Getting picked on about what you eat at work?

Topher1978

The south, definately the south. If it isn't fried, its got gravy. Hence the reason you now find me on this message board

Let's face it, gravy goes great with rice of any sort!! I never had it until I lived in The South. I am a California kid, born and raised with a lot Washington rain in the mix. But the southern food and the cajun food… Bama and Louisiana… Yeah!! Love it!!

TamaBrett

OddballExtrem, I'm a white guy who has lived in Japan for the last 14 years, I understand your situation exactly. One of the reasons I like living in Japan is that people have a clear understanding about commenting on personal matters. Back home people are always sticking their nose into other peoples business and trying to convince you of their beliefs. I think making disparaging comments about someone's food is especially rude, it ruins your enjoyment of your meal.

I doubt many Westerners understand the almost spiritual significance of rice in Asia.

Bringing a third person in to settle a dispute is a very Asian way of dealing with personal issues.

This guy obviously didn't pick up on your subtle signals, so you could try being slightly more assertive eg
"I'm on my break trying to enjoying my lunch", or
"I don't feel comfortable with you criticising my food", or
"Please let me eat in peace"

These comments aren't criticising him but should make him feel guilty.

HardRockCamaro

Essentially, you are an adult and you just tattled.

Erm, you're an adult and you refer to someone complaining about what they feel is bullying as "tattling"?

I guess you'd be justified in putting a hit out on this rat huh?!


What are you, 10?


Only bullies and criminals refer to being reported as tattling or ratting.

tcatcarson

I think he was just joking around, but I've been in similar situations. Just yesterday I was offered a piece of cake and I declined and another coworker said "See, I told you. No fun."

This is a brilliantly simple example of how so many people equate food to fun. In the past I have used my "supportive" look, coupled with the phrase, "What? It's only a piece of cake..." (add, "It's not love" if you're feeling particularly troublesome...)

EskiiX

I get this all the time! I'm on a university course that requires us to be in the department of the uni from 10-5 every day. So I usually end up eating lunch there as well. All the other students are very unhealthy and have greasy, fatty lunches every day. I make sure I prepare a healthy lunch and snacks every day, at least once a day someone comments on my food and tries to put me down. I've also had people tell me that my healthy eating makes them feel bad and several times people have tried to give me dominoes pizza or chips to get "some fat in that meal". I wouldn't mind if they were just offering it to me, but if I say no they continue for a good 10 minutes trying to make me eat greasy food because my good habits make them feel bad about themselves.

joolywooly33

I just ate pickled herring at my desk - I am definately not popular, but I dont care, it was low call and tasty!!!

chrisdavey

It's better when you are an ifer. "how can you be eating all of that and stay so lean?" :laugh:

Athena53

I've also had people tell me that my healthy eating makes them feel bad and several times people have tried to give me dominoes pizza or chips to get "some fat in that meal". I wouldn't mind if they were just offering it to me, but if I say no they continue for a good 10 minutes trying to make me eat greasy food because my good habits make them feel bad about themselves.

Those are the honest ones! And their bad feelinsg about what they eat are NOT your problem. You're being a good example.

OddballExtreme

OddballExtrem, I'm a white guy who has lived in Japan for the last 14 years, I understand your situation exactly. One of the reasons I like living in Japan is that people have a clear understanding about commenting on personal matters. Back home people are always sticking their nose into other peoples business and trying to convince you of their beliefs. I think making disparaging comments about someone's food is especially rude, it ruins your enjoyment of your meal.

I doubt many Westerners understand the almost spiritual significance of rice in Asia.

Bringing a third person in to settle a dispute is a very Asian way of dealing with personal issues.

This guy obviously didn't pick up on your subtle signals, so you could try being slightly more assertive eg
"I'm on my break trying to enjoying my lunch", or
"I don't feel comfortable with you criticising my food", or
"Please let me eat in peace"

These comments aren't criticising him but should make him feel guilty.

Thank you! I've been waiting for someone else to say something like this! Some people say I tattled, but I believe in my heart it was genuine concern about bashing my culture. I don't like what a lot of people in the Southeast eat (too much butter, oil, and a lot of fried food), but I won't say anything because it's their choice, not mine. However, I do not appreciate people telling me how to eat my own food.

Thank goodness restaurants on the Gulf Coast offer seafood with the choice of not wanting it fried. There's one place I will definitely go back to when opportunity knocks: The Gulf Shores Steamer Restaurant in Orange Beach, Alabama. Not one thing in that place is fried! For a diabetic, that is the ultimate dream come true, because I'd rather enjoy the taste of the fish over the grease and batter.

Spokez70

Some people are just opinionated and love to let you know about it. I ran into this a bit at our office holiday lunch this year with a coworker I had not seen in a while who took notice of my weight loss and spent the entire lunch providing loud commentary on everything I did or didn't put on my plate. It was annoying but no big deal that made me feel like I had to go to my supervisor over it. Either dish it back to him by picking on his food or politly ask him to stop.

MsJackieO318

Wow your supervisor that keeps making comments needs to get a life. Or find so some work to do. LOL isn't that why they call it work? Unfortunately you will always run into nosy coworkers that have nothing better to do than comment on what your eating, what your wearing, gossip about other co-workers etc. Sometimes its hard to deal. I mean really why does he care what your eating? Tell him to go eat his own lunch and leave yours alone. And maybe its a cultural thing, but butter or gravy on rice sound gross to me. Plain is much healthier and if the rice is cooked properly it tastes great.

dym123

where in the world do people people put butter or gravy on rice? i'm guessing middle america on this one.

you would be correct on this. I grew up putting gravy and butter AND sometimes sugar on rice. Of course now I eat brown rice with no other "flavorings"

As for getting picked on, I think he was pretty harmless, if not just being a ****. I would not have gone to another supervisor though, unless it became incessant.

lamby284

Its definitely weird when i pull out my lunch on campus: brown rice, tons of steamed veggies, and a pat of fake butter. Everyone else has junk food from the cafeteria. Luckily I havent been picked on, in quite a while, for what I eat. My friends just kind of this what I eat tastes like cardboard but I think its good :P Dont let your ****ty supervisor get you down, hopefully he realizes now that it was rude of him to make comments about how you eat. And congrats on the 50 lb weight loss, thats amazing!

lamby284

People at work picked on me for chia seeds HARDCORE!!!!!


" what on earth is in your water??!!"

" Chia seeds!"

Imagine the jokes I got..please... like, I am going to turn into a chia pet..

My boyfriend liked to joke that I was going to *kitten* out a tree.

LOL'ed!! This is a great idea. Im now looking up drinking chia seeds. Thanks!

sparkly_stuff_jewels

It is annoying when people try and comment on what you eat, but it sounds like he was probably just joking or messing around, don't let it bother you

DavPul

unbump

Bronx_Montgomery

I know how you feel. I started eating healthy and I eat fish everyday for lunch. Now don't get me wrong. I know that uncook fish being cooked in a microwave stinks up the joint but at that point I didn't care because of the way I was approached about my fish eating habits. I would have been OK if someone came up to me as a professional and as a grown adult and said "Hey I understand you eat fish for lunch and I have no problem with that but any way you can use the other cafe or do something different as to not make the cafe smell like fish?" I would have been fine with that. But instead I got " OMG what are you eating" "That is so gross" " Can you stop eating that its stinking up the place" "thats so disgusting" Blah blah blah. I even yelled at one lady because she didn't realize I was around and said "some people are inconsiderate around here" when I came out I said well its inconsiderate to talk to someone like a child and behind their backs.

Granted I know that If I pre cooked it at home we wouldn't be having this conversation but as soon as people were mean to me I said F You and cooked it in the cafe for them to smell.

chubbygirl253

Gravy/butter on rice? Gross.

Anyway, I think he just liked you. But dont worry, I dont think he does anymore.

EmilyOfTheSun

All the FREAKING time. Which is why I stopped participating in work lunches. My job cooks for us once a week. I used to enjoy it very much. I stopped because first of all it can be difficult to accurately log the food (especially since I can't get a pre-cooked weight of the meat). At first, I attempted to just estimate (estimating one meal a week isn't gonna kill me), I would use my measuring cup for the sides, and I'd weigh the meat on my food scale and add an ounce or so to make up for the fact that it was being weighed after it was cooked. It worked for me. I stopped participating because I got really sick of all the comments about "There's Emily and her measuring cup!" It doesn't sound mean or anything, but when you hear that *kitten* EVERY week, from multiple people...it gets real old.

Sorry you work with such a d0uche. Keep doing what you're doing. Ignore him.

Oh and by the way, I love plain white rice! I usually just chop up my meat and veggies, and mix the rice in with it.

Erica_theRedhead

I don't think he was trying to pick on you, just looking for a topic for conversation. I have a boss of mine do that, but I know he's can't be serious. He also has a heart condition and eats a low sodium diet, so I make sure to offer him pretzels after he makes a comment about my food.