Is your boyfriend, girlfriend, other friend, family member, or significant other pushing food? Has someone guilted you into eating by telling you “I’ve been cooking all day preparing this food?” Do they say Taste this, try that, Is that all you’re eating?
Saying No thank you should be enough but often, a food pusher has already put a few tablespoons of their food onto your plate even before you are able to look at the food you already have on your plate. Sometimes an over-zealous table-mate will over-order every course and ask for extra forks and spoons for everyone. In doing this, they become not only yours but everyone else’s food pusher. I actually had someone zoom near my mouth with a fork full of food while saying Open wide! When someone is trying to control what you eat, they may also be trying to control you. What do you do when this happens?
How to push back the pusher: Some things to say:
1. No thank you, I’m fine.
2. No thanks, I’m good.
3. Nothing for me, but you go ahead.
4. I don’t want it. (I don’t like it.)
5. I’m just not hungry.
6. I ate a big lunch.
7. I’m okay.
8. It’s too much food for me; I’m a small person.
9. I’ve had enough.
10. Try some of mine. (role reversal)
11. I have to eat with __________ later.
12. I’ll eat a little and doggie bag the rest.
13. You go ahead and eat and I’ll keep you company.
14. I’m just enjoying sitting here with you and relaxing while I eat.
Some things you can do:
a. Ask questions and wait for answers between bites of food.
b. Sip water before resuming eating.
c. Distract your pusher from paying attention to what is on your plate.
d. Thank the pusher for being so kind while you smile and push the food away.
Use any of the above suggestions alone or in combination with each other. I always tell others that if the dish in front of you contained pickled octopus eyeballs, you’d most likely figure out a way to not eat it.