Tedious performative under eaters

[SlimPig]

The thread about the PIL's measly portions reminded me of this, and how iritating it is. I remember once at work they bought us all fish and chips on one friday afternoon. When it arrived the two other women started their bs as soon as they were handed their box - oohh the weight of that! I'll never eat all that! Hadn't even opened it and looked at it yet.

Then, once opened, both of them, oh my god, I'll never eat all that (measly takeaway cardboard box portion, not a massive, in paper, large portion) ooh dear, we won't need dinner, or breakfast tomorrow now will we! Don't think I can eat my peas too, I'm so stuffed. I'm going to need to go for two runs tomorrow now! On and on, through the whole meal.

I was starving and had to make a conscious effort to eat it slowly because they were fucking about and pushing it round the box and I didn't want to look a pig, I'm a fast eater anyway, but that meal was just so god awful! In the end I just ate it at my normal speed.

Why? Why do people do this? Why can't they just eat their food normally? Why does everything have to be justified and offset? Just strikes me as so sad that they couldn't just eat their food without a whole performance (infront of all the men in the office, only 3 women there, me and them) of how birdlike they normally eat 😥

I hate this. I want to shout just eat what you want and stop talking about it.

I think she'd actually be extremely unhappy if you at no food, drank no liquids... because what judgements and lectures could she give you then? You'd be completely thwarting her messed up relationship with food.

So many people don't get it, don't see it and are probably narrating in company themselves. It is so damaging and, having been subjected to it myself as a child and all my life, I'm not tolerant of people doing this in front of my own children. Children pick up so much information, bad as well as good, it's frightening.

I have a friend who's a bit like this! Says she's stuffed after one small sandwich,or one McDonald's cheeseburger. Says she absolutely cannot eat a Big Mac and fries as it's far too much. For someone like me who could eat 2 Big Macs and fries,I'm like 😯

I’ll match that, at a kids party three mums shared a kids happy meal. Cut up the fishfingers , picked at the chips

My colleague had a similar palavar from some of our other team members over his leaving treat (was going to get some fancy waffles in) so he ended up cancelling it. Then they seemed surprised! I was fuming on his behalf.

Are we reading the same post?

If you've suffered disordered eating as a result of comments from family members as a youth, then you're going pick up on similar comments made in the presence of younger family members today. And it sounds like these comments (about being good/naughty food) are already having an impact on this poster's teenag niece.

Not sure how that is nasty.

Zone2NorthLondon.
I'll match that,at a kids party,three mums shared a kids happy meal. Cut up the fish fingers,picked at the chips

This reminded me of the time that I,my DD,Dgd and DD's MIL went to a McDonald's. My DD put my 8 year old Dgd's Happy Meal on the table and her MIL said to her 'Oh,are you two sharing that?'. The look on my Dad's face 😂 Mind you,this WAS the woman who'd told my DD that a bacon and egg roll that she'd bought from a burger van at a car boot sale was 'enough to feed a family of 4 for a week'.

Dear god. Just how many people can feast for a week on a bacon bap. 12 meals for 7 days

in the happy meal shareathon my kids were agog

This thread made me laugh! My mum does it. She'll make me lunch when I go round like tuna melt or bacon sandwich then say how stuffed she is and that neither of us will need tea.
Speak for yourself love!

I did a placement were the adult women ate a tiny petite filou yoghurt and an apple
i had soup, sandwich a squashed banana

Well, she doesn’t eat ANY food, or very rarely in my company, which I think most people would find odd. And no, she doesn't have anxiety about eating in company. Nevertheless I enjoy meeting up with her; we have known each other through DC for over 20 years and have plenty to talk about.

Then why does she arrange to meet for brunch or lunch?? Why not just meet at 4pm for coffee?

@Zone2NorthLondon why is it asinine? I'm saying many people, clearly including the OP, feel strongly about people who fuck about with food all the time.l and others feel strongly about people who feel strongly, which is quite funny. So she is not being unreasonable either way, never mind the poll.

Thank god you said this, or I'd have ended up posting irritated replies all over the thread!

OP: "It's annoying when people go on & on about how little they eat".

MN: "I eat very little! Very very little! I barely eat! How very dare you say anything about how little some people eat! I eat very little!"

🙄

😆

👏😂

A klaxon goes off for all under eaters to Rock up and announce they can only manage a slither,a crumb,half a thimble of consommé

I think next time someone reaches for the smelling salts over my lunch, I'll just say "Challenge accepted!" and eat the whole thing if it kills me.

I'll never lose the last of my lockdown weight that way, but I don't care. Some things are worth being fat for.

On second thought, the next time someone starts competitive undereating with me, I'll probably just eat them.

😂

But @EVHead - what a total waste of delicious food!! Surely you had a hubby or kids to take it home to? Or say 'I've got a friend round for coffee tomorrow, she'll love these cakes' etc. Afternoon tea is so expensive aswell!

Dammit @IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece I now want one of the delicious looking Danish buns. Some googling has suggested Ole and Steen do them, and though I had an initial panic that I'd missed the boat and would have to wait til 2024 for them, their website promises they will serve them until 28 Feb.

So I shall go and aquire one at lunchtime tomorrow (and eat it all, even if I have had lunch!).

my Mum does this allllll the time. Can never “finish” a meal, even if she’s left half a carrot baton. Tedious, I tune out.
I had a colleague once lecture me on my choice of snack (an apple!) and comment that I ought to swap for courgette. Yes, totally normal to munch a mid morning marrow.

I hate the other type of performative eating just as much. The one where the eater takes tiny, tiny bites of food and chews it very slowly, while shielding their mouth with the non-eating hand. Jaysus! I know you’re eating love but why are you acting like it’s a dirty secret that cannot, must not, be witnessed by anyone even your dining conpanion? Also, cutting all their food into the aforesaid tiny, tiny pieces in advance of eating any of it so they can eat with only one hand. Because one of the two hands normal people use for cutlery is otherwise required for ‘camouflage duty!. Bonkers!
Do people who do this think it’s proper etiquette? I’m guessing not as they also tend to be part of the same misguided group who refer to ‘myself’ inappropriately.

This comment wins the thread!