How to respond to a smug vegetarian?

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Disclaimer - virtually all the vegetarians I know are incredible people who I respect because they joyfully offer support, recipes, and advice for my weight loss journey and are generally really pleasant to be around. Except this one guy.

He is a coworker and unfortunately in my carpool. He and his wife are actually pescetarians (will eat fish). His wife is working on losing about 30 pounds - she has taken up running and I think she is doing awesome. He complains to me that she will eat jelly beans and justify eating something if she has gone for a long run. I told him that he really needs to let go of the jelly bean thing which happened almost a year ago. Her eating cheese seems to upset him greatly.

I was in a staff meeting with him about 6 months ago and I started munching on the cheese that was left over from the lunch platter. I said "oh this is good protein". He scolded me in the car on the way home that calories are calories and it doesn't matter if it's a protein or carb. He then told me the "calories in - calories out" is the only way, I have to walk, I should play more soccer with my kid and I should try vegetarianism. Yesterday - he brought up the cheese thing again - holy crap - I ate that cheese 6 months ago. When I told him why he would bring this up - he ignored my comment. I responded that some overweight people struggle with their weight despite eating normal diets and sometimes it could be a thyroid or metabolic syndrome. I told him that losing weight is a lot tougher than maintaining weight. Then he proceeded to say - "well, none of the people in Auschwitz were overweight."

Question - how do I respond to this moron? I unfortunately work with him and I pride myself in that I strive get along with everyone at work. He is smug - thinks he is better than everyone else at work. He openly defies the work that I do (safety) - he thinks the new safety rules the company is abiding by are stupid and mocks my job. I mentioned that I am looking for another job and he is upset because I would leave the carpool (what does he expect - it's an hour commute to work one way - I'm looking to work closer to home). I've been working on re-instating the random drug tests because he bragged to me that he smokes the devil's lettuce almost every weekend. I never bring up the fact that I believe he drinks too much - a six pack of IPA every night!?!?!? I did once and he skewered me because I smoke (side note: I signed up for the hospital's smoking cessation program which starts in April) and brought up the cheese thing again. But then he calls me a good person and a good friend.... weird. The guy admits he likes playing devil's advocate but this is getting ridiculous.

Your thoughts? What's the obsession with cheese?

It was very therapeutic to vent. Thanks. It would be great to go back to pleasantries while carpooling instead of being lectured on my failures as a human being.

mumbling.... "calories in - calories out" - what crap........ going to the fridge and getting a slice of colby-jack
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Replies

  • freelancejouster
    freelancejouster Posts: 478 Member
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    What an asshat.
  • TotallyNotBillNye
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    I agree
  • nokanjaijo
    nokanjaijo Posts: 466 Member
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    I would buy a huge block of cheese and eat it in the car with him. And eat it. If he said anything about cheese, I'd agree enthusiastically.

    "You're so right. Cheese is a killer." Then take another huge bite.
  • iggyboo93
    iggyboo93 Posts: 524 Member
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    LOL! Yes - totally agree. I'm thinking of bringing some cheese with me to munch in the car on the way to work next week. Obviously, rational dialogue will not work with this guy.
  • iggyboo93
    iggyboo93 Posts: 524 Member
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    I would buy a huge block of cheese and eat it in the car with him. And eat it. If he said anything about cheese, I'd agree enthusiastically.

    "You're so right. Cheese is a killer." Then take another huge bite.

    Ha! We must have written the same idea at the same time... :)
  • TotallyNotBillNye
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    DNO3a.gif WE ALL AGREE!!
  • Flixie00
    Flixie00 Posts: 1,195 Member
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    I suspect that this guy would be a kn*bhead whatever he were to eat.

    I would wind him up by loudly eating cheese every time you share a car, and maybe follow it up with a side of jelly beans (be sure to offer him some).

    I am another pescetarian who enjoys a bit of cheese :happy:
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
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    I'd def keep eating cheese around him. Let loose a cheese fart in the car.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    I would tell him to suck it. :flowerforyou:
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
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    Disclaimer - virtually all the vegetarians I know are incredible people who I respect because they joyfully offer support, recipes, and advice for my weight loss journey and are generally really pleasant to be around. Except this one guy.

    He is a coworker and unfortunately in my carpool. He and his wife are actually pescetarians (will eat fish). His wife is working on losing about 30 pounds - she has taken up running and I think she is doing awesome. He complains to me that she will eat jelly beans and justify eating something if she has gone for a long run. I told him that he really needs to let go of the jelly bean thing which happened almost a year ago. Her eating cheese seems to upset him greatly.

    I was in a staff meeting with him about 6 months ago and I started munching on the cheese that was left over from the lunch platter. I said "oh this is good protein". He scolded me in the car on the way home that calories are calories and it doesn't matter if it's a protein or carb. He then told me the "calories in - calories out" is the only way, I have to walk, I should play more soccer with my kid and I should try vegetarianism. Yesterday - he brought up the cheese thing again - holy crap - I ate that cheese 6 months ago. When I told him why he would bring this up - he ignored my comment. I responded that some overweight people struggle with their weight despite eating normal diets and sometimes it could be a thyroid or metabolic syndrome. I told him that losing weight is a lot tougher than maintaining weight. Then he proceeded to say - "well, none of the people in Auschwitz were overweight."

    Question - how do I respond to this moron? I unfortunately work with him and I pride myself in that I strive get along with everyone at work. He is smug - thinks he is better than everyone else at work. He openly defies the work that I do (safety) - he thinks the new safety rules the company is abiding by are stupid and mocks my job. I mentioned that I am looking for another job and he is upset because I would leave the carpool (what does he expect - it's an hour commute to work one way - I'm looking to work closer to home). I've been working on re-instating the random drug tests because he bragged to me that he smokes the devil's lettuce almost every weekend. I never bring up the fact that I believe he drinks too much - a six pack of IPA every night!?!?!? I did once and he skewered me because I smoke (side note: I signed up for the hospital's smoking cessation program which starts in April) and brought up the cheese thing again. But then he calls me a good person and a good friend.... weird. The guy admits he likes playing devil's advocate but this is getting ridiculous.

    Your thoughts? What's the obsession with cheese?

    It was very therapeutic to vent. Thanks. It would be great to go back to pleasantries while carpooling instead of being lectured on my failures as a human being.

    mumbling.... "calories in - calories out" - what crap........ going to the fridge and getting a slice of colby-jack

    Do you have to respond at all? I mean it's so easy to walk away from this.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,020 Member
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    Ask him to find a vegetarian carpool. It's not the vegetarianism, it's that he's a difficult person and you've let him get to you. This probably pleases him to no end.

    Never let them see you sweat.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,141 Member
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    My thoughts? It's just another person at work, one that you happen to dislike and he seems to like you.

    Did I read right in that you want to introduce drugs testing because he smokes weed? Why would you want to do that? Sounds far worse than him talking about cheese.
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
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    I love cheese.
  • HannahsBestLife
    HannahsBestLife Posts: 209 Member
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    Maybe try a big cheesy Steak Sandwich, With jelly beans for desert, Make sure you mention how good the dead animal tastes :)
  • jiggy_gibby
    jiggy_gibby Posts: 197
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    Sounds like his cheesestick is too SMALL... and his ego/need to obsess about what women in his life are eating is too LARGE.

    Ignore him as much as you can and NEVER share any personal info about your future job change plans.

    Listen to ipod/language program/books on tape when it is not your turn to drive the carpool.
  • Dulcemami4ever
    Dulcemami4ever Posts: 344 Member
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    What you do is bring a sammy that has meat AND cheese in the carpool and smack your lips while eating it. Watch him hyperventilate.
  • iggyboo93
    iggyboo93 Posts: 524 Member
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    I let things go with him. I generally do ignore his comments and chalk it up to him being a jerk. For some odd reason, this cheese comment grated on me (no pun intended). I've let go of the other numerous cheese comments in the past but he cannot himself let go.

    Yes - agreed. I'm just not going to participate in anymore conversations - he obviously needs to be somebody significant or something.
  • Mrs_Bones
    Mrs_Bones Posts: 195 Member
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    I would just tell him that it's a good thing he isn't responsible for anyone but himself and that he's entitled to eat however he feels fit but you are responsible for yourself and answering to yourself about your eating habits is plenty without a nag on your back. I'm pretty blunt though.
  • ChelleBalady
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    I would buy a huge block of cheese and eat it in the car with him. And eat it. If he said anything about cheese, I'd agree enthusiastically.

    "You're so right. Cheese is a killer." Then take another huge bite.

    Haha love it! :laugh:
  • DesignGrrl
    DesignGrrl Posts: 147 Member
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    I would buy a huge block of cheese and eat it in the car with him. And eat it. If he said anything about cheese, I'd agree enthusiastically.

    "You're so right. Cheese is a killer." Then take another huge bite.

    This!

    Or... "Every time someone eats a piece of cheese, a smug vegetarian somewhere dies!"