does anyone else get made fun of for eating healthy?

ughhhhhhhhhh this makes me so angry i just need to vent a little. haha. so last week i went out to lunch with my cousin and gma, and we went to a chinese restuarant and i got steamed veggies and brown rice and my cousin goes "you always get vegetables when we go out to eat." and my gma says "yeah shes a healthy eater" and my gma always makes comments about me not liking cake and stuff, when i usually do actually eat it at people's bdays just some of the time i dont b/c i dont feel like it or had a bad eating week so i know i need to watch a bit. anyway, ive also had friends make comments about me "being healthy' and its how they say it like "oh shes healthy" like its a bad thing! this gets on my nerves so much!!!!!! or i get made fun of for going to the gym and running. like seirously SHUT IT. does anyone else have this issue? driving me nuts. to the point that just to prove them wrong i got ice cream when we went to bruster's after even though i didnt really want it. ugh. ok thats all for now haha. id like to hear other people's stories!

My friends don't like going or inviting me to go grocery shopping anymore because I know what's healthy and what probably isn't healthy and that drives them insane when I tell them "do you know how many calories are in that?" They'll tell me that they don't care so that I'll shut up. But thing is, a few of my friends need to watch what they eat and work out. At first, they all thought that I was crazy and it was probably because they didn't believe in me that I'd lose weight. When I did lose weight,they were amazed. So they don't really make fun of me much anymore. If they do, I don't really let it bother me.

It kinda bothers me when my friends and family are eating whatever they want to eat. They make their comments that oh she doesn't eat this and blah blah, but some of them know that they should be doing the same. I wish a few of them would so I would have like a support system. So I can see how this could bother me not having the support. It use to bother me, but doesn't much these days. I use to be embarrassed to check labels at the stores, but I could careless these days. Some people even stop and suggest what I should try out.

Maybe as time goes on it won't bother you either. :)

You realise that it's just as rude for you to pick on them for eating badly as it is for them to pick on you for eating healthily, right?  If you want them to leave you to eat what you want, it might be best not to criticize their groceries.

I've been made fun of for my weird food supply. Guests/friends at parties have a great time pulling my food out for everyone to see saying stuff like "oh my gosh! hahahaha! what's with the flax seed oil, wheat germ and beets?!"

I've also been laughed at for excercising. No kidding. Especially if I'm "caught" during my toning routine of squats, kickbacks, or lunges. "whoa! what in the h-e-double hockey sticks are you doing?! hee hee hee!"

This has, sadly, caused me to feel slight embarrassment (I'm an introvert and these comments make me feel sort of exposed...hard to explain unless you're also an introvert). But I handle it by smiling through my explanation of the benefits.

It's very weird to me that people think healthy things are joking material.

this is the 21st century, so we are trying to change the future, currently too many children are obese and will be very obese adults, and i beleive it is a parents fault, DONT blame advertising, you make the money, you do the shopping, so take a step back and how about never take a child to mcdonalds and go to subway or just get a sandwhich. its as simple as that, I am overweight at my age because I chose the wrong decisions when growing up, and I am now working to change that, so if everyone on this site is able to offer guidance for calories etc to family, it is doing the world of good, I just wish somebody had saved me earlier so that i could have had a better high school life and adult life, I will be 25 this year and my life will have just begun.

I used to eat anything and everything in sight, and when i was angry or sad it would be worse, i used to eat as much as 6 meat pies in one day which would have been around 2500 calories alone, but now i maintain between 1000-1500 calories every single day.

my life has changed for the better, and I do not care what people may think, I am still large in size and I almost get laughed at everytime I order food at subway or the local butcher looking for the best quality, low fat, and low calorie dish available, just because i am still a big guy people think I would just eat **** all my life, and not many beleive that i would be actually trying to change.

I have 4 neices and 2 nephews who range from 6 months to 8years, who will also benefit from what i have learnt, I do not want to see them go through the many years I did, the ridicule, the torment of being overweight as a teen and an adult.

So my message is to rikaj or anyone else, IGNORE ANYONE WHO SEEMS TO DISS YOU OR PUT YOU OFF, keep your eyes focused on the goal.

It happens to me every single day. My 'blessed' friends are all thin and can pretty much shove any junk inside their ouths and still not gain weight. What infuriates me still is that they complain about being fat in front of my face, even if I'm just sitting there quietly.

But the biggest thing that pisses me off is when they actually see me eat during my cheat/ reward day. They kept on pointing out that I was eating too much. Honestly, after trying to lose weight for 2 years without any constant support from the people around me, I definitely do not need anyone to remind me what kind/ how much food I ate. I can even brag about how much self control I have now, seeing as the only junk I eat in a day is a nibble of dark chocolate and a few small pieces of bread rolls. Heck, all the healthy food I eat in a day, they couldn't eat in a week, seeing as whatever they eat is filled with junk and fast food.

I'm just venting out all this pent up frustration for trying to be healthy and all. It's just hard to come by someone who does the same, especially in my community. Thank God for CC! :p

I have decided not to tell anyone this time around. It seems that they are always saying something negative, want you to eat bad like them, say that stuff is for birds, Etc. I have always stopped dieting not because of the comments but everything pushing me to grab the bad food.

So this time I have not told anyone except my kids, they actually want to help me anyway they can . My 6 and 8 year old hop right along side of me to exercise.

Let people talk, as it was stated above focus on you and try to ignore the negativity. They just Hata's

Deb

I think my friends actually really like that I'm a health nut - it means I'm always experimenting with my baking so I bring them in yummy healthy muffins all the time which they can eat without feeling guilty. lol. Maybe you need to be sharing your delicious healthy foods by baking your friends something yummy with nice wholesome ingredients - they might realise what they are missing out on! Or invite them to take an exercise class or go for a walk with you - I'm sure they'd enjoy it and then they'd know that exercise isn't just about burning calories or building muscle - that it is enjoyable in its own right and those are just fringe benefits...

**EDIT - my basic muffin recipe:

http://caloriecount.about.com/healthy-muffins -recipe-r199253

I get it all the time but it doesn't bother me.  Sort of makes me feel good... but secretly I know I'm not always so good at home. I agree with bebe_66 as well that usually they like it because I do lots of low fat baking and cooking so they can indulge on whatever I bring in.  My hubby always makes fun of me though because I've always got a GNU bar and an apple or orange in my purse.  Always prepared!

Don't let it bother you. I don't think they do it to be mean they are just making an observation and I think it may simply be that they wish they had the desire and drive to eat as healthy as you do. 

I haven't really been made fun of yet, but when people do sort of tease me, I usually just start telling them how my way of eating benefits me, and how much I love what I eat anyway.. I've been told I ate like a rabbit, because of all the fruits and vegetables I eat, but I don't particularly find that bad.

I think if your friends do make fun of you for trying to eat healthy and live healthier, then they're just not really nice, are they. THey should be supporting you, not making fun of you! I say ignore their comments, and continue with your efforts :)

My co-worker said to me just now as I was in the kitchen chopping up my fruit "you don't look like a gerbil, but you eat like one'

Original Post by susiecue:

You realise that it's just as rude for you to pick on them for eating badly as it is for them to pick on you for eating healthily, right?  If you want them to leave you to eat what you want, it might be best not to criticize their groceries.

Yeah, I don't know about that. 

When you tell someone they should eat more "health" foods, it's coming from a place of concern.

When someone tells you you worry too much about your health and you should eat what you want, it's coming from a place of carelessness. 

If you were a mother of an overweight child, would you tell your child "OF COURSE you should eat more cake. Don't worry about it. You're perfect the way you are. Don't let those mean salad-eating stick people get to you." ?

(P.S. that was a rhetorical question. You don't have to answer it, but if you said yes, you'd be a horrible mother.)

oh yea,  I hate going shopping with my parents. Im the only one in my family who eats healthy and when i go to the store i love to try healthier foods i can fit into my diet. My parents always ask " well your not goona like that, or thats not good" and they have never even eaten it. I mean the only way i ever found out about hummus+ cucumbers, vitabrownies, PB2, pure pumpkin, spinach, wheat wraps, vegan cheese etc. was by trying it in the first place. I dont criticize them for buying a new brand of hamburger or making a new chicken recipe that they got off the food network. ...argg its def. frustrating..:

If we treated our friends as if they were our children, what kind of friend would WE be!

Parenting responsibilities aside, I believe in "attraction, not promotion."  Assuming my friends are sentient adults, they are perfectly capable of recognizing or ignoring whether they have an eating/weight problem.  My weight loss speaks for itself.  If someone wants what I have to offer, they will ask and I am happy to talk about what works for me.

If I am genuinely concerned about a friend's health, then a 1:1 quiet conversation is more appropriate and potentially productive than nit-picking in a grocery store, IMHO.  I agree that it is inconsiderate to criticize what another person is eating, healthy or unhealthy.  Being respectful of another person's choice is not the same as supporting their denial.

In my experience most people who make mean jokes or try to undermine my food plan are envious and/or uncomfortable with their own lifestyle habits.  Misery loves company.  Drinkers don't like to drink alone, and either do eaters.  I couldn't enjoy a good binge if my friends were chomping on carrots!  Now I'm the party pooper!

Original Post by rikaj:

"you always get vegetables when we go out to eat." and my gma says "yeah shes a healthy eater" and my gma always makes comments about me not liking cake and stuff,

 Be careful.... what you're calling 'healthy eating' has been a 1200 cal diet, you have a BMI of 20, you exercise excessively (750-1200 cals a day in exercise) and you're still trying to lose weight.  You've posted elsewhere about a bingeing problem (Is it OK to binge once a week?) which is presumably caused by an overly restrictive diet and/or insufficient calories for your needs.  You've also posted that you're concerned about your excessive exercise... Exercising Addiction...  

You could interpret the comments of your family as being legitimate concern for your wellbeing if they're watching an already very thin person trying to lose more weight through punishing exercise routines, very few calories and restrictive food choices.  Rather than face you directly with their concerns they're making wry comments - hints that they don't think you're acting normally.  It's quite a common feature of people with disordered eating behaviour that they resent others who encourage them to eat more normally (a little ice-cream or cake) and interpret it that they're trying to make them unhealthy or fat. 

Don't fall into that trap.    

My roommates parents came for a brief visit a week ago.  "Mom" decided she wanted to fix breakfast.  I normally eat my breakfast around 6:00 and it was now close to 9:00.  Mom offered me some food, which I politely refused because I had already eaten.  She said she admired my will power (really had nothing to do with that-I just was not hungry!).  Her son, my roommate made some sarcastic comment about my eating habits.  "Everything is so Diet around here."   I really did want to slap him, because their are no "diet" foods here.  However, some of the meals that I cook and freeze are marked as "diet" so he will keep his hands off of them.  They are nutritionally balanced and porportioned for my use, not his.

I have definately been the target of comments sometimes.  Here's a link to a post I made earlier when I was being seriously hassled for eating a grapefruit!

http://caloriecount.about.com/evil-grapefruit -rant-ft128071

yeah my work "family" pick on me all the time..not just b/c i eat healthy...BUT b/c i am trying to become a vegan. they ask me a million questions and try to re-convert me to an animal eater. I don't push my believes or habits on them so why do they care? If someone asks me why I give them my reasons but that's it..then they go into well vegetables are living things so why don't you just stop eating them too. it's frustrating. but i deal with it. i've had a whole lifestyle change and you know what it's working for me and i'm happier now that i've done it!

Original Post by chunkylard:

Original Post by susiecue:

You realise that it's just as rude for you to pick on them for eating badly as it is for them to pick on you for eating healthily, right?  If you want them to leave you to eat what you want, it might be best not to criticize their groceries.

Yeah, I don't know about that. 

When you tell someone they should eat more "health" foods, it's coming from a place of concern.

 

When someone tells you you worry too much about your health and you should eat what you want, it's coming from a place of carelessness. 

 

If you were a mother of an overweight child, would you tell your child "OF COURSE you should eat more cake. Don't worry about it. You're perfect the way you are. Don't let those mean salad-eating stick people get to you." ?

 

(P.S. that was a rhetorical question. You don't have to answer it, but if you said yes, you'd be a horrible mother.)

Yeah, I got that, but the poster to whom I was responding had been uninvited from future grocery shopping.  To me, that reads as more than the occasional "do you know how much sodium/sugar/fat is in that!" comment.  Hence why I used the phrase 'pick on'.  And that's not helpful because it just gets you tuned out because you're perceived as being self-righteous/judgmental not as a concerned friend.  If you just went along peacefully and bought your fruit and veg and made the occasional comment like "ooh, that looks interesting; has anyone tried it?" or "I saw a new recipe for Thai chicken stir fry on Food Network; anyone want to split some lemongrass?", that's not going to get you uninvited and may be more successful than a more aggressive approach.

As for your question, if I had an overweight child who was enjoying a single piece of cake on her birthday and had stopped after one bite due to teasing, I wouldn't necessarily make that exact comment but I'd make sure she realised that the occasional treat wasn't the root of her weight.  I'd be feeding her fruit and veggies, whole grains, beans/pulses, dairy and good quality meats most of the time, but I wouldn't be setting up a situation where she's forbidden from treats because she sees herself as fat.  That's counterproductive.  We'd be focusing on healthy eating and getting more exercise as a family.  (Which I like to think we'd be doing whether or not the child was overweight.)

don't let other people's comments get you down. my family is really unhealthy, so i'm the odd ball who always gets picked on. the only person who shares similar eating/exercise habits with me is my mom, but that's mainly due to me "teaching" her.. haha. anyways, you know that what you're doing is good for you.. so who cares what others think?

No one makes fun of me but people who visit complain.  We don't keep soda or salty, crispy snacks in the house so they rush right out to buy their own.   They pass on fresh vegetables (already washed and cut), and  homemade hummus, spicy roasted chickpeas, kale chips, fresh fruit etcetc.  They say we don't have snacks and I throw the fridge door open to show them all the snacks in there.   I believe in being a good host so I work really hard to have tasty, nutritious food available for guests but they never want it.

nicolepund1 - when I first went vegan a few people gave me a really hard time about it.  They told me that vegetables are living things too!  And they would really enjoy eating meat around me.  It's been a long time so that has stopped.  I think they just wanted to see if they could break me.  When I didn't respond, they got bored with it and found someone else to pick on.