Having food forced on you?

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Alexandra289
Alexandra289 Posts: 330 Member
in Food and Nutrition
How do you deal with those situations where someone tries to make you eat or drink too much? I know there are some situations where it's just easy to say no thanks but I hate the situations where saying no would offend someone.

For example, my housemate and I are watching something tonight and she told me that to mark the occasion she's bought us a huge bag of pick and mix. Not annoyed with her because a few months ago I would have loved that. Although she does know that I'm eating really healthily now. It's just now I feel like I'm being pushed into eating something because I'll offend her if I don't. Oh well, not much I can do. I'll just try and eat a few and no more - but easier said than done!

I find I'm in this situation a lot because my friends all eat a lot of junk and it's difficult to avoid in social situations. Often friends will come round to the house with big bags of crisps or cookies and I feel rude turning it down. Also, as soon as I go home for the weekend my mum stocks the house with my favourite foods. Not only do I not want to offend her, but if it's there, I'll eat it - but never would if I did't buy it!

Anyone else have these situations where junk becomes very hard to avoid?

Replies

  • sixfeettall
    sixfeettall Posts: 34 Member
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    Bit like with me and my family! Not because they're doing on purpose, it's just because usually I would have loved the huge cheesecake, bag of sweets etc.
    6 weeks on they've got used to the fact that what I want to eat is changing. Also, there is a bit of general weight loss in my family at the moment, although I'm the one making any progress! Give it time and your housemate will get accustomed to you're new eating habits. For now, just eat less than you normally would, it won't hurt you and then next time, eat even less until you're not having any at all. Your housemate won't even notice it'll be that gradual!
  • Koholint
    Koholint Posts: 104 Member
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    If you think it might offend someone, you could have a small portion but then eat fewer calories for the rest of the day. Or you could have the small portion and exercise more.

    Or if it's your housemate bringing the food or someone visiting your house, when they pull out the "not healthy food" then YOU can pull out healthy snacks of your own! If she doesn't eat them, her... not loss, your... not gain?

    If you know in advance, like at the beginning of the day, you could enter the calories into MFP and plan the rest of your day around it.
  • harpere87
    harpere87 Posts: 142 Member
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    Bring your own snacks. If you offer to make something slowly your friends will enjoy the healthy snacks. or suggest something like chips and salsa or ranch dip and carrots. So that way its "junk food" but not as bad as say, cheesy puffs. =)
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
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    To mark WHAT occasion ???? watching a TV show ????

    Look, it's simple ...... if you want to lose weight, don't eat something JUST because it's offered ........ because there's ALWAYS gonna be something ..... a birthday, a holiday, an anniversary, or another TV show ......

    Best of luck to you :drinker:
  • pumpkinspice84
    pumpkinspice84 Posts: 160 Member
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    I just tell them I am watching what I eat now, but thanks for offering. If I am going to a birthday party or anything like that I plan for it. I have no problem turning down food politely. My health isn't worth eating junk all the time just because someone keeps bringing it to me and I don't want to hurt their feelings.
  • RandomMiranda
    RandomMiranda Posts: 298
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    If you're with a group of people they may not even notice that you don't take any. When I had housemates they all knew when I was trying to eat healthy (and for the most part they were too). Since you live with this person, it might be worth making it more clear to them what you food boundaries are. So when the bag of mix is there, you could scoop some out in a bowl and tell your housemate that you love the stuff, but you are only going to eat 1 serving now that you are trying to get healthier. I understand if you don't want to tell all your friends not to bring junk food around, but if the friends you are around a lot know you don't want to eat that stuff then they can be sensitive to that. They may even want to join you.
  • Alexandra289
    Alexandra289 Posts: 330 Member
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    It's always more awkward when people have specifically bought YOU something, rather than just a general group thing.

    Also, I swear some of my friends don't like seeing me lose weight and want to stop it. I could understand more if I banged on and on about it all the time but I only mention exercising sometimes rather than food and keep my weight to myself.

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