Saying "No" To Those Who Want to Spoil Us

Setting boundaries is one of the most difficult things to do. If you're anything like me, you don't want to hurt people's feelings. You don't want to tell people no. You don't want to be judged. And, sometimes it's just easier to give in than it is to explain your preferred food choices.   You know as well as I do that people celebrate with food. We live and love food; we dream about food. In fact, I often say that messing with people's sugar is like kicking puppies.   So, when we consider saying, "No, thank you" to our loved ones when faced with Grandma's prized apple pie, we may be made to feel like we're drop-kicking her dog.   As WLS patients who know what it is like to be morbidly obese, setting loving limits is not only the key to our success, but to our survival. Just like the ninja who operates in stealth mode, we must go to whatever lengths are necessary to keep from reverting to old habits, thoughts, and behaviors surrounding food.   While setting the limits may cause you discomfort as first, the goal is for people to stop offering you sugary or high-carb snacks. Any inconsistency on your part may sabotage this goal.   When you occasionally give in to Grandma, Aunt Lorraine, or your office mate, you are inadvertently teaching them that sometimes you will say yes. So, they will keep offering.   With a little practice (and really cool ninja garb), you can begin to use a predictable "No" with everyone pushing pie and the like -- so you can train them to stop offering you the menacing morsels. Here are a few actions you can take right now, wherever you are in your WLS journey: