(Pictured above: Me and my girlfriend pretending I’m asking her to eat a whole box of truffles. Lol.)
In a perfect world, people wouldn’t try to sabotage others diets!
However, if you’ve been dieting for awhile you know that diet saboteurs are incredibly common.
They’ll say things like:
“Oh, you can have one piece. You’ll be fiiiinnee.”
“Really? A diet soda?”
Which at first sound innocent, but really they’re causing you to sabotage your diet!
Here are 26 ways to stop a friend from sabotaging your diet
Sidenote: Sometimes diet saboteurs mean well, and just want you to try their new recipe. Or have some other reason they want you to eat more. While others, have much worse intentions. Not all diet saboteurs really means to hurt you.
PLEASE READ: Congratulations if you’re here! I know it’s tough to take on diet saboteurs. You got this! Before we start, I’d just like to say that this is what has helped me personally. These strategies might not work for you.
Please leave a comment below if you have any more tips for me or others. Myself, and others who read this blog would be incredibly appreciative.
#26 – Tell them in advance you’re on a diet –
Surprisingly, This has turned many saboteurs completely around. Ready to help me with my diet. Instead of asking me why I wouldn’t eat their food and being upset, they’d come to me beforehand and ask if the food they prepared would be okay for my diet. I think the reason this helps is because instead of being let down when they bring something to me, this stops them from ever thinking it would be a good idea in the first place. I’m not exactly sure if this is why, but I highly recommend you give it a shot!
#25 Give them a soft no –
Sometimes, people just aren’t good at being told no. While you might think most adults should be used to it by now, some simply aren’t and will get upset if you just tell them flat out no, you don’t want something. I make my nos softer by telling them I appreciate them and their offer, but that I can’t. This usually works. Sometimes, they still stay upset however. When this happens, I end up doing the next one on this list.
#24 If you’re dealing with someone who’s upset you’re telling them no, walk away tactfully. –
Sometimes, this is unfortunately the only option. Some people are just…..honestly slightly toxic. They will get angry and upset the more time you spend with them after telling them no. I find when dealing with these types of people it’s sometimes best to walk away and let them cool off. If that doesn’t work though, it’s best to move on to the next option on this list.
#23 Tell them you can’t be friends with them if they continue to harass you to eat more –
In order for this to work, you need to actually follow through. I know this seems harsh, but your health is literally a life or death situation and it should be taken very seriously. As a sidenote, if the person won’t stop at this point………maybe it’s best not to be friends with this type of person in the first place.
#22 If they seem jealous – respond by making them feel better. –
Many times, I’ve noticed that people start to get jealous of your weight loss. When dealing with someone like this, I’ll usually give them a compliment and then proceed to tell them why I can’t eat it. The compliment also brightens their mood.
#21 Tell them you want to but can’t –
This is one I use a lot with people who really aren’t toxic and just are trying to be nice. With these people though you can generally tell them no anyway you want and they don’t care, but this at least shows them you appreciate the thought.
#20 Say yes but actually mean no –
For some reason, this has worked surprisingly well for me. I haven’t done this to many times, and most times it’s by accident. But mostly it does work for me. An example of this was this thanksgiving, I was asked to eat a piece of cake I didn’t want. ”Oh come on, it’s thanksgiving – you already said you were gonna go over today.” I was already way over my calories. I ended up caving and agreed it did sound good and that I’d eat another piece. (And it really did, and I really did mean to eat it) But eventually I just forgot to go get the piece, and everyone had moved on to other stuff.
#19 Explain why you’re doing what you’re doing –
Sometimes, people just don’t understand why you’re dieting. They think that you’re fine and that it’s not a big deal if you have an extra slice or whatever they’re offering. If you explain why you’re dieting, sometimes it helps get people to understand your side of things. Yes, it can be frustrating sometimes to explain this to people – but it really does work.
#18 Sometimes, just say no. –
It’s really in your best interest sometimes to just be blunt. I know sometimes that diet saboteurs can be rude back, but your health is more important than their feelings. Just be prepared in case things do get ugly. Some people need to just have things their way no matter what.
#17 Accept the offer but make the food healthier –
Sometimes, this ends up being the best option. Especially when people want to go out to eat somewhere, when it’s harder to say no to an entire group. I’ll just choose a healthier option. Most restaurants have some type of healthier option available.
#16 Avoid them –
as ridiculous as this option is, I’ve done it before. It does work! Also, you don’t have to completely avoid them. Just avoid them when you know there is a high possibility of them trying to sabotage your diet. Of course, don’t be to obvious however or they might call you out.
#15 Find out why they’re doing it –
This will help you decide how to approach the situation – Sometimes, you find out that they’re really not trying to sabotage you. Many people have different reasons for why they are encouraging you to eat more. For instance they may just think you’re shy and not want to impose. Not everyone has malicious intentions. It’s better to find out than to assume immediately what their intentions are.
#14 Have an intervention with them –
Personally, I’ve never had to go this far. But I’ve DEFINITELY considered it before. If you have to go this far, I definitely recommend you look to reddit for advice. Many people on the app have had to confront friends and even close family members. They are extremely helpful, and can steer you in the right direction so you can have a successful intervention.
#13 Plan to simply cheat on meals during this time –
I know, this can be slightly controversial. However, I decided to add this to the list because I know this might help someone. Sometimes, it is okay to cheat. 100% okay. I’ve been cheating weekly for awhile, and I’ve lost 100+ pounds so far. Weeks like thanksgiving, I cheat the entire week. I think it’s okay! Maybe we don’t always need to be so hard on ourselves. I know a lot of people are hard on themselves and that’s why they have problems dieting. When they have one failure they get depressed and that just leads to negative thinking which leads to more failure. Just remember it’s okay to not be perfect. If we do fail, just pick yourself back up again.
#12 Deflect with a funny comment –
This one actually works quite a bit, that only works with the right type of person. But a little self deprecating humor sometimes really does lighten the mood and takes the conversation in a different direction.
#11 If they press the issue just tactfully ignore them –
I learned this from my girlfriend. Who is………an expert at this. Sometimes the best thing to do is to just ignore the request. I usually do this by talking to someone else if someone else is there or by changing the subject. This can be hard to do however, and does take a little bit of practice.
#10 Put them on the spot and ask them how they’d feel if you did this to them –
(WARNING be careful with this method) – I’ve done this before, and it definitely left some bad tension between the recipient and myself. I’d exercise a lot of caution with going with this method and generally this is a last resort method. The recipient has a big chance of getting offended. On the positive side however, they are much less likely to ask in the future and will generally remember the incident and will not try to get you to sabotage your diet again. Of course, there are some people who will escalate even further and these people are genuinely people that I would cut out of my life. There’s no need for anything like that.
#9 Thank them. Then say no, then explain why –
This is usually how I go about it, and usually it works. Most of the time halfway through my explanation of my diet they get tired of the conversation and end it themselves or change the subject. The reason I think this method works so well, is because I thank them first. Which makes them more receptive to what I have to say. If this method doesn’t work, I usually try to find a few different ways to explain before moving on to being more firm with them. Sometimes, people really just have a hard time understanding your reasoning. They think “You’ll be fine, you can diet later.”
#8 They may simply not be aware they’re sabotaging your diet –
ask if they know you’re on one – This might sound strange, but sometimes people simply don’t know. Or they might’ve forgotten that you’re on one. Reminding them or telling them you’re on one can help them understand where you’re coming from. Many times, people simply forget that I’m on a diet. Even if I’ve explained to them many many times. Of course, it is possible that they’re not actually forgetting and they really do want to sabotage my diet. But as long as they stop trying to sabotage my diet it’s okay with me. Even if it can be annoying to explain it over and over.
#7 Stop being friends with them –
Sometimes, it can be a hard pill to swallow…..but not everyone is good for us to keep as friends. Even people we’ve known for a long time, it’s best to let them go. It doesn’t have to necessarily be forever. Just remember your health is more important than your friendship with others. It’s a harsh truth, but sometimes we just have to make difficult decisions for ourselves.
#6 Make yourself less approachable by becoming less close with that person –
“Some people are best in small doses” as an old neighbor of mine used to say. I totally agree, and I’ve noticed that some people the closer you get to them……the more they want to control you. This is exhausting, and not really a friend I want to have. So, if you can I definitely suggest distancing yourself from the diet saboteur if possible. This isn’t my first choice when it comes to dealing with saboteurs, but sometimes it’s necessary.
#5 Control the conversation with questions –
This might seem like it wouldn’t work, but you can direct a conversation by asking questions so you guys only talk about things you want to talk about. Even if they do cut you off, and ask you to eat – you can politely say no, and then ask a different question in order to steer the conversation in another direction. You’d be surprised, no ones called me out on this yet!
#4 Compromise so they feel like they win –
This is a strange tactic, but sometimes people just have this weird need to win. It can be annoying, but because of this I’ve realized if I say something like. “Okay, I’ll have one bite.” They’ll usually stop harassing me. For some reason this makes them feel like they won. Having to compromise can be annoying, but it’s sometimes a good option when you’re tired and don’t want to argue but still want to stick to your diet. Yes, I know this is not an ideal way to deal with a saboteur. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.
#3 Tell them your diet plan specifically –
I honestly have no idea why this works, but when I tell people exactly what my diet entails, for some reason they get on my side sometimes and want to help. Maybe they understand more once they know the details, or maybe it just shows them I’m serious. I’m not sure.
#2 Tell them your meals are pre planned meals –
This is sort of an easy way of explaining your diet – without telling them you’re on one. By just telling people you pre plan your meals, you stop people from asking more questions about your diet. It’s short and sweet and easy. Also you get to skip the comments like “oh honey, you don’t need to go on a diet” or similar.
#1 Give them a very weird reason.
(This works well for people who don’t think you need to diet) – When it comes to my grandmother, I’ve noticed if I ever tell her I’m on a diet she will go on a spiel about how I’m young and young people don’t need to diet you just need exercise. Rather than argue with her, I just tell her strange reasons that don’t have anything to do with my diet that I’m not interested in seconds. Yes, it is dishonest……but it’s just easier than feeling pressured to eat when you don’t want to.
More Quick tips for dating plus size
ALWAYS Plan ahead before seeing these people – When you don’t plan ahead, you’re much more inclined to give in and just say yes. Since you’re not prepared with something to say.
Remember not to take it personally – Sometimes, dust saboteyrs really do mean well. They might just be trying make you feel better about getting another piece, you never really know. Regardless, even if they do have bad intentions…..it’s best if you just shrug it off and don’t take it to heart.
Remember with some people, they simply are not going to change no matter what you do – I’ve had a hard time personally accepting this sometimes. But, sometimes it really is best to just accept how things are and move on from them. Some people really are stuck in their ways and won’t budge.
Remember not to get angry with them – in general, it’s not the best idea to get angry with anyone. However, I strongly encourage you to watch yourself around toxic people. They don’t forgive and forget to put it lightly.
Conclusion:
Thank you SO SO MUCH for reading this article. I really hope you enjoyed this, and gained something from it.
if you have ANY tips or advice, please consider leaving a comment. A lot of people read this blog and I (and them) would seriously appreciate it.
Again, thank you so much for reading!!!!
-Cameron