Biggest argument you get in with friends about diet

LiftAllThePizzas

I made this forum to vent the frustration with people making irritating statements about health

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Just FYI.

KenosFeoh

I don't argue with people about dieting. I let them believe what they want to believe.

patentguru

Corrected. Thanks.

msbunnie68

Not so much an argument as a friend who is a little patronizing about my weight loss. She's been on WW over 10 years and yo-yos about trying to lose the same 10 kg. I needed to lose some extra kg so joined MFP (with my doctors blessing) and have lost my 8kg slowly and steadily. My friend first gave me the whole how did you do it? How much have you lost? How long did it take speech etc and gave me 'approval' for my 1/4-1/2kg per week average weight loss. THEN she says that is was so much easier for me to lose the weight because I was already a skinny thing and weight just drops off me anyway but I will probably gain it back because WW educates you what you can eat. (as she flicks thru trying to find the points value of her lunch, meanwhile I already have estimated the cals in mine by eyeballing it because I KNOW how many cals are in the roasted pumpkin, pineuts, lettuce etc in my salad). Logging my food has been far more useful that a points programme. I know how much of something goes into the serve, and I have a good idea of how many cals are in a regular serve of all sorts of foods now. Portion size was my enemy and I am now far more informed.

Weight loss is no easier whether you have 8 or 80 kilos to lose. You still have to do the work and eat the cals to do so.

Karoger87

My sister always says "Fruit and Vegetables? That *kitten* doesn't work." She buys the majority of her food frozen. It's so annoying trying to explain to someone what healthy eating is. I just give up on people that don't care, and don't want to listen. It's a life change, you have to stick with it. Most can't.

cheshirequeen

Veganism is not healthy and you have to eat less than 1000 calories a day and exercise two hours a day in order to lose weight. Never going to happen.

the other one. you need to lose weight, did it. you are too skinny. pick one and at least stick with it, of course its the older people in my life so i basically ignore them and just smile.

ladymiseryali

My fiance constantly tells me that what I'm doing is wrong........There are days I want to just give up because I feel like I have to argue my case with him all the time......

And you're going to marry him even though he is trying to sabotage your happiness?

I don't believe he's trying to sabotage me. I think it's more of him being ignorant of how certain things are in terms of fitness and nutrition. I think if he researched, he would see that he's incorrect and would be more supportive. He believes that if you are mostly sedentary, which I am, that you can get away with consuming 1000 cals or less. I know this isn't the case, but until he sees proof in research, he will continue to believe it. And today I'm moody because of bloating, so I probably shouldn't have posted. lol.

AdAstra47

I don't argue with friends about diet. That's why we're still friends.

Seriously, every metabolism is different, what works for one person will not necessarily work for a different person. So anyone criticizing me or anyone else for what we do / do not eat gets "unfriended." Friends respect one another's choices and let everyone be the boss of his/her own underpants.

peckish_pomegranate

Any friends trying to start dieting who want to do a "cleanse" or a fast/liquid fast/juice fast whatever to start their diet, when before they've been eating 6,7,8k calories a day with bad food and I'm like no no no, adjust slowly with real food.

shella_bella

The biggest argument I get into is when my friends decide they want to 'eat healthy' and all they eat are special K bars, weight watchers crisps etc and think that's healthy. I always say it's full of empty carbs and little nutrition what's wrong with eating real food but they just say 'yeah but it's only got 99 calories in' they just don't understand.

Oh my god. this.

And trying to explain to people calories in vs. calories out and that no matter how "healthy" they are eating if they are eating too much they aren't going to lose.

MyChocolateDiet

"You've lost weight!!! What are you doing that for?!? You looked fine the way you were!" Ok....so I don't look fine the way I am now? I'm doing this the healthy proper way with diet and exercise! I'm losing weight because I want to be healthy-never a good enough answer, "You weren't healthy before?" "Did you have issues? Did a doctor tell you to lose weight?" Now I just smile when someone notices, and shrug and walk away when asked why. It's not worth the argument. I love getting the 'How did you do it?' from from friends who are trying to lose weight too quickly by under eating. They act like they desparately want advice and then just scoff and say their way is better, it's soo much faster. Yup, that's why I'm seeing results and you're not.

yeah the old "you looked fine the way you were!"

I get this one everytime i change my hair. "really? is that why you NEVER complimented me?"

as for weight..."i may have looked fine the way i was but i wanted to look awesome, or is that only available to you?"

Plus, i really didn't want to look "fine" in a coffin, thanks!

rai8759

People around me are always saying things like, "You can't eat that! You are on a diet!"

I can eat what I want. Firstly because I am an adult and if I want to eat something bad for me I can. Secondly I've chosen not to do that and I've PLANNED to eat this at this time in a certain way so that I can ENJOY IT.... Don't rob me of that enjoyment.

celebrity328

All from Coworkers:

Made pies and got angry with me because I am allergic to gluten, then argue with me that I could "sample" it and not get sick.

Told I eat weird and once I lose all my weight Im going to gain it all back because thats "how it always is."

Heavy weight lifting will cause me to "bulk up" like a man.

I am a "healthy" weight and dont need to lose anymore (currently 30 Lbs overweight and at the low end of obese category)

Men love women with meat and curves, I currently am lacking these things.

That I have an eating disorder and they are "worried about me."

The list could go on and on... I don't even respond anymore to my coworkers remarks! I just tell them thank you for your concern but I am doing just fine! My doctor is happy with my progress and so am I, Thats all that matters to me !

devrinator

I sometimes hear, "Oh, you should try [insert fad diet here]! I know someone who's doing that and they've lost weight!"

I've lost over 120 lbs by eating sensibly and exercising. I think I've found what works for me, and it's not some BS fad diet.

I love it! I think people want to feel a sense of accomplishment for YOUR efforts, so they give advice as if they know something you don't!

MyChocolateDiet

The biggest argument I get into is when my friends decide they want to 'eat healthy' and all they eat are special K bars, weight watchers crisps etc and think that's healthy. I always say it's full of empty carbs and little nutrition what's wrong with eating real food but they just say 'yeah but it's only got 99 calories in' they just don't understand.

YES!!! I'm "unhealthy" because sometimes I have a glass of orange juice with my breakfast but my co-workers are healthy because they are drinking no-calorie or low-calorie pop. I usually just smile sweetly and say, "I'm glad that you've found drinking that stuff works for you."

But all the while in my head I'm "hulking out" and screaming "HOLY CRAP HOW ON EARTH CAN YOU BE SO STUPID?!?! ANY SANE PERSON KNOWS THAT DRINKING NATURAL JUICE ONCE IN A WHILE IS A MUCH BETTER CHOICE THAN DRINKING FAKE SUGAR EVERY DAY!!!" (end Hulk-sequence)

^this TOTALLY this. I keep things like that in my head too and let people think their ridiculous stuff. not that i'm a saint sometimes fake sugar gets in my diet too, but when it does, i dont try to make myself better by preaching to others that sugar from an actual fruit is bad to deflect!

RandiLandCHANGED

Having them tell me I'll never look the way I want to without doing a ridiculous amount of cardio. I'm not 110% against it, but there is no stinkin' way that I am using cardio vs lifting or a deficit. They can knock themselves out at She's Fit or Curves.

aakokopelli7

I dislike people who use their medical conditions as excuses. Often people complain about this or that aliment and then are surprised to find out that I also have said problem as well. I just hate that victim mentality. I also hate the word "Can't".

lachesissss

I refuse to talk about my diet or exercise regime to my friends. I just don't want to deal with it. I've had a couple ask me on a one on one level what I've been doing, and we have had constructive conversations that they've told me were helpful to them. But usually if I get asked what I've been doing, I just say "Oh, I've just been running more." The thought of doing actual physical work seems to stop them from even broaching the subject of food. Which is fine with me, I don't really want to talk about it anyway. I'd rather just do it.

ecka723

well lets see...

I low carb..... gasp...that's bad for your heart.... but being 200 lbs overweight isn't????? no point in trying to show them studies that show low carbing properly leads to healthier heart levels....... sighs....

I drink diet coke.... GASP????? that stuff makes you gain weight... it's full of cancer causing agents.... it's just EVILLLLLLLLLLL:mad:

I don't work out...... what??????????? I'm basically lazy by nature.... so I keep moving all day instead of having to sweat and feel exhausted for part of it.......

DANCE SO YOU CAN FLY PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the diet coke thing kills me every time. there is no scientific proof that the actual ingredients in diet soda CAUSE weight gain. cancer is a naturally occurring mutation - nothing specifically CAUSES cancer, things just contribute to cancers mutations. my father has been drinking diet coke since 1988 and has not gained weight because of it, has not developed diet coke-caused cancer, and has not turned evil (yet lol).

i stopped drinking diet coke for three weeks and didn't lose any weight. so obviously, the diet coke wasn't what was making me fat

I completely agree, diet soda doesn't make you fat. For me, I don't drink diet soda very much (except for the one or two around my TOM) because I've noticed the artificial sugar makes me crave other sugars. I think my brain knows the difference and wants the sweet taste from real sugar lol. It wasn't just diet sodas doing it though, it was other things with artificial sweeteners, like yogurts and crystal light. Now, I will have the occasional soda, switched to greek yogurt with fruit and drink tea instead.

EricMurano

I refuse to talk about my diet or exercise regime to my friends. I just don't want to deal with it. I've had a couple ask me on a one on one level what I've been doing, and we have had constructive conversations that they've told me were helpful to them. But usually if I get asked what I've been doing, I just say "Oh, I've just been running more." The thought of doing actual physical work seems to stop them from even broaching the subject of food. Which is fine with me, I don't really want to talk about it anyway. I'd rather just do it.

+1

I used to tell people about what I do but I just get hammered with "Oh it's really sugar that's the problem" or "Calorie counting, I don't want to starve!" or "But can you keep it up forever?"

You have to keep it up forever, not because it's a 'diet(tm)' but because this is how much I should be eating; I just can't seem to control how much I eat without counting. It's ok, I'm fine with needing to keep track for the rest of my life.