The Food Pusher

We all have them in our lives. The "Evil Food Pusher". They are just as destructive to your success as the "Back-handed Compliment Relative" or the "Misery Loves Company Foodie". We have all had those experiences where in our minds we are lunging over the table, grabbing the person by the throat and stuffing them like a turkey just to shut them up but instead we usually smile and (not to disappoint) give in to their food pushing ways. Since the holidays are right around the corner I found an article that gives some good advice on the subject:

They should be your biggest supporters: your best friend, your mother-in-law, your sister. You tell them you are committed to changing your eating habits to lower cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. They offer their full support, and then five minutes later, they hand you a brownie.

Don’t blame them; most food pushers aren’t trying to derail you. Believe it or not, they’re trying to please you. The best way to handle them is to understand them and kill them with kindness
Identify your food pushers and the impact they have on your diet.

Food Pushers Are:

•People who ask you if you want something they know isn’t part of your diet plan.
•People who tell you that you look beautiful the way you are, when you know you’re at an unhealthy weight.
•People who give you dessert when you don’t ask for it.
•People who insist you eat something, when you’ve already said no.
If the impact is substantial, tell them how their actions hinder your weight-loss success. During the conversation, ask for their help. Be clear in those requests. Let the person know whether you want moral support, encouragement, guidance, or assistance with discipline.

The key is to remember not to take their pushing personally. They often do it unintentionally.
A convention in polite society is to offer food more than once. Just say ”No, thank you” without any explanations. If you have to, say it over and over. The food pusher will get the message that you are not going to take the food, while you are still being polite.

Katherine Tallmadge, R.D., a Washington, D.C., nutrition consultant and author of Diet Simple (LifeLine Press, 2002), agrees.

“If you say ‘No, thanks, I’m watching it’ or ‘I’m on a diet,’ you are giving the pusher a double signal,” she says. “You are telling them ‘I’d like it, I just can’t have it; talk me into it.’ Odds are, they will.”
When you act like the diet you’re on is frustrating, the people around you will pick up on it.

Food pushers will subconsciously think it’s the broccoli that’s making you so unhappy, so they will keep asking you if you want a something sweet or extra-salty to boost your mood. The people who are around you most, and love you, don’t want to see you miserable because of what you’re eating, especially when they feel like dessert will make you feel better
Offering someone food can be an expression of love. If the food gets rejected, the person offering it feels rejected. You see this a lot with mothers and in-laws.

For family situations, compliment the food pusher on the foods you want more of. If your sister-in-law makes a terrific salad in addition to high-fat treats, tell her how much you look forward to eating her salads.

Most food pushers aim to please, so when they keep hearing about what you love to eat, they’ll get the hint and start making the things you enjoy most
Backing up your healthy lifestyle with explainable goals will help you keep food pushers at bay.

Know Your Weight and Health Numbers
When you know your blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol levels, you will be able to better determine and fully understand appropriate goals for yourself and, if you’re comfortable, share them with others.

Eat Breakfast Every Day
When you start your day with a healthful breakfast, you’ll feel more satisfied and you’ll be less hungry when a food pusher offers you something.

Find Supportive Friends
Everyone needs a little motivation and inspiration. Reaching your goals will be much easier if you have a strong support group at your side (and with you to face a food pusher).

Don’t Let Others Bring You Down
Some food pushers feel guilty about their own eating habits and want you to join in so they can feel better about themselves. Say no to their pushing: See if they want to join you in your new, healthy ways.

When a food pusher asks you if you want that doughnut, remind yourself of what’s important. That small treat may be just one little snack, but it could lead to a load of other snacks. And when you say “No, thanks,” realize that you are healthier because you rejected it.

Tell the people who love you about your plans to eat healthfully and exercise. Knowing that you’ll live longer and have more time with them will mean a lot more than eating those empty calories.