Peer Pressure

coconutlove93

I've been struggling lately with my friends offering me food. I have a lot of willpower and I know when I should say no. I like to save my calories for foods I'm really gonna enjoy and that are really going to nourish me. But it seems like every time one of my friends wants to eat, they offer me some junk food, i politely decline and they push it towards me a few more times where they go "just because you're on a diet doesn't mean you have to deprive yourself" or whatever. How do you deal with this?

AnvilHead

One way would be to pick it up, walk over to the nearest trash can, and deposit it there without saying a word. They'll get the hint after the first couple times.

Alatariel75

Eye contact and "I'd really appreciate if you didn't."

If they don't quit it after that, they're a bit of an asshat.

pamfgil

Tell them that they should think "more for me" when someone says no, not that you re in a competition that means they can't eat because you won't

Ready2Rock206

Rather than saying I can't have that on my diet change it to I don't want that. End of story. No long explanation why. Just no.

AnvilHead

If it goes beyond civil discourse and they get pushy/nasty about it (and especially if your friends happen to be overweight), say "If I wanted to look like you, I'd eat like you".

Okristy78

I deal with the same thing I work at a nursing home facility for the elderly and they are always trying to give me cake and stuff but I just say no thanks I have my own snacks

PixelPuff

Tell them honestly;
You aren't depriving yourself, you want your snack when you see fit, and are going to eat the snack you actually want.

coconutlove93

Thanks those are all pretty good ways to handle it!

ninerbuff

Lol, at one time I would take the food, chew it, then spit it back out on the tray, holder, etc. they gave me. Now NO ONE will eat it .

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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AnvilHead

ninerbuff wrote: »

Lol, at one time I would take the food, chew it, then spit it back out on the tray, holder, etc. they gave me. Now NO ONE will eat it .

Now THAT'S awesome!

Altess

Penguins can't fly! They are NOT gonna change,
Accept it and be prepared!
My friend is ALWAYS gonna offer me her snacks. I whip out my 100 calorie almonds and ask her if she wants some.
"No ...ok."
Problem solved.

tomteboda

Offering food multiple times {3, to be exact} is a cultural requirement where I live. The first two refusals may simply be politeness.

So I'm adept at saying no repeatedly without taking the offering of food personally. After all, the person offering it would be an as ungenuine of they didn't.

1. No, Thank you.
2. No, Thank you. It looks lovely but I'm quite full.
3. No, Thank you, truly. I appreciate your offer, though. Please, feel free to enjoy some.

MaybeLed

tomteboda wrote: »

Offering food multiple times {3, to be exact} is a cultural requirement where I live. The first two refusals may simply be politeness.

So I'm adept at saying no repeatedly without taking the offering of food personally. After all, the person offering it would be an as ungenuine of they didn't.

1. No, Thank you.
2. No, Thank you. It looks lovely but I'm quite full.
3. No, Thank you, truly. I appreciate your offer, though. Please, feel free to enjoy some.

It's socially required here, that if you want the last one of anything, you must offer it to someone else first, when they decline (twice) then you may have it. If the person accepts, you then may give them a death glare as they have not played the game.

Generally if I like the thing and can fit it in I eat it, I'm not wasting calories on 'bad' (i.e. not enjoyable) food. As I've said before, people offered me food when I was trying to lose weight and when I wasn't but I was WAYYY more aware of it when I'm losing. People take a while to adjust. When I had an intolerance to a certain nut diagnosed people close to me would still offer, then the brain would catch up with an 'oh sorry'. They weren't trying to make me unwell, just social conditioning is very hard to break.

heiliskrimsli

I ask myself whether people who are insistent upon sabotaging my healthy goals are actually my friends.

Idle_Moon

Please don't call it sabotage. It's politeness. Just say "No, thank you. I'm fine."

heiliskrimsli

Idle_Moon wrote: »

Please don't call it sabotage. It's politeness. Just say "No, thank you. I'm fine."

Call it what you want, but people who try to stand in the way of goals that I set for myself which are healthy are people I don't consider to be my friends.