Ever get weird comments about being on a diet?

JW28

Hi ladies,

I'm new to this board and I'm curious if anyone else has gotten strange reactions from people they know. Background: I'm 5'7" and a muscular 160 lbs - most people at the office think I'm this fitness nut/super athlete (used to bike 11 miles to work every day, etc). I started dieting about a month ago by counting calories and eating healthier, and so far I've lost 3 lbs, which is great! But anytime I turn down sweets/dessert/munchies etc with the excuse that I'm on a diet/watching what I eat, people give me this weird look and tell me I don't need to lose weight or ask why. I don't really know how to respond to this, so I've been making the excuse that I want to look really great in my wedding dress, but that's not even the whole reason I'm eating healthier. Has anyone else gotten this kind of reaction? I may be an athlete, but I'm not super skinny, and I'm only aiming to lose another 5, maybe 10 lbs, which still won't make me dangerously slim by a long shot.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to spending more time on this board!

saintpaulJess

Yep, I don't give a reason anymore.  I just say, "no, thanks."  They mostly have gotten used to the fact that I just prefer to eat healthy and generally don't care to eat certain things.

Elle1036

Yeah.  I think people view those comments as compliments, which is why they're so un-shy about saying that stuff.

Agree with PP.  Just start declining without giving a reason.

J&K10910

Yeah, just a simple "no thanks!" or "no thanks, I'm not hungry" will work. 

meg65

I find that saying "No thanks! Gotta fit in that wedding dress!" is usually good enough, regardless of whether or not it's the real reason I eat healthy. It's sort of light and people don't get concerned. People just seem to accept that brides need to fit into dresses. 

xobride

Since you're doing it to eat healthier more than to lose weight, then why not give that as the reason rather than saying you're on a diet?  I get the same reaction, but I really do want to lose 10-15 pounds.  I'm not fat, but I have a ton of clothes in my closet that don't fit anymore that I would like to get back into and I want to look great on my big day and especially on the beach during the honeymoon.  I'm doing it by eating healthier and cutting out sugar so I just tell people that's what I'm doing to avoid all the "you don't need to lose weight" comments.

mbody

I understand where you're coming from. I think the term "diet" can be a bit taboo. Most people associate the word diet with someone trying to lose a good amount of weight rather than someone trying to make better food choices or having a healthy life style. My advice would be to not use that word. Instead just say "no thank you" and something like "I brought my own snack to work today" or "I just finished breakfast/lunch/dinner."

Lobsters25

I just sort of smile and laugh it off.  I think some people just don't know how to react, but I hate saying that I prefer to eat healthier foods because there's always those over-sensitive people who feel bad or judged when they do eat that food (which, of course, would never be my intention!)
I usually jump around with excuses - I had a huge meal last night, we're going out for a friend's birthday tonight, my stomach is hurting a bit, etc.  Eventually people will just stop asking.

JW28

mbody - I think you're right about the whole "diet" is a bad word thing. Without context, the word "diet" does bring up thoughts of fad diets, extreme dieting, etc, rather than simply healthy eating. 

 I think I agree that less explanation is probably better, so I'll go with that and just say I'm trying to eat healthier. Thanks for the input!

Jaridds68

I would just say no thanks, and not say you're on a diet. Most people think they're being nice/encouraging when they say 'oh you don't need to!', and they're prob trying to be nice. If you're uncomfortable talking about your diet, don't bring it up.