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AIBU to be angry after SIL accused me of disordered eating?

232 replies

PerfomativeDisordered · 09/05/2026 13:08

In the Easter holidays we went away with SIL and her family. The dc get on well and we thought it might be nice for them to spend more time together. Up till now we always got on with SIL and her DP.

The plan was to go away again in the summer. However SIL spoke to DH yesterday and they’ve cancelled coming with us. Apparently my behaviour at Easter was not something they can ‘put up with or expose their teenage daughters to’

They accused me of

  1. having disordered and performative eating habits and possibly an eating disorder and don’t think I should be around their girls as it’s not setting a good example. That I was affecting her as well as I made her feel stressed about food the way I ate and the quantities and how 3 cooked meals a day is gluttony yet I’m too thin so she felt huge anxiety?

2)that I’m cruel to animals as we wouldn’t allow their dog into our room in the accommodation which meant they had to get up to distract him. Apparently he loves dh and wanted cuddles and me preventing that made them feel anxious as that’s not a normal response ? I love animals I just didn’t want a dog in our bed ! Every evening and early morning he was whining and scratching and this ruined their relaxing.

Back to the eating. I eat totally normally! SIL had put the idea to dh that I must have crash dieted before the holiday , overeaten in a performative way during then accused me of ‘probably starving herself’ when home apparently to make her feel bad.
I eat very healthily and normally. Never had any kind of eating disorder and I’m a normal size (8-10 no idea what I weigh as I don’t have scales as never needed any)
a typical days eating for me is pretty standard I think:
I have eggs on toast and a smoothie for breakfast. Snack on fruit or nuts mid morning. I love lattes. Have 2-3 a day.
I love to cook so for lunches I make things like pasta salads, chicken and salmon with rice and avocado. Sometimes frittata or quiche.
Dinners I’ll have anything but it’s the biggest meal and things like curries , bolognese and garlic bread. When we were away I made a dark
choc and raspberry torte and SIL kept saying ‘well of course I can’t have dessert’ and seemed annoyed when I had 2 slices. I snack in the evening and had popcorn one night and a glass of wine and crackers and cheese another night. She said I overeat so I must be cutting back at other times to overeat around them and her daughters will see me and the amount I eat and ‘it doesn’t add up’

She doesn’t want someone ‘unstable who won’t admit there’s a problem’ around impressionable teens and it’s apparently very concerning that I dislike animals that’s a red flag apparently.

DH told her this is all ridiculous he’s known me for a long long time he knows I have zero issues that she is suggesting. I’m confused too as she’s known me a long time I’ve always been the same size ???

AIBU to be really angry at these accusations. We also have teen dds as well as younger ds. She was insinuating that im a risk to them as well and telling dh that?!

OP posts:
Cheeky19863 · 10/05/2026 18:23

That does sound like a lot of food to be a size 8. If i ate that i would definitely gain weight! However im just jealous. You must have a v.fast metabolism

Owly11 · 10/05/2026 18:19

She sounds like she is massively projecting and for that reason alone why on earth would you want to go away with her again? Leave her to her disordered eating and poor understanding of other people's boundaries.

Fatchilli99 · 10/05/2026 18:10

A bit bonkers and probably jealous you eat normally unlike her precious princess self.
The dog ... I wouldn't allow on my bed either. Not your dog. If she wants people to cuddle it she can have everyone bundle into her bed
She has issues . Not your issues ... Hers

Maray1967 · 10/05/2026 18:10

WeatherOrNothing · 09/05/2026 13:22

She sounds mentally unwell

Yes. On what planet is it acceptable to berate someone for not allowing your dog to go into their bedroom? Seriously?!!

Gwenna · 10/05/2026 17:49

PerfomativeDisordered · 09/05/2026 13:08

In the Easter holidays we went away with SIL and her family. The dc get on well and we thought it might be nice for them to spend more time together. Up till now we always got on with SIL and her DP.

The plan was to go away again in the summer. However SIL spoke to DH yesterday and they’ve cancelled coming with us. Apparently my behaviour at Easter was not something they can ‘put up with or expose their teenage daughters to’

They accused me of

  1. having disordered and performative eating habits and possibly an eating disorder and don’t think I should be around their girls as it’s not setting a good example. That I was affecting her as well as I made her feel stressed about food the way I ate and the quantities and how 3 cooked meals a day is gluttony yet I’m too thin so she felt huge anxiety?

2)that I’m cruel to animals as we wouldn’t allow their dog into our room in the accommodation which meant they had to get up to distract him. Apparently he loves dh and wanted cuddles and me preventing that made them feel anxious as that’s not a normal response ? I love animals I just didn’t want a dog in our bed ! Every evening and early morning he was whining and scratching and this ruined their relaxing.

Back to the eating. I eat totally normally! SIL had put the idea to dh that I must have crash dieted before the holiday , overeaten in a performative way during then accused me of ‘probably starving herself’ when home apparently to make her feel bad.
I eat very healthily and normally. Never had any kind of eating disorder and I’m a normal size (8-10 no idea what I weigh as I don’t have scales as never needed any)
a typical days eating for me is pretty standard I think:
I have eggs on toast and a smoothie for breakfast. Snack on fruit or nuts mid morning. I love lattes. Have 2-3 a day.
I love to cook so for lunches I make things like pasta salads, chicken and salmon with rice and avocado. Sometimes frittata or quiche.
Dinners I’ll have anything but it’s the biggest meal and things like curries , bolognese and garlic bread. When we were away I made a dark
choc and raspberry torte and SIL kept saying ‘well of course I can’t have dessert’ and seemed annoyed when I had 2 slices. I snack in the evening and had popcorn one night and a glass of wine and crackers and cheese another night. She said I overeat so I must be cutting back at other times to overeat around them and her daughters will see me and the amount I eat and ‘it doesn’t add up’

She doesn’t want someone ‘unstable who won’t admit there’s a problem’ around impressionable teens and it’s apparently very concerning that I dislike animals that’s a red flag apparently.

DH told her this is all ridiculous he’s known me for a long long time he knows I have zero issues that she is suggesting. I’m confused too as she’s known me a long time I’ve always been the same size ???

AIBU to be really angry at these accusations. We also have teen dds as well as younger ds. She was insinuating that im a risk to them as well and telling dh that?!

YANBU OP - she has more issues than Vogue! Not your problem.

Therealjudgejudy · 10/05/2026 17:43

She sounds unhinged

SardinesOnButteredToast · 10/05/2026 17:43

Viviennemary · 09/05/2026 14:16

I wouldn't go on holiday with a dog. You do seem to eat quite a lot which is none of her business.

I don't think it sounds like you eat quite a lot (portion size depending), but agree that it's none of SiLs business whether you insert food non stop into every available orifice (ok, maybe that might be a bit much).

Nefrititi · 10/05/2026 17:42

TFImBackIn · 09/05/2026 13:12

Yes it sounds as though she's the one with disordered eating! I dislike animals so the idea of a dog coming into my bedroom would horrify me. Why didn't she just get up and pet the dog when it was wanting attention?

100% this!

Sassylovesbooks · 10/05/2026 17:38

You are tall, you eat healthy the majority of the time and you use weights, that's why you are a consistent weight! Using weights is one of the best forms of activities to burn fat and add muscle.

Essentially your SIL doesn't understand how you can maintain your weight, because to her you are eating good sized portions, so therefore you must be starving yourself to do so. Yes, if you eat large portions, and didn't exercise, you would be bigger. You use weights though, so you maintain your weight, even though you might eat a bigger portion!

maudelovesharold · 10/05/2026 17:37

Definitely unhinged, op. Her, not you! I’d be suggesting to her that you don’t want someone so unstable around your dc.

MumsTheWordYouKnow · 10/05/2026 17:34

My guess is she’s jealous and can’t fathom how you’re still so slim. Going through the menopause perhaps. Actually feeling down on herself and projecting onto you. I’d actually go as far to talk to her separately and see if she’s OK. That’s not normal behaviour, is it? Think of it like this you’d speak to her if she were your sister.

IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 10/05/2026 17:32

Ricecakes101 · 09/05/2026 15:24

Op disordered eating is one of the following -when you binge, starve, over exercise, don't know really how big or small you are, think constantly or not at all about food, compared yourself to the bodies of others.

It would help to know your height and weight as that would probably help us to answer you

Why the fuck does she need to do that.

TiggyTomCat · 10/05/2026 17:31

Well you do eat far more than me and I'm a 14-16! But I do know that some people just can eat this amount and it's normal for them. She's bat shit, you're lucky and I'm jealous!
You are totally not wrong on the dog front.

Hattermadness · 10/05/2026 17:20

She sounds absolutely batshit, I can't even get my head around why someone would go on like that?!
I would tell her to feck orf!

Abricot1983 · 10/05/2026 17:17

She was probably put out that you getting up to eat breakfast disturbed the dog and their lie in. I‘d be realising that your routine and hers are not compatible and just get through the holiday but decline a future combined holiday unless it was in two separate houses.

LBFseBrom · 10/05/2026 17:12

AngryHerring · 09/05/2026 13:10

Tell her that's fine by you. The thing with the dog is bizarre.

I agree.

However, were you self catering and insisting on cooking three times a day? That is odd.

lessglittermoremud · 10/05/2026 17:11

I don’t even let my own dogs upstairs into the bedroom so I certainly wouldn’t want someone else’s foisted upon me when I’m sleeping in either!
If you’ve always been the same size and I’m assuming you’ve eaten around them before then there has to be a different issue and they’ve just latched onto the two they mentioned because it all sounds odd!
Just breathe a sigh of relief that you don’t have to go away with them anymore if they genuinely feel that way.

Tablesandchairs23 · 10/05/2026 17:11

You've had the lucky escape. She's got the problem.

cantthinkofagoodusername1 · 10/05/2026 17:11

I’m not even thin (not overweight either, just average), and my MIL and SIL go on about my weight and what I eat and the exercise I do every time I see them. It’s very tiresome.
i can only guess it’s because they don’t do any exercise. I ignored it for years but finally cracked and told them that I thought it was weird how they were so obsessed with me. They both denied it but neither of them have made such comments since.

I feel for you, it’s very tiresome ( and that’s not even considering the accusations they’ve made about you and you supposedly being a bad influence).

Kisskiss · 10/05/2026 17:09

SIL sounds bonkers

Monzo1ss · 10/05/2026 17:00

Just get your husband to deal with it. He needs to say that based on her behaviour and comments you are both going to distance yourself too.

PieLoe · 10/05/2026 16:57

She’s messed up, mangled & bat brained.

Bumblefuzz · 10/05/2026 16:57

She's jealous that she has to be more careful with food & her dog likes you better than her. I'd leave her behind & take the dog on holiday😂

TicklishMintDuck · 10/05/2026 16:56

I wouldn’t want someone else’s dog in my bed either even though I love dogs. It sounds like you’re eating really well and it’s perfectly normal in many European countries to have a proper meal at lunchtime, not to inhale a quick cheese sandwich or a sausage roll and then go about your day! She sounds quite immature. Try not to take it personally and see how things pan out.

Kath89 · 10/05/2026 16:55

Take it she's over weight

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