So it's seemingly been FOREVER that I've been eating better, but have only recently started taking breakfast to work. I come in to work early after working out, and ate breakfast at home at about 6:30 am before coming in. I truly prefer a later breakfast, after coffee, so I started bringing my breakfast with me to eat later in the morning, closer to 8 am. I'm not talking anything "Weird" here - just some instant oatmeal I mix with water and microwave (and maybe throw in some peanut butter), and some healthy cereal and milk.
Now, my eating hasn't been a secret here at work at ALL. But only recently they've been commenting. Just the other day, when I walked away from the kitchen area with my Fiber One in a bowl, I got the comments - "What the heck is that?" "It looks like something you find in a baby's diaper!" (really....that's what one guy said). And the oatmeal...the "eew" and "gross" comments just KILL me.
In the afternoon I'll eat an apple and a little homemade cottage cheese/sugar free Jello concoction I actually picked up from Paula Dean of all people. You should HEAR what people say..."What, did you gain a pound so you have to eat an apple now?!" "How can you EAT anything like THAT!?"
It's bothered me my whole life - I used to be a very picky eater and would always have my family tell people "She eats nothing but hamburgers and pizza" whenever we'd go out anywhere. I hate being judged, and that's what these people are doing - all the while chowing down on fried pies, taquitos DRIPPING in cheese and grease, eating out at lunch every day, snacking on chips and bags of chocolate candy.
One of them is my supervisor, so I can't say anything. But it bothers me. Anyone else have these issues? What do you do to keep from snapping and flinging your apple at people?
I would just let it go in one ear and out the other, although it's hard. In my experience comments about food (or whatever other topic in the workplace) tend to die down after a while if you refuse to let it bother you, or at least act like it doesn't.
You'll have to excuse me because I'm a little more forward than most...
If I felt like saying something, I would probably go along the lines of "Did you really just say that to me?" - in regards to what the guy said about a baby's diaper. I also feel that regardless of whether it's your boss or not, you should still be 'allowed' to assert yourself. Not rudely, but IMHO your boss is being rude and deserves some slack back. I think if you make it their problem (ie: I can't believe you said that... or... what are you eating?) they'll probably stop. Now when I'm really not in the mood to care, I point blank ignore them, like they never opened their mouth. It gives them the attention they deserve. Just because you've chosen to eat healthier and take care of your body is no reason to think you should have to hear things like this.
Just to put it out there... there's this girl I work with who calls me "skinny" all the time now. Mind you, I'm not skinny! I'm fit now, but definitely NOT skinny. So I ignore her, just flat out. She's only started doing it, but she usually yells it out in front of everyone and actually made a comment about me passing on a cookie claiming that 'just because I'm skinny doesn't mean everyone else doesn't want a cookie'. I just looked at her... I mean come on!
I get what y'all are saying...it's just HARD to ignore it sometimes.
Mind you, these comments, for the most part, are coming from women who complain about how they're gaining weight, and "don't know why" as they sit there and eat the way they do, and go out to high-cal lunches together every day. I need to learn to just ignore things...
stargzr -- I got some of this too when I was at my lowest weight... People think that just because I lost weight means that I couldn't participate in having a treat now and then. I'd get called skinny and too thin and every time I said I was cold they'd go on about how I shouldn't be so thin then and maybe I'd be warmer. Sigh.
As far as the OP goes, it's hard, but I suggest just ignoring it too. That's what I always had to do. Just blow if off. You will come off as a stronger person and more mature just letting it go. Or you could joke about it, and say that your diaper crap tastes super delicious and offer some up to them. Maybe they'll shut up. At least they'll know that you have a sense of humor about it and are okay just brushing it off. They don't have to eat what you are - it's their own fault for eating what they are eating. Good luck!
I understand what you mean about the ones who sit and poke fun at me or make a big scene about my weight loss... but then complain about their gains and proceed to go out to lunch every day. The girl I mentioned who calls me skinny, she does this... then she wonders aloud to me why she can't lose weight. I don't have the gall to say to her to stop eating out... but I don't try to offer gentle help either. some people...
jules - Yipes! It makes me wonder if these people think before they open their mouth sometimes?
This used to annoy me to no end. I once worked in a health facility with doctors, nurses, lab techs, social workers and security people. I had put on some weight and was about 25 pounds above my ideal weight at the time so I had gone on weight watchers.
The nurses were almost all obese. The security guards, some of whom were also overweight, used to chow down all day long on the most greezy unhealthy food from the food trucks and local diners. Yet, they almost all without question felt free to comment on my diet, what I was eating and not eating, my portion sizes, whether or not I should lose any more weight etc etc.
I had never criticized ANYONE'S weight or eating habits, yet here was everyone criticizing and scrutinizing mine. What was funny was the overweight nurses were always chastising the cops about the greasy food they were eating...nurse, heal thyself!
Anyway....I used to go into the exam room and weigh myself on the scale every day. So certain nurses would tell me I was already thin enough bla bla....I wasn't eating enough bla bla....worrying that I was obsessed becasue I was using the scale every day. I used to laugh and say thank you about the "too skinny" comments....it was annoying, though.
When the doctor was there, he used to give them a good comeback and put them in their place and he always kept encouraging what I was doing and he'd say...I wish everyone would get on the band wagon & start eating healthy and taking off some weight. So in that room, he would do the "dirty work" for me - just politely put everyone in their place and shut them up.
Outside of that I'd usually just laugh off whatever anyone said but occasionally would come up with the polite / funny comeback. One time one of the security guys said to me..."eating all that rabbit food all the time...what do you think, you're gonna live forever?" I said, "No, of course I'm not going to live forever but I'm gonna feel good & not be sick for the time that I'm here...you know, no grease-clogged arteries and all that" *big smile*
Sometimes if there were weight comments or questions I didn't want to answer, if it was a person I felt comfortable with (like not my boss), I'd smile & say "Hey, my mom always told me it wasn't polite to comment on people's age, weight or physical appearance, you know?"
In a nutshell, I don't want to fight or be confrontational with people I have to work with everyday...so the best route for me is to laugh it off, assume they mean it in the best possible way and/or just gently put people in their place when I have to.
That comment about your cereal - that was bad. You might say something like "Hey now, don't criticize my breakfast and I won't criticize yours" but laugh when you say it. Or "Are you trying to make me lose my appetite?" If it's not comfortable or appropriate to say those things...then we just have to ignore them while setting boundaries in our own minds - realize that only a rude jerk makes comments like that and it's not worth letting it get to us.
I'm a lot like stargzr. I'm more forward and would say something. I would say as opposed to what you're eating??? I'm at a size that makes me feel reeeeeaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllll good and I like it how bout you. And for the baby diaper guy, I would have said "I would prefer for it to look like it rather than it be it. Because what you're eating is as useless as what's in a baby diaper"!!! Then I would smile at him.
But that's just me. I have the type of rapport with my boss that I would say something. I probably would if I didn't. I don't let people make me uncomfortable because they are and surely if it's about my health that required so much work.
Hey Mindi - that is annoying. I used to get cracks about my food from a manager I worked with who regularly got a dish called the "hogachanga" from the local BBQ place. (pulled pork, BBQ sauce, onions, slaw, BBQ beans, cheese cheese cheese all rolled in a tortilla and deep fried, weighed about 4 pounds I think) I ignored him at first, then after a while I got tired of it and when he would make some joke about whatever I was eating I would say "What did you eat today? 5 more pounds of greasy fat? What do you think that looks like now?"
You may not be in a situation to respond to your boss, but you can definitely respond to your coworkers. Particularly the one who made the comment about your breakfast. That was just icky.
The ones who make the 'gained a pound, eating an apple?' comments - are they the women you were referring to who are always talking about weight? I get some of those remarks, too. I've taken to patting my hips or tummy and saying "have to keep the skinny pants" or something to that effect, I have been known to say "can't keep the skinny pants if I keep eating [insert whatever I most recently saw other person eat] all the time" if they seemed rude in the initial comment. Sometimes I figure they just don't understand, or are a little insecure and talk out of turn.
stargzr -- I got some of this too when I was at my lowest weight... People think that just because I lost weight means that I couldn't participate in having a treat now and then. I'd get called skinny and too thin and every time I said I was cold they'd go on about how I shouldn't be so thin then and maybe I'd be warmer. Sigh.
ALL THE TIME I get this now. I had some Cheetos and a turkey sandwich for lunch one day, and one of the women couldn't BELIEVE I actually still ate chips! The comments about putting on weight so I won't be cold...get those too. I need the nerve to tell them I'd rather be thin, be healthy, live longer and wear a coat than to insulate myself with fat...
My mama always said, "Dont comment on other people's food." It is just RUDE! How dare someone say that to you right when you are about to eat. Where are manners these days!?!
Like some of the above posters.. I am a very straight forward person. I used to not be that way, but it has come with age. It would have taken a lot of restraint for me not to comment back. Especially to my boss.. boss or not, they shouldn't be talking about what you are eating. Its not professional for them either. They aren't going to act like a professional, then they shouldn't be treated like one.
They women that were overweight and constantly complained about it were commenting on my healthy eating would have gotten an ear full. I would have asked them "and you wonder why you are overweight? at least I am working on it." It may not be nice, but its true. They need to keep their comments to themselves.
I really just don't understand some people. Luckily at my job nobody comments about food. To each their own I guess.
I've had a few comments like you describe, but I'm also pretty out spoken. Someone once said something like, "Are you going to eat like that for the rest of your life?...I'd rather die young and be fat and happy." I was shocked actually, because I was happy eating whatever it was. I said something pretty mean, like, "Well, your Kids have already spent their inheritance, you might as well go sooner than later to get them out of debt." My bad...but it worked, I have never received another comment from them again... about anything..lol
Co-workers would be harder...since you have to see them everyday. I'd probably say something like, "This is how I keep my girlish figure, (while running my hands across my stomach or thighs...) what is your secret?"
Food judges?
In my experience comments about food (or whatever other topic in the workplace) tend to die down after a while if you refuse to let it bother you, or at least act like it doesn't.
