Workplace Rant

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Sitting at work wanting to bang my head on my desk until i can no longer hear. My work has a Be Well program and has recently started a program to give out free fitbits as long as you track your exercise online. So it seems that everyone in the building is now joining our on site gym and trying to get those free fitbits. Hey that's awesome that people wanna get healthy or maybe start to use the resources here more but now i have this co-worker non stop talking about her 15 days water only fast, her 12 week plan to get a "warrior's body", and bouncing up and down on the yoga ball at her desk. So i've been attempting to ignore it all week but then today she starts telling everyone the should be eating according to their blood types and eating no meats, and how ACV is the key to all. All the while i'm sitting here at my computer logging all my weighed food for the day and thinking why in the world do people get sucked into all these weight loss myths.....turning up the volume on my earphones now and resisting the urge to kick the yoga ball out from under her. Just kidding. Maybe. Rant over.
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Replies

  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Ouch.

    Yeah, that would be annoying. Yeah, you will do better than her in the long run, but the urge to tell her to *puppy* off would be pretty substantial.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    I would not do well with this. I would probably tell her to mind her own business.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
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    turning up the volume on my earphones now and resisting the urge to kick the yoga ball out from under her

    And that's exactly what you should do! I know it's easier said than done, but just try to ignore it. Let her have her bad advice. Maybe she'll come to you for your advice when she sees your great progress.

    There have been a few times in my office that I've heard eye-roll worthy diet advice in the breakroom and I just have to nod and leave.
  • Fitnessgirl0913
    Fitnessgirl0913 Posts: 481 Member
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    Ugh I hear you. I had a coworker a couple years ago that was obese (I was too at the time) and would talk all day long about every new "fad diet" she was trying and how she is going to have the prefect body because of XYZ. 1.5 years later I was down 80 pounds and she had gained 50. Just crank that music and know you are doing things right! and as someone else said she will probably be coming to you for advice someday :)
  • granite_peapod
    granite_peapod Posts: 9 Member
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    I feel you! Yesterday someone at my work complimented me in my weight loss, asked me how I did it, agreed enthusiastically with CICO and said it was the best way to do it, then told me they had gained 2stone because they ate too many Strawberries over the summer cos they are full of sugar and sugar makes you fat. I suspect its the two burgers, sausages, and two deserts she ate last night at the office BBQ that's making her fat! *eyeroll*
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    If she were talking to me, I'd be that person that shoots down everything she says. If not, I'd be that person that shakes their head and goes on with my own work.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
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    If she were talking to me, I'd be that person that shoots down everything she says. If not, I'd be that person that shakes their head and goes on with my own work.

    yeah. I keep to myself in work situations but if she came to me id pretty much tear everything she said apart and leave her dumbfounded and feeling stupid (in the nicest way possible since we have to work together). Im not a mean person, But i do tend to believe people are beter off with the blunt facts lol. Saves everyone some time and pointless effort. Wouldnt care if she wasted her own time, It would annoy me that shes likely to waste other peoples time who try to follow her.
  • KeithWhiteJr
    KeithWhiteJr Posts: 233 Member
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    I wish my work would give out free fitbits! We have the opposite around here. They buy pizza or sub platters or fried chicken at least once a week, and then I am forced to stand around while everyone eats it in front of me and listen to a meeting about whatever it is they are talking about.

    I am also allergic to wheat, so I couldn't even have any if I wanted to!! It's awful!
  • jackslovely
    jackslovely Posts: 45 Member
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    I wish my work would give out free fitbits! We have the opposite around here. They buy pizza or sub platters or fried chicken at least once a week, and then I am forced to stand around while everyone eats it in front of me and listen to a meeting about whatever it is they are talking about.

    I am also allergic to wheat, so I couldn't even have any if I wanted to!! It's awful!

    Oh we definetly have that hear too! Someone brought in bagels for breakfast and I'm sure Jimmy, Johns, Panera, Pizza Hut, Chinese take outs, and any other delivery places are constantly coming in and out of our building.
    We are just very fortunate that the corporate offices really promote being healthy and give incentives for better eating (cheaper food in the cafe) and working out.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    edited August 2017
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    It would annoy the life out of me. I put up with similar.

    I have 10 staff. 8 of whom are over weight or obese. They regularly go on diets and tell myself and the other 2 staff what we should and should not be eating.
    We shouldn't eat pastry, shouldn't eat jelly beans and shouldn't eat southern fried chicken. I've heard those in the last week alone.

    Then if we say it fits our calorie goals they say we just have fast metabolisms. B)

  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
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    Grrr. That's horrible. My work, on the other hand always has free food laying around. Donuts, cookies, left overs from bring in lunch meetings. The other day a group had a "taco day" fundraiser to benefit a coworker with cancer and I walked in, gave them $5 and walked back out. The smells were amazing, but I fought it and ate what I brought, already weighed and logged. We have someone buy a cake every month for birthdays. I don't eat it (not a big sweets person) but I always get these looks like "Kristen's too good for our cake, she's always so good about what she eats". No. I just don't want cake.

    I've heard a few odd conversations about losing weight around here - and most of it's all talk. What people hear and believe. I do find it funny that, me of normal weight trying to get leaner, doesn't even own a fit bit, but then I see someone who's had one for years but seems to actually be getting bigger.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
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    My internal mantra in such instances is "every fool is entitled to her own opinion."
  • Wiggymommy
    Wiggymommy Posts: 106 Member
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    Things work differently for different people. If she likes her fads and that keeps her focused on something I wouldn't have an issue with it. I also am not the type of person to be bothered by other people's choices or lifestyles. Especially how they choose to go about weight loss. But that's just me I guess.
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
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    At a job I was at a few years ago, during a 6 month period I lost 11 lbs (which I maintained for years, till I had my third kid, and did eventually go back to that weight.) Meanwhile, I had two coworkers lose and then regain 40 lbs. in that exact same 6 month time period. Quick Weight Loss Centers.
  • Penthesilea514
    Penthesilea514 Posts: 1,189 Member
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    toxikon wrote: »
    turning up the volume on my earphones now and resisting the urge to kick the yoga ball out from under her

    And that's exactly what you should do! I know it's easier said than done, but just try to ignore it. Let her have her bad advice. Maybe she'll come to you for your advice when she sees your great progress.

    There have been a few times in my office that I've heard eye-roll worthy diet advice in the breakroom and I just have to nod and leave.

    Yeah, I agree :)
  • canarysal
    canarysal Posts: 118 Member
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    I ignore others diet talk. My obese colleague is losing nothing on her SW diet, grazes all day on fruit and spends the rest of the time syn valuing things she then couldn't possibly eat. Has no willpower or real motivation though has many health issues. She's very good at advising others ..! I tell people how I've lost my weight only if asked. Another colleague changes diets every 2 weeks. Switch off, smile and carry on .....
  • BonnieDundee78
    BonnieDundee78 Posts: 158 Member
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    I'd only intervene if she was recommending something truly harmful to a particularly gullible or vulnerable person. Otherwise, it's a "shake it off" situation.
  • JetJaguar
    JetJaguar Posts: 801 Member
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    I have a coworker who is overweight, possibly obese, and quick to spout the latest woo. A couple of weeks ago she was telling everyone they have to watch "What the Health" and going on about how awesome it is, for example. She occasionally complains that she eats healthy but can't lose weight because she has a "naturally slow metabolism". I just tune her out.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,984 Member
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    It just illustrates how desperate people are for a quick fix. They don't want to hear about CICO because it's more work than just telling yourself "Eat only this...never eat that..." etc. Anytime anyone has asked how I lost weight, they really don't like the answer, because it's "math", and takes time to weigh and log food. They want simple rules to follow instead. I much prefer the "rule" of eating what I like within a set amount of calories.