Low Carb Birthday

Hi everyone,
Its my birthday this weekend, and Im going to be really careful with my diet
up to and including the 'special day' although Ive planned to indulge in a
sweet treat for dessert. My husband is taking me to a beautiful restaurant
to celebrate, and after all birthdays only come once a year!
However...
At my workplace there is a tradition that the birthday person brings a cake
to share on their birthday. Apart from my moral objection to providing cake
on MY birthday (shouldnt it be the other way around? ;-)) I have an obvious
objection to partaking in a high-carb cake-fest for the sake of other
peoples appetites! Everybody knows that I dont eat cake, biscuits etc, but
when I tried to get out of this 'obligation' I was bombarded with protests
and it was made clear that this is a TRADITION and I will be an OUTCAST if I
deny them their cake! (Im overstating this a bit, but not much!)
So, what are my options? Do I give them their cake but not eat it, and face
the inevitable peer pressure and questioning? There would be something kinda
depressing and uncomfortable about standing around and watching everyone
else eat cake for MY birthday, and I HATE having to constantly explain why
Im turning down food in situations like this. Or do I present them with a
low-carb alternative? (In which case, can anyone suggest some good recipes?)
Having my cake and eating it too is not an option - something chocolatey and
delicious at my birthday dinner is more than enough indulgence for me!
Why oh why does food have to be so tangled up with celebrations in our
society? Cant we do something aside gorging ourselves to celebrate?
Thanks for your thoughts,
Have a great day!
--
Caitlin
kgs: 115/98.5/70
lbs: 253/216.7/154.3
height: 5'8", 173cms

Take an LC cheesecake made with Splenda.

In ,
CaitlinH stated
| Hi everyone,
| Its my birthday this weekend, and Im going to be really careful with
| my diet up to and including the 'special day' although Ive planned to
| indulge in a sweet treat for dessert. My husband is taking me to a
| beautiful restaurant to celebrate, and after all birthdays only come
| once a year!
| However...
| At my workplace there is a tradition that the birthday person brings
| a cake to share on their birthday. Apart from my moral objection to
| providing cake on MY birthday (shouldnt it be the other way around?
| ;-)) I have an obvious objection to partaking in a high-carb
| cake-fest for the sake of other peoples appetites! Everybody knows
| that I dont eat cake, biscuits etc, but when I tried to get out of
| this 'obligation' I was bombarded with protests and it was made clear
| that this is a TRADITION and I will be an OUTCAST if I deny them
| their cake! (Im overstating this a bit, but not much!)
| So, what are my options? Do I give them their cake but not eat it,
| and face the inevitable peer pressure and questioning? There would be
| something kinda depressing and uncomfortable about standing around
| and watching everyone else eat cake for MY birthday, and I HATE
| having to constantly explain why Im turning down food in situations
| like this. Or do I present them with a low-carb alternative? (In
| which case, can anyone suggest some good recipes?) Having my cake and
| eating it too is not an option - something chocolatey and delicious
| at my birthday dinner is more than enough indulgence for me!
| Why oh why does food have to be so tangled up with celebrations in our
| society? Cant we do something aside gorging ourselves to celebrate?
| Thanks for your thoughts,
| Have a great day!
| --
| Caitlin
| kgs: 115/98.5/70
| lbs: 253/216.7/154.3
| height: 5'8", 173cms

Hi,
On 20-Apr-2004, "CaitlinH" wrote:

At my workplace there is a tradition that the birthday person brings
a cake to share on their birthday.

Snip of rest for brevity

Make Myra's Cheesecake and bring in that. Then you can have some of
your own birthday cake. :-)
It's he
http://tinyurl.com/2kla4

Take care,
Carmen

In article , "CaitlinH"
wrote:

Hi everyone,
Its my birthday this weekend, and Im going to be really careful with my diet
up to and including the 'special day' although Ive planned to indulge in a
sweet treat for dessert. My husband is taking me to a beautiful restaurant
to celebrate, and after all birthdays only come once a year!
However...
At my workplace there is a tradition that the birthday person brings a cake
to share on their birthday. Apart from my moral objection to providing cake
on MY birthday (shouldnt it be the other way around? ;-)) I have an obvious
objection to partaking in a high-carb cake-fest for the sake of other
peoples appetites! Everybody knows that I dont eat cake, biscuits etc, but
when I tried to get out of this 'obligation' I was bombarded with protests
and it was made clear that this is a TRADITION and I will be an OUTCAST if I
deny them their cake! (Im overstating this a bit, but not much!)
So, what are my options? Do I give them their cake but not eat it, and face
the inevitable peer pressure and questioning? There would be something kinda
depressing and uncomfortable about standing around and watching everyone
else eat cake for MY birthday, and I HATE having to constantly explain why
Im turning down food in situations like this. Or do I present them with a
low-carb alternative? (In which case, can anyone suggest some good recipes?)
Having my cake and eating it too is not an option - something chocolatey and
delicious at my birthday dinner is more than enough indulgence for me!
Why oh why does food have to be so tangled up with celebrations in our
society? Cant we do something aside gorging ourselves to celebrate?
Thanks for your thoughts,
Have a great day!

You want to lose the weight...you don't eat stuff that prevents that.
Simple as that. Kind of just depends on how badly you want to lose.

BTW....in answer to your last question, you can do anything you want. It
is your birthday.

Wayne Crannell
Atkins+ 10/27/01
250/136

Caitlin,

If you wish to bake a cake that both you and your co-workers can eat,
try this recipe. It is delicious and only 4 net carbs per serving.

Total servings 12

Hungarian Flourless Hazelnut cake

12 ounces Hazelnut
2 teaspoons Baking powder
6 each Egg yolk
5/8 cup Splenda
6 each Egg white
1 pint Heavy cream
1/8 cup hazelnut, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 inch
springform pan. Grind hazelnuts until very fine. Add baking powder and
set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whip the egg yolks with the Splenda until
pale yellow in collor. Beat in the ground hazelnut mixture.

3. In a separate Clean bowl, with a clean whisk, whip the egg
whites until stiff. Quickly fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the yolk
mixture, then add the remaining whites and fold in until no streaks
remain.

4. Pour into a 9 inch springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for
60 to 75 minutes, or until top of cake springs back when lightly
tapped. Cool on wire rack.

5. When cake is cool, slice horizontally into 3 layers. Whip the
cream until stiff, and spread generously between layers,
on top and on the sides of the cake. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts on top
for decoration.


On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 01:17:58 GMT, "CaitlinH"
wrote:

Hi everyone,
Its my birthday this weekend, and Im going to be really careful with my diet
up to and including the 'special day' although Ive planned to indulge in a
sweet treat for dessert. My husband is taking me to a beautiful restaurant
to celebrate, and after all birthdays only come once a year!
However...
At my workplace there is a tradition that the birthday person brings a cake
to share on their birthday. Apart from my moral objection to providing cake
on MY birthday (shouldnt it be the other way around? ;-)) I have an obvious
objection to partaking in a high-carb cake-fest for the sake of other
peoples appetites! Everybody knows that I dont eat cake, biscuits etc, but
when I tried to get out of this 'obligation' I was bombarded with protests
and it was made clear that this is a TRADITION and I will be an OUTCAST if I
deny them their cake! (Im overstating this a bit, but not much!)
So, what are my options? Do I give them their cake but not eat it, and face
the inevitable peer pressure and questioning? There would be something kinda
depressing and uncomfortable about standing around and watching everyone
else eat cake for MY birthday, and I HATE having to constantly explain why
Im turning down food in situations like this. Or do I present them with a
low-carb alternative? (In which case, can anyone suggest some good recipes?)
Having my cake and eating it too is not an option - something chocolatey and
delicious at my birthday dinner is more than enough indulgence for me!
Why oh why does food have to be so tangled up with celebrations in our
society? Cant we do something aside gorging ourselves to celebrate?
Thanks for your thoughts,
Have a great day!

"CaitlinH" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone,
Its my birthday this weekend, and Im going to be really careful with my
diet
up to and including the 'special day' although Ive planned to indulge in a
sweet treat for dessert. My husband is taking me to a beautiful restaurant
to celebrate, and after all birthdays only come once a year!
However...
At my workplace there is a tradition that the birthday person brings a
cake
to share on their birthday. Apart from my moral objection to providing
cake
on MY birthday (shouldnt it be the other way around? ;-))

Hi Caitlin,
Happy Birthday!

Perhaps you could buy a cake and bring it even though it is your birthday.
Sometimes, going beyond yourself is the greatest of rewards. I say bring the
cake and bless your co-workers. If you go with that purpose, your attitude
will reflect it and your day will be better than you imagine.


I have an obvious
objection to partaking in a high-carb cake-fest for the sake of other
peoples appetites! Everybody knows that I dont eat cake, biscuits etc, but
when I tried to get out of this 'obligation' I was bombarded with protests
and it was made clear that this is a TRADITION and I will be an OUTCAST if
I
deny them their cake! (Im overstating this a bit, but not much!)
So, what are my options? Do I give them their cake but not eat it, and
face
the inevitable peer pressure and questioning? There would be something
kinda
depressing and uncomfortable about standing around and watching everyone
else eat cake for MY birthday, and I HATE having to constantly explain why
Im turning down food in situations like this.

No lengthy explanation is necessary. Tell them you simply don't eat cake,
but hope that they enjoy it. Discomfort is an internal emotion that you can
control. If you internally clarify your objectives (ie, blessing others)
beforehand, any feelings of discomfort can be pushed away. If some can't
understand your position, it doesn't have to be your problem, as in reality,
it is theirs.

Your real celebration begins and ends with your family and your true
friends, who accept you and love you for who you are. The opinions of all
others are incidental, and, since they don't really know you, unimportant.


sobek



Or do I present them with a
low-carb alternative? (In which case, can anyone suggest some good
recipes?)
Having my cake and eating it too is not an option - something chocolatey
and
delicious at my birthday dinner is more than enough indulgence for me!
Why oh why does food have to be so tangled up with celebrations in our
society? Cant we do something aside gorging ourselves to celebrate?
Thanks for your thoughts,
Have a great day!
--
Caitlin
kgs: 115/98.5/70
lbs: 253/216.7/154.3
height: 5'8", 173cms

Wayne Crannell wrote:

BTW....in answer to your last question, you can do anything you want. It
is your birthday.

amen. i'd rather celebrate with sashimi than birthday cake.

"sbek" wrote in message
news:5Jkhc.6003$uF3.4856@lakeread04...

"CaitlinH" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone,
Its my birthday this weekend, and Im going to be really careful with my
diet
up to and including the 'special day' although Ive planned to indulge in
a
sweet treat for dessert. My husband is taking me to a beautiful
restaurant
to celebrate, and after all birthdays only come once a year!
However...
At my workplace there is a tradition that the birthday person brings a
cake
to share on their birthday. Apart from my moral objection to providing
cake
on MY birthday (shouldnt it be the other way around? ;-))

Hi Caitlin,
Happy Birthday!

Perhaps you could buy a cake and bring it even though it is your birthday.
Sometimes, going beyond yourself is the greatest of rewards. I say bring
the
cake and bless your co-workers. If you go with that purpose, your attitude
will reflect it and your day will be better than you imagine.


I have an obvious
objection to partaking in a high-carb cake-fest for the sake of other
peoples appetites! Everybody knows that I dont eat cake, biscuits etc,
but
when I tried to get out of this 'obligation' I was bombarded with
protests
and it was made clear that this is a TRADITION and I will be an OUTCAST
if
I
deny them their cake! (Im overstating this a bit, but not much!)
So, what are my options? Do I give them their cake but not eat it, and
face
the inevitable peer pressure and questioning? There would be something
kinda
depressing and uncomfortable about standing around and watching everyone
else eat cake for MY birthday, and I HATE having to constantly explain
why
Im turning down food in situations like this.

No lengthy explanation is necessary. Tell them you simply don't eat cake,
but hope that they enjoy it. Discomfort is an internal emotion that you
can
control. If you internally clarify your objectives (ie, blessing others)
beforehand, any feelings of discomfort can be pushed away. If some can't
understand your position, it doesn't have to be your problem, as in
reality,
it is theirs.

Your real celebration begins and ends with your family and your true
friends, who accept you and love you for who you are. The opinions of all
others are incidental, and, since they don't really know you, unimportant.


sobek



Or do I present them with a
low-carb alternative? (In which case, can anyone suggest some good
recipes?)
Having my cake and eating it too is not an option - something chocolatey
and
delicious at my birthday dinner is more than enough indulgence for me!
Why oh why does food have to be so tangled up with celebrations in our
society? Cant we do something aside gorging ourselves to celebrate?
Thanks for your thoughts,
Have a great day!
--
Caitlin
kgs: 115/98.5/70
lbs: 253/216.7/154.3
height: 5'8", 173cms

Thank you to everyone who replied, and thanks for the recipes! And thank you
sobek for your sentiments, they brought me down to earth a bit. I tend to be
so focussed on pleasing everyone at once (including myself) that I miss the
greater picture. Im not sure exactly what Im going to do yet, it depends how
energetic I am baking-wise on the weekend. I must say sashimi sounds good,
but will candles stand up in it? ... ;-) Rest assured I'll be avoiding
high-carb options like the plaugue.
Have a great day,
Caitlin

My vote would be for a LC cheesecake and don't tell them it's low carb and
let them be surprised when later you eat...

I personally think the tradition is strange, but the kids do the same
thing here in schools in Poland. On their birthday they bring the candy
and pass it out to everyone else! Seems backwards to me.

Becky P.
www.family.solidrockpl.org

sbek wrote:

Perhaps you could buy a cake and bring it even though it is your
birthday. Sometimes, going beyond yourself is the greatest of
rewards. I say bring the cake and bless your co-workers. If you go
with that purpose, your attitude will reflect it and your day will be
better than you imagine.

That's more or less what I was going to suggest. Just bring a cake and
don't eat any of it. What's the problem?

Maybe things are just different at my office, but I am always puzzled when I
read about folks who claim they are harassed and pressured at the office
about their way of eating. I have gone to many birthday gatherings and baby
showers at work since I started my diet, and I just say "no thank you."
Sometimes someone will say, "are you sure?" but no one holds me down and
forces cake down my throat. No lenghty explanations necessary, no telling
my life story, no explicit or implied impugning of anyone else's way of
eating - just "no thank you."

Admittedly, you'll get more questions when you bring the cake and don't eat
it, but I think it would work fine to say "Oh, I've been trying to avoid
eating too much sugar these days, but I didn't want to deprive everyone else
of the fun office birthday tradition!"

No lengthy explanation is necessary. Tell them you simply don't eat
cake, but hope that they enjoy it. Discomfort is an internal emotion
that you can control. If you internally clarify your objectives (ie,
blessing others) beforehand, any feelings of discomfort can be pushed
away. If some can't understand your position, it doesn't have to be
your problem, as in reality, it is theirs.

That's well said. You don't have to offer lengthy explanations as that only
invites people to argue with you about your way of eating.

--
carla
http://geekofalltrades.typepad.com/geek