Feeling self conscious about food choices in public

(Cathrine Helle) #1

I’m sorry if this topic has been discussed at length previously - still new to the forum.

Even though I’ve been low carb for years, I still feel self conscious about eating ketogenic in public. Cutting carbs is not that controversial any longer, but high fat still is. The looks I get (and sometimes comments) when adding butter to the soup from the canteen at lunch makes me constantly having to defend my WOE. The same when I bring whole fat sour cream to fatten up a salad. And even though I’m not a very shy person, I’m kind of private, and I don’t always feel like discussing my food choices.

At one point I got so sick of a coworker constantly making remarks that I rather loudly told him to stop commenting on my food, as I never commented his! This shut him up, and I’ve since then changed workplace, but I’m really so, so tired of having to explain myself to others. If they are genuinely curious I don’t mind it, but more often than not I feel the underlying criticism. They’re all sort of waiting for my heart attack or something :stuck_out_tongue:

I’m not giving up having lunch with my coworkers, as most of them are very nice people, and it’s nice to share a break with them. I’m thinking I might start bringing more home made lunches to avoid the issue. But still I feel I shouldn’t have to.

How do you all deal with this, especially the ones that have done keto for years? I’m sort of discouraged by the fact that this hasn’t gotten any easier for me over the years, rather the opposite:/

(Siobhan) #2

Tell them it is doctors orders
Tell them wheat, etc makes you sick
Tell them it is your choice and to mind their own

I just say I have lost 50lbs and no longer have prediabetes so it is clearly working for me

(eat more) #3

i’m not sure how it is anyone’s business what you eat…you worrying about what they think is making it their business.
just do yer thang :blush:

(Cathrine Helle) #4

The only thing I can blame is IBS, and luckily this ‘explains’ all the missing carbs, but I still need to justify the fat. Bah, I really need to stop giving a f*** what other people think :rage:

(Siobhan) #5

Tell them thats between you and doctor lol

(Jennifer) #6

Right, you don’t need to justify anything. You are eating the best food for your body and that is the only thing that matters. Tell them to fuck off if they question what you are eating…

(Jennifer) #7

I don’t think you should have to make up excuses for what you eat. Just say “keto” and tell them to look it up…

(Michelle) #8

I LOVE asking for extra butter, sour cream, etc. Big smile on my face and people say “you know that’s not low fat”. and my response is “yes!”. Embrace it!!

(eat more) #9

you actually don’t have to justify anything to anyone…
you’re an adult and they should be adult enough to mind their own business.
if they’re interested in knowing more to make their own choices…cool…anything else is just rude

(Wenchie) #10

I really need to stop giving a f*** what other people think :rage:
Thats very hard though, isn’t it?! I am the same. Especially when you are still obese like me and put butter on stuff… but I am learning :blush:

(Wenchie) #11

:joy::joy::joy: I love your way of seeing things. :heart_eyes_cat:

(Michelle) #12

This book totally helped me not give a f***. ZFG (as she puts it).

(Wenchie) #13

:joy::joy: sounds awesome! Let me see if Germanese Amazon sells it :wink:

(Cathrine Helle) #14

I should be more like you :smile:

(Cathrine Helle) #15

Yes, it was definitely harder when I was heavier! Now that I’m closer to normal weight, people aren’t quite so quick to judge. When I changed to keto back in 2010, I felt the looks filling my shopping cart with bacon, hwc and such. A part of me wished they knew that this was me dealing with my weight issues, not the other way around :wink:

(Sophie) #16

I go to lunch with friends after an exercise class once a week. There is one woman in the group that particulary grates my nerves and she knows full well that I’ve been low-carb for years, but not about the keto yet. The last time out, we went to this place that I had a really good hamburger (nix the bun) from once before, so I knew that was what I was going to have. I didn’t need to look over the menu. Well, that got this woman going. She had to talk across me about menu choices, potato soup, sweet potato fries, fish 'n chips etc etc. I just smiled. When my mushroom swiss burger with a side of sauteed mushrooms came, she started a table convo about her “friend” that was having a terrible time with her cholesterol. I didn’t take the bait, but just made the appropriate ooooh that’s too bad noises. And as soon as I could get the waitress’s attention, I asked her to bring me some extra butter which I then proceeded to slather all over my side of mushrooms, and pass the salt Please! 'Cos I’m passive-aggressive that way! Shut her up real fast and it was the best damn burger I’ve had in a while!

(Ren) #17

I am a Dave Ramsey follower for personal finance and his teachings have helped me not really care what “normal” people thing about what I am doing. I have transferred this from my personal finances to everything in my life that I am changing for the better.

If people give me weird looks because of what I have in my shopping cart or what I am eating I don’t really notice because I am not paying attention.

Now if co-workers or friends ask me, I just say I’m on the Ketogenic Lifestyle. If they ask what it is, I tell them that it is a low carb high fat diet that goes against conventional thinking, but I have lost X amount of pounds. If they are intrigued and ask more, I’ll give them more details, if they give me the side eye, I pay them no mind and keep doing my thing.

(Wenchie) #18

That’s actually pretty cool :joy::joy::joy:

(Bacon for the Win) #19

I have some coworkers who always seem to make mealtime difficult. One in particular, always accused me of “food shaming” others. For the record, I could not care less about what anyone else is eating and I don’t ask or comment on it, but they always have their noses in my business…errr…food. So when I’m asked what I’m eating, I’ll tell them. They can draw their own conclusions if they like. I am about 5 pounds from my high school weight at the ripe old age of 54, so go ahead, judge me!

One day I had enough of Joe and his “food shaming” routine and finally told him so. I believe the phrase STFU was used freely. Things were tense for a while but have since returned to normal.

My typical meal at work is a big ass salad with steak, hard boiled eggs, bacon, cheese, avocado, and olive oil on it. They watch me eat and say “oh, I couldn’t eat that much fat!” Then don’t!

There’s one woman I happen to like a lot, and she’s always trying one weight loss thing or another. Nothing has worked but she refuses to believe my way is healthy. I am living, breathing proof. I don’t have anything else to add to that.

(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #20

[quote=“Camomilla, post:4, topic:13730, full:true”]edited:
Bah, I really need to stop giving a f*** what other people think :rage:
[/quote]

^^^^This, a thousand times this.

Also you don’t have to justify fat to anyone.

I think you need new lunchroom pals or at the very least, you should discuss other things besides what is on everyone’s plate or isn’t depending on how they eat.

You did have a good idea about bringing more meals from home. That way they have no way of knowing what you have added for your eating enjoyment.

Now just remember, stressing over your food is not healthy. So just get this sorted out and get on with it.