What do you say to "food pushers" at work?

pico6222
pico6222 Posts: 14 Member
in Motivation and Support
There are lots of people who aggressively push food at me at work. Even if I say "no, thank you" or provide a half-truth excuse (I can't eat sugar early in the day because I'll crash later), they continue to push! I've had everything from someone literally shoving cake in my face saying "You HAVE to eat it, I MADE it!" to a coworker saying "Stop being so healthy!".

I don't want to share my personal business with everyone, and I don't want to be rude to a coworker. However, it makes me incredibly uncomfortable to be publicly put on the spot for not eating their food, especially in meetings when lots of people are watching.

I know these people do not have malicious intentions, and that often they push food because of their own insecurities. What can I say that is not rude when consistently saying "no, thank you" or giving excuses is not enough?
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Replies

  • Shortgirlrunning
    Shortgirlrunning Posts: 1,020 Member
    For the worst of them, I take it, walk back to my desk, and throw it in the trash. In a meeting I’d probably take it and let it sit in front of me (maybe poke at it a bit) through the meeting and then take it back to my desk and throw it in the trash.
  • pico6222
    pico6222 Posts: 14 Member
    edited November 2019
    Good suggestions. It makes me kinda sad that faking it is what works :(
    I guess I could take it home to my partner.
  • tirowow12385
    tirowow12385 Posts: 698 Member
    Youre over thinking it. Just say no thank you with a smile as much as you can. This response is appropriate regardless of gender' religion or age gap.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    Say “no, thank you” and be done with it. If they keep at it, that’s on them, not you.

    Don’t ever feel that you need to explain yourself. That’s crazy!
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    pico6222 wrote: »
    Good suggestions. It makes me kinda sad that faking it is what works :(
    I guess I could take it home to my partner.

    Taking it home is still faking it.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
    Yell: "No! Get that crappy junk food out of my face, are you trying to kill me?"

    (It helps if you spread the rumor that you are pre-diabetic.)

    I guarantee that, after a few times, people will stop offering sweets to you. But, as a consequence, if people observe you eating sweets, they may speak condescendingly to you about it.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    I hate this kind of junk.

    I don't have any of those on my current team, but I have some of them in my family and it's so absurd.

    With family, I can ate least push back and fight and it's worth the effort, or just get enough to have a taste and then I can render an opinion if it's good or terrible or whatever. At work, it's just not worth it because none of these people matter to me and particularly in the middle of a meeting it's just a distraction and a drain on productivity.

    I say I'm not hungry when it's offered (I'm not, I planned my meals/snacks, I'm good). If they keep pushing and want to give me a piece to eat later, then I'll take it and leave the meeting room with it and throw it away at my desk. Usually I'll have a bite just so I will know if it was good and the person should get a compliment on their baking, because really, that's what people who bake want, they want feedback. They want to know if whatever new thing they have created is really good, or if it's just an experiment that fell flat. A bite to offer feedback isn't going to derail me, but I won't eat the whole thing, and I don't want it causing issues at meetings either.
  • Pamela_Sue
    Pamela_Sue Posts: 563 Member
    edited November 2019
    My preferences are:
    1. No thanks (short and simple)
    2. No thanks, I'm not hungry
    3. I'll take a piece for later (only if I want it - then eat at desk later or take it home)
    I've learned it is best not to mention diet, because then the pressure just piles on, as if others can't wait to crush your self-control.
  • neugebauer52
    neugebauer52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    edited November 2019
    "You don't want to see me when I am on a sugar high! I always get critically dangerous to people around me!" (or insert anything else you don't want to eat from someone else's dirty plastic container...) Or:
    Put an empty glass jar on your desk with a label: "Financial contributions for my next doctor / hospital visit requested after eating all your junk food". That might do the trick.
  • aries68mc
    aries68mc Posts: 173 Member
    I'm in the "No, thank you" camp, but my co-workers would never try to push anything.
  • threewins
    threewins Posts: 1,455 Member
    Take it, say you'll have it for dinner at home, then throw it away later on.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
    edited November 2019
    I agree with bits and pieces of all the other responses, but I feel like my course of action varies with the specific person and whatever they're "pushing". Some people I wouldn't want to hurt their feelings. Some I wouldn't mind a bit. It varies. I would never eat something I truly didn't want but I might take 1 bite or accept a cupcake and just taste the frosting later on...stuff like that.

    I feel lucky that my current workplace doesn't have any offenders in this area. No one eats in the office regularly and we never do potluck or anything like birthday celebrations. We do have sales reps who bring in donuts or pizza but no one monitors intake. Occasionally I'll have one of those, but many times I don't. Staff meals are catered and infrequent, maybe 3 per year. As silly as it may sound, I feel like this is one of the hidden perks in my company (only half-kidding)!
  • tauntonmom
    tauntonmom Posts: 139 Member
    pico6222 wrote: »
    There are lots of people who aggressively push food at me at work. Even if I say "no, thank you" or provide a half-truth excuse (I can't eat sugar early in the day because I'll crash later), they continue to push! I've had everything from someone literally shoving cake in my face saying "You HAVE to eat it, I MADE it!" to a coworker saying "Stop being so healthy!".

    I don't want to share my personal business with everyone, and I don't want to be rude to a coworker. However, it makes me incredibly uncomfortable to be publicly put on the spot for not eating their food, especially in meetings when lots of people are watching.

    I know these people do not have malicious intentions, and that often they push food because of their own insecurities. What can I say that is not rude when consistently saying "no, thank you" or giving excuses is not enough?

    I think you said it very well: if you replied with the bolded, what could they say? If they continue to insist, maybe add: "please don't make me go to Human Resources."

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