Do People Get Annoyed With You Because You Count Calories?

anubis609

People get annoyed because I count THEIR calories. :devil:

KTGator

I had a girl try to mock me for turning down a piece of chocolate-stuffed-with-one-thing-or-another at work one day - this is a girl who has repeatedly asked me for advice on losing weight, so it really ticked me off that she would then try to mock my healthier lifestyle.

Anywho, she said "She can't have the the chocolate because she doesn't have enough calories" (not such a bad statement overall, but the TONE...oh my goodness the tone!)

Well, I snapped back real quick (as she was chowing down on a piece of chocolate) with "Actually, I have plenty of calories left, but I've lost 9 pounds and don't plan to ruin that by eating garbage."

It felt good....real good...and I haven't been mocked for my calorie counting since then

Elzecat

I'm saddened by all the negative responses/reactions people get...I've only had one so far...when I first discovered MFP I mentioned it to a coworker (who is quite overweight and was most recently doing "nutrisystem")...she was a little intrigued but then a few days later told me I was too obsessed with counting calories, when I told her I had skipped my usual Friday AM Starbucks latte because I didn't want to drink 400 calories. Hm. Whatever. I just don't talk about it or log my foods when she's around.

Not everyone in my life knows that I'm calorie counting, but I've lost 20 lbs and it's become obvious, so sometimes people ask me about what I'm doing to get healthy, but I usually just say I'm eating healthy and exercising...it really doesn't come up that often, I don't eat out with friends alot and I just try to plan ahead for it. My immediate family (mom, grandmother, brother) has been super supportive--my brother comments and encourages my running program and my mother went to all the trouble of calculating how many calories were in the muffins she baked last weekend when I went to her place for lunch, she was worried I wouldn't want to eat it if it was "too much"...she also asked me if her choice for Mother's Day lunch (Gunther Toody's) would be somewhere that I could eat...I keep explaining that I can eat anything I want, within reason, and within healthy portions. Eventually people will see and understand that it's a lifestyle choice, not a diet.

ffhsanfran

I usually do plan ahead and not track as I eat. Some people get annoyed, take notice, give you hard time, they are curious, and all. Not only in counting or not-counting, eating or not eating, overeating or not-overeating. People and friends will poke you about things.

Well, it doesn't matter what others think. Some friends will give you hard time. You eat. Don't eat. You count. Don't count. Take a walk at lunch. Or not take a walk at lunch. You be yourself, take care of yourself. Get healthy and look fabulous. Don't get a heart attack and don't have to have a by-pass surgery at 40 or 50. Be happy. Make more friends. Live your life. Eating is not the beginning or the end of anything. Life happens. It'd better be your life that you are living.

TMLPatrick

I don't get too much grief, so far.... but I do have a few enablers that I have to deal with constantly who seem disappointed when I'm not stuffing my face. I think most people who are condescending toward people who count calories are really just insecure about their own eating habits.... its actually quite obviously true. The only people I see who have issues with my eating habits are people with bad habits, or too skinny to understand what it is like to have to monitor your food intake.

The worst thing that drives me nuts is the lack of understanding that a 1.5lb per week loss rate does not mean I am starving myself. Anytime I eat something that wouldn't be on a traditional diet (a couple slices of pizza or a small hamburger and fries.... bad stuff) I get a lot of grief by people who don't understand that it is perfectly reasonable for me to eat these things if I keep under my calorie limit.... they won't be able to argue with results.

cng1117

i got it a little a first, at work, which pissed me off because this woman with the figure of a basketball had the nerve to tell me that this was as small as id ever be and i might as well give up and accept it. "Take it from me honey," she says, "you can diet all you want but it'll never work, so don't even waste your time." wtf?? so now i dont mention it. when they ask me why im not eating or not eating certain things i tell them i just had a HUGE hamburger earlier and am still stuffed. for some reason the image of me gorging on a five pound burger is more acceptable than counting calories for a reasonable meal. :huh:

elliecolorado

I have had a few people tell me that I am obsessed. My response has become "Obsessed is just the word that the lazy use to describe the dedicated!" The person who usually tells me that I am obsessed is also trying to lose weight and always asks me how I have been losing weight regularly. I just figure that they just say I'm obsessed because they don't have the motivation to do it themselves. But I also have people who make comments like "are you ALLOWED to eat that?" when I decide to splurge and eat something that isn't 'healthy'. But I'm doing this for me so I really don't let those comments bother me.

TheBraveryLover

If I'm out with friends or on a date, I don't log. I can usually remember what I had to eat so I'll wait until I'm home to log.

On the rare occasion that I'm out having more than 1 or 2 drinks, I'll send myself a text of how many ounces of (enter alcohol here) I had and log it that next morning. I have the MFP app, but only use it if I'm alone while out. So even though I do it a lot at home, I don't do it around other people.

Like a few others have mentioned, when you count and log around people, they tend to ask questions and stuff. That's understandable, but I don't feel like having to explain. I just wanna live my life and do what I need to do to get to my goal without having to explain anything to anyone.

ImperfektAngel

an ex coworker used to get annoyed when he saw me counting the almonds I would eat, he would always tell me to stop lol

mosaix

yep!! every moment of my life.

downtome

Yep, I am so meticulous about how many calories i am eating and the things i buy in the store and when talking about it to other people, they tend to get really annoyed with me...oh well...I'm losing weight and they're not! so there....lol!

funny you should write a post about this, i have noticed this a lot!

Mairgheal

Most people I know don't know I'm tracking calories on my phone. I add them at a quiet moment alone, or people may think I'm texting or something. So, no I don't get any hassle/comments at all.

catcrazy

I haven't told anyone really, my kids know and my older sister but i haven't seen her since starting (different city) I think my kids are sometimes a little exasperated when I check the calories before deciding on how much I really want that biscuit but they know how unhappy the weight had made me so won't say anything. I'm brushing off on them tho, none of them have a weight problem (quite the opposite in fact) but they're now checking or asking about the calories in this that or the other. my 19 year old wants to maintain her weight (bmi 19) but tone up, my 16 year old (bmi below 17) wants to bulk up but nothing seems to be working and my 13 year old is trying to build up his biceps and a 6 pack so I'd say its a good thing. When anyone else notices (or admits they've noticed!) I may tell them but the way they've ignored mentioning my loss so far I may just keep schtum and keep them guessing as to how i'm doing it!

LJV1031

I don't tell people what I'm doing, except for a select few. I got my dad to join, and some people make faces or roll their eyes at him, but I try to be very encouraging toward him and will ask him about his counting and what not. I found this site, and started using it, because I wanted to find a good site to help HIM lose weight, but I needed to "test run" it first. It is so awesome that I've stayed on board too! =D

suzycreamcheese

Well, I don't make it the center or focus of conversation. If I'm eating with friends, I mentally do some rough calculations in my head, make the best choices I can, and then add things in later. Nobody wants to hear about anyone else's diet. That's rule #1.

same. I dont do it from my phone, i wait till i get home to log stuff, but i can make rough calculations in my head if im out, or check the options online first if i know im going somewhere specific.
I think pointing out other peoples calorie intake is a bit rude, even if you think youre being helpful, and noones really interested in other peoples diets in real life

Noctuary

Nope. But I'll tell you what (in my hank hill voice) my friends are suddenly very aware of what they eat in front of me. They start looking to me to see if it's healthy to eat. THIS from skinny friends! I never tsk tsk them. I just say how about this instead and give them a good reason. Every time they offer me a piece of cookie or chips I say let me look at the label. Then I read it out loud. Then I say no thank you. I also started bringing healthy foods to work to share with them. Sorta break the ice as to what eating healthier is like. They like the snacks I bring.

Raeray89

I suppose I'm lucky in that the girls I live with also want to lose weight, so we do it together, it makes eating out with them a lot more enjoyable because I'm not the only one choosing healthily or checking the calorie content on every item when we go food shopping

However, my best friend is a dancer and naturally very thin. She doesn't have to track calories at all and doesn't understand when I try to explain to her why I'm doing it. She gets mad if we're out and I'll search the menu for the lowest calorie option. She can eat anything she likes and not have to worry about it, I'm not sure she understands not everyone's body works that way. It can be very frustrating!

TwiFan5

I get the speach oh ' no you can't eat that, because you are on a diet'
I tell them I'm not on a diet, I'm on a healthy eating plan and I choose what I eat wisely

I get that from my friend all though the way she says it is oh no you shouldn't eat that you will get fat, like I'm not already self conscious.

SarahLovesCheesecake

I am kinda obsessed with logging, but I see it as a VERY positive thing.....Like someone mentiond earlier, Im accountable for everything that goes in my mouth and more aware of the consequences.........

mosaix

It is impossible for me to remember everything I ate etc so I have to input there and then - my memory is bad enough. I have had people say I should stop because I'm "obsessed" but to be honest, I don't really give a monkey's. It's my life, my gob & if I wanna log eeverything I put in it then it's my choice - don't like it, don't watch me do it. Simples :-)

Even so, I've managed to convert 2 people already to MFP & logging cals so *blows raspberry* ha!