agirlfromminnesota's Journal, 03 August 2010

I don't know where you work but my work meetings are typically very accomodating of various diets because we have a lot of diversity in my area. That said, even if the only options were not something I would normally eat, I wouldn't feel guilty about passing on the food completely. I doubt anyone would comment on it, but even if they did I wouldn't mind saying, "I'm watching what I eat" or something similar. I think your key phrase was "I feel like a jerk," not "my coworkers tell me I'm a jerk." It's amazing how much perceived judgment we feel when we are overweight. I think I kind of broke through that when I decided if I keep caring how I look when I make these changes or what other people think of me, I will never get to where I want to be. I am quite certain my ~300 lb arse looks ridiculous jogging on the treadmill at the Y, but ya know what, I see lots of other people way smaller than me that don't jog at all. So screw it...you gotta do you girl!!! 

It would be hard for me if it was like a sandwich/chip kind of thing. I would probably just eat the meat, etc or something. If I knew beforehand what was going to be provided, I would bring my own lunch. If I looked like I jerk, so what. But I'm pretty sure no one really cares. 3 of the 10 people in my dept are on the same diet, so we pretty much cater to our diet for lunches, which REALLY helps. 

Thanks K, yeah I worry way too much about what others think! I think part of it could be this is my first meeting with my new department, and all that first impression stuff but no really it is just my perception. I need to remember I cannot control what people think of me, even if I do what I think they think is right. Oh ridiculousness. Thanks again! 

I have a (so far) 40 pound weight loss and the thing that works best for me is to eat normal food, that everyone else is eating, but only eat enough for ONE person, rather than eating enough for two or three people the I used to eat. If you know someone who is normal weight pay attention to how much or how little that person eats and eat like they do. Normal weight people do not deny themselves anything to eat. They just eat much less than we fatties :-) Pay attention to normal weight people and see if I'm not right. Then emulate them.