Pushy co workers who give out food

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  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
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    Just tell them flat-out: I am going to throw it away. Do you want to put it directly in the garbage or shall I??
  • HurricaneElaine
    HurricaneElaine Posts: 984 Member
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    Well, this isn't QUITE my problem at work - but co-workers do bring in food, put it in the break room with a sign "help yourself" and I walk by the door going to the ladies' and see it. And it's usually something sweet, which KILLS me - cake, donuts, pastries, cookies.. It is SO HARD to not eat it. Most of the time, I can make myself walk away. Yay me!
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
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    My co-workers know I'm vegan, so they've stopped bringing treats to me that aren't fruit. In the rare case that someone gives it to me, I bring it home as a treat for my boyfriend or brother. If not, I'll put it in the fridge at work and "conveniently" forget about it.
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
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    I say thanks and take it home as a treat for my kids.
    this
    I'm offered maybe 3500cals + per week in cakes, snacks and Pizza.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I cant stand this! I have a few coworkers who literally shove donuts or baked goods in my face. I will try to politely decline and theyll be like just have some, and plop it on my desk and walk away. Sometimes I just put it the trash but other times its hard to toss gourmet donuts and food in general in the garbage. Does anyone else have co workers like this that set out to ruin peoples healthy eating? How do you deal with it even if they dont accept a polite decline?

    I have had that happen. If they can't take no for an answer, then I just throw it away or give it to someone else. Sometimes I have taken it to the break room and marked it, "Please take" and it's gone in minutes.
  • knightreader
    knightreader Posts: 813 Member
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    as a teacher, this happens all the time. either kids bring in food for their birthday or the class next door has left overs from their party or whatever. i usually just take whatever i am offered and say i will eat it later, "as i just had a snack." then i usually toss it. or i keep a healthier alternative on my desk, say an apple, then when someone offers me something i just tell them i already have a snack for later, but thanks anyway.

    something similar this weekend, but with booze. i went to a party, and i have been known to put away a few drinks. but didn't really like the drink menu this time, lots of different rums, and that doesn't work for me. so after being bugged about it for the first hour of, "what do you want, let me get you something, what do you want, why aren't you drinking, blah blah blah," i just grabbed a red plastic cup, the same style everyone else was drinking out of, and filled it with water and carried that around with me all night. i filled it like 4 times, so i got my water intake in and people stopped bothering me about what i wanted to drink. ironically, i was willing to drink, just didn't like the drink menu. but totally annoying.
  • MTBrob
    MTBrob Posts: 513 Member
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    I have a few of those I shove carrots up their noses when they shove donuts in my face..
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
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    I give it away! :)
  • hydelaa
    hydelaa Posts: 184
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    People don't want others to lose weight for 2 reasons: 1. They will be jealous 2. That might mean they have to change too.

    I DO think this is a big one, it's like they want everyone around them to fail because they want to eat poorly, I see it with drinking a lot.."I don't want to drink alone, so you need to drink w me!" Instead of being an adult and enjoying what ever eat or drink it is in MODERATION and leave the rest of us alone!
  • scowil03xx
    scowil03xx Posts: 45 Member
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    At work there is always "tons" of unhealthy food in the area. If someone offers me something and I decide I want it, I accept with a thank you. If I don't want it, I respond with "No thank you". If they do not have enough respect for that, I don't have enough respect for them to not see me trash it.
  • hydelaa
    hydelaa Posts: 184
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    There is this Greek restaurant that the owner is like a grandma to me, and she always is offering me food. Trying to loose weight I nicely said "no thank you" and she replies "is everything okay?" I laughed and said "yes, just trying to loose weight"
  • Polly758
    Polly758 Posts: 623 Member
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    I often take a serving to my desk, have one bite, and throw the rest away.

    I get to try it, and as a bonus, I'm removing the junk from myself and everyone else's opportunity to eat it and regret it later.

    If someone is at your desk pushing food on you, you might even say, "I'm going to throw that in the garbage the second you leave," with a big smile.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Damn those evil saboteurs, they're just jealous of your healthy lifestyle
  • lornabaps
    lornabaps Posts: 6
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    Why is it that they cannot just respect the fact that you don't want the donut??? I don't get it! If you had stopped smoking, do you think that they would put a *kitten* and a lighter on your desk and walk away! ha ha I work in a Sixth Form and when the students bring in birthday cake, a slice usually finds its way on my desk. They don't take no for an answer, so I have stopped refusing now. I just thank them and when no-one is around, I wrap it in kitchen towel and pop it in the bin. They are happy as they think that I have eaten it and I am happy as I know that I haven't.

    The coworkers that try to tempt you, are they all a perfect size 10 or are they needing to get fit and just don't have the will power that you have have? Just curious really as when I gave up smoking years ago, it was the smokers who tried to get me to have one!
  • rebeccap13
    rebeccap13 Posts: 754 Member
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    No one can force you to eat something. Its called willpower. Say no or take it and throw it away. Making excuses and blaming other people is how you got to where you are right now in the first place.
  • stillme4you
    stillme4you Posts: 33
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    haha I have this guy who insists on feeding me, brings in personal sized pies, baked goods, chinese treats he finds, chips, chocolate, you name it. I do say no, but he tells me it because I'm shy and he knows I really want it....So he brings it to my desk and leaves.
    Frustrating to say the least.
    I now say thank you, chuck it, bring it home....or taste it

    Because when a woman says no she really means yes, right? Please...
  • stillme4you
    stillme4you Posts: 33
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    I'm getting kind of outspoken in my old age. ;-) Nobody has really done this to me ever, but I do have a guy who brings me granola bars every once-in-a-while and will just leave them on my desk when I'm not around. I give them to someone else or take them home to my kid.

    If someone was like insistant like that, I'd just tell them, "Fine. You can leave it there, but it's gonna sit there cuz I'm not going to eat it."
  • stefjc
    stefjc Posts: 484 Member
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    Ah, but if we'd had that kind of willpower in the first place we wouldn't have an issue with workplace food.

    I was brought up with the 'clear your plate, think of the starving children' ideology. So throwing food away horrifies me. Very little at home goes in the bin - most gets composted.

    If it was just down to making excuses and blaming other people most of us would have cracked it by now. But for some of us it is a little bit more and keys into all sorts of emotions, especially guilt. For me that is certainly the case as I saw my Gran and mother go without to feed us kids. Food has always been how we show love - I still do it now, I just try to make the food more healthy!

    And on my nice days I too bake and take into work. But l leave it in a big plastic box so it isn't easily seen and tell people to help themselves - out of plain sight and not so easy to just grab as you pass by!
  • densta1968
    densta1968 Posts: 25
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    When my well meaning coworkers and family members aggressively push me to eat their offerings, even after my polite declines, I reply "This is food rape. No means no."
    It's working for me so far.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    Ah, but if we'd had that kind of willpower in the first place we wouldn't have an issue with workplace food.

    Food has always been how we show love - I still do it now, I just try to make the food more healthy!

    Its not food in the work-place - its the PEOPLE in the work-place who push the food. That is the issue.


    The real root of the problem is the fact the offering person does not accept "no thank you" for the answer the first time. People can offer all the food they want - but the real problem is their lacking ability to accept "No Thank you" on the first prompting.

    If people truly did care, regardless of relation, they will accept "no thank you" and move on - that is showing respect for one another.

    Its people who routinely and continue to push who are extremely insensitive and rude.... You definitely dont need to show love with Food.

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