Food Pushers

Wow, what a ****ty thing for them to have done. And the eye-rolling secretary is a jackass. 'No' should be sufficient for them.

I tell them in no uncertain terms that I don't eat whatever food it is. If they press, which is seldom, I say "It tears up my stomach" , which is true but perhaps not in the way they imagine.

Full disclosure: I enjoy baking and sometimes take treats to work. I drop them in the break room and walk away. It would never occur to me to badger someone into trying them.

I started doing the same thing my brother dies when someone offers him junk food. He just says, " Heck no, that stuff will kill you". Every time I've done this it was not offered to me again. And for some reason it makes me laugh when I say it, and it lightens the mood.

I have heard of Amish donuts. Those and the Patzkis(sp?) before Lent are among the holy grail of pastry. At most points in my life I would have been offended if they didn't offer.

I am a food pusher at times. Mostly to my son. I've been a food sneaker.

I also worked in a place of fresh hot donuts,bagels,baked goods,all the good stuff.

I'm sure you will figure out the right way to handle it.

Jeez, what an uncomfortable situation that would have been for me.

My fantasy scenario in that situation ... I'd protest no, no, no, then succumb and take one bite and (in my fantasy) immediately throw up on the table in front of everyone.

Bet nobody'd push Amish donuts on me / you / anyone else ever again. Or any other food.

But seriously ... there's just something really, really weird about that situation. Really weird.

Just stick with "No, thank you" and "No, thank you, I really don't care for any" until they get sick of hearing it. You shouldn't have to say anything else.

Yeah, just stick to your guns. I applaud your reserve so far, really, for I'd be all over that donut.

Now, when they insist, say something like this:

While it looks delicious, I'm working way to hard to start a spiral for the rest of the day, and knowing myself, that's what is going to happen.

Now, having far less resistance than you do, my way of saying no is "well, just one bite - someone else has to eat the rest"

I would have thanked the boss, declined politely the first few times, then said something like, "Stop with the peer pressure; this isn't high school" and walked away. Maybe not a mature response, but neither is rolling eyes or pressuring someone to do something they have stated clearly they don't want to do. OR I would have told them I was full but would love to take one home to enjoy later. It would depend on my mood and on how angry they made me, lol.

I once had an uncle YELL at me because I couldn't eat a whole burger patty he made for me. He knows I had surgery and have restrictions, and I told him before hand that I could only eat about half a patty. He insisted that I stay for dinner with my parents, then became belligerent with me when I couldn't fini**** so I told him if I took one more bite I'd throw up. Which grossed everyone out but worked.

Peach, I don't know that I have anything else to add that other people haven't said but I've been in this situation and it. is. so. goddamn. awkward.

I NEVER know how to deal with it. In my office the parent company is Japanese and many of the people are Japanese and travel to Japan and China and India and Brazil, etc. They bring back treats for my dept. And bring them around individually to my office. I always turn them down and just say no thank you. But certain people make me feel so bad for saying that and I hate it. When it's in a situation like you just described with an eye roller? I am positive I would have frozen and then accepted. Positive. Because I'm weak when it comes to being in social situations like that!

I'm good with passing candy jars, declining invites too.

I'm bad with the sneaking thing too - I don't want to know things are there. I pack my lunch daily for a reason, I need to be able to control all aspects of the food I put into my body!

Also - I know we're both HR. And the whole HR and food comment I don't think has any merit. I don't know if you agree? Unless they're literally pushing the food into a person then I don't think anything can be done. Not saying you thought it could be but I was just thinking about it after I saw that...

This trick works with salesmen, as well as food pushers. I just smile and be very civil and say: "No. No thank you. I'm good. No thanks." I repeat one of those every time I'm asked. After a few times they give up. I pretend the other person is a toddler, and when they have a "temper tantrum" I remain positive and continue to say no. Eventually they give up.

No one has to justify their choices, or preferences, to anyone, regarding anything about your person. Assuming, you know, you aren't engaging in genocide or causing violence or something. Seriously though, no one has the right to bully you, or me, into eating anything we don't want to do.

Some people think I am difficult because of it, however I have caved in the past, and I know I cannot afford to have "just half" of something. I don't have to justify my food preferences for anyone, never mind the fact that I have to eat a specific way due to having: 1) Celiac disease 2) an eating disorder 3) 50000 other autoimmune disorder affected by diet.

I work in crisis, and behavioral health is absurd with the crap food. It's ridiculous, especially since we have a "health positive workplace."

I usually say, no thanks, I can't eat it. I don't try to make others feel bad about their food decisions.

I say some thing like , I have to choose my battles and this isn't one of them today...