you have an accomplice (or possibly a dog), they could eat the cake part of your portion for you. Alternatively, you could make sure that there is some fruit left over and sneak that alone onto your plate. Put "cake fresh fruit" into Google Image and you will get lots of inspiration.
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The last cake that we had (for my mother, who has already lost 45 pounds and kept it off!! ), was angel food cake with cool whip (or nutriwhip, i cant remember lol) and fresh fruit!! It still allowed her to blow out the candles but keep on plan!!
People who don't have "sugar" issues can't truly understand how difficult it is for those of us who do. I've had an immense sweet tooth all my life. I've been successful at completely giving up sugar 2x in the past - and I never felt so good! - only to "fall off the wagon" at something so simple as a tiny sliver of birthday cake or a small piece of chocolate. These people also don't understand how one tiny sliver can send you in a downward spiral, totally undoing all your hard work. I mean, they're not being mean, devious, or unsympathetic when offering or insisting that you "have a little bit" of cake - but they ARE completely naive to the consequences you face.
While my diet this time around is simple calorie counting, and I'm NOT trying to give up sugar completely, I have cut it WAY down, and prefer Equal and Splenda when there's a choice. But I also like to "have my cake & eat it too" in a way.
I'm in charge of "birthday celebrations" where I work. That is, it is up to me to get the monthly cake and cut it all up & serve it around. THIS IS SO HARD FOR ME. I have yet to not have "one little piece". A couple of times I have indeed gone overboard & had another piece... then licked off the icing from the serving knife, etc. In so doing, I have felt sick sick sick! I mean, sick to the point of nearly passing out... yeah, sugar can be bad! WAY BAD! Evil!!!
But I am learning now to have that "tiny slice" and then leave it alone. I have found that THE LESS SUGAR I HAVE, the more I find things with sugar to be entirely TOO SWEET. This is a good thing! - and a long time coming, believe me!!
Good luck to you - I think the "fruit" idea is a very good one! -oh! AND HAVE A HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
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I second the cupcake idea. That way, you can still have "cake", but it's a specific portion. And that way, once everyone has one, there'll most likely be very little left.
Personally, I'm not willing to give up cake (or any other food) permanently, which is probably why it's taking me so long to lose the weight...but for me, I know I'd never be able to give anything up for the rest of my life, so this is the way it has to be for me.
So let them bake it, decorate it, you blow out the candles and then let them eat cake. If they serve you a piece say thank you and politely decline or just take it and set it down somewhere. You don't have to eat cake if you don't want to and it's ok to tell them if they ask you why to say, I just don't like the way that it makes me feel, or I had enough for dinner so maybe I'll just take it home instead. None of those are lies and you can take it home and throw it in the trash if you want to.
OR you could do something really crazy and bake your own cake made with something you can eat that doesn't make you feel like crud.
I personally would take the piece and then set it down/toss it when nobody is looking. People who are as attached to the cake as your family seems to be will blow the not eating it WAY out of proportion. Sometimes deception is easier.
), was angel food cake with cool whip (or nutriwhip, i cant remember lol) and fresh fruit!! It still allowed her to blow out the candles but keep on plan!! 
I mean, sick to the point of nearly passing out... yeah, sugar can be bad! WAY BAD! Evil!!! 
