Constant Question About Why You Do Not Eat Everything Offered

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toddsherise
toddsherise Posts: 1 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hi, I'm Sherise and new to the myfitnesspal and wanted to discuss an issue.

So one thing I wanted to discuss is how you go to some places or you can be on jobs in which they serve food to the employees which is great. So sometimes I will have some but often I will not. Anyway I have no problem with often resisting the food but I do get constant questioning. We live in an age in which the obesity rate is quite high and many people are expecting anyone who does not have a huge body to constantly eat everything offered to them. Now I have a small bone frame but by the way, if you look at a weight chart it does not just go by height it also goes by frame size. A tiny boned person like me is overweight at a lower weight than a large boned person. I would still be overweight even if I was larger boned but just not as much. However, because my body size is not as big as a lot of other people because of my small bone frame (although I am quite overweight), many people are expecting anyone who is not huge to eat every donut offered. So when I have been on let's say jobs in the past and they are having all this food for the employees and often I would pass it up. I will get these confused looks like why are you not eating this like we all want to constantly eat donuts and cookies all the time. Do not get me wrong, I will eat this stuff sometimes but most of the times I pass up what they are having. So how do some of you handle the question of why you are not having something. Some foods do agree with my stomach better than others and that is usually the reason I give. What reasons do some of you give?

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  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
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    @toddsherise welcome to MFP forums. I find most just move on if I try to answer them even in a positive way. What is strange since I have been off most sugars and all forms of all grains for three years now several others in my circle have really cut back on carbs in general leading to their own weight loss. I have maintained a 50 pound weight loss for 2.5 years (a first ever for me now at age 66).

    I try to be informative to those who seem to be sincere. Some that are trying to be Butts I may say I am trying to prevent a premature death from cancer, heart attack, diabetes, stroke and the like. A statement like this is of little value to the trouble maker but it does sometimes gets the bystanders asking questions.

    The mind blowing comments like it does not matter what one eats because you going to die regardlessly when you time is up. This moves their responsibility over to God or some other force setting the death date of all humans I guess.

    Keep up the good success. This is what brings serious questions from people want to improve their health I find. Actually three years ago I was sinking fast and my ONLY goal was to reverse my health before I became home bound. I lost weight but not by going hungry like over the prior 40 years and it is still off stuffing my face with the food that only improves my health and lab results.
  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
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    Because I don't want it. Generally works. "Because I'm not hungry also works"
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    'No thanks'....
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    You don't owe anyone an explanation.

    "I'm not hungry" is perfectly fine as a polite answer.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    I have a small cooler full of food with me pretty much everyday..."no thanks, I brought my own" usually works fine.

    That said, nobody ever really asks anymore...
  • Alassonde
    Alassonde Posts: 228 Member
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    I'll just tell them I don't want any or I don't like that particular thing. It is funny how some co-workers will push to try to get me to eat things. I had one co worker who actually said "I feel like spritzing you with a spray bottle when you say you don't like something!" My other co-workers and I just kind of went "what??" mentally and ignored it. She also once told me it is actually rude to not eat something someone brings in. I told her it's only rude if you asked them to bring it and then don't eat it. Very strange how determined some people can be to get you to eat that stuff.
  • ISweat4This
    ISweat4This Posts: 653 Member
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    Just say no thanks. Don't eat to please other people.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    ISweat4This wrote: »
    Just say no thanks. Don't eat to please other people.

    I like the simplicity of this. It's a great place to start at least. The problem is that it's not enough for some people. They follow up with "Why not?" or "Come on, they're yummy" etc.

    My worry with "I'm not hungry" is that you may end up getting caught in a falsehood. I'm a little hungry a lot when I'm dieting, but I try to keep my consumption of donuts to a minimum. Specifically when I really really want one, not because someone else really really wants one and will feel less guilty if they can get me to eat one too.

    If "No thanks" on its own doesn't do the trick, I might go with "I'd really rather not" or "I'm not in the mood for donuts right now". I try to avoid anything that might sound judgey.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,060 Member
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    That's why just, "No thanks," is the best answer.

    If they say, "Why," just repeat, "Really, thanks but no." That second time - look them right in the eye and speak slowly. If they are rude enough to not take no for an answer, just keep saying it in as many tone-inflections as you can come up with. It's their problem not yours if they don't accept your perfectly reasonable answer the first time. Don't try to read peoples' minds, just stick to your plan.
  • annaskiski
    annaskiski Posts: 1,212 Member
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    I tell them I'm allergic.
    This worked for several years for the guy who was constantly bringing in chocolate brownies.
    Then he caught me sneaking chocolate out of someone's candy bowl. (A 40 cal piece of chocolate!, vs the 500 cal brownie creations he always pushed)
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,064 Member
    edited August 2017
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    Where I work, people just aren't that pushy when it comes to food.

    Occasionally someone will come around with something small ... sometimes I take it, sometimes I say, "No thank you".


    Maybe it helps I work in health, and we're all well aware of things like 'being healthy' and 'allergies'.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    I usually just say no thank you.

    At work events, I think a lot of people are puzzled by me because I say no thank you to chips & salsa, cheese platter, glazed donuts, cake, free sub sandwiches, etc...but then if there are cookies or pie I am ALL IN and going on about how delicious they are.

    This probably sounds dumb and goes against my general belief (like others have stated here) that it is no one's business what I do or do not eat...but I feel like showing enthusiasm for SOME kind of junk food puts people at ease, like you're not judging them when they eat "junk" and other free stuff. So I'm that woman who is crazy for cookies but doesn't care about chips. Hope that makes sense.

    You mentioned a lot in your post, OP, about how people expect you to take things UNLESS you have a huge body. As an average sized woman who was morbidly obese in the past, I find the opposite to be true. When I was so much larger, people would act a LOT more taken aback and shocked when I turned down anything food wise. Now they often say "ah, yeah, you eat healthy" or "of course she doesn't want it" and kind of make fun of me since they NOW see me as the stereotypical forever-dieting woman (which I'm not, I don't talk about that stuff at work).

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