Shownotes
I recently read an amazing article by Melissa Gould titled "Why Am I the Only One Eating Cake?". Melissa is an author I have been following for a while, and her memoir Widowish was a favorite of mine. In this article, Melissa opened up about her experience celebrating her birthday with some friends. A typical spread of crackers and cheese, nuts, wine, and cake was served, and Melissa noticed that three of her friends abstained from the cake because they had given up sugar. Melissa was a bit annoyed by this, and she expressed that their passing on of the cake made them "party poopers". She also went on to say that while she is a food lover, she has gone through times of self-doubt. She discussed how she has had to come to terms with her changing body and that sometimes clothes are looser or tighter.
This article really resonates with me. It reminded me of a friend I have who is always telling me they need to lose 10 or 15 pounds. I want to be supportive, but I don't want to give them advice, so I try to deflect the comments. I think this article speaks to the dilemma many of us face in trying to find a balance between indulging and skipping.
It seems like the debate about whether to indulge in certain foods or avoid them is a polarizing one. On the one hand, there's the argument for relaxing and enjoying the cake, drinks, and cheese. But on the other hand, it's important to consider how you'll feel in the clothes you wear and how much time you want to spend thinking about food.
It's an individual choice and it's important to be honest with yourself. For some people, giving up certain things is the key to feeling good, while for others, it may be more of a vain decision.
It’s my belief that no one should comment on what's on anyone else's plate. It can be seen as shaming and I think it's best to draw away from mentioning anything about another person's food choices. Overall, it's a personal priority system and it's up to each individual to decide what they want to incorporate into their diet.
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