How do you deal with food pushers?

teachercd said:
I had this happen to me for about 9 or 10 years...food was constantly put on my plate without my expressed permission and I rarely had a say in what I was going to eat.  Sometimes, get this, I was force fed and sometimes I was verbally threatened...I was told that if I didn't finish everything on my plate I would not get any snacks later.  It sucked and I didn't know how to handle it so I just waited it out until I got to college.
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:cop:

 
Fru said:
I have a few coworkers that are constantly organizing food days, ice cream days, pizza days, etc. For every little occasion they want to force carbs and sugar into the office. What bothered me most was they were always going around with "Sign up sheets" and demanding to know what I was going to contribute. I politely declined the first couple times, but it was incessant. 

I ended up sending an email to them with our supervisors CC'd and said something like "I appreciate the inclusion for the food days however I am adhering to a diet and am requesting to not be included in any future food days." 
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I feel this. Donuts always seems to be the go-to snack for people to bring and share in most places that I have worked. So cheap and easy. While I do admire and appreciate the gesture, donuts are some of the worst things that humans can put in our bodies.

Of course, I try to eat healthy most of the time, and then I really want a frickin' donut when they are sitting there staring at me.

What are some ideas for healthy foods that are easy to share? Sometimes I try to contribute a veggie tray or some fruit for these sorts of events, but the trays you get at the grocery store can get pretty expensive. Anyone have other ideas?

 
knapplc said:
That's bizarre. What business is it of theirs what you eat or when?
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I've worked with most of these people for 4 or 5 years and knew them through my old branch for another 4 or 5 years. Some of it is probably my fault because there have been times where I just didn't give sh#t what I was eating (as evidenced by the pile of clothes I have for donation now). I don't mind a potluck or whatever as long as it's planned ahead. It's when it's a "surprise" thing and they try to make it seem like I'm obligated to eat

 
@Ulty Veggie trays are really great, but I also like to make homemade sweet potato chips, steamed edamame or there are some pretty healthy vegan dips I've found online that a lot of people have enjoyed at football parties and such.

 
knapplc said:
First time I saw edamame I didn't know how to eat it. I chewed on the whole thing and, while the beans inside were good, the pod was fibrous and gross.

Felt like a dope when I found out how you're supposed to eat it.  :D
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I just realized I don't know how to eat it, either. How's it done?

 
knapplc said:
Split the pod, the beans loosen, eat the beans, discard the pod.
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Ha ha!  You throw the pods away?  WTH??  I suppose you peel your apples before eating them too!  

When I eat something, I pretty much eat all of it.  Apples, potatoes, edamame, you name it.  Peelings, seeds and all!   :D  

 
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NUance said:
Ha ha!  You throw the pods away?  WTH??  I suppose you peel your apples before eating them too!  

When I eat something, I pretty much eat all of it.  Apples, potatoes, edamame, you name it.  Peelings, seeds and all!   :D  
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Even bananas & sunflower seeds?

 
knapplc said:
Even bananas & sunflower seeds?
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Those are two exceptions, along with orange peels, watermelon rinds and probably some I can't think of right now.  I've tried them all.  They don't taste good at all. 

One thing I like that others probably don't eat are seeds in fruit, like the little cherry and apricot seeds inside the shells.  I've read that they contain trace amounts of a cyanide precursor.  But I've also read that you'd have to eat around 1,000 cherry seeds to feel the effect of the cyanide.  I don't eat that many.  

 
NUance said:
Those are two exceptions, along with orange peels, watermelon rinds and probably some I can't think of right now.  I've tried them all.  They don't taste good at all. 

One thing I like that others probably don't eat are seeds in fruit, like the little cherry and apricot seeds inside the shells.  I've read that they contain trace amounts of a cyanide precursor.  But I've also read that you'd have to eat around 1,000 cherry seeds to feel the effect of the cyanide.  I don't eat that many.  
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@NUance has spent the last few years building up an immunity to cyanide precursor.

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@GSG Is the problem just that they are annoying and pushy or is it really challenging your efforts to eat more healthy?  Just curious.

I haven't worked in a large office setting for quite awhile and when I did I was usually willing to eat whatever freebies people were tossing around. Can't say as anyone other than my mother-in-law has ever been overly pushy with food and that is just usually annoying. "Here, take some sandwiches with you".....as we're departing on a 7 hour road trip back to Colorado and immediately following eating a meal of some sort....... :facepalm:

 
Comfortably Numb said:
@GSG Is the problem just that they are annoying and pushy or is it really challenging your efforts to eat more healthy?  Just curious.
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A little bit of both I guess. If I know it's in the breakroom I'll definitely think about it during the day but I've been able to stay away from that stuff lately. But they spent about 15 minutes trying to get me to eat that burrito this morning. 

Came home tonight and the Seinfeld episode "The Frogger" was on. Elaine berates her coworkers for constantly creating reasons to buy cakes for the office  :lol:

 
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I have the opposite problem - the school's wellness committee keeps shoving green smoothies and other health food down our throats.  One time the announced before hand some sort of healthy frozen ice cream substitute, so I made sure I brought a half pint of Ben and Jerry's butter pecan ice cream on hand to eat in front of them.  Several teachers wanted to know where I got it

 
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