How to share PB with others without seeming obnoxious? page 2

[Catherine]

Lead by example. If it works for you people will ask what you did.

+1. however, once they hear you did by GIVING UP GRAINS and SUGAR, ie. NO PASTA, NO BREAD, NO BISCUITS, NO COOKIES, NO CAKE, they'll probably say, "oh that's too hard".

in fact, just today on a group ride, a friend of mine who i have not seen in awhile said "you're so skinny!". Actually i felt kinda pudgy today, but that was nice to hear. And she knows exactly what i've been doing b/c i've told her about it, even tho i know it will make her faster than me! That's how much i think this way of eating is awesome - i'm willing to give away my edge to spread the word! And i'm pretty sure she'll never get on board.

it's frustrating!

[kiss]

+1. however, once they hear you did by GIVING UP GRAINS and SUGAR, ie. NO PASTA, NO BREAD, NO BISCUITS, NO COOKIES, NO CAKE, they'll probably say, "oh that's too hard".

in fact, just today on a group ride, a friend of mine who i have not seen in awhile said "you're so skinny!". Actually i felt kinda pudgy today, but that was nice to hear. And she knows exactly what i've been doing b/c i've told her about it, even tho i know it will make her faster than me! That's how much i think this way of eating is awesome - i'm willing to give away my edge to spread the word! And i'm pretty sure she'll never get on board.

it's frustrating!

Frustrating is an understatement. I've had several people ask about what I'm "taking" because I seem so much happier and energetic. I've lost weight but not an astounding amount. I'd like to be a size 8 in clothes (I'm a 12 was a 16) and it's super slow going. I tell them I'm not taking anything except a few vitamins and supplements and I've stopped eating grains, legumes and sugar. The standard response is that it would be too hard for them to give up pasta, bread, taco bell, etc. I tend to shrug and tell them that feeling like crap every waking hour was too hard for me and I had to choose which hard I wanted to live with.

[croí]

Frustrating is an understatement. I've had several people ask about what I'm "taking" because I seem so much happier and energetic. I've lost weight but not an astounding amount. I'd like to be a size 8 in clothes (I'm a 12 was a 16) and it's super slow going. I tell them I'm not taking anything except a few vitamins and supplements and I've stopped eating grains, legumes and sugar. The standard response is that it would be too hard for them to give up pasta, bread, taco bell, etc. I tend to shrug and tell them that feeling like crap every waking hour was too hard for me and I had to choose which hard I wanted to live with.

I had the same response with a co-worker. She was complaining about walking 6+ hours that week, and being on the eliptical for another hour, but could not understand why she wasn't losing weight. When I tried to explained to her, she started to debate about Whole Wheat being the good kind of bread, and low fat / low sugar is ok. I just smile and nodded. I tried, and I wasn't going to get into a debate with someone who doesn't want to listen..

And really that's all the OP can do. Be polite, say what has been working for you. If he dismisses the idea.. so be it. All you can do is try.

[Mud Flinger]

I like the short e-mail idea. Leave it at that. He will or won't. Most people think I'm nuts doing this and raising turkey's and chickens. They don't want to think about their food choices and the poison in processed food and most non-pastured food. Even when you explain why they have to give antibiotics to cows, etc or that they feed turkeys arsenic to make them gain weight faster, they just don't want to hear the truth.

[Laconophile]

Explain it in a positive way, say that it is about eating more natural, unprocessed foods rather than saying it is about not eating all their favorite foods.

[kungfumike]

Just "BEING" your message will help him get the message. Don't invade his privacy in terms of the overheard conversations...

[sbhikes]

Leave your book out in the break room or something.

[Forever Young]

I've learned over the years not to speak of such things for the most part. Most don't want to hear it anyway. I do what I do. When circumstances come up where junk food is involved, I generally will politely say no thanks. If I'm asked why, I say that I don't eat processed foods very often, I just don't like them. If someone asked me specifically about what I'm doing, then by all means I will go into it briefly. That's where being the example comes in!

But yeah, it's generally not a good idea to just come at people with it. I know it can get you fired up and all. Especially when you start feeling really good. You honestly want that for others. They just don't want it for themselves, at least just yet.

[otzi]

You gotta hope the person picks it up and runs with it.

I am working with a contractor this week that I only see once a year or less. Last time we saw each other, we were both about 230 lbs and starting new diets, him a CW diet, me PB. Now, he weighs 275, I weigh 165. He was blown away! He said he got down to about 210 and couldn't handle the misery of eating 'rabbit food'.

I told him I was eating mostly meat and vegetables, known as the paleo diet. Next day he comes in and you can see the light in his eyes--says he googled 'paleo' and couldn't believe what he found. Said he was up all night reading about it. I told him about Mark's Daily Apple. I can't wait to see him next year!

[Moochy]

Unfortunately when you tell them what you are doing the typical response will be a smirk and a look like you have grown horns. I have given up trying to share knowledge of paleo/primal. Nearly all people will initially dismiss it as "Oh, that's the Atkins diet" and if you converse with them they will not understand anything you are trying to convey to them. WE live like this because WE wanted a change and went looking for it. Usually we read a lot of literature and listened to a lot of pod casts and gradually it all starts to sink in. How can you possibly convey what you have learned over months or years to a disbelieving high carb SAD eater? You can't. Until an individual has a little curiosity and a desire to learn something about nutrition their life will continue on as it has. My overweight family and friends talk frequently of running or cardio exercise...I just remain quiet. How can you tell them cardio will not solve their obesity?

You've heard it. "How can I give up bread or pasta?" "All that meat will kill you and the fat? OMG?" As my brother in law said to me at the last family gathering: "Oh you are on THAT health diet" as he shook his head.

I cannot save the world and I don't care to try anymore.