Celebrations centered around food. Always.
"You got a new job, let's go to dinner and celebrate"
"It's your birthday, let's order a cake and celebrate"
"Graduating from anywhere, let's over do it with food and celebrate"
"Any holiday ever...food, food and more food!"

Why, does everything have to be centered around food? Why can't we Celebrate with a painting class or roller skating or a trial membership to a zumba class for everyone! It's sickening to me that our entire focus for living is so food-centric.

I know it's not just us, it's everywhere and it's not going to change, but I can change me. You want to celebrate one of my accomplishments? Let's repaint my living room together. Let's get our nails done then binge watch Breaking Bad!

I eat to live, not live to eat. (drops the mic)

-dt

I'm a relative noob, but this has been one of the more difficult things to overcome so far. I am trying to get into the mindset of actually enjoying the company and event instead of the food. I'm making strides. I am going to Maui in April, and the pre surgery me would have been online checking out the restaurants and obsessing about all the wonderful food I am going to eat. Now, I've noticed I'm more excited for the experience itself, and even was planning how I was going to get my exercise in while I'm there! Oh how things change...for the better

That's great @@Babbs, sound like you are already doing the right thing.

I work in the event industry and have to deal with this every week, sometimes several times a week.

I just follow my rules, no eating and drinking at the same time, don't eat after 9 pm.

Funny how much more of an event you can experience when you are not standing in line to eat for the majority of it.

Why, does everything have to be centered around food?

@@Dolores33778

you are right "it's not just us"

"normal" people too

celebrating with food

for whatever reason was "taught" to me at an early age

my parents would take the family out on special occasions

always related to food/eating/dinner etc

its just something i grew up with

then i continued, and continued and continued etc

before i knew it i was always eating

for ANY reason

heck i would celebrate when it was a tuesday and i saw a bird!!

any excuse to eat

eating goes hand with society

terrible habit, tradition

you want to meet and talk with a friend

go out to dinner and eat!!!

thats the way "it" is

kathy

Edited February 13, 201511 yr by proudgrammy

It's because having a cake and going out for dinner used to be rare and special, so it was a true treat. Now we can do those things whenever we want (and worse). There would still be nothing wrong with celebrating with food, if we were able to just eat properly/normally in between.

Edited February 13, 201511 yr by mrs kaje

Celebrating with food is something my family has struggles with since my 8 year old was a baby. He was diagnosed with multiple life threatening food allergies at around 4 months old and they have only gotten worse. Celebrations based on food have been something we have had to avoid for his safety.

Combine that with my sleeve, it has become even more of a pet peeve. Fortunately, my little family has been celebrating events with activities and experiences instead of food. We enjoy it so much more and build great memories. Start being the change you want to see and maybe a few others will jump on your ship! Good luck with starting your revolution. If enough of us start mini revolutions, maybe it will spark changes in other families too.

I've gone full circle....in the beginning, I avoided food, and social events surrounded by food...

But now, once again I enjoy going out to a nice restaurant....

Because food no longer has control over me, and I now have have very little interest in food, and the hunger/cravings are no longer there.

The people in my office go out all the time, and when I join them I may have nothing more than an appetizer. And that I am unable to finish most times.

But I enjoy the social event tremendously...(not to mention the drinks).

Both my Daughter and Son were born in February...add valentines day on top of that....I give everyone the choice to get together and agree on the restaurant of their choosing.... and we will have a great time!!! Can't wait!!

(My son and daughter are in their 30's)

I read here all the time from people afraid to go on cruises, attend weddings, dread the holidays...etc....

I have found, over time and once my band was properly adjusted....that it does not change...no matter where or what I am doing....it does not matter. So bring it on!

I can and do understand how difficult it can be to get to that place in the beginning...(Talking Lap Band here with adjustments)

So I have gone full circle thanks to the band!!! It has given my life back...a new life free from overeating and having to constantly diet.

It is after all, the reason I went through this surgery...to do what I was never able to do before.

Our family has always had food celebrations. We still have Sunday dinners. As my child gets older (42) she ha become more health conscious. She is not obese at all, she is 5-3 and about 125 but she knows as she ages she doesn't want to have the same problems I had. My granddaughters are all healthy active teenagers who rarely eat fast food and they keep the Snacks to a minimum at home. My having lapband surgery has made me change the game, I no longer cook big high fat meals and Desserts. We celebrate with healthier choices and if we have dessert it's fruit with a little whip cream. Between my surgery, my son in law developing diabetes and my husband having heart surgery last year we are all on food patrol.

You said it Girl!

This is truly a societal/ethnic tradition that works against us. Parties to me meant food. Getting together with friends almost always involved eating and drinking. It is one of the "easy" things we have to deal with (sarcasm to those that insist that this is the "easy way out")

It is not easy to change this, and it takes time. I know that there are casual friends that I don't see much anymore because they want to get together to eat/drink and don't think I would fit in. I think they feel guilty eating around me. Especially the ones that have to face their own food addictions.