Hi All,

I've been lurking on 3FC for a while now, just beginning my 4th week on IP, and it's great so far! I love coming onto the site and learning from all the IP veterans. It's very motivating and informative!

My question/issue is basically this: why do co-workers care what you do or don't eat? We're having a "pizza feed" at the office today to celebrate some year-end accomplishments. Obviously, pizza is way off my radar, so I just had some steamed broccoli with IP Broccoli/Cheese soup (yum! ). But it seems like everytime I'm not stuffing my face with the rest of the group, people bother me about it. "C'mon, have some pizza", or "wow, vegetables, that's way too healthy". I guess I just don't understand why there is such an interest in what I eat. I never look at someone and say "Whoa! You definitely shouldn't eat that donut, try a salad instead".

I feel like what people eat is their own business. I have no problems answering questions if people are curious about what I'm eating, I just don't like being more or less ridiculed because I make healthier choices than most of my co-workers.

Does anyone else work with people like that? How do you deal with it? At what point does politeness go out the window?

Thanks for listening to my rant!

~Michelle

Michelle - I don't think they're ridiculing you at all. For some reason, when people are being "naughty" - they usually like company so they don't feel so bad about it. Same as when someone's having a drink and they say - "Ah come on ... just one with me!"

I sit next to a very arrogant, ungodly thin young "boy" who continuously makes comments about my food (especially when I use my shaker!) and I finally just told him to keep it to himself, I didn't need or want the comments from peanut gallery. Being "nice" about it to that point didn't cut it so I had to be blunt. He's backed off.

In the meantime, remember you "stick out" a little more because you're most likely the ONLY one not eating the pizza ... and some may consider that not joining their celebration. But don't worry, kind words like - "Not doing the pizza thing right now" can go a long way and after a few of those statements, most people get it.

Good luck and nice job on the soup and broccoli - one of my favorite mixes!

Michelle, when I first started I got all kinds of comments like that. Now that I have lost 55lbs all of the sudden everyone's comments have changed. Sometimes people also feel jealous, envious when someone else is doing something great for themselves and they aren't. Especially if they need to lose some lbs too.
As you go along on IP you wont care what others think and the comments turn to positive ones as you become smaller

Oh, a LOT of us get it. Somebody at a work holiday party basically told me if I didn't eat the salad there, I wasn't being healthy. It had ramen noodles and a sweet dressing! Nope. Not happening.

People definitely need to mind their own biz or I WILL start telling them what they SHOULDN'T eat!
(Oh, the joy of just THINKING about that! )

My office can be like that at times as well and it's very frustrating. IP was actually recommended to me by a patient, so in that sense I'm grateful for my environment (lots of contact with lots of people). When I did IP the first time, the comments were irritating: "that diet can't work long term", "how can that be good for you?", "it's just so restrictive, you must be going crazy", "why don't you add ___ (insert something off protocol) to your salad?", and most recently now that I'm back on IP "I hope you're not doing that ridiculous diet again". I ignore most comments unless they become persistent at which point I politely say that I'm making changes in my habits for me. It can be very irritating, especially when people are stuffing their faces with something decadent. I just remind myself of how much I resent my weight gain and happily munch on my cucumbers. Good luck!!!

Really funny stuff! same here. A really overweight lady I work with has started t hate me and tell others I am not a team player, you know beacuse I didnt eat the Giordanos stuffed pizza they ordered, and I brught my salad inti the cinference room. I can tell that she hates me and doesnt even feel like saying hello to me because I am not fat and pregnant anymore. She was so nice to me when I was 200 lbs. let the haters be motivators! tell them you are bodybuilding like I do, that should really get them going...... HAHAHAHA

My office is different. They are ALWAYS on diets and talk talk talk about it but NEVER lose any weight. Some have even been on IP. It is shameful. We have 2 gals who NEVER talk about it and have lost 50 lbs silently! Both were on IP...LOL
Yup...let the haters be motivators....that is the BEST line!

I must be really lucky. People at work have commented on my food choices from time to time, but when I say, "I'm just eating vegetables and protein these days. Things had just gotten out of control," everyone has been really supportive. Most often, I've heard, "Oh, I need to do the exact same thing. I thought you had lost weight!" I figure there's no chance that people won't notice I'm eating rabbit food, whereas I'd usually be first in line for pizza or burgers.

Yes! You work with very nice people. A lot of us aren't so lucky.

This will work.
Co-worker "Please have a piece of this piece of cake I baked" Your response "No Thank you.”
Co-work now becomes pushy "Please have this piece of cake, one tiny piece won’t hurt!” Your response, “No thank you, I am trying to lose some weight”.
Co-work is rudely pushy “Just one piece, please” Take the cake, say “thank-you”, then toss it abruptly into the nearest garbage can and (optional) spit on it. The look on their face will be priceless, and they will never be pushy again.

I used to work for an absolute devil. Not only would she constantly try to get me to eat things I wasn't eating, or purposely schedule early morning meetings so I couldn't make it to my usual gym time -- She would actually say things like, "I was telling Charlie how huge and fat you used to be. He couldn't even believe it. He thought you had always just been a little chubby."

Still makes me cringe thinking about her.

So I guess I'm just hoping y'all will find more supportive coworkers!

Wow, that's awful! I don't get how people think they have the right to make comments like that. Glad you don't work for her anymore. Sounds like an extremely toxic environment.


Thanks to all for your great responses; I've been cracking up over here! I'll have to try some of these suggestions

~Michelle

What is WRONG with some people?!!!!

I LOVE it! I'd actually think about doing that b/c some people just don't realize how rude they are being. But I guarantee you, they'd point the finger at ME as the rude one (it would be worth it, tho!)

We do a lot of "cake" celebrations and sometimes pretzels (Philly Pretzels) or popcorn...

Sometimes I will get a piece of cake or a pretzel and bring it back to my office "for later". I'll wrap it in a napkin or something....and then quietly throw it away later or sometimes bring it home to hubby at the end of the day.

It's easier than trying to explain my reason for "not" participating in the celebration.

Pizza lunches are harder to do that with. That's when I use the "eating healthy" explanation -- though I was just thinking maybe I could claim I had a gluten allergy to get out of those!

In my experience, sometimes when people say I could eat the salad, or the chicken, or the corn, carrots, etc...and "don't I want to have some"...it's because they don't want me to be left out. And they have no clue what my dietary requirements are. Nor do they have a clue that some of the things they are recommending aren't really healthy, diet or not. Some people think all salad is healthy-mayonaise, sugar dressing, croutons, bacon bits, battered fried onion bits and all. They think corn and carrots ARE veggies. I know some people have been very sincere in trying to "include" me but they are just clueless. I've found people who have been on low carb/high protein diets, and especially if they are familiar with IP, are a bit better.