Alright…
So, by now I’ve completely broken the rule I made to not talk about people I work with, but who cares.
Previously, I told a fun story about a co-worker’s plight with the new vending machine at the office, and then I talked about a number of co-worker’s always pointing out my healthy eating habits like I reinvented the wheel.
I couldn’t help it this time.
Before I tell this story, let me be clear that the only reason I’m going to pick on this person is because she is not just big, but I happen to know that she confides in multiple people around the office to talk about her efforts to lose weight and exercise. So, when I see her fail utterly horribly at it on a regular basis, all the while being upset with herself because she supposedly “has been so good lately”, I just have no sympathy. You’ll understand why in a minute.
My office sees a lot of bad foods appear out of nowhere. Whether it’s people that don’t want to suck down an entire tin of assorted cookies that was gifted to them, so they bring them into the break room for everyone to share, or a vendor brings in several dozen Krispy Kreme donuts to show their appreciation or to try and get our business, there’s a lot of junk around.
The other day was a big day.
A party in my mouth
One vendor brought in 6 dozen donuts, so we put some into each of the two break rooms in the office. ANOTHER vendor (that usually brings donuts) brought in an assortment of muffins and danishes, and a platter of vegetables with ranch dressing dip. Do you see where I’m going with this?
I happened to walk into break room #2, and I see our lady picking out a donut. Normally I wouldn’t think anything of it, because I got one myself. But, she says this to me:
I was planning on being good today!”
Perhaps, in a moment of perplexity, I told a co-worker what she had said to me in hopes of maybe getting a better idea of how one would respond to a comment like that. When I posed this question, I was told that she had seen that same woman doing and saying the exact same thing in break room #1 only a few minutes prior! She was grabbing donuts and making excuses to anyone who would listen in both break rooms! I’m still not sure how to respond to her comment.
What would you say to that?? Let’s brainstorm:
- “I’m sorry?”
- “Well, then, why aren’t you?”
- “Is there something I can do to help?”
- “Do you want me to hide the donuts?”
- “Save me some?”
No. You can’t say any of these. There is no response to that, unless you want to be chastised. Even if you were trying to help.
Moving forward… As the morning pokes along, I find out that she pops in to get another donut and/or donut and muffin 2 or 3 more times before lunchtime.
Then, the quote of the day comes along. A co-worker and I were standing around talking for a bit at about 12:30pm, at the proverbial “water cooler”, if you will. The woman of topic then appears and heads on a path to walk by us, clearly having just left the break room, as she is holding in each hand two packs of two muffins (8 muffins total). FYI, these aren’t wheat bran muffins. These are chocolate chip and chocolate-chocolate chip muffins.
Upon appearing, she sees us and is giggling with a huge smile on her face. We continue to talk. She gets closer and is giggling louder, and interrupts us by saying this:
I don’t think I’ve had any real food today!! Tee hee!”
The feeling of helplessness with not knowing what to say to this throws the previous quote out of the window.
“These are chocolate chip and chocolate chocolate chip muffins.”
Great now I am hungry for junk food.
“I don’t think I’ve had any real food today!! Tee hee!””
Oh, that food is real. Real full of calories and almost completely devoid of nutrients. She is apparently just playing a game of justifying herself to anyone in ear shot- but no doubt is actually trying to justify her bad habits (which she must at some level acknowledge as such) to herself.
Thanks for sharing the post…good reading!
I can not think of a reply that won’t get you kicked right in the huevos.
I read this post yesterday, started to comment and realized that I had no idea what I would say to this person.
If you laugh it off, are you not being a hypocrite?
If you attempt to sit down and have a heart to heart, she would probably be offended and report you to HR.
If you mock her, you get the kick in the eggs.
So, obviously I am of no help whatsoever.
Sorry
“i was planning on being good today!”
“aww, you still can, just have one!”
That’s not bad.
But seriously, I really don’t think she wanted a response, or expected one.
If I were to say that, I think it would stop her in her tracks, and cause her to immediately go on the defensive.
i agree she didn’t want a response, but was justifying to herself.
[...] keep updated, you can read up on my last post about her at “More fun Co-Worker Stories!!“ Also, keep in mind that the only reason I am choosing to pick on this person in-particular [...]
[...] More fun Co-Worker Stories!! [...]
[...] More fun Co-Worker Stories!! [...]
This Co-worker has no interests in losing weight, IE, no serious interests. Sure, she would like to be slim, fit, and be able to enjoy a healthy diet. However, she is a foodaholic. There is little different from being an alcoholic. I know, because I am both a foodaholic and an alcoholic.
I stopped drinking in 1982, however, it took considerably longer to realize that I was a foodaholic. Since there is basically no radially available information on food addiction, it is very difficult for anyone to do the very involved research needed to determine what would be a healthy diet, much less find out how to stop eating shit disguised as food. This difficulty is compounded to the extreme by the food industry and the food lobby (see the choke and die food pyramid put out by the United States Government).
In my opinion, a round, holed object make from pastry flour, deep fried, then coated in sugar is not in any shape or form, food. Until a person can come to this realization his or herself, they will never be able to overcome their addiction. This is the same will alcoholism. If you don’t admit to the fact that you are an alcoholic, then you will never be able to stop drinking.
Ugh. This drives me up the wall. It bothers me immensely that people feel the need to justify this crap. There are these women at work and we eat lunch together and have been out to eat together several times. They both are continuously trying to lose weight and failing. One of their favorite games is to try and get me to order desert. After eating I am full. Sometimes I want desert, but more often than not I’m uninterested. The conversation goes thusly:
them: I want a [insert desert food here] look that says, you should order too so I don’t feel guilty.
me: So get one.
them: Oh, but I’m on such and such diet and I’m being good today.
me: Then don’t get one.
them: But I want one! Don’t you want one?
me: no. *shoots self in foot*
I hate this game. The only thing that keeps me from giving up completely is knowing that I’m not supporting their little mind games.
oops…bad editing on my part…sorry.
That should read: [insert desert food here] (give me a look that says…etc.)
“I was planning on being good today!”
Now you see the problem! The devil inside us knows if we are planning to be good and then brings us temptation so we fail and become ‘bad’.
I feel for that lady, but like the rest of us she must fight the temptation that leads us not to do good whether it’s for our body or other.
Believe me, if you know you are not meant to have a single donut, then leave the oh, so tempting Krispy Kreme alone because for goodness sake it can do harm to your body!
Also, it was funny! ; ) Makes up for my detention cos I’ve a computer in the classroom!
“Ugh. This drives me up the wall. It bothers me immensely that people feel the need to justify this crap. There are these women at work and we eat lunch together and have been out to eat together several times. They both are continuously trying to lose weight and failing. One of their favorite games is to try and get me to order desert. After eating I am full. Sometimes I want desert, but more often than not I’m uninterested. The conversation goes thusly:
them: I want a [insert desert food here] look that says, you should order too so I don’t feel guilty.
me: So get one.
them: Oh, but I’m on such and such diet and I’m being good today.
me: Then don’t get one.
them: But I want one! Don’t you want one?
me: no. *shoots self in foot*
I hate this game. The only thing that keeps me from giving up completely is knowing that I’m not supporting their little mind games.”
- Rachel
Amen, sister! hahaha, I have so many people in my life who feel like they have to have someone on their junkfood bandwagon so they don’t feel guilty. Where did this safety in numbers mentality of junk food consumption begin?
I am a reforming fat person myself, and after a year or so of healthy lifestylin’ and turning away numerous desserts, I find I am often uninterested and don’t understand why so many people can’t seen to consume any meal without having to “end the meal” with a dessert. WTF?
Holy crap!! How can one person eat that many donuts?! I mean I can see 1 (or maybe even 2 on a *really* bad cheat), but it sounds like this lady at at least a half-dozen if not more. I honestly didn’t know that was humanly possible.
“i was planning on being good today!”
Your response is ” you can still be, you doan have to eat it” with a caring smile. Once again you and ur gossiping co-workers have nothing good to say. You ever thought that you could be her friend and help to guide her with your ever noticeable good eating habits? Doan wanna sound like a broken record but she needs help.