Settle an Argument: Much Ado About (Holiday) Leftovers
By Perri O. Blumberg, REDBOOK
Ellie, 40, and Sean, 38, have been married for 11 years. Every year, they have a holiday dinner at Ellie's parents house where her dad cooks up a delicious hodge-podge of rich and decadent food, and they get a ton of scrumptious leftovers to take home. Luckily, Ellie, has managed to inherit her parents' amazing eat-all-you-want-and-never-gain-an-ounce gene. Sean, however, is in the middle of a weight-loss plan and is trying valiantly to stick with it. He's nervous that he'll be tempted by the leftovers and doesn't want to bring any home this year. Ellie thinks that's rude. Who's right?
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He says: "I love her dad's cooking and don't want to be impolite, but I've been trying really hard to stay on track with my no-carb diet this season and the sugary cakes, thick slabs of cornbread and giant heapings of leftover lasagna will surely derail my progress. I think we should tell her parents we love their food but are working hard to eat healthy this year and prefer not to take the boatload of goodies back with us."
She says: "My family works very hard to prepare a delicious feast for us each year. I know Sean is trying to be health conscious, but turning down their generous offerings would be hurtful to my parents. And besides, what ever happened to the concept of a cheat day? Every dieter knows they need to splurge a little!"
Whose side are you on? (Explain your reasoning in the comments section.)
- Ellie
- Sean
Have an argument you want settled? Email your argument detailing your side of the argument and your partner's side to karenkarbo@redbookmag.com and please include your names and ages. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.
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