Weird--People Are Watching Me Eat Now . . .

OK, this just came up these last few days because I returned to my full-time job this week after having been away since May (I'm a teacher).

PEOPLE ARE WATCHING ME EAT, AND IT IS CREEPY!

Yes, I've lost 52 pounds since I last saw many of my co-workers, and yes they are all complimenting me and impressed.  That part is really nice, and I'm encouraged by it. However, since I have had 12-14 hour days with Orientation and training sessions, I've been eating on-campus.  And, regardless of what meal it is or which place I eat, the people next to me in line or at the tables watch what I put on my plate and/or ask me questions about what I'm eating, offering commentary about my food choices. It's a little weird. 

Personally, I'm making the best choices I can while eating on campus, and am holding my own with my calorie range, etc., so I'm fine with eating things I might not usually eat like a bowl of raisin bran or a salad and a small bowl of baked beans, but inevitably people make comments: "raisin bran has sugar" and "beans are fattening."  Well, duh on both counts, but I figured the totals in (logged my foods), and only had a small serving of each (3/4 cup cereal with skim milk and 1/2 cup beans with a mixed greens and veggies salad, no dressing).

Has anyone else had others start to watch what they eat and make random comments?  People I don't even know well who know I'm "that lady who lost a bunch of weight" are coming up to me with them!  Yikes!!

Anyone else feel like they're under scrutiny 24/7??? 

Envious coworkers are a total pain in the @$$.

yeah, I've got coworkers who, when we go out, feel they need to give me a running commentary on what I eat, especially the one who is way overweight and needs to lose some weight himelf, as he's 40 now and about to run into some lovely health complications if he stays at that weight (if he doesn't have them already). We'll go out together and he'll marvel aloud about how I'll lose weight if I eat.. the thai food with RICE.

I wanted to smack him once and say "Yo, I can eat 2500 calories. That means if I'm AWARE of what I'm eating, I can eat what I like."

I hooked all my co-workers on CC and now we all are on the SAME PAGE.  literally :)

My mother used to do that about my walking.  I think she realized she was out of line, so she backed off.  One day, she was going to pick me up to go see my nephew in a concert.  She asked when a good time to pick me up (early) was.  I said, "Anytime.  I'm not walking today."  She said, in almost a gasp, "You're not?????"  I said, "No, I've walked 5 times this week already, and I'm walking again tomorrow.  I am not walking today."  She said, "Okay," in such a way as to imply that I was playing with fire by not walking for that one day.  I told her that even professional athletes take a day off now and again.  The next day when I talked with her, she told me about an article she read.  "These people walk every day," she said.  What did I do?  I said, "Oh, that's neat!"  Then, in my frustration, I ate AT her.  She didn't know, as we were not together at all that day.  But I was pissed and I ate like a mad woman...  AT HER.  All very silly really, but I learned a lot about myself those two days.  I haven't eaten AT anyone since then.

Even broccoli has sugar in it.  For pete's sake.  And beans???  Those are generally loaded with protein and fiber.  I wish I had a snappy comeback for you that would let people know that what you eat is none of their business, but I don't.  Maybe you could ask them how much weight they have lost recently...  I don't know.  I tend to rock the boat a bit too much sometimes.  Some people, seemingly well-meaning people, sure do cross the line sometimes...  <sigh>  Good luck with this.

Yes, I feel like everybody in my life watches what I eat and comments about it.

Mostly I am used to it, but occasionally, like when I'm having avocado, and they (read: bf) try to talk me out ot it, it drives me nuts.  And I'm sure I probably sound nuts too... "Avocado has healthy fat and you need healthy fat in your diet!!!  Let me eat my damn avocado in peace!"

It's amazing how much misinformation is out there about what being healthy, eating healthy, being active, etc. MEANS, isn't it?

I know what I believed it all meant when I first tried to lose weight :)

longwalker, eating @ our mothers should be a separate book.  :)

when mine piped up with her yet another "usefull" advice on nutrition and excersize, I barried her under tons of info I picked up here on CC.  Combined with quite visible accomplishment in my figure, my lectures had some validity in her eyes, I suppose.  At least there were good enough to shut her up.

As to co-workers, I could think of at least a dozen of snappy comebacks, but they are all mean.  So, smile and go on. 

And congrats on your weight loss, writestuff!

Oh, c'mon, kisa, you can't say you can think of a dozen snappy, mean comebacks and then not post them!!! Please post them, if only so I know what NOT to say.... !

I'm glad to know I'm not alone!  :)

I just got back from a big "presidential luncheon" at my college, and from the choices they gave us (buffet line), I picked a salad with lite dressing, fruit salad, and a piece of pecan encrusted chicken--no sauce.  I think everyone almost went into shock b/c the chicken was breaded--baked, but breaded.  "You're going to eat THAT?!?" Two people asked and others looked incredulous.  "Yes, I am," I replied.  I wasn't going to have the huge buttery roll, the mashed potatoes smothered in gravy, the fat-laden prime rib (I don't do beef, besides) and gravy, the green beans cooked with bacon, the macaroni and cheese, or the chocolate cherry cake, and there were no other options.  Yet, heads were shaking at my choice.

I figured, so I'm a little high on fat and sodium today.  Fine.  I'll still make my calorie goal, and I made the best possible choices.  They looked at the fat chick and saw me eating breading and thought "ooh, she's sliding."  They don't know it is the first breaded meat I've had in 5 months, and probably the last I'll have until who knows when, but they judged.

Do you think people expect me to fail?  That would stink . . . :(

"oh well, its a better choice than (pointing to their plate) which has (a bazillion calories)"

or "hmm the last person that told me what to eat--- well, I ate him"

or "ive discovered the secret to dieting.  obviously, you haven't"

or "it helps my motivation to hear rude comments about my food"


And yes, I think people on some level wish failure on others, especially when they see someone acheiving a goal they themselves have failed at before.    I think the best thing to do is to just look at them, incredulously, and go back to eating.  People are always going to be nosy and obnoxious. (and congrats on keeping strong, you are making good choices and sticking to it, the rest of them can go to h-e- double hockey sticks)

"why are you measuring that?? do you really have to go to such extremes... your small, you don't need to watch it so closely now.."

yes, the fact that i'm maintaining means i have to watch it just as much..

ahhh I hate it when people catch me measuring...."why can't you just estimate?  you're skinny enough!"

pssshh I hear ya stephanie

Oh, stephanie!  I can't even imagine what people will say when I get to maintaining!  Actually, I'll bet they either say, "why are you worrying about measuring or what you eat, you're thin?!" or "are you anorexic now?" 

People are just weird, I guess.  And drea, I wish I'd had you with me for the comebacks.  All I said was, "yes, I am eating it.  I planned my day to accomodate extra fat and calories at this meal, and I'm going to enjoy it!"

sigh.  go figure . . .

Of course people expect you to fail - it helps validate their failures in the past and makes them feel secure.  If you succeed and keep the weight off, what does that say about them?  That they are too weak to succeed, that they'll be heavy their whole lives, that they're miserable and you're so wonderfully happy and thin.  Or...  they're looking at your eating choices and thinking, "she must have tried diet pills or surgery or something, because she's not eating right so it can't be her food choices that made her lose all that weight."  People are naturally pretty self-involved so when they look at you, they're looking at a measure for their own lives and either they can feel superior to you or they can't, and so sometimes they have to find ways to feel superior to you if they can't readily pick out something they have that you don't.  Some people who you are close with are worth an explanation as to how you lost the weight and how you're maintaining, but for the most part, people don't want that, they just want to not feel bad about themselves when they look at you.

i HATE when people tell me to estimate!! 1 because i don't want to ove estimate.. and 2 because i don't want to underestimate.. i planned these calories and i want all of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, my boss saw my junk drawer at work and said "and you LOST weight?"  Yes...because I eat 1 or 2 snacks a day.  i don't gorge myself on 9 granola bars and a pack of crackers.  It's annoying.

Oh also, the girl at the gas station next door (who knew me when I was 100 lbs heavier) commented "why are you buying diet soda?  you don't need to drink diet..."  Uhh...I'm this way because i SWITCHED to diet, thank you.  So yes...I do need diet.

I am also in the education field, an elementary school counselor.  I started my healthy lifestyle in January of this year...had to for health reasons.  I have lost 60 pounds, 17 this summer.  Since I've been back to school my peers and my students' parents have been asking all sorts of questions.  What have I been doing to lose the weight, or did I have surgery.  But the two questions that bug me are..."Don't you think you've lost enough?" and "Are you sick?"  No, I'm not sick...I've had to work at this, and I am now healthy.  I'll quit losing when I'm happy with my weight. 

Even my husband gets into the act....He asked me if I was suppose to be eating that hamburger.  Yes, I can eat a hamburger!!!  Yes, it is lean meat, on reduced calorie bread with mustard and lots of onions, pickles, lettuce, and tomatoes.  I made it and it is okay.

Some people just don't understand!!

Just goes back to the impression that people have about diets. 
They all assume that if you eat regular food, you'll gain weight. 
And the only way to LOSE weight is to eat salads.  No wonder this
is the fattest country in the world :-P

I think unsolicited advice is unavoidable. When I was pregnant with my last child, there was one lady who came to my desk to check my trash can or stop me in the hall while I was carrying lunch back to my desk to make sure it was healthy for the baby. She meant well, and I truly believe she didn't mean most of her comments the way they came out. One lady I told me when she was pregnant a complete stranger in line behind her at the grocery store asked her if she really thought the cheesecake she was buying would be good for the baby! I used to get so upset at the way strangers would stop me at the mall when my twins were babies and ask the most personal questions and give me the strangest advice. I guess some people just can't help it. Now I just make some non-committal reply and forget about the well-meaning folk as best I can.

I really needed to read this post tonite.

So I was in the kitchen grabbing a 60 calorie chocolate stick thingy for my treat for the day.  My mom comes in glares at me, looks me up and down, and says "Put it back, you dont wanna gain any of you weight back."

So I took my 60 calorie stick and went downstairs and cried.

And then I ate it, and it was yummy.

UGH!  I know what you mean and i hate it!  I have to hide my food at work or make up excuses as to why im not eating fried food 24/7 like they are if not they start to bug me about it.  Like "oh Lori want some of this yummy chocolate cake" while moving the plate around and around like im a baby being fed applesauce or whatever babies eat.  ITS SO ANNOYING!  and i just think to myself.. "no, you can have it and i hope you get fat!" ugh. sorry if thats mean, but why do people do that?

ugh.. sorry for ranting. i get a little worked up on this subject.