Things you shouldn't say to someone "on a diet?"

Everyone around me knows I've been eating healthy, losing weight, and exercising like a crazy person. So of course most people are super supportive. But have you ever noticed that if someone knows you are "on a diet," then what you are eating, how you are eating, or what you're doing to lose weight is suddenly everybody's business? Is there something in particular that people say that really irks you?

Here's mine...people judging you for what you're eating when they have NO IDEA how many calories you have left, or if you've run 10 miles that day...they have no idea if you've been saving up calories ALL DAY to allow yourself a cookie, but still people feel like they are the diet police!

For example...Two weeks ago I was at a wedding (I'm a wedding planner) and had eaten close to NOTHING that day, aside from a piece of salmon at dinner and green beans. I walk about 12 miles on a wedding day while being on my feet for 18 hours, carrying stuff back and forth, setting up, and just being busy in general and I have a light breakfast and never get around to lunch. So later in the evening when I was starving, I grabbed 2 mini burgers they were serving as a late night snack....of course, being that my calorie count was at MAYBE 600 at this point, with 1000's of calories worth of activity under my belt, I wasn't too concerned. A coworker, however had the nerve to say, "I THOUGHT YOU WERE ON A DIET?" Seriously?!? The guy next to me (also eating healthy, and also eating a burger at this point) thought he was going to have to restrain me.

What are some things that people have said to you while on a diet/eating healthy that really push your buttons? I want to know---it can't just be me that this happens to, lol! **end of rant** :-)
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Replies

  • Lady_Bane
    Lady_Bane Posts: 720 Member
    "why are you on a diet, you are so skinny, just enjoy yourself" (when i order healthy food on a menu like a salad or grilled chicken)

    UM, I WORKED HARD TO GET HERE, IM NOT GOING TO FALL BACK INTO MY OLD WAYS BC YOU CANT HAVE SOME SELF RESTRAINT TO DO WHAT I DID!

    Lol..these are the same people who text me: "whine, im so fat, i wanna get in shape..." oi
  • kfitzpa
    kfitzpa Posts: 326
    "why are you on a diet, you are so skinny, just enjoy yourself" (when i order healthy food on a menu like a salad or grilled chicken)

    UM, I WORKED HARD TO GET HERE, IM NOT GOING TO FALL BACK INTO MY OLD WAYS BC YOU CANT HAVE SOME SELF RESTRAINT TO DO WHAT I DID!

    Lol..these are the same people who text me: "whine, im so fat, i wanna get in shape..." oi

    Agreed. I get this ALL the time and I hate it.
  • splashangel
    splashangel Posts: 494 Member
    When I was losing weight it was that so many people, smokers, tokers, obese , drinkers etc felt the need to tell me that Coke with splenda was bad for me. I don't think one full on healthy person ever said a word to me. I no longer drink them and very rarely drink soda of any type. But they helped me in those early days. I remember telling one skinny fat chick that I used to use drugs and was clean from that so I felt fairly certain I could kick my new Coke habit.
  • msgunder
    msgunder Posts: 65 Member
    After being on a diet for only 2 weeks my co worker says "so is it working?" and then looked me up and down. Really?
  • jessig715
    jessig715 Posts: 25 Member
    After being on a diet for only 2 weeks my co worker says "so is it working?" and then looked me up and down. Really?

    That's the worst! Give a little credit where credit is due! Congrats on your 7 lbs lost!!!
  • Kincar
    Kincar Posts: 601 Member
    I hate the "So are you still on your diet?" I get from one co-worker in particular. I have explained to her I'm not on a diet, I am eating more healthfully.

    I hate, hate, HATE "I thought you are on a diet?" or "You shouldn't be eating that - you're on a diet." when I eat something that's a treat. It's no one else's business what I eat.

    Why do people feel it's ok to comment on what "dieters" eat when they don't say anything to anyone else?!
  • cbevan1229
    cbevan1229 Posts: 326 Member
    "Do you want a bite of this?" - My generous but frustrating husband. (Also the only person who knows I'm working on losing weight.)
  • Nailrep
    Nailrep Posts: 966 Member
    My peeve is the general "advice" that some people want to offer me...

    For example, I had one woman tell me that if I don't cut carbs, I will gain everything back after I lose it.

    I had one guy tell me that exercise only will get my weight off.

    And I HATE it when people tell me I will gain weight if I eat after 6 pm.

    Believe what you want to believe, and do what works for you. But if I want advice, I will ask for it!!
  • jessig715
    jessig715 Posts: 25 Member
    My peeve is the general "advice" that some people want to offer me...

    For example, I had one woman tell me that if I don't cut carbs, I will gain everything back after I lose it.

    I had one guy tell me that exercise only will get my weight off.

    And I HATE it when people tell me I will gain weight if I eat after 6 pm.

    Believe what you want to believe, and do what works for you. But if I want advice, I will ask for it!!

    I agree...someone can be totally overweight or completely out of shape, and if they know you're on a diet, they're automatically going to find something wrong about how you're eating or how you're exercising! Everyone is an expert! Keep up your great work:-)
  • Nailrep
    Nailrep Posts: 966 Member
    My peeve is the general "advice" that some people want to offer me...

    For example, I had one woman tell me that if I don't cut carbs, I will gain everything back after I lose it.

    I had one guy tell me that exercise only will get my weight off.

    And I HATE it when people tell me I will gain weight if I eat after 6 pm.

    Believe what you want to believe, and do what works for you. But if I want advice, I will ask for it!!

    I agree...someone can be totally overweight or completely out of shape, and if they know you're on a diet, they're automatically going to find something wrong about how you're eating or how you're exercising! Everyone is an expert! Keep up your great work:-)

    Thanks so much!! You too!!
  • This is why I don't tell anyone I'm on a diet. I don't talk about it to either my friends or my family. I think the more you talk about being on a diet, the more it invites people to say things in return and "hold you accountable."
  • tlc12078
    tlc12078 Posts: 334 Member
    Funny you mention this, my bfs mother tries to tell me what I can and cannot eat. If I have a little snack cus I know I earned it, shes like Tera you know its bad for you? Really? Who does she think she is? Really she drinks pop all day and just because I am losing weight I dont need a babysitter or a pain in the *ss telling me what I am doing wrong when what I am doing IS WORKING! I want to slap her so bad. I cut back on the bad things yes, but I do eat them, but in moderation, I dont eat heaping loads of crap anymore. Plus I exercise to earn my food.
  • tlc12078
    tlc12078 Posts: 334 Member
    "why are you on a diet, you are so skinny, just enjoy yourself" (when i order healthy food on a menu like a salad or grilled chicken)

    UM, I WORKED HARD TO GET HERE, IM NOT GOING TO FALL BACK INTO MY OLD WAYS BC YOU CANT HAVE SOME SELF RESTRAINT TO DO WHAT I DID!

    Lol..these are the same people who text me: "whine, im so fat, i wanna get in shape..." oi


    I so agree with you on this.
  • IAMDDAY
    IAMDDAY Posts: 771
    My peeve is the general "advice" that some people want to offer me...

    For example, I had one woman tell me that if I don't cut carbs, I will gain everything back after I lose it.

    I had one guy tell me that exercise only will get my weight off.

    And I HATE it when people tell me I will gain weight if I eat after 6 pm.

    Believe what you want to believe, and do what works for you. But if I want advice, I will ask for it!!

    I agree...someone can be totally overweight or completely out of shape, and if they know you're on a diet, they're automatically going to find something wrong about how you're eating or how you're exercising! Everyone is an expert! Keep up your great work:-)

    Thanks so much!! You too!!

    Oh yes suddenly everyone knows more.. I don't care if you do or not i am doing it my way so SHHHHHHHHHH
  • tlc12078
    tlc12078 Posts: 334 Member
    "Do you want a bite of this?" - My generous but frustrating husband. (Also the only person who knows I'm working on losing weight.)


    my bf does this to me "pizza sounds yummy, I could go for a taco pizza, you know what else I am craving? I could go for a sub from subway." Thats his way of trying to sabotage me.
  • cml411
    cml411 Posts: 7
    " Don't you ever want to pig out at a buffet and just blow your diet up?"...Duh! I could just kill at that point! Pizza is my Kryptonite
  • tugers2
    tugers2 Posts: 139
    "are you doing it the right way" as if everyone that looses weight has an eating disorder... i haven't seen you in 8 months and im 40lbs lighter someone should get me help (ugh)
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    If I hear "I thought you were dieting" one more time my head will explode.
  • 4gr8kids
    4gr8kids Posts: 20
    "That isn't a healthy way to eat; you can't continue eating that way."
    Especially made by people who have not done any research into healthy eating.
  • Last week was my 21st birthday and I was celebrating it with my fiance and his family. His mother is the nicest person I know and she knows I've been eating less and been on a "diet", so she asked me what kinda of cake i wanted for my birthday. I told her a mini one lol. So she did! It was only 6 inches in diameter and it was a pretty healthy cake, as far at they could go. There wasn't any frosting, just some light whipped cream and fresh cut up strawberries. I planned on sharing it at my birthday part with my fiance, who would eat half of it anyway. After I got my cake though my future sister-in-law said "Wow, a whole cake to yourself!?" Then make some pig noises afterward. That made me feel pretty bad after so I had a very small piece, maybe a slice that was 12% of the cake, if that. My fiance still had half of it.

    Needless to say, if it's someone's birthday or special occasion and they seem like they deserve a treat, don't make fun of them even if you're joking.It can really hurt someones feelings.
  • Romans624
    Romans624 Posts: 822
    This is such a HUGE pet peeve of mine. I was really healthy in my early teens, but I allowed that to get sabotaged by comments from my family about "getting too skinny", etc. Then I went on to put on 120 lbs.

    I don't know why people think they need to comment on everything. I hate being told what I should or should not eat ***in a particular way***. There is a way to do it, and a time to do it. Some people do it all the darn time!

    The other thing, like the OP said, is most people have NO idea what activity or food I have or have not been eating/doing. They may not know that I am being *extra* good to save for another 400 cals later in the week. They may not know that I had cake yesterday (I didn't, just an example). The point is, people talk when they just plain don't know what's going on.


    Usually fit and healthy people are the LAST people to be obsessively nosy or pushy (you don't need to eat low fat! all the time my mom says, and I'll honestly do either). Of course anyone can be a jerk or accidentaly say something mean sometimes... but this truly gets my goat! lol...grrrrrr!!!
  • Romans624
    Romans624 Posts: 822
    "One cupcake is not going to hurt you."

    I hear that and I think. NO. I don't WANT the darn cupcake! I'm trying to be good! lol.

    *empathizes with you*
  • My hubby and I had chinese food for dinner one night. I posted the fact that I had such yumminess (and not a lot at that) someone I thought was a good friend said to me:

    Her: I thought you were on a diet?
    Me: I am, but I'm getting back at it tomorrow!
    Her: Well, you should go for a long walk tonight or you'll hate yourself!

    Really? REALLY??!!

    Yeah, not impressed at all.
  • Nataliaho
    Nataliaho Posts: 878 Member
    One of mine is more about exercise than diet, but I hate it when people say "why do you go to the gym, why don't you just go for a run"... I generally say, "going for a run won't make me a better weight-lifter, will it?"...
  • cbevan1229
    cbevan1229 Posts: 326 Member
    That made me feel pretty bad after so I had a very small piece, maybe a slice that was 12% of the cake, if that. My fiance still had half of it.

    I'm sad that you didn't get to enjoy your cake. :(
  • justrun52
    justrun52 Posts: 74 Member
    It bothers me that I feel like I can never talk about wanting to lose weight or anything diet-related around family and friends because I am already skinny, and they think that if I talk about diet/weight loss, I am only fishing for compliments. This makes me feel isolated sometimes because I feel like I'm not "allowed" to want to lose weight because I'm at a healthy weight. Yet I'll get lots of comments about the the parts of my eating habits (I'm not perfect) that are unhealthy and need to be changed. It bums me out.
  • Romans624
    Romans624 Posts: 822
    That made me feel pretty bad after so I had a very small piece, maybe a slice that was 12% of the cake, if that. My fiance still had half of it.

    I'm sad that you didn't get to enjoy your cake. :(

    I have to second this. It's your freakin birthday! Glad you have a nice future mom in law but sounds like the sister in law might have a few rough edges. That would hurt my feelings for sure if I heard that.

    Maybe you should go out and treat yourself to one slice of some really good cake, and enjoy it. You turned 21! Happy belated bday :)
  • cmeade20
    cmeade20 Posts: 1,238 Member
    "Are you eating enough? You've already lost so much." Yes Im thin. I still have belly fat. And I dont see how 1600-1800 cals per day isnt enough

    "Can you have that!?!?!" Yes. I can have one slice of pizza every six months. Or a few oreos here and there jeez

    "Do you still workout?" I dont think this needs explaining....
  • cmeade20
    cmeade20 Posts: 1,238 Member
    Last week was my 21st birthday and I was celebrating it with my fiance and his family. His mother is the nicest person I know and she knows I've been eating less and been on a "diet", so she asked me what kinda of cake i wanted for my birthday. I told her a mini one lol. So she did! It was only 6 inches in diameter and it was a pretty healthy cake, as far at they could go. There wasn't any frosting, just some light whipped cream and fresh cut up strawberries. I planned on sharing it at my birthday part with my fiance, who would eat half of it anyway. After I got my cake though my future sister-in-law said "Wow, a whole cake to yourself!?" Then make some pig noises afterward. That made me feel pretty bad after so I had a very small piece, maybe a slice that was 12% of the cake, if that. My fiance still had half of it.

    Needless to say, if it's someone's birthday or special occasion and they seem like they deserve a treat, don't make fun of them even if you're joking.It can really hurt someones feelings.


    WHOA! Dude on my last birthday I had eggs benedict and homefries for breakfast, olive garden for supper and a very large slice of ice cream cake.

    If anyone said boo to me you can bet they're face would have had a pretty solid introduction to the back of my hand.
  • That made me feel pretty bad after so I had a very small piece, maybe a slice that was 12% of the cake, if that. My fiance still had half of it.

    I'm sad that you didn't get to enjoy your cake. :(

    I have to second this. It's your freakin birthday! Glad you have a nice future mom in law but sounds like the sister in law might have a few rough edges. That would hurt my feelings for sure if I heard that.

    Maybe you should go out and treat yourself to one slice of some really good cake, and enjoy it. You turned 21! Happy belated bday :)


    Thank you very much, the both of you. It made me feel a lot better. Yes...my future sister-in-law is definitely not my favorite person (and my fiance agrees lol) but I don't have to see her much.She eats a lot more than I do and does nothing to keep it off, so she has some extra weight here and there so that makes me feel a tiny bit better lol even though it probably shouldn't .

    Anyway, thank you both again :) Sadly I accidentally dropped the rest of my cake on the way home so I didn't get to have another bite of it. My fiance treated me to dinner though so I was still happy :D