How to deal with outsiders comments on your food intake

randomtai

No one makes comments about what I eat. If they did, I would be quite rude and they wouldn't try it again. :ohwell:

Linnaea27

Sure I get comments, like when I eat a cookie at work or a piece of cake...the comments are usually

"you can't eat that you are on a diet" at which I say..."no I am not on a diet and I can eat whatever I want"

or

when they see I eat as much as I do

"you can't be losing weight eating that much" at which I reply "sure I can"

or

If I post a recipe on FB the comments are usually

"yah like you would eat that" to which I reply

"I lift this *insert pic of 180lb dead lift* so I can eat this"

Either have come backs or ignore them.

Haha, I love your comebacks. I only wish my brain worked fast enough in those situations to say things like that.

OP, I think unless the people saying things are those you live with, the best solution is to just go about your business and not talk about it much or at all. If people have the guts/stupidity to make such comments to you, talking about it at all will increase the likelihood of the people saying stuff to you. When they try to tell you you can or can't eat something, just say "no thanks" and provide a distraction.

And SezxyStef's approach is awesome too, if you can do it and the people around you won't get snippy if you say those sorts of things to them.

BinaryPulsar

I don't experience this. It's pretty obvious to the people around me that I am active with health and fitness. People sometimes look or ask questions out of curiosity. People know that I eat good food in moderation and also don't restrict. Once in a while someone probably has a judgement, but it changes when they get to know me.

Nedra19455

I am totally guilty of feeling this way towards my "healthy" friends, even though I rarely made comments. It totally got to me that they would be refusing the delicious cookies I made for them or making comments about how they needed to lose weight when I was 75 lbs heavier and only an inch taller. So I agree that it is totally about their own feelings and not about you.

Also, i think "deprivation" is a commonly associated with dieting. And so people think the best thing they can do for you is encourage you to eat the foods you want -- they know that you're dieting when they're not around, they figure when they are around the most supportive thing they can do is encourage you to "live a little."

I don't think, as a society, we have great ways of encouraging people with their healthy lifestyles. We worry that if we encourage people too much, they'll think we're calling them fat. (I did actually feel this way with a co-worker who was a little militant with her own diet and made everyone around her -- who was bigger than she was -- feel awful at the lunch table because she's comment on everyone's food and tell them how they could eat healthier.) So I think the default is to encourage people to "be happy" and, for many people, they assume you'd be happier if you are the slice of pie.

A colleague of mine, when I explained to her how much I like using my Fitbit and MyFitnessPal, said, "that's so cool! And it's so cool that you're so excited about it and it's working for you!" I think that was the best way she could respond. :-)

AwesomeGuy37

You have to obsess a little if you want to lose weight. At least you are aware of just how obsessive you are.

Getthisweightoffforgood

I too can related to the comments of people who don't understand that I am not obsessing over my calories, I am merely changing my eating habits. I had someone try to correct me, saying I was trying to "starve myself" lol... I simply asked them if the ever really paid attention to what a REAL serving size was ... quickly, they got silent. I noticed they started changing their habits as well.

Missjulesdid

My favorites are people who want to tell me how to lose weight. I was working the morning shift in a convenience store and would often eat my breakfast behind the counter. I can't count how many comments I received about how fattening my breakfast was. A pretty standard breakfast for me is 1 egg, 1 ounce chopped chicken breast, 1/4 avocado and 1/4 cup of homemade refried black beans and 1/2 ounce of cheese and some fresh salsa. ... I once had a woman buying a banana nut muffin... telling me how she could never handle "so much fat" for her breakfast. I had another customer tell me that it was great that I'd lost some weight but that I'd better start eating healthier and cutting out all the eggs and cheese before I die of heart disease. WTF?

MyChocolateDiet

I'm sorry people are butting into your business like that. It's a pet peeve of mine. Especially since you have already achieved success, you really need no one interfering with ideas that may not even work in the face of your success.

Does it offer you no comfort to reflect after ending the convo with them, on the fact you have already achieved so much. Like you can pity them a little and pay them no never mind b/c clearly you know what u are doing and they are just the uninformed? Just quietly think it and smile?

AllonsYtotheTardis

Nobody has the guts to question my eating habits. They know I wouldn't tolerate it.


But for the record, my answer would be something along the lines of "If I wanted to look like you, I would eat like you."

Aaron_K123

People are naturally concerned by change and complacent when things stay status quo even if the change is good and the status quo was bad.

When you were overweight and stayed at that weight probably people were used to it and said nothing. When pounds started flying off you they took notice and that notice became concern, that's pretty natural. I mean I assume if there was ever a time in your life when you put ON 50 pounds in a very short order of time people may have expressed concern then as well.

People just fear change by nature. I think you know what is best for you though so stick with it and don't pay that attention. Eventually you will get to your goal, your goal weight will become status quo and once that has gone on long enough people will relax again.

fitplease

The first thought which came to mind were experiences I had with obese roommates. They both loved to cook. The fridge was always overflowing with their food. I had to cram mine in. I remember the one roommate, whose specialty was baked goods, would keep asking me to imbibe in her food. I would constantly turn her down, because I just didn't have the same sweet tooth. I remember at least one commenting on how little I ate, more than once.

I was down to 140 at the time, which is a healthy weight for me.

Aaron_K123

I actually got "concern" comments about 3 years ago when I had been on a fitness kick and had dropped down to 14% bodyfat and 155 pounds as a 6' tall man (see my profile pic, that's me at that time). Admittedly even I was shocked that I could be 155 pounds, seemed so light for a man my height, but fact of the matter is I am very small framed and as such when I get toned and fit without losing muscle I get down to about 155. I felt good, I looked good, I was in the best shape of my life both cardiovascular and with strength but got comments about how I was taking things too far and yadda yadda. I didn't just ignore the comments, I considered them, I remeasured myself...did a self-check, checked strength, checked running, checked body-fat content and decided that actually I was doing really well so I just ignored it after that.

At some level you have to trust yourself. If you are feeling better, looking better and are stronger and more fit than ever before then you are on the right track. If you look thin, feel weak and have lost strength then yeah there might be something to be concerned about.

KameHameHaaa

PEOPLE DON'T LIKE CHANGE! That is what I've come to realize during my own weightloss journey. The people closest to you, your best friends, family etc... they see something different happening to you and it either scares them or makes them jealous. That's just how people are and no matter what anyone says to you, ignore it (or think of some snarky comebacks) and continue on. This is YOUR journey and YOUR health, not theirs.

meganjcallaghan

My favorites are people who want to tell me how to lose weight. I was working the morning shift in a convenience store and would often eat my breakfast behind the counter. I can't count how many comments I received about how fattening my breakfast was. A pretty standard breakfast for me is 1 egg, 1 ounce chopped chicken breast, 1/4 avocado and 1/4 cup of homemade refried black beans and 1/2 ounce of cheese and some fresh salsa. ... I once had a woman buying a banana nut muffin... telling me how she could never handle "so much fat" for her breakfast. I had another customer tell me that it was great that I'd lost some weight but that I'd better start eating healthier and cutting out all the eggs and cheese before I die of heart disease. WTF?

haha, I would have quickly informed her of how much fat she was getting in her convenience store bought banana nut muffin. I'd also have the exact details and benefits of my own breakfast ready to divulge so she could see how crappy her choice was in comparison.

LiftAllThePizzas

People will make a lot of comments on it and when i say i'm just checking what I eat people start making comments about eating disorder or how i'm obsessed with what I eat.

As far as they are concerned, your explaining yourself to them justifies their commenting in the first place and invites future comments.

jrose1982

I just stopped telling people what I'm doing. If somebody comments on what I'm eating I say "It's good. You should try it." If they comment on how much, I say "that's all I want". Initially, I actually lied. I would say things like "I had a big lunch."
And then change the subject. That's the important part. Make it clear that your eating habits are not open for discussion.

And it's none of their business anyway. So the goal is not to give them a satisfactory answer, or even to get them to understand. The goal is to give them an answer that will inspire them to shut up.

Every now and then I do get lured into a discussion about how I'm losing weight. It starts off politely, somebody asks a simple question, I give them a simple answer. It grows to a full explanation, while they listen politely. And then the real comments start. That's when it's my turn to listen politely while they talk. And when they're done I say "don't worry, I know what I'm doing." And then change the subject.

Yanicka1

But for the record, my answer would be something along the lines of "If I wanted to look like you, I would eat like you."

Harsh......I love it lol

mariluny

Glad i'm not the only one then! Thanks everyone for your support

BigT555

get this all the time, strangley enough from the people who have commented on how good i look compared to previous months. i just tell them if i didnt look at the label then i wouldnt be where i am now, that usually shuts them up lol

havenoenvyonlylove

I am finally back to pre freshman 15 weight and had a couple people comment that I was anorexic for making smart choices like eating couscous and scrambled eggs. These same people made comments when I ate too much, there really is no way to please them. What keeps me going is that it's your body not theirs, your lifestyle choices that will have the positive impact not their words. They dont have to deal with the weight you put on when they hurt you like that . So stay strong and believe in the positive changes you're making in your life and celebrate your success!