Family Camping Problem

[britchenhauer]

I only found this site today, so I may be doing this wrong, but I wondered if you guys could give me some sort of advice on this?

Way before finding this site, I had actually pretty much been doing the Paleo diet for a while (with the exception that I eat dairy), and getting amazing results. I used to be very obese, and my grandparents seemed desperate for me to lose weight (they even offered to pay me if I lost weight, which was awkward, but I know they were only trying to help...) Since I've lost 90 lbs, they've been very proud and supportive. Most of the time.

My family (I'm only 18 and still live with my parents... at least for the next two months) likes to go on camping trips during the summer with my grandparents. My grandparents always bring the food and prepare it, and seem to love doing it.

The problem is that the food they bring is the worst for what I'm trying to do. Example: Waffles for breakfast, white bread and no-fat peanut butter (yes, it exists) and jelly sandwiches for lunch, low fat mac&cheese and bagels for dinner. If you want a snack, there's a whole host of corn chips and crackers.

I love my grandparents and really don't want to offend them by bringing my own food and refusing to eat what they make, but I always gain 5-10 lbs on these trips (and they aren't just water weight, it takes weeks for me to get it back off). My family are firm believers in Paleo-type diets, and have tried many times to convince them that fat is not the enemy, but they don't believe it. Their own diets consist of, as they put it, "absolutely no fat of any kind." (Which really worries me...)

Does anyone have any suggestions? Sorry if this is in the wrong place.

[Georges]

Can you claim "Doctor's orders?" (This would be easier with parental support...)

I feel like your success should speak for itself. Even if your parents and grandparents don't buy the paleo-is-healthy arguments, they might be open to the idea that you've proven that your choices are working well for you. In your intro thread, I saw that your 90 lb weight loss was over plenty of time, so you have evidence that this is not a fad or phase.

Personally, I would probably get all passive aggressive and ask my family why they would want to undermine 4 years of committed hard work, but I don't think that's a healthy strategy...

Perhaps you could remind your grandparents that they were so worried about your health that they offered to pay you to lose weight (it helps that you recognize that they were trying to help) and request that they help now by letting you choose your own food. With paleo, you could also choose some stuff they eat, to sort of bridge the social gap that they may feel. Having some fresh veggie snacks around instead of chips & crackers won't do them any harm, and doesn't threaten their "fat is evil" belief. Ditto with adding a veg or two to each dinner. Depending on what you have for cooking facilities, maybe a roast chicken (they can pick the skin off theirs) dinner would make a bit of a compromise?

Since you're an adult now, cooking part (or most, if you can talk them into it) of the food could be considered a bit of a rite of passage, and a chance to let them relax a bit more.

[Mike Pants]

I doubt your grandparents would be offended. Were I in their shoes, I would probably have a reaction more like, "Shoot, I never thought about that. Sure, we can make something for you too," or at the very least, understand why you were providing your own food.

People tend to sniff at specialized diets as fads or not worth it, but 90 pounds is too much to ignore, so they're bound to understand that you want to keep it up.

Also, those are the weirdest camping foods I've ever heard of.

[britchenhauer]

Thanks everyone. I think I could probably bring some of my own stuff, and they'd probably be fine with us bringing veggies or something to go with each meal, but I still feel so ungrateful refusing the food they go through so much trouble to make for everyone. Maybe if we suggested bringing half of the food to lighten their load...

The good thing is that I do have parental support, kind of. My mom is the only one that goes on these trips with us, and she does believe in Paleo-type diets, but she sees my refusal to eat things like waffles on camping trips as proof that this is something that "I can't sustain" (Uh, I've been doing it for four years, mom). I can't seem to get it through to her that I don't *want* to eat them; it's not like I'm constantly slapping my drooling self away.

Eh, it's probably just time for me to put on my big girl panties (strange expression), and stand up for my health. Even if I feel like an ungrateful child.

(And, yes, they did end up paying me a bit. I felt weird about it and tried to refuse, but they insisted, so I'm using it to pay for college.)

Edit: Athena, I don't know the brand, but apparently it's a weird type of powdered peanut butter with all of the oil taken out. You're supposed to mix it with water to get the texture. I'm not sure if it's really 100% no fat, but they say it is.

[Raincloak]

This is a job for ... COMMUNICATION MAN (that'd be you). Or woman. You know.

Talk to the family in advance and let them know your concerns, then let them respond, then brainstorm some solutions. I am sure you can manage this. Be nice about it. Unless you are actively allergic to grains or sugars, you might want to unbend a weensy bit and have a cookie or two for the sake of their feelings.

But don't feel like you have to live on that white starchy crap all weekend. Nooooo. Why not go fishing together and grill your catch? Or bring some tasty nuts, jerky, coconut balls, etc. and invite them to have some. Get them to bring some veggies and fruits (un-wilty things like raw carrots and apples are good), some hardboiled eggs, supplement that with a jar of almond butter, and you should be all right for a few days. You could even sneak a stick of butter (or your fat of choice) in a small container, and scoop a bit when nobody's looking.