One thing I 've learned that I wish everyone would learn is that
people around us did not sign up to help us on this new way of eating we have chosen. They will go on eating what they do and if they are nice enough to tailor to our tastes, we are grateful. Otherwise they are under no obligation to make sure that we have the exact food we want to eat anymore than we are under obligation to get food for them that they want to eat.

I remember lots of posts about wives or husbands with supposedly "unsupportive" spouses - because the other person/people won't "help" you diet by not eating carbs around you or won't cook you the right foods etc...I think it is really wrong to expect other people to help you get thin - support is great and always appreciated, but other people are not guilty of anything if they don't make lowcarbing easy for you. But that's just my humble opinion.

I KNOW THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU MEAN IN YOUR POST. I'm just blabbering on here. You are probably meaning that your friends just say, Hey let's do chicken and you think 'cool' and then you get there and it's pasta, right?

It doesn't sound like they are doing anything mean or intentional to you, it just seems that they have gone on living their normal lives without concern for your dietary preferences (and they don't have to be concerned, but anytime they are we appreciate the effort don't get me wrong...I've had whole dinners cooked for me by friends - everything low carb, I've also had whole dinners made for me by friends - all carbs! They don't mean harm, they don't mean anything - they are just doing what comes normally for them).

Okay, but how should you handle sudden changes? Well, I say if they had the right (and they do) to change what they plan to eat then you have the right to change what you are going to eat (bring your own). It's hard, there is no MISS MANNERS for low carbing YET! Hey what a great idea!!! Who's going to write THAT BOOK!?!

One thing I do is call right before I come over and say, "Karen (or whomever), I just love your cooking, what are you making tonight?". Then she tells me and I either say great! or If you don't mind, I'm going to bring something for myself, no offense, I'm on a low carb diet and I really need to stick with it.". This approach has never offended one person I've used it with. They usually say "Okay" or "What can I have here that you might want?"...I take the opportunity there to tell them.