Hi Alice
you have a while to figure this out, since giving up sugar is step 6.

I don't tend to say anything unless people ask me. So I will decline dessert, and if people pressure me, I tell them that sugar doesn't agree with me, or it makes me depressed. People generally don't push after that. If someone seems interested or says that they have problems with sugar, I might tell them a bit more.

If I'm going to someone's house for dinner, I then might go into more detail about what I don't eat, or just ask what will be served. And if I am going to a restaurant with friends, I will suggest one that has food I can eat.

I've found that if you get into lengthy explanations early on in the program, when you might be waffling a bit about whether you will eat sugar or not, people tend to push you more or argue more. So short, simple and firm works best. In order not to insult the host, I will say "It looks delicious, but sugar doesn't agree with me." If you say it gives you migraines, or makes you depressed, people won't tend to argue with you. Whereas if you say you are addicted to sugar, people tend to challenge you more (probably because it makes them uncomfortable, since they may well be addicted to it themselves and don't want to face it.)
Allison

: Hi all...I'm very much at the start
: of the RR journey, just reading
: the book. I was wondering whether
: you 'explain' your sugar
: sensitivity to others and what the
: reactions are?

: I know on one level it doesn't matter
: what people think but I worry
: about the reaction I will get. I
: worry that people will think I am
: making up some 'disorder' or a
: faddy diet or that I'm being
: really attention seeking by saying
: I have a 'food sensitivity'.

: I've been on a 'diet' previously (I
: know this isn't a diet) and it's
: amazing how different people's
: reactions can be. Part of me wants
: to be really up front and just say
: 'I don't have sugar'. I'm also
: wanting to stop drinking, I don't
: drink much at all so it won't be
: an issue, but instantly people
: think you're really odd if you
: don't drink.

: I really want to be able to talk to
: my parents about this (I'm 37 and
: so no longer live there or
: anything) but I know they are both
: in a lot of denial about their own
: habits and that they will be
: dismissive. They are lovely great
: parents don't get me wrong but my
: mum is just so old-school. To me
: this lifestyle change/abstinence
: is as important as if I was a
: smack addict trying to ditch the
: heroin. I guess I just don't know
: how to get people to take me
: seriously.

: Sorry, massive ramble there...hope it
: makes some sense. I'm really keen
: to know how other people have
: talked to friends and family about
: this? I can't just say 'I'm on a
: diet'...

: x