Outside Influences Affecting Your Diet
“Just have a little bit. A little bit wont hurt”
“Go on, treat yourself. You deserve it. You’ve been so good!”
They say it in such a reassuring tone don’t they? It’s as if they know. It makes you think it really wont matter. I mean, how could it? It’s only a little bit.
Never mind that little bit of goodness is the reason you’re in this situation to begin with. Just a little bit every now and then. Surely though now you’ve eaten clean for a few days you can get away with a little treat.
A reward for a job well done.
A little incentive to work hard for the next few days of clean eating.
A shock to the system so it doesn’t get used to eating the same thing.
This is the right thing to do.
“Ok, just a little bit.”
Ahhhh the collective sigh of approval from all those around you as you chew and swallow that sugary wonder. You’re part of the gang. You share common ground with those closest to you.
How could you possibly consider going against the grain and actually stick to a diet? God forbid you might actually get results and then where would you be? Looking good? Have less fat? Fitting clothes? Not hating yourself every time you look in the mirror? Pft! But would you really be happy? Don’t answer that. Drown those silly thoughts with some wine and flood your brain with sugar from a slice of cake. You’ll forget all about those aspirations you had of improving yourself.
God dammit people piss me off! Not the people who are trying to diet. The other people. The friends, family, co-workers! The ones who ignore that a person is trying to do something. The ones that don’t listen to the simple words “No thank you, im on a diet” and guilt a person into eating bad food, because its “not social” to not do what everyone else is doing.
Fuck being social!
Fuck off and let me diet!
Being social means spending time with others. If I choose to eat or drink the same is completely irrelevant. I’m here! I’m social. Leave me alone!
When we go to a restaurant we all order different food. We don’t coordinate to be the same. There are eight of us so that will be eight of the exact same meal. NO! We all order different food. So why does it matter if I bring my own food with me. How is that being unsocial? You eat yours, ill eat mine. Lets all smile and play nice!
There is a long history of people doing things together. Girls must always accompany one another to the bathroom for instance. So the notion of all friends must share the same girth really isn’t that hard fathom I guess.
But every now and then there is that one sneaky friend who gets ideas. Ideas of possibly changing something they don’t like. Not just talking about it, but actually doing it. Conversations turn from “one day im going to do…….” with no intention of ever doing. To, “today I started doing…….” This is seen as a threat to the group and is normally responded to with hostility.
Snide remarks of “Sorry I shouldn’t eat this in front of you should I?” or “I bet this food is really tempting to you” or my favourite, “Aren’t you sick of eating the same thing every day?” start to come out frequently. Delivered with such patronizing sarcasm you just want to stab the person in the neck with the fork holding their chocolaty desert.
All of a sudden the person is left out of social gatherings. Why would they be invited? Its not like they’re going to eat and drink with everyone else? They’re on a diet. People on diets can’t be social apparently.
The person is socially punished for making the mistake putting themselves first.
Lets be fat together.
Real friends are always supportive of each other. The condition to that is : so long as that support stays within the confines of the group, and doesn’t require too much effort.
I understand dieting is a personal thing. There really is no excuse for not sticking to something. You see your reflection in the mirror and no one else’s. However, when family and friends ignore what you’re trying to do by saying, “just have a bit, it won’t hurt” it is a massive sign of disrespect.
Never be ashamed to scream, “I’m sick of looking like shit. I’m sick of feeling disgusting. I’m sick of being fat. Seriously, fuck off and let me diet!”