What can I say to my sister?

[SmilingRawDancer]

She seems to believe that if I'm eating anything but all the crap and fast food, that I must be on a diet.
I can't think of any answers to give her, but I do not think that eating healthfully and consciously means that I'm "On a diet".

Does anyone have any suggestions of what I could say to her?

[Revvell]

Sure! She's on a diet of fast food and crap. You're on a diet of healthy foods.

What we eat IS our diet. It's only recently that "diet" came to mean to lose weight.

Revvell


She seems to believe that if I'm eating anything but all the crap and fast food, that I must be on a diet.
I can't think of any answers to give her, but I do not think that eating healthfully and consciously means that I'm "On a diet".

Does anyone have any suggestions of what I could say to her?

[raw-siobhan]

I would let her know you are trying to treat your body with more respect than you have in the past and this seems like the best way for you to do it. That is what I have said to others and they have actually left me alone and they have walked away with a degree of respect for me rather than feeling intimidated by my choices or feeling a need to defend their own eating habits. I recently told my best friend from high school a bit about my new eating habits and explained it to her that way. She normally would be VERY critical of this "extreme" decision, but she complimented me and told me she supported me. It was kind of neat.

[SmilingRawDancer]

Yeah, I told her that, but she doesn't seem to feel that eating EVERYTHING is a diet as well.

I tried to explain to her that I eat almost all of the same things she does: just at an earlier stage of the foods life (or rather, when it WAS alive..), but......ahh.
I guess it's just her.
She's on this rampage against me and my mom (who is mostly raw, but not on purpose), and the only reason I can think of is because she's either:
A. Unhappy with herself, and therefore attacks others
B. Worried about our health, because she doesn't have enough information
C. She's just mean.

She's on this "fat and happy" "do it because everyone else is" "Fast food is best because it tastes good" phase, and there is no talking her out of it.
I think deep down, she's so insecure about her weight (she's overweight.), so she's in this form of denial.
She freaked out when she found out that I bought the book "Fast Food Nation", and she's constantly reading books about why being overweight is GOOD for you, and those "big and beautiful" type of things.
I tried to tell her that I don't care what size anyone is.
But a person who is (SOMEHOW) overweight on raw foods would be entirely different than a person (healthwise) who is overweight on processed, nutritionless foods.

[trinity082482]

Why tell her anything. Just let her think what she wants :D

[raw-siobhan]

To be honest, I can identify with the fat and happy mind set. I have been there for the last several years. It is so much easier to accept that life is hard and that good tasting food is one of the greatest pleasures around. For me, it took getting to a point where I felt like complete poopoo before I was willing to accept that happiness might not necessarily be found in a Big Mac. It sounds like she feels a bit intimidated by your choices because it reflects badly on her. She will need some time, but it is terrific that your mom seems to be on board with your choices and supportive. Dont waste the mental energy on your sister. Love her and accept her...even if she cant do the same for you. I can say that pretty easily, though. I am an only child! :)

[SmilingRawDancer]

Love her and accept her...even if she cant do the same for you. I can say that pretty easily, though. I am an only child!

That's good advice :)

I'll just keep quiet, but it's hard when she is spreading mean "rumors" about me.
She made a big fuss to my relatives about how I have an eating disorder because I ordered a fruit plate at a restaurant, and nothing else.....because there was nothing else on the menu that I wanted.

Oy.

thanks guys!<3

[raw-siobhan]

Hey, she does sound mean! I think with regards to my advice to love her and accept her I personally would have to love her from FAR, FAR AWAY if she was being mean to me for no good reason like it sounds like she is doing. Hm...do your best...that's a stinky situation for you to be in. My heart goes out to you...(currently, thanking my parents for only having one child!!!)

[misslinda]

Sure! She's on a diet of fast food and crap. You're on a diet of healthy foods.

What we eat IS our diet. It's only recently that "diet" came to mean to lose weight.

Revvell



LOL! True that....it's interesting how those that eat processed foods find it * strange * to eat fresh foods.... I think deep down inside, they try to sabotage others so they do not feel guilty for [choosing] to eat the unhealthy foods.

;)

[BrianC]

I have a different take. I believe people hear so much about genetics that they come to accept their flaws (obesity being one) as unfortunate but permanent. Therefore they don't observe the choice of eating any certain way to be a factor. Sure they could eat a little better and lose some weight, but as per the Weight Watchers/Jenny Craig scams, "nobody" actually loses that much weight. Diets never work. Eating healthy isn't going to prevent any problems because they're in you're blood anyway.

This isn't the case for all people, but unfortunately this attitude compounds the problem of diet choices by reducing the chance of any type of change, or even considering it. What angers me is that these people are victims of the advertising and medical theory machines that sap this country dry.

So to the OP, in my opinion, your sister isn't trying to sabotage your life or choices, and she might not even feel guilty for her own. I think the problem with her, like many Americans, is she thinks the root causes of her obesity are beyond control. To her, you're just wasting time and money, and fooling yourself. Lead by example, and one day maybe she will see. But I would also recommend you get some literature to leave around the house in case she one day picks it up.