Okay so we have an intern at our work who has been working here for 2.5 months helping us out with a validation study. This week is his last week.

Originally I was told we were going to go to a restaurant, pay for his meal, and maybe have some cake. I was cool with this because at a restaurant at least I can choose something that is lower fat and healthier, and then skip the cake or have a bite.

Well today they announce we are having a pizza party and that it's $6 a person and you need to bring your own drink.

I'm like ug wtf, I don't want pizza. Much less pay $6 for something I'm not going to eat.

So then I think "maybe I will go but not eat" then I'm like I'll probably still be considered rude or cheap cuz I went but didn't pay.

Now I'm thinking I'm just not going and let them call me rude I don't care.

There are issues at my work that people think other people are rude and so on- but really it's like I'm trying to lose weight- I don't want to eat greasy pizza, much less pay for it. Money is tight as it is and I only let myself eat out once a week, I know $6 may not seem like much to some people, but to me it kind of is. I'm actually pretty surprised they said "oh we are having a pizza party and here is what you have to pay..." This was going to be my planned day for eating out- but now that it's not something I want I don't really want to participate...

What would you do? I'm still deciding... Am I just over-reacting? I don't want to eat pizza and spoil my calories or hard work!

Maybe talk to the organizer about it? I imagine the $6/person is based on the price of pizza and number of people they expect to come. You could tell them that you will come, bring your own lunch and celebrate but that you don't eat pizza.

Honestly, I would pay the $6, attend, and bring my own food. However, if the $6 is going to be tough, I'd do what nelie suggested. But then again, I'm not one to rick the boat.

Can you eat one piece and bring a salad and health side along to round out your meal? That only makes sense, though, if you actually WANT to eat the pizza

Hi, beerab!

There are a few ways to look at it, I guess. Just some ideas.

Life is full of things we don't really control, so this could be seen as practice. The point is it's a going-away party for someone, and so it would be good to participate to wish him well. I would think of the $6 as a gift to him and your coworkers.

Another thing is, if you prefer, you can probably pick up a more healthy lunch somewhere and bring with you. Be nothing but smiles! It's supposed to be a farewell party.

And finally a last possibility: a single piece of pizza is not going spoil your calories or your hard work unless you let it. Make the best of it! Keep yourself to one piece, enjoy it, and stop there. Have your drink. Say good bye to the intern, and go back to your desk. If you get hungry later, well, you know how to get a snack that will help.

Life will go on! And so will your weight loss!

Jay

I run into this issue frequently at work. I throw in a couple of bucks to assist with the cost of the junk food and then eat my own stuff. Some people comment, but nothing really offensive and I'm getting too old to care.

I don't pay and don't go...
It happened before at my work... and people here know I don't eat cr*p. So if they want me to participate they have to do something else... if they don't care about me that much to keep it a pizza, I don't care about what they think if I don't participate...
Is that simple... Life is too short to sweat over small stuff!

It sucks that it is a pizza party now for $6. BUT it IS in honor of the intern who was working there. And having been the temporary summer student, I used to really appreciate the "thanks for working with us" luncheon.

You might want to pay the $6 and take your own food. It seems to me that the $6 wouldn't be an issue if you could choose your own food -- you weren't planning to brown bag it before. The thing is you don't want to spend $6 for food you don't want to eat. Understandable, but sometimes in a work situation we just gotta do stuff that we don't want to do.

It would be different if this was a planned weekly thing -- then "include me out" is appropriate. But as a one-of "thank you" to an intern...I'd pay and brown bag it...

JMHO

Kira

I think another important question to ask yourself is how much you cared about this inter who is leaving. As JayEll mentioned, this is a going away event for someone. If you worked closely or were friendly with him, I think you should participate in the event. If you never even saw the guy, then do whatever you want to do!

I agree.

I'd try to see if they could order a salad for you from the pizza place instead. My dh eats only kosher food, so that excludes him from almost all work parties as far as food goes. I don't see how not eating something is considered rude- there are lots of reasons why people can't partake: allergies, weight control, religious restrictions...

I hope you can participate while eating healthy.

I would ask the organizer to use your contribution to get you a salad from the pizza place instead. I'm sure they must have one, even if it is crummy. That way you participate, you don't rock the boat, it will be over before you know it.

If you had gone out for lunch, I would imagine it would have cost you more than $6 (food, tip, chip-in for the intern's share), so if it were me, I'd just suck it up.

I would not pay. I would speak to the organizer and explain that I could not eat the pizza for health reasons--being vague--and say that I would be happy to go and bring my own food.

I am one to rock the boat though. If people thought that it was rude--oh, well. I never signed a contract agreeing to do everything that they wanted me to.

Does this pizza place have salads? If so, ask the organizer if your $6 can be put toward getting a salad for you...

There's nothing on earth that could make me eat pizza...even before I started Atkins the heartburn would have sent me to the ER! I would pay, go, and bring your own lunch, and have fun, if you can!

I guess I could think of it as my gift to the intern... that is a good suggestion Jay.

Still not sure what I'm going to do but you all have given me a lot to think about.

I might up my workout that day if I do go- to try and balance at least some of the calories...