Co-worker doubting my methods.

This morning my co-worker attempted to debate with me about weight loss. The conversation went as such:

She was drinking a veggie drink, totally green and I said what are you drinking? She responded "vegetables". I nodded in approval and said "I know the feeling, I'm too trying to incorporate more vegetables into my diet."

She responded "What are you eating anyways?" with kind of an attitude. (It's just the type of person she is). I then said "Well, for starters I had honey bunches of oats energy mix with almond milk for breakfast"

She responded in turn "See, theres your issue, thats processed, you can't lose weight that way." I said "Well, I'm eating at a calorie deficit." She said "No, that's not true, you can't lose weight by reducing calories, only by eating clean because processed foods DIRECTLY put on fat, my dad just lectured me about this."

I didn't even respond. Just silence and moved onto another subject.

It frustrates me that she's attempting to tell me that my weight loss method is wrong and not working. When, well, I've lost weight so far.

I feel like it's kind of a negative thing for her to do, and mind you she isn't very fit herself. I don't want it to bother me but... it kind of is.
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Replies

  • MaggieLoo79
    MaggieLoo79 Posts: 288 Member
    People like that are so frustrating!!!! GRR!!! Keep doing what you are doing and your success will be the best "revenge." :flowerforyou:
  • Hobb3s
    Hobb3s Posts: 119 Member
    Next time ask what her Dad does for a living.

    Just let it roll off your back, you're making progress that's what counts.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    She can eat clean all day long....but if shes not at a deficit, she wont lose weight. Healthy food choices are great,but eat too much of those healthy things and...
    Sound like you have a handle on things. Keep on your path, I bet she will be asking for your advice soon.
  • Crateria_
    Crateria_ Posts: 253 Member
    Thanks guys :)

    It makes me just wanna shake her! lol
  • GothyFaery
    GothyFaery Posts: 762 Member
    Just ignore her. Sounds like she is trying to lose weight too. Give it some time and if and if she hasn't made progress, kindly suggest she try something different because it's working so well for you.
  • jillianbeeee
    jillianbeeee Posts: 345 Member
    lol. Tell her that you will continue this conversation in 3 months and see whose theory works better :)
  • Crateria_
    Crateria_ Posts: 253 Member
    lol. Tell her that you will continue this conversation in 3 months and see whose theory works better :)
    I like that idea, hahaha :)
  • lamps1303
    lamps1303 Posts: 432 Member
    If you're losing weight that is concrete evidence that it's working for you.

    One thing I will say is to bear in mind the amount of refined sugar in your meals. As a rule of thumb I generally avoid anything where added sugar is an ingredient, or if I can't avoid added sugar, I ensure it isn't one of the first three ingredients. That obviously excludes 'good' sugars like honey and agarve. I mean in things like cereals and other packaged foods. Another thing to consider is how good the calories are that you're eating. I read somewhere on another forum that just because you have 200kcals left for the day, doesn't mean you should head straight for a 200kcal chocolate bar. 200kcal of fruit/veg/100% peanut butter is much better than 200kcal of chocolate/sweets.

    Ignore what people say to you - as I said before, if it's working for you that's all that matters. GOOD LUCK!
  • WheezyFbb
    WheezyFbb Posts: 41 Member
    I love the "gotta eat clean to lose weight" crowd. You're lucky you didn't get the lecture on why organic products are better.
  • Crateria_
    Crateria_ Posts: 253 Member
    If you're losing weight that is concrete evidence that it's working for you.

    One thing I will say is to bear in mind the amount of refined sugar in your meals. As a rule of thumb I generally avoid anything where added sugar is an ingredient, or if I can't avoid added sugar, I ensure it isn't one of the first three ingredients. That obviously excludes 'good' sugars like honey and agarve. I mean in things like cereals and other packaged foods. Another thing to consider is how good the calories are that you're eating. I read somewhere on another forum that just because you have 200kcals left for the day, doesn't mean you should head straight for a 200kcal chocolate bar. 200kcal of fruit/veg/100% peanut butter is much better than 200kcal of chocolate/sweets.

    Ignore what people say to you - as I said before, if it's working for you that's all that matters. GOOD LUCK!
    Haha oh yeah, definitely. I'd feel really bad about myself if I was like OH SWEET 300 CALORIES LEFT and spent it on a donut. (Even though trust me.. the thought has crossed my mind :P)

    Thanks! :)
  • TriShamelessly
    TriShamelessly Posts: 905 Member
    Happens all the time. My suggestion - smile, say thank you for your opinion and recommend that she do a little research on her own (I know, unthinkable in today's 10-second info bite world) and even (aghast) join MFP with you. If she balks, drop it. You can lead a horse to water....
  • lamps1303
    lamps1303 Posts: 432 Member
    If you're losing weight that is concrete evidence that it's working for you.

    One thing I will say is to bear in mind the amount of refined sugar in your meals. As a rule of thumb I generally avoid anything where added sugar is an ingredient, or if I can't avoid added sugar, I ensure it isn't one of the first three ingredients. That obviously excludes 'good' sugars like honey and agarve. I mean in things like cereals and other packaged foods. Another thing to consider is how good the calories are that you're eating. I read somewhere on another forum that just because you have 200kcals left for the day, doesn't mean you should head straight for a 200kcal chocolate bar. 200kcal of fruit/veg/100% peanut butter is much better than 200kcal of chocolate/sweets.

    Ignore what people say to you - as I said before, if it's working for you that's all that matters. GOOD LUCK!
    Haha oh yeah, definitely. I'd feel really bad about myself if I was like OH SWEET 300 CALORIES LEFT and spent it on a donut. (Even though trust me.. the thought has crossed my mind :P)

    Thanks! :)

    Hey don't worry - I'm not saying I haven't done this! Just not everyday when I have calories left (I save it for my treat meals) - we can't be saints all the time; we are human after all!
  • What you don't realize is her father is the smartest person she know:therefore, anything you say will pale in comparison to her daddy.
  • If you're losing weight that is concrete evidence that it's working for you.

    One thing I will say is to bear in mind the amount of refined sugar in your meals. As a rule of thumb I generally avoid anything where added sugar is an ingredient, or if I can't avoid added sugar, I ensure it isn't one of the first three ingredients. That obviously excludes 'good' sugars like honey and agarve. I mean in things like cereals and other packaged foods. Another thing to consider is how good the calories are that you're eating. I read somewhere on another forum that just because you have 200kcals left for the day, doesn't mean you should head straight for a 200kcal chocolate bar. 200kcal of fruit/veg/100% peanut butter is much better than 200kcal of chocolate/sweets.

    Ignore what people say to you - as I said before, if it's working for you that's all that matters. GOOD LUCK!
    Haha oh yeah, definitely. I'd feel really bad about myself if I was like OH SWEET 300 CALORIES LEFT and spent it on a donut. (Even though trust me.. the thought has crossed my mind :P)

    Thanks! :)
    Clearly the correct choice is a brownie!
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    I TOTALLY understand the frustration. I have no idea when it became okay to judge someone's meal choice. My former boss was very obese and was always trying these radical new diet plans to try to lose weight. I thought it was awesome that he was trying to become healthier but I never commented on anything he was eating. One day he came over to my desk and I was eating my usual morning snack of a Luna Protein bar. He looked at me in disgust and says "ugh! Those have SO much sugar in them! Good luck trying to lose weight eating that!" At that time I was in maintenance so it was double-insulting. People are ridiculous sometimes. Just gotta vent here, brush it off and go on with your bad self. :)
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    Don't let people like that get to you. Most people take weightloss personally because so many people are dealing with the struggle. So everyone thinks their way is the right way. What everyone needs to realize is there are many methods that work for people. It's about doing what's right for you! Keep your head high. :flowerforyou:
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
    she sounds like a brat
  • jlshea
    jlshea Posts: 494 Member
    haters gonna hate
  • Losing_Sarah
    Losing_Sarah Posts: 279 Member
    Just continue doing what you're doing. I get that it's hard to ignore people who think they know it all, but not letting it get to you is the best thing for you. :)

    Great job on your loss, so far. Keep up the good work!
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,904 Member
    If she's drinking her veggies, they obviously went through some kind of process. "Processed food" is just code for "I don't really know what process I'm talking about but I'm going to white knuckle through this by holding onto a philosophy I can't explain in specific terms."
  • Crateria_
    Crateria_ Posts: 253 Member
    If you're losing weight that is concrete evidence that it's working for you.

    One thing I will say is to bear in mind the amount of refined sugar in your meals. As a rule of thumb I generally avoid anything where added sugar is an ingredient, or if I can't avoid added sugar, I ensure it isn't one of the first three ingredients. That obviously excludes 'good' sugars like honey and agarve. I mean in things like cereals and other packaged foods. Another thing to consider is how good the calories are that you're eating. I read somewhere on another forum that just because you have 200kcals left for the day, doesn't mean you should head straight for a 200kcal chocolate bar. 200kcal of fruit/veg/100% peanut butter is much better than 200kcal of chocolate/sweets.

    Ignore what people say to you - as I said before, if it's working for you that's all that matters. GOOD LUCK!
    Haha oh yeah, definitely. I'd feel really bad about myself if I was like OH SWEET 300 CALORIES LEFT and spent it on a donut. (Even though trust me.. the thought has crossed my mind :P)

    Thanks! :)
    Clearly the correct choice is a brownie!
    Now you're speaking my language!
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    This morning my co-worker attempted to debate with me about weight loss. The conversation went as such:

    She was drinking a veggie drink, totally green and I said what are you drinking? She responded "vegetables". I nodded in approval and said "I know the feeling, I'm too trying to incorporate more vegetables into my diet."

    She responded "What are you eating anyways?" with kind of an attitude. (It's just the type of person she is). I then said "Well, for starters I had honey bunches of oats energy mix with almond milk for breakfast"

    She responded in turn "See, theres your issue, thats processed, you can't lose weight that way." I said "Well, I'm eating at a calorie deficit." She said "No, that's not true, you can't lose weight by reducing calories, only by eating clean because processed foods DIRECTLY put on fat, my dad just lectured me about this."

    I didn't even respond. Just silence and moved onto another subject.

    It frustrates me that she's attempting to tell me that my weight loss method is wrong and not working. When, well, I've lost weight so far.

    I feel like it's kind of a negative thing for her to do, and mind you she isn't very fit herself. I don't want it to bother me but... it kind of is.

    She is talking b0110cks. Tell her I said so.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Just grin and walk away from people like that.

    In a couple of months she'll see the positive changes you have made by way of weight loss or looking better or whatever else...and you will feel great.

    Last spring I worked at a law firm with all of these women who were doing a drastic fad diet. They had been on and off of this fad diet for months and each had lost quite a bit but they were focused on losing tons at once...like 7-10 lb in 1 week and then nothing for awhile. Long story short, they were obese women whose weight had come down maybe 20 lb over a year. But super proud because it happened like 7 lb in a week. I told them I was doing MFP and they lectured me on how it didn't work. At that point I'd lost 20 lb over 3 months. I've now lost almost 40 more pounds with MFP. I don't see some of them at all since I have a new job, but I saw one of them at Target and she just stared. She was no smaller and I'm a lot thinner than I was.

    LOL
  • lavaughan69
    lavaughan69 Posts: 459 Member
    Every one has an opinion on the best way to lose weight. A few months back I went for a pedicure and the lady noticed I had lost weight (40lbs!) and she asked what I was doing. I responded, eating less and moving more. She asked for a typical day so I told her I generally don't eat breakfast, I'm a coffee drinker until noon and then my day starts. Well you can imagine the lecture on how important breakfast is and that I'll never keep the weight off if I don't incorporate a morning meal....I'm ruining my metabolism...etc etc. And because she lost weight eating breakfast that's the way everyone should lose weight.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I have a rule - I do not discuss dieting with most people in real life. I avoid bringing it up like the plague. If someone asks me a question, I answer vaguely and move on. My "diet" (as in what I eat) is not open for debate. The odd time if someone really wants to ask and isn't just looking for a debate, I may talk. I don't debate methods.
    The moment you start talking about it, you open the door for people to comment - and people will comment.
  • Ledgehanger
    Ledgehanger Posts: 125 Member
    lol. Tell her that you will continue this conversation in 3 months and see whose theory works better :)
    I like that idea, hahaha :)
    Why not have some fun with it - and motivate both of you in the process?

    Suggest a three month contest, where both of you follow your respective plans, and then some simple reward at the end for the "winner." (It could be something simple like a healthy lunch that the winner chooses and the loser buys.)

    The most likely outcome then becomes that both of you are motivated to be "right," you both reach your goals faster than you would have otherwise, and she realizes that there isn't a one-size-fits-all plan that is perfect for everybody. That's a win-win! (And maybe a free lunch... :laugh: )
  • Crateria_
    Crateria_ Posts: 253 Member
    Just grin and walk away from people like that.

    In a couple of months she'll see the positive changes you have made by way of weight loss or looking better or whatever else...and you will feel great.

    Last spring I worked at a law firm with all of these women who were doing a drastic fad diet. They had been on and off of this fad diet for months and each had lost quite a bit but they were focused on losing tons at once...like 7-10 lb in 1 week and then nothing for awhile. Long story short, they were obese women whose weight had come down maybe 20 lb over a year. But super proud because it happened like 7 lb in a week. I told them I was doing MFP and they lectured me on how it didn't work. At that point I'd lost 20 lb over 3 months. I've now lost almost 40 more pounds with MFP. I don't see some of them at all since I have a new job, but I saw one of them at Target and she just stared. She was no smaller and I'm a lot thinner than I was.

    LOL
    hahaha, PERFECT!

    That's so great :)))
  • Ledgehanger
    Ledgehanger Posts: 125 Member
    I have a rule - I do not discuss dieting with most people in real life. I avoid bringing it up like the plague.

    Why would you bring it up like the plague? How often do you bring up the plague, anyway? :laugh: :wink: :bigsmile:
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I have a rule - I do not discuss dieting with most people in real life. I avoid bringing it up like the plague.

    Why would you bring it up like the plague? How often do you bring up the plague, anyway? :laugh: :wink: :bigsmile:

    :laugh:

    I guess that figure of speech doesn't work well here.
  • Lunira
    Lunira Posts: 33
    Should have responded, "I have fourteen lost pounds that disagree with you." and just gone on with your day.

    Just keep doing what works for you. Eventually, most of the tools will realize that you're just not listening, and will take their toxicity and ignorance elsewhere.