When you're expected to eat... page 2

[lssanjose]

The guys here at work used to give me crap, but now they just know I eat weird and have given up trying to convince me to eat their junk. I still get playful ribbing though.

I remember one conversation>

Supervisor: There are doughnuts out front.
Me: Ok, thanks. (I didn't go get one.)

An hour later...
Supervisor: There are doughnuts out front you know.
Me: Yeah, I know. I don't want one.
Supervisor: Oh go get one.
Me: I don't want one.
Supervisor: Go get one!
Me: I don't WANT one. I don't eat wheat.
Supervisor: GO GET A DOUGHNUT!
Me: NO!

The end.

Nice. I had something similar to this, with respect to pot pie. I've been able to tell, through enough exposure, the difference between a real egg crust, and a wheat-induced one. I luckily handed off the extra pot pie to a fellow eater, at this dinner function I participated in. I just responded, I didn't have any. Surprisingly, I didn't get any questions as to why.

[SixteenDollars]

I'm just really blunt about it with my co-workers. They constantly have donuts and are ordering pizza. When they ask me if I want any or why I'm not eating, I just tell them the truth "I don't eat that crap." Kind of makes me feel good to be brutally honest. Plus I really don't care what my coworkers think about my diet. Most of them are overweight and unhealthy.

[Nady]

For me, certain foods just *don't like me* and I never eat them in public~ or the company I'm with won't like me either! And grains give me eczema. I'm not willing to suffer a breakout just to 'fit in'.

Saying I have intolerances to certain foods is the basic, unarguable truth. My health is more important than someone's feelings.

[bchanel]

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I wish I understood more...I mean, I don't care what my coworkers eat! If they want to eat fast food everyday for lunch, that's their business.

[KatieCHI]

I work at a newspaper too -- being a reporter is tough, sources always want you to have whatever they're having. I rely on the gluten excuse a lot too and, after a while, most people will just stop commenting or it'll backfire and they'll start to joke about how they haven't had enough gluten today... or that their breakfast was 100% gluten... I hope my coworkers grow tired of this soon.

[bchanel]

I work at a newspaper too -- being a reporter is tough, sources always want you to have whatever they're having. I rely on the gluten excuse a lot too and, after a while, most people will just stop commenting or it'll backfire and they'll start to joke about how they haven't had enough gluten today... or that their breakfast was 100% gluten... I hope my coworkers grow tired of this soon.

Thanks! I'm probably going to have to start doing that. I think people get a little jealous maybe of how you look compared to them. It's seemed to get worse now that I've begun to lose weight! I don't know, maybe my imagination, but we all know how bitchy women are.

[Bananabonobo]

sometimes i play the joke-hippie card, like make fun of myself a little and be like, oh i live in a religious compound where we don't eat that stuff, hahahaha isn't that hilarious now change the subject.

[ss14]

Take the food to go, then do what you want with it. My parents were both journalists, that's what they did. They brought a lot of it home to me and my brothers.

As for co-workers trying to shove stuff down your throat, that's a personality pathology on their part. Don't think for one second that they're the normal ones, and there's something wrong with you, because it's the other way around. But it does help to have something to say to these people -- it can be complete bullshit, but it shouldn't be mean, unless you've already carefully cultivated a devil-may-care asshole reputation around the office.

[statikcat]

I was thinking of making a thread on this topic! I work in a public health company and yet often they order pizza, cookies, etc and put them out for the office. It is kind of funny in a sad way. It is typical for offices to order this kind of food as healthy catering is hard to find, expensive, or too difficult. Sometimes we get sandwiches that are not too bad though. I just ignore most company events because I don't want to be the guy not eating the pizza and even though you try otherwise.. you sound like a jerk when you say "I don't eat pizza" right in front of a crowd that is all eating it! If I am in a smaller meeting with my boss and his boss.. well then I suck it up and eat whatever they give me lol.

[Sassy]

I think people get a little jealous maybe of how you look compared to them. It's seemed to get worse now that I've begun to lose weight!

This probably has a lot to do with why give you such a hard time. Every time you make a healthy choice and turn that stuff down, it just shines a light on their bad choices, and they don't like being confronted with them.