When your friends eat a LOT of CRAP

allisonmrichard

When I moved in with my housemates, I actually gained more weight than ever in college. Sheetz runs became a nightly thing, I would be eating junk all the time not even because I was hungry, just because I felt like it and it tasted good. My habits have changed but it was hard because I had become so addicted to food and all the stuff that I still loved was around me so often. I've changed, a lot of other things haven't, but I can't force my new habits on anyone. Even if someone is your friend and you want them to be happy and healthy, you can't make them change. They have to want to change themselves. That's one big thing I've learned.

ahipsher

I also have this problem with my boyfriend's family.

His mother gets really offended if I only take a very small portion/don't finish everything on my plate/or if I go with, "I already ate, I'm not that hungry!"
But, y'know, if you didn't cook with so much salt and butter, I might eat more of it. It's just very awkward. She's very, very overweight, and she perceives it as a judgement of her cooking/lifestyle/her personally.

But really it's just me looking out for my waistline (and heart!).

Oh my! We are in the same boat then. It's so hard to tell my roommate that his cooking is actually unhealthy. He kept claiming, "I think our meal in this house is quite healthy. We have veggies, fruits, meats, and even brown rice." O.o Yeah .... but all those salt and oil? When I commented on how much oil he put in the frying pan, he went, "Nah ... it's not that much at all." I could TASTE the sodium in my mouth that my lips dried. O.o How's that "healthy"?

If I do not eat with them, I'm seen as an anti-social-person-refusing-to-fellowship-with-roommate. If I eat, my body get all screwed up and all my workout goes to drain. O.o

YES. EXACTLY.
Like, brown rice isn't healthy if you use a ton of chicken broth and then eat like, four servings of it.
It's about moderation too.
She recently started Weight Watchers but still doesn't weight/measure food, and she's always bragging that she's under her points. You can't just eye-ball a cup if you've never measured your food before. :grumble:

ahipsher

My boyfriends family is all overweight and food is something to bond over for them. His mom is always trying to lose weight but continues to eat things that are not good for her. I'm finding a balance and they are learning to accept that I don't want to eat all of the things they prepare. I have always been a somewhat picky eater so I usually use "I don't like that" as my excuse. I have starting to bring a veggie tray to they family gatherings and that way everyone can partake. Once I brought a bunch of my own food and left like I was being rude for not eating what they had. So I bring enough to share. I fill up on veggies and then have a small portion of what they eat too.

I'm so glad I can relate to other people on this issue. It's not like I'm ungrateful; you obviously took the time to prepare a meal for your family and for myself, but I'm sorry, it's just not very healthy.
They mistake it for snobbery, like I'm "too good" for her cooking. I always eat a little bit, I just never take more than a bit because I don't want something on my plate I'm not going to eat, y'know?

fitnesspirateninja

The only thing I can control is myself - what I eat and how I feel about what I'm eating.

Sometimes I do feel weird about bringing my own snacks to parties or family events, or eating a salad when my friend is eating fish and chips, but I get over it. I'm not going to eat something I don't want to eat because my friends want me to join in.

Most people are focused on themselves anyway, and probably aren't worrying about what you're eating.

jenluvsushi

Not saying you should cut them out of your life but maybe you should make some new friends that you have things like this in common with...people change. I have a couple friends who eat like crap, are fat and do nothing but complain about it. They do not want any advice and seem to be irritated more and more with every pound I lose or workout I do. Although I still love them and we occasionally hang out, it is not the same anymore. I want friends who appreciate the hard work I put in and who have similar goals....not who treat me like a food natzi or who love to flaunt junk food in my face to tempt me (although, at this point not much tempts me anymore).