Re: Whining and Moaning: What to Do when You can't eat out

[Guest guest]

Yeah, you're right.

> >

> > Hi... me again. My office is having this " retreat " . A cheapie " retreat "

where we're going to a book store... then they're holding meetings at a

bookstore and two restaurants: Panera Bread and Dairy Queen. They know I have

dietary restrictions with Bread and Dairy, but seemed to go out of their way to

choose places they knew I couldn't eat at. (There's only six of us in the

office).

> >

> > Unfortunately, I have to go to the " retreat " anyway. I called ahead to

Panera Bread to see if there's anything I could possibly eat. Unfortunately,

everything contains sugars (including the salad dressings) and bread (gluten

galore.)

> >

> > I'm still at stage one of the diet -- (no raw veggies even)... so salads are

out. I called ahead to get the menu, from the manager -- who (my luck!) is also

on a restricted diet without starches, soy, sugars, dairy, etc; ..but not SCD.

Unfortunately all have sugar in them -- even the salad dressings. Luckily, I can

bring in my own meals to the restaurant.

> >

> > The thing is, I feel like I should say something about this whole " retreat " .

Again, I'm having to pay money out of my own pocket to participate in something

(first the pizza party --where I couldn't eat the pizza) and now the " retreat "

with the food.

> >

> > I want to confront my manager, I know how she is, and she'll put up a big

stink about it. My coworker said they knew about my dietary restrictions

(including not being able to eat gluten.) But, I don't feel it's right to have

to mandatorily attend an event I was specifically excluded from?

> >

> > What should I do?

> >

>

[Guest guest]

That's brilliant Marilyn! I think I might opt to carrying one of those

bracelets. I called the restaurant the day before (where we were set to conduct

the retreat) and found out what ingredients were included in each recipe

product. There wasn't anything I could have -- but they did have an apple and

It actually went okay yesterday. I brought my own lunch (grilled chicken breast,

grilled zucchini without the skins and some water.) The only not-so-fun part was

the trips to the bathroom in between speakers (still having those round robin

trips although it's down from what it was previously). I mostly brought things

that could survive non refrigeration -- since it's so hot here, and I had to

leave most stuff in my car.

I ordered what I could have from the menu -- mostly bottled water. When I ducked

out for lunch, and one of the speakers asked where I was off too, one of my

co-workers said I couldn't make lunch because of " food allergies! "

I'm still learning how to live with SCD --- next month will be the challenge

when I take my birthday trip to DC.

> >What should I do?

>

> Well, you probably can't do what I did for the

> Historical Novel Society Conference, where the

> membership includes two breakfasts, two dinners

> and a lunch. I bring my husband as my designated

> eater. They give him a tag that admits him to the

> meals, he eats the food I've paid for, and I eat my own safe food.

>

> Can you handle the souffle bread? Make souffle

> bread, make some chicken or turkey or beef

> sandwich mix, and take some nice, meaty roll-ups.

> Take a small container of honey-vanilla yogurt

> and some cooked fruit for desert.

>

> I do an easy burger florentine -- brown a pound

> of ground beef or bison. Add two to two and half

> cups thick tomato sauce. Add a teaspoon of

> homemade Italian seasoning and some pressed

> garlic. Stir. Stick a 10 ounce brick of frozen

> chopped spinach in the middle, cover, and simmer

> for about 15 minutes. Stir to distribute the

> spinach. Place in containers, and top with

> freshly grated Parmesan. I get four meals out of

> this. My husband eats half a recipe for dinner.

> It's best hot, but can be eaten cool is carrying a thermos is a problem.

>

> I now wear a Medic Alert bracelet with " food

> allergies " on it -- they have on file what I can

> and cannot eat. It's funny how few arguments I

> get these days when I say I can't have something,

> and tap the Medic Alert bracelet. You don't even have to explain anything.

>

>

>

> — Marilyn

> New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

> Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001

> Darn Good SCD Cook

> No Human Children

> Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund

> Babette the Foundling Beagle

>

[Guest guest]

haven't followed this thread completely but i agree everyone and their mother

always makes fun of scd -but say my food looks delicious - and I DON " T SHARE!!!!

not even with my kids - lol the no-touch policy is in affect!! make it as tasty

looking as possible and make them jealous!!

eileen

>

> Bring something you particularly enjoy eating for lunch and

> have that.

>

> Maybe if they see you eating something that looks delicious, there

> will be some pressure from the others to eat at a better class

> restaurant next time!

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Please don't apologize for your post! It was not " whining. " You were

expressing the frustration that we all run into one time or another (or many

times) while eating in such a radically different way.

In fact, I want to thank you for your honesty about your feelings. A couple of

years ago, I wrote a post about how sometimes I felt really down when I was out

and about, seeing people eat and drink whatever they wanted. Unfortunately, on

that day, the responses I got were not very empathic, and were more along the

lines of " You should be thankful you found this great diet. " The effect of that

sort of response was to make me feel that I could not be honest about the

negative aspects of being on the diet.

SCD rocks--we all know that--but I do think that we need to be open to listening

to each other when one of us is feeling socially isolated or just plain ticked

off about the whole damn mess of managing a chronic health problem.

I should probably have written this two years ago, but scdlady, you inspired me

with your apology. . .

It can be so complex to navigate the social aspects of being on the diet. I'm

still learning and sometimes want to cry or throw a tantrum. I just try to stay

strong in the public eye and talk more openly about my feelings with those

closest to me.

I'm glad your work event turned out well!

SCD 3.5 years

CD 13 years

> >

> > Hi... me again. My office is having this " retreat " . A cheapie " retreat "

where we're going to a book store... then they're holding meetings at a

bookstore and two restaurants: Panera Bread and Dairy Queen. They know I have

dietary restrictions with Bread and Dairy, but seemed to go out of their way to

choose places they knew I couldn't eat at. (There's only six of us in the

office).

> >

> > Unfortunately, I have to go to the " retreat " anyway. I called ahead to

Panera Bread to see if there's anything I could possibly eat. Unfortunately,

everything contains sugars (including the salad dressings) and bread (gluten

galore.)

> >

> > I'm still at stage one of the diet -- (no raw veggies even)... so salads are

out. I called ahead to get the menu, from the manager -- who (my luck!) is also

on a restricted diet without starches, soy, sugars, dairy, etc; ..but not SCD.

Unfortunately all have sugar in them -- even the salad dressings. Luckily, I can

bring in my own meals to the restaurant.

> >

> > The thing is, I feel like I should say something about this whole " retreat " .

Again, I'm having to pay money out of my own pocket to participate in something

(first the pizza party --where I couldn't eat the pizza) and now the " retreat "

with the food.

> >

> > I want to confront my manager, I know how she is, and she'll put up a big

stink about it. My coworker said they knew about my dietary restrictions

(including not being able to eat gluten.) But, I don't feel it's right to have

to mandatorily attend an event I was specifically excluded from?

> >

> > What should I do?

> >

>