To think I’m NOT a teeny tiny foodie

[orangita]

Or maybe I am and I just don’t realise it🥴

I work in an office and we’ve been incredibly busy recently, made worse by the fact we’re extremely unstaffed. It’s been stressful and frustrating and over the last few months we’ve had several occasions where our manager has bought us pizza or ice cream to say thank you. I never accept it but I don’t make a big show about saying no, I don’t harp on about it being unhealthy etc I just say ‘thank you anyway but no thanks!’ when they come round asking for orders. But now people have started rolling their eyes and passing comment about the fact I don’t want anything asking why not and what’s wrong with me and why I’m not eating etc and now people somehow think it’s because I’m one of those annoying people that make a big show about not eating (eg ‘omg I am sooo full!!!!’ After eating half a biscuit lol) but that’s not the case at all and I’ve never ever said anything like that. The reason I don’t want anything is because I’m lactose intolerant and it will literally go straight through me and the last place I want to have cramps and an upset stomach is work! I only once agreed to get an ice cream and picked the only dairy free option and somehow ended up getting a dairy option which I didn’t realise 30 minutes later when I literally had to leave work I was so unwell. So now I just politely say no thanks etc. I have explained that the reason I don’t want anything is because pizza, chocolate, ice cream etc has dairy and I’d rather not but somehow people still roll their eyes at me when I don’t have an ice cream at my desk and they have been passing comments suggesting I’m one of those teeny tiny annoying people and it’s really starting to irritate me because that’s not me at all. I’m a size 6 but only through lucky genetics absolutely nothing to do with my diet which is atrocious tbh- I had half (dairy free) cake for breakfast today lol. I don’t care about calories but I care about being unwell at work

am I being unreasonable to feel slightly annoyed at this?? Everytime they order a treat for the office I genuinely dread it because my colleagueswill be rolling their eyes at me and passing comments under their breath just because i don’t want something

I think it helps if others are vegan/veggie or other dietaries in the same place.

My new place is amazing with having good options I can eat as well as others with dietary requirements

I think people can be weird around food, but do you eat other food in front of your Co workers op ?
if someone was as slim as you and I never saw them eating, I would wonder if / when / what they ate. I wouldn’t say anything and try to force food onto them though.

I’d just keep repeating- I can’t join in due to an allergy. Tell Manager I’ll have the cash instead.
In that is she joking is she serious way that turns the discomfort back on them.

It's bullying.

But even if you were obsessed with food and weight, it would still be none of your colleagues’ business if you turned down an ice cream. If someone says “Not for me, thanks” the correct response is “Anything else we can get you instead?” and if the response is still “No thanks” then you say “OK, no problem” and leave it.

Exactly. Why should OP look for something she can eat, if basically she doesn’t want anything. I don’t have any allergies or intolerances. I am on a diet though and I’ve worked bloody hard since April. If I eat some pizza or chips or an ice cream it’s not like I’m going to immediately put any weight on, but if eat it every day then it will start to go back on. And it also gives me a taste for this sort of thing and make me want more. I wouldn’t want to be pressured into eating these things right now. No thanks should mean no thanks which means stop the comments and shut up already.

I can't believe that the pizza and ice cream thing happens on such a regular basis or that the entire office is quite so invested in what everyone else is eating as op making out.
How often is this actually a problem?

It'll be your weight. I've had endless comments at similar sizes.

Just say, ‘I’d love to but I’m lactose intolerant and anything with dairy in it given me sudden uncontrollable diarrhoea’.

Op has said

I don’t particularly care about it and I’m happy not being involved

I can’t be bothered because I don’t care about it in the first place

SHE DOESN'T CARE

Just say you have ti be careful as you have food intolerances

The real question is, @orangita...

Have you cancelled the bloody cheque yet?

@NyanBinaryJohn I have absolutely no clue what you’re talking about!

Didn’t expect to wake up to so many comments! Thanks for all the advice. I’m really not fussed about the food but in future I’ll try to get involved in the ordering for the odd occasion so at least every few months I’m involved and can get something I can eat. Like someone else up thread commented, the dairy free options are sometimes a bit crap and without sounding like a martyr, I’m more than happy just to work after my lunch without having to eat an ice lolly so people don’t bitch about me. Oh well I suppose people will always find something to talk about!

The reason for OP not eating the food is utterly irrelevant.

1. Diet? Who cares.
2. Doesn't like the food? Who cares.
3. Feels it's a cheap way to keep staff working extra hard for free? Who cares.
4. Food intolerances/allergies? Who cares.
5. Just doesn't fancy it? Who cares.

The only thing that is a problem is colleagues being dicks towards her, and her manager should shut that nonsense down.

And for the love of all that is holy, please stop telling someone to share their personal medical info to get people off their backs. In this case she has tried and it hasn't worked, but the fact of the matter remains that personal medical info is no one's business but the OP's.

Ha!

There was a thread a few years ago about a wedding where the OP had given a cheque, and the couple questioned the value of the gift (implying it wasn't good enough). Early on OP made it clear that the cheque had been cashed but despite that, for days posters would come on to say "you should cancel the cheque".

The number of people here telling you to just share your medical history because they are too lazy to read even just your updates is reminiscent of that thread.

Your work environment sounds awful. A boss buying everyone pizza and ice cream doesn’t make up for being very understaffed and overworked. Do you get paid overtime? Personally I’d look for a new job rather than keep working with such horrible people. The lack of understanding about your health issue is a symptom of a selfish boss and ignorant colleagues.