How's this for a pity party?

[LBTC]

Here's me today:

Our department went out for lunch today to a lovely steak house.

There was nothing on the menu that fits with my food restrictions. I had to get a grilled salmon with nothing on it and asparagus with nothing on it.

I wanted to cry. I don't often want to cry, but I really felt sorry for myself. There were so many yummy things on the menu!! But I had a really bad belly day yesterday, and today has been good so far, and I see my RMT tonight so I really was motivated to eat right. Darn it.

So I guess that's how shallow I am. There's people on this board suffering with or supporting people who are suffering with life altering ailments, serious injuries, and life changing circumstances. And I'm whining because I had some excellent salmon and some yummy asparagus for lunch.

Yup, good luck topping this one with any pity partiers out there!

Hugs & butterflies,
~T~

[mimitabby]

oh, come on. You have a right to all of your feelings! don't make it worse
by punishing yourself for having those feelings.
Having said that; i don't like most the stuff they put ON things...
I've been to places where vegetarians got broccoli :D

treat yourself soon to a yummy meal you CAN eat!

[Bikingmomof3]

Teresa,
Do not apologize. They are your feelings about your health! It is important to get the negative emotions out. I am happy you feel you can do that here.

Be kind to yourself. :) I hope your appointment goes well tonight.

[meridian]

Oh wow, you had the exact same meal I had when I attended a steak house company dept dinner two weeks ago.

I felt a bit out of place being the only one not chowing down on fried appetizers a huge chunk of steak, but my meal was still super delicious and I felt great about sticking to my healthy decision after the fact.

[Dianyla]

I know how you feel. Once a month we have these mandatory team pow-wow pizza lunches, wherein all they serve is pizza, breadsticks, and cookies. I know this in advance and try to bring my own lunch (or at least a Larabar). It always amazes me how people will get on your case for being antisocial for not partaking in the communal feeding trough. :confused:

My only consolation there is that the pizza they order in is naaaaasty. If I'm going to fall off the gluten-wagon, it's going to be for something that's high quality. :p

[mimitabby]

Or when our customers bring us donuts! everyone else snarfs them down and the customers, so proud of themselves for bringing us a treat... wonder what's wrong with me because i won't eat them.

[plantluvver]

Don't do this to yourself. It reminds me of my mother.:mad:

I was the outcast in my Catholic school, and avoid the daily taunts, jeers and pushes of 150 classmates. I wanted to go to the public school, where my neighborhood freind went. When I pointed out that her argument against it, because they were on a different calendar was empty, since my special needs brother attended there. Her reply was that I should just spend a day in my brother's classroom to see how lucky I was. How would I like to be the girl in his class that spent all day with her fingers in her mouth and drooled?

You are allowed to have feelings. It is hard to be different, and to not have your needs considered. I am going through the same thing with my bike commuting now. My women's sailing club meetings are on a very dangerous route for biking, and no bus. And I feel so second class by bumming a ride from other members. But now there are finally two members that I feel comfortable about asking (after about 6 years in the club.)

And if it were a seafood place, you would not have felt like crying, right? So give yourself a break, isn't about the food! It is about feeling that people were not considerate of your needs. And because it was lovely for everyone, EXCEPT you.:(

So pull out a chair for me, I am joining the pity party.;)

Mary

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

LBTC,
It's perfectly OK to feel sorry for yourself! It can be a healthy thing! :)
However...perhaps feeling sorry for yourself because you felt sorry for yourself is carrying it too far? :p ;) ;)
Salmon and asparagus- could be way worse, right? :p

[pyxichick]

I was just thinking today about how many times I have hurt myself by eating something I know is going to be bad for me. It's amazing that I'm such a slow learner. Finally, when the stomach aches and other symptoms get bad enough, I will relent and stop having the bad food. But it's taken me a LOOOONG time to get to that point with most of my bad foods, and I'm still getting there with others.

Be proud of yourself for having the strength to know what's good for your body and resisting the urge to eat the bad stuff!

Yay!

Kate:)

[bmccasland]

But, but LBTC - you are endangering your health if you eat wrong! I understand the feeling weird by not having what most folks are eating. Better restaurants are willing to cook something for you that you CAN happily eat. And having salmon certainly isn't so bad, OK so it wasn't a steak;) .

Do you want to know how much I paid for some wild caught Pacific salmon at WF the other day? I did NOT want farm raised Atlantic salmon - it all tastes like fish food to me. I got spoiled when I lived in salmon country. Of course when I went to WF, I intended to buy shrimp (they're in season right now), but their prices were too steep. So I spent even more on the fish. Go figure.

Do I need to send you more Mardi Gras beads????

Ride your bike, eat right so you'll quit having tummy aches. :)

[Zen]

Did that salmon look anything like this (http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards/fishsauce.html) ?

[Mr. Bloom]

One time, we took my celiac mom to the country club for dinner because the chef graciously accommodated her needs. But, the waiter accidentally placed crutons on the salad. I intervened, removed the crutons, and she proceeded to eat the salad.

Of course, there were tiny crumbs and mom was immediately sick.

:( I hate what you're going through and I hope it will get easier. :( But I also saw the difference for my mom once she regulated her diet.

Have you checked for the chain restaurants that have gluten free menus? In Evansville, we even have an italian restaurant that offers gluton free pasta!

[LBTC]

Did that salmon look anything like this (http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards/fishsauce.html) ?

Thankfully, no! :eek: People eat stuff that looks like that? blech.

~T~

[LBTC]

Thanks again, ladies (and Mr.), as usual, you are all so supportive and encouraging!

The meal was good, but seemed incomplete. I suppose the worst moments were when the girl who organized the lunch said "can you eat anything here? I guess I should have asked you" and then, later, when my meal was served she observed "that is a bit sparse, isn't it?"

I suppose I had other options, but all of them included no sauce and no bread, and no salad (raw veggies are still problematic), if I wanted to be as pure as possible.

And I find it difficult because I think that the servers in the restaurants just think I'm on some nutty diet, because it's not just one thing. I would never eat this carefully if I didn't need to!!

Luckily, I have little trouble avoiding the donuts. And the next big meeting where lunch is coming in, I am organizing - and I found a source of spelt pizza for the three of us in the group to have (if my boss approves of it) - and the rest of the group can have nasty pizza . :D

After all of my efforts today to go to my RMT "clean", I had the wrong time in my calendar, and missed the appointment. :eek: Some days I swear I am just losin' it!

Thanks to posting right away, and knowing you were all there, the pity party passed post haste! I'm feeling okay now, and just trying to decide if a ride to work tomorrow is the right thing to do.

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[kelownagirl]

(((((lbtc)))))

[Aggie_Ama]

(((LBTC))) you have every right to feel a little sorry for yourself. Now flush the pity pot as my mom says and be thankful you can manage you disease without surgery. I cna only imagine that trying to keep yourself healthy by watching every bite you take can be unnerving. I know how hard it is to have an illness others want to understand but can't. So chin up, we understand (or try to). :)

[Wahine]

(((((((LBTC)))))))

I'll join your pity party. You're totally allowed to have one. I personally and impressed with your dedication to your food restrictions. I have a terrible time with mine. I often get sooooooo hungry from training that I will eat whatever is available. Usually I'm miserable later. The worst is pizza. I love it. But pizza dough seems to be one of the things that hits my gut the hardest.

I often want to cry when I see DH having a big old slice of sourdough bread fresh fromthe bakery. I miss bread.

I feel for you.

[KSH]

Well, it's OK to feel a little sorry for yourself. Then, you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and move on.

You know, everytime I go eat... or attend a function... I'm the odd one out. I have been a vegetarian since 1991... and I always have to say, "Please get a vegetarian option".

I go to steakhouses with my friends... and I love the salads and bread. I also indulge in french fries with cheese. I never miss out as far as I'm concerned. But then again, I don't really have any urge to eat meat again.

I don't really know your health issues... but you ate right and made a good decision. And in the end.. it's only food. Right?

Can you still eat desserts? I say next time, you eat a slice of chocolate cake to make up for the meat goodies you missed... that's what I do!

[jeannierides]

Teresa,
Do not apologize. They are your feelings about your health! It is important to get the negative emotions out. I am happy you feel you can do that here.

Be kind to yourself. :) I hope your appointment goes well tonight.

<<<what she said!:)

[LBTC]

I don't really know your health issues... but you ate right and made a good decision. And in the end.. it's only food. Right?

Can you still eat desserts?

Crohn's disease and still trying to find the right balance of meds, food and exercises. According to naturopath: no wheat, buckwheat, oats, dairy, yeast, corn, onions, tomatoes, avocado, cane sugar, alcohol, peanuts or coconut.

I am sure he is right about dairy, onions and oats, quite sure on the wheat, and have not tested the peanuts or avocado yet. I have allowed small amounts of yeats and sugar (I aim for beet sugar, if that can't be had, then organic cane syrup in my sweets), coconut and tomato. I am trying even smaller amounts of corn occasionally too.

So, desserts in a restaurant are out, unless it's a the health kitchen that has spelt, rice and stevia sweets. But I have my sweets options, and keep them readily available. It was more the moment itself than the food - the salmon and asparagus were yummy. The moment sucked.

Accupuncture next week - I can not wait!!!!

Hugs & butterflies,
~T~

[mary9761]

(((LBTC)))) I'm so sorry about the Crohn's. You did the right thing. I'm lucky that I only have IBS and Diverticulosis, I don't have to give up everything, but I do miss corn and nuts especially cashews.. You have the right to express your disappointment in having to eat "plain" food.If I were in your situation, I would have had to go hungry. I don't like salmon or asparagus even with anything ON it...
Sorry to just be getting to this, I've been without computer for a few days when my moniter croaked.