Health Snobs
It seems there is an abundance these days of know-it-all "health snobs", and it's exhausting trying to have a conversation around them.
Just the other day I was having breakfast with a group of folks and was telling a couple of ladies about MyFitnessPal. I said that one of my favorite breakfasts now is steel cut oats.
Another woman butted in to the conversation to tell us all she knows about steel cut oats, their fiber content and their health benefits. Our eyes glazed over a bit, but when she said that one of the drawbacks is that it takes so long to cook them, I said that I used the ones that only take 5 minutes.
Well, that gave this health snob another avenue to go into how the ones that take longer to cook are more healthy and the ones I use are less healthy and contain "something else" so they are not pure.
Wow. It was just so annoying. We let her finish her tirade then I changed the subject so we wouldn't have to deal with that again.
Not long ago I went hiking with a group of ladies. Well, actually I ended up by myself - they took off up the mountain to show how healthy they were and left me behind. One stopped, turned around, and begrudgingly said "do you want me to come back there?" I, of course, said "No". I figured if she really wanted to, she would have come back and walked slower with me so I wouldn't have to worry about snakes, mountain lions and bears in the Phoenix mountains picking off a lone person on the trail. I just waved my arms as I walked to ward off wild animals (hey, I figured it was a good work out for my arms, too).
Anyway, at one point I thought this group of health snob hikers was going to literally nail me to a cross and hang me when I mentioned in the car on the way back home that I liked boiled carrots. Needless to say, I don't go hiking with this group anymore. In fact, I don't do anything with them because they are such exhausting know-it-all health snobs.
When did it become "cool" to insert yourself into other conversations at will in order to show everyone how all-knowing you are, or to berate someone about their food or exercise choices?
Just the other day I was having breakfast with a group of folks and was telling a couple of ladies about MyFitnessPal. I said that one of my favorite breakfasts now is steel cut oats.
Another woman butted in to the conversation to tell us all she knows about steel cut oats, their fiber content and their health benefits. Our eyes glazed over a bit, but when she said that one of the drawbacks is that it takes so long to cook them, I said that I used the ones that only take 5 minutes.
Well, that gave this health snob another avenue to go into how the ones that take longer to cook are more healthy and the ones I use are less healthy and contain "something else" so they are not pure.
Wow. It was just so annoying. We let her finish her tirade then I changed the subject so we wouldn't have to deal with that again.
Not long ago I went hiking with a group of ladies. Well, actually I ended up by myself - they took off up the mountain to show how healthy they were and left me behind. One stopped, turned around, and begrudgingly said "do you want me to come back there?" I, of course, said "No". I figured if she really wanted to, she would have come back and walked slower with me so I wouldn't have to worry about snakes, mountain lions and bears in the Phoenix mountains picking off a lone person on the trail. I just waved my arms as I walked to ward off wild animals (hey, I figured it was a good work out for my arms, too).
Anyway, at one point I thought this group of health snob hikers was going to literally nail me to a cross and hang me when I mentioned in the car on the way back home that I liked boiled carrots. Needless to say, I don't go hiking with this group anymore. In fact, I don't do anything with them because they are such exhausting know-it-all health snobs.
When did it become "cool" to insert yourself into other conversations at will in order to show everyone how all-knowing you are, or to berate someone about their food or exercise choices?
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yeah, this has irritated me before as well. i can see them being helpful to someone who eats food that isn't healthy at ALL, but frankly if someone is already making an effort to eat a more healthy diet then you should just let them be instead of nit picking.
the health and fitness instructor at my high school would stalk people on their facebook and berate them for what they ate/drank. she'd also skulk around at lunch and tell people off for eating perfectly normal food.0 -
It seems there is an abundance these days of know-it-all "health snobs", and it's exhausting trying to have a conversation around them.
Just the other day I was having breakfast with a group of folks and was telling a couple of ladies about MyFitnessPal. I said that one of my favorite breakfasts now is steel cut oats.
Another woman butted in to the conversation to tell us all she knows about steel cut oats, their fiber content and their health benefits. Our eyes glazed over a bit, but when she said that one of the drawbacks is that it takes so long to cook them, I said that I used the ones that only take 5 minutes.
Well, that gave this health snob another avenue to go into how the ones that take longer to cook are more healthy and the ones I use are less healthy and contain "something else" so they are not pure.
Wow. It was just so annoying. We let her finish her tirade then I changed the subject so we wouldn't have to deal with that again.
Not long ago I went hiking with a group of ladies. Well, actually I ended up by myself - they took off up the mountain to show how healthy they were and left me behind. One stopped, turned around, and begrudgingly said "do you want me to come back there?" I, of course, said "No". I figured if she really wanted to, she would have come back and walked slower with me so I wouldn't have to worry about snakes, mountain lions and bears in the Phoenix mountains picking off a lone person on the trail. I just waved my arms as I walked to ward off wild animals (hey, I figured it was a good work out for my arms, too).
Anyway, at one point I thought this group of health snob hikers was going to literally nail me to a cross and hang me when I mentioned in the car on the way back home that I liked boiled carrots. Needless to say, I don't go hiking with this group anymore. In fact, I don't do anything with them because they are such exhausting know-it-all health snobs.
When did it become "cool" to insert yourself into other conversations at will in order to show everyone how all-knowing you are, or to berate someone about their food or exercise choices?
I've dealt with this type before. Not fun! One thing to give advice when asked for but another thing to try and make someone feel inferior for not living the same standard you put yourself at or for making different choices.0 -
THESE kind of people, you do not need in your life!!!!
Everyone on the healthy path is in a different place..............one must be tolerant and kind to those who aren't THERE yet. Personally, I hope I never AM there.............I don't want to be a health snob, nor do I want to rub my accomplishments in other people's faces.
Stick with those who love you and admire what you're doing - and leave the rest in the dust. Inspiration and motivation is one thing - bullying and snarkiness is quite another.
Much success to you!0 -
yeah, this has irritated me before as well. i can see them being helpful to someone who eats food that isn't healthy at ALL, but frankly if someone is already making an effort to eat a more healthy diet then you should just let them be instead of nit picking.
the health and fitness instructor at my high school would stalk people on their facebook and berate them for what they ate/drank. she'd also skulk around at lunch and tell people off for eating perfectly normal food.
Bizarre health instructor! Yikes.
I don't think these people are helpful to someone who eats food that isn't healthy either. I think they should mind their own business unless they are asked. Otherwise, it's just really bad manners.0 -
The thing that I notice about those people is that most of the time, they're not in a position to be telling other people what to do. For example, my mom is in incredible shape, and not just for a 51 year old woman; she can outrun and outlift men in their 20s and 30s (and has on a number of occasions). Several of her coworkers are substantially overweight. She never offers advice unless asked, never criticizes, but they have the strangest reactions. Either they're somehow offended by her just existing when they're in full binge mode, or they get all high and mighty as soon as they go on a diet and try telling her she's doing everything wrong!
The funniest incident I witnessed was when I went to meet her for lunch one day. She was sitting at her desk and grabbed a few M&Ms from a small bag. As soon as her coworker, who had just gone on a new health kick, saw this, she started going on and on about how bad it was to eat sugar and it was going to make my mom fat and give her diabetes and so on. My mom just kept looking her in the eye, didn't say a word, and ate another M&M.0 -
yeah, this has irritated me before as well. i can see them being helpful to someone who eats food that isn't healthy at ALL, but frankly if someone is already making an effort to eat a more healthy diet then you should just let them be instead of nit picking.
the health and fitness instructor at my high school would stalk people on their facebook and berate them for what they ate/drank. she'd also skulk around at lunch and tell people off for eating perfectly normal food.
I love the colour of your hair! :happy:0 -
As soon as her coworker, who had just gone on a new health kick, saw this, she started going on and on about how bad it was to eat sugar and it was going to make my mom fat and give her diabetes and so on. My mom just kept looking her in the eye, didn't say a word, and ate another M&M.
LOL!0 -
The thing that I notice about those people is that most of the time, they're not in a position to be telling other people what to do. For example, my mom is in incredible shape, and not just for a 51 year old woman; she can outrun and outlift men in their 20s and 30s (and has on a number of occasions). Several of her coworkers are substantially overweight. She never offers advice unless asked, never criticizes, but they have the strangest reactions. Either they're somehow offended by her just existing when they're in full binge mode, or they get all high and mighty as soon as they go on a diet and try telling her she's doing everything wrong!
The funniest incident I witnessed was when I went to meet her for lunch one day. She was sitting at her desk and grabbed a few M&Ms from a small bag. As soon as her coworker, who had just gone on a new health kick, saw this, she started going on and on about how bad it was to eat sugar and it was going to make my mom fat and give her diabetes and so on. My mom just kept looking her in the eye, didn't say a word, and ate another M&M.
I used to have several overweight coworkers tell me how I should be working out (though they weren't working out) and how I should be eating. They don't do that anymore. They are still overweight and I no longer am. I feel for them because I was where they were and thought I knew a lot about eating healthfully, and I did, I was just eating entirely too much. I didn't know all that much about working out, but I am learning every day.0 -
This thread is hilarious! I get told not to get too skinny! Especially by the people who have always felt that I am the big one of the happy group! But at the other end of the scale, I have some great friends who get the need to eat healthy and do some exercise! So much so that they join me and we talk about it all and help each other rather than criticize! They are the ones to be listening to.
Keep up the great work everyone! however you are doing it.:laugh:0 -
Great blog....It seems that every thin or trying to be thin person thinks they know what is best for you and your life...You are doing great...Keep it up !
))....And as for hiking in the mountains by myself...forget it..I am such a chicken. 0 -
But at the other end of the scale, I have some great friends who get the need to eat healthy and do some exercise! So much so that they join me and we talk about it all and help each other rather than criticize!
Awesome! I recently moved so I'm making a new set of friends. I'll look for this kind of friend! :happy:0 -
Funny, I feel in conversation, I am the opposite - I feel like I know everything I need to know for me, but people have to dig to get responses from me to the "how are you doing it"?
I know everyone is different and everyone will approach weight loss different. My response is usually a simple, "watch what I eat, count calories using MFP, and exercise... the old fashioned way." To which I get the imaginable variety of responses from the "yeah right", to the "it can't be that simple". (It's not... but they think this response makes it sound that simple) You have to put your heart and mind into it (and I admit, mine has wondered too much lately!).0 -
Leaving anyone alone on the trails of AZ qualifies them as complete jerks! You are waayyy better off without these kinds of hiking buddies, for all the above discussed reasons.
You are doing marvelous! And you just find some new activity partners to hang with, lady :glasses:0 -
Whenever I am talking and someone says, "Well, actually..." I assume they are going to be boring, and then I start daydreaming about what I would do if I had a pet giraffe, named Henry, that could talk. Feel free to use this in your world the next time a doo-doo butt wants you bring you down when you are being healthy.0
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They found something to criticize about BOILED CARROTS?!
Best way to deal with someone like that would have to be sarcasm.0 -
Whenever I am talking and someone says, "Well, actually..." I assume they are going to be boring, and then I start daydreaming about what I would do if I had a pet giraffe, named Henry, that could talk. Feel free to use this in your world the next time a doo-doo butt wants you bring you down when you are being healthy.
Haha - I loved this. "Well actually...."
Also, what's wrong with boiled carrots? Are you only allowed to eat freshly picked organic ones that are raw?0 -
Some of these were hilarious, lol. Especially the one about M&Ms!
Sometimes I actually feel like I AM coming off as the snob, but I do try so hard not to. (Don't hurt me, I mean no harm guys!)
I would absolutely never skulk around a cafeteria and tell someone off for eating unhealthy foods (especially not something like an apple! oh no, the sugar!) but I have interjected my knowledge/opinion in some conversations with people.
It's just difficult to hold my tongue when somebody has fallen into a misconception or a myth (like peanut butter being healthy for you when it's the processed, junk filled kind. Don't get me wrong, I eat peanut butter EVERY SINGLE DAY! I just make sure it's the kind with one, single ingredient instead of 19 that I can't pronounce or wouldn't keep in my cabinets.) and proceeds to tell me that I'm wrong, or the ingredients don't matter. You can see how that could be a hard thing to resist :mad:
But, like I said, if someone isn't talking about health and is just a random person I encounter or my friend eating their food, I would NEVER comment on it unless they began talking about it with me first. I also have friends that actually make me eat unhealthy food (not exaggerating here, or trying to avoid responsibility! I'm talking pushing it in my mouth.. haha :laugh: ) So it's hard not to fully explain to them why I don't want something like that shoved into my mouth without coming off as snobbish :P
PS: I don't ban myself from enjoying "bad" or "unhealthy" foods! I understand that this is a forever thing, not dieting. I'm not committing to never EVER going out to a restaurant again, that's silly. When I go out, I enjoy myself! When there's cake, I usually have a (very small) slice! I do enjoy healthy/clean eating 90% of the time, but I'm able to let loose once in a while 0 -
I wouldn't dream of butting into a stranger's conversation to give them my views on nutrition, wtf? These are socially inept weirdos, and you should deal with them accordingly. Treat them like you would a bratty child who is butting into an adult conversation, and see them off.
The ladies who left you on the trail are a bunch of freaks, too. They sound competitive and weird. Don't waste your time with people like that. Hike with pleasant, cool people. It's supposed to be fun and relaxing, not a freaking race up a mountain.0 -
I enjoyed this thread so much, loved the M&Ms story but now I also want a giraffe called Fred, I can so see me doing that in the future.
I have had the food pusher, the 'go on it won't hurt' 'you are doing so well you should have a reward' 'well I can't have one if you aren't'.0 -
Well, working in the food industry in a health store environment I'm used to that jargon. Apparently, steel cut is a minimal style cut that leaves the oat as whole as possible to leave its nutritional value in place. I've had ladies tell me to never buy milled flaxseed and I should blend it myself etc. I'm sure my instant coffee isn't going to have the same nutritional profile as a fresh picked bean eaten raw, but that's not really why I bought the instant coffee to begin with.
I mean... something quick is better than nothing
but if you have the time... right?
I've also gotten the reverse side of this... "Does that pork contain meat?" "Do you sell organic water?"0 -
For people like that I often enjoy pointing out the obvious flaws in their "knowledge". Like with the oats, I'd point out that with many non processed foods, the longer you cook them the less healthy as it reduces the nutritional value.
At other times I just dismiss them completely, just by saying well if thats what you want to believe fine, I'll just stick to what I've researched.0 -
Boiled Carrots! how could you! :laugh:
I hear all kinds of things, most of which just makes me laugh. I've never offered my opinion unless directly asked, but people usually just switch off when I say "eat sensibly & exercise". They don't want to do the work needed just take a magic pill / green gloop shake or similar.
I would never eat boiled carrots though! (only because I don't like them lol).0 -
I try not to become a health snob by keeping my opinions to myself.
When a guy at work stopped smoking he became impossible to talk to. All day long he kept bashing people that still smoked.
Any smoker knows that it's bad and disgusting and doesn't need a constant reminder in order to quit.
The same thing happens with some people who lose weight, become vegetarian, start training... they just start preeching all day long until you just want to punch them in the face.0 -
I try not to become a health snob by keeping my opinions to myself.
When a guy at work stopped smoking he became impossible to talk to. All day long he kept bashing people that still smoked.
Any smoker knows that it's bad and disgusting and doesn't need a constant reminder in order to quit.
The same thing happens with some people who lose weight, become vegetarian, start training... they just start preeching all day long until you just want to punch them in the face.
Did we work at the same place?!?! Cos one of my former colleagues was exactly the same.
I keep my lifestyle change etc. to myself unless anyone asks about it. My view is that like my previous unhealthy ways it was my choice and noone else needs to be told about it unless they want to be.0 -
People who are very insecure usually engage in games that exclude others.
You can't really nurture health and wellbeing with an unbalanced mind.0 -
PS: I forgot to mention those people who left you alone on your hike enraged me beyond belief. Has happened to me in the past, and it's never fun.0
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I'm a bit of a geek, and since I'm new to this weight loss scene, I'm actually interested to hear new things. I wouldn't be offended if somebody butts in with fresh knowledge the first time around.0
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I'm a bit of a geek, and since I'm new to this weight loss scene, I'm actually interested to hear new things. I wouldn't be offended if somebody butts in with fresh knowledge the first time around.
Yeah, but offering helpful advice and snidely criticising are quite different. I am always open to credible advice given in a helpful way.0 -
I was in a wedding party a few years back. I'd never met one of the other bridesmaids until we had to start doing bridesmaidy type events and outings. She was very obnoxious in a variety of ways, but she definitely had a health snobbery streak. In an effort to not cause any trouble, as much as she annoyed me, I tried to keep my mouth shut.
Finally on one particularly long and unpleasant outing with the bridesmaids, we stopped for lunch. I got sweet tea with my meal. She went on a tirade about how terrible caffeine is for you and how she hasn't had caffeine in ten years. She went on and on, mentioning that instead of coffee she drinks decaf. When she pointedly said she'd never be caught dead drinking sweet tea because of the caffeine, I snapped. I told her that if she really knew her facts, decaf coffee still has caffeine in it, just not as much as full fledged coffee. In fact it is about the same amount as a glass of tea.
The look on her face and stopping her tirade dead in its tracks was totally worth it!0
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