How to Survive a Wedding Sugar Free

May 31, 2010 ↓ Comments (2)

Yesterday, at a wedding, Gwenn mentioned that I don’t eat sugar and therefore she gets to have two pieces of cake. It was a cute joke, and it’s true! But it provoked questions. A girl at our table looked at me with a furrowed brow and said, “What, are you diabetic?”

“No,” I said, “If I eat sugar it’s all I want to eat.”

“You must be a lot of fun,” she quipped.

I guess she couldn’t imagine a party without sugar. She had also made several comments about the fact that there was no alcohol at the wedding reception. As a therapist (hopefully not for substance abuse) I would think she knows the saying “to each their own” but that wasn’t the case, she wanted an explanation.

Truth is, after having been off sugar for many years, it’s easy to make it through a wedding without eating cake. What’s not so easy is dealing with the comments that arise as a result of not eating sugar. How do you deal with it?

Your best bet is to simply not to eat dessert and make no fanfare about it. Chances are that nobody will notice you aren’t having any wedding cake when you’re sitting at a table full of strangers who are hungry for dessert. Even if they did notice they might assume you didn’t like the type of cake offered. Either way it’s fine. However, if they notice or if the subject comes up somehow, you might feel like you have some explaining to do. Don’t explain. Don’t tell people you’re off sugar. Don’t explain why you’re saying no. Just stop being sweet. And if they keep pressing you, just excuse yourself and take a walk to the restroom or go talk to another guest. By the time you get back the subject should have changed.

• I Made It Through Another Wedding
• How to Say No to Dessert at Someone’s House

Comments · How to Survive a Wedding Sugar Free

karyn
Jun 03, 2010

Actually, if someone asks, it might be good to tell them you’re off sugar. Our society can’t keep acting like this massive amount of sugar is okay. I don’t mean that we should be aggressive and rude, but if someone asks, I feel proud to say I’m off sugar - maybe it will motivate them as well. I know it motivates me when I meet other people who are trying to make healthy choices. Likewise, when “everyone” around me seems to be making poor choices, it makes it easier for me to justify my poor eating choices.

DavidVanadia
Jun 03, 2010

I suggest to be quiet and just do it because, when you tell people you’re off sugar, their own guilt grows and they begin to resent you. It’s threatening for some. They joke. They test your resolve. It takes resilience to fight the constant battle that is avoiding sugar. Fighting a social battle on top of that is tiring, especially if you are the only one not eating sweets. I’m not saying to hide it. I’m saying don’t flaunt it.