Food Pressure: Coworker Edition

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I am returning to a facility where I have previously worked as an STNA to work for the last few months of my LPN-to-RN program (as an LPN). It's a LTC facility, nothing fancy, not in a ritzy part of town, but the people that work there are so lovely.

Trouble is, loving people often try to show their love by feeding you. I had a lot of food pressure when I worked there before. Was treated like a crazy person when I brought healthy lunches from home. And on one occasion I was even told off for not eating pizza that I was "supposed to be eating" (and gave in to this pressure and didn't eat my own lunch that night).

Nurses are stressed out and self-soothe with food. I get that. I just don't want to eat things that don't make me feel good. How do I acknowledge that I appreciate my coworkers are trying to take care of me by including me in the 1 am pizza or Chinese food order but still opt out gracefully?

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

claim lots of weird food allergies.....

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Don't 'claim' nothin'. So you want to eat healthy...just do it. Take care of you first, and healthy food is step #1. You just tell 'em you bring your own meals because you want to eat healthy.

You can do this in a nice way yet still leave no doubt that you want to eat healthy on a regular basis. Have some pizza or chinese on rare occasion (like 1x a month or so).

oh, and were you really "told off" for not joining in on the pizza party? Hard to wrap my head around being bullied into eating pizza, just hard to imagine.

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.

You do you. Don't worry. Or bring in a tray of healthy snacks to share. :)

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.

My coworkers are not that pushy. I always get asked and when I decline, that's it. I do appreciate being included as you never know when I might want to indulge.

I would just continue to decline politely. I'm not making up anything just because I don't want pizza, subs, Mexican, doughnuts etc.

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Don't 'claim' nothin'. So you want to eat healthy...just do it. Take care of you first, and healthy food is step #1. You just tell 'em you bring your own meals because you want to eat healthy.

You can do this in a nice way yet still leave no doubt that you want to eat healthy on a regular basis. Have some pizza or chinese on rare occasion (like 1x a month or so).

oh, and were you really "told off" for not joining in on the pizza party? Hard to wrap my head around being bullied into eating pizza, just hard to imagine.

Yes, I was told off. It was weird. When they were ordering and invited me to eat I said "no, thanks", when that didn't work I reminded them that I bring my lunch, when that didn't work I said I didn't have any cash on me and wouldn't be able to chip in and I really didn't need any anyway.

Then when the pizza arrived the nurse told me he was really hurt that I would eat my lunch instead of joining him in the large pizza he bought to share with me (that I hadn't been informed of until I was walking down the hall with my heated lunch to the break room). We were friendly and I'm sure he felt like he was taking care of me... but goodness gracious. So much drama over a gal not wanting pizza.

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If they are offering to be gracious, they will have no problem accepting a polite refusal.

If they have trouble with that, they really aren't being gracious.

You are set either way.

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Don't 'claim' nothin'. So you want to eat healthy...just do it. Take care of you first, and healthy food is step #1. You just tell 'em you bring your own meals because you want to eat healthy.

You can do this in a nice way yet still leave no doubt that you want to eat healthy on a regular basis. Have some pizza or chinese on rare occasion (like 1x a month or so).

oh, and were you really "told off" for not joining in on the pizza party? Hard to wrap my head around being bullied into eating pizza, just hard to imagine.

Yes, I was told off. It was weird. When they were ordering and invited me to eat I said "no, thanks", when that didn't work I reminded them that I bring my lunch, when that didn't work I said I didn't have any cash on me and wouldn't be able to chip in and I really didn't need any anyway.

Then when the pizza arrived the nurse told me he was really hurt that I would eat my lunch instead of joining him in the large pizza he bought to share with me (that I hadn't been informed of until I was walking down the hall with my heated lunch to the break room). We were friendly and I'm sure he felt like he was taking care of me... but goodness gracious. So much drama over a gal not wanting pizza.

So after all that weird guilt and pressure I caved and ate the pizza.

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Specializes in Pediatric.

I get food pressure where I work also. Sometimes instead of no I will say, "Oh.. Maybe later, I'm busy right now." I don't have to say no and they don't have to be disappointed.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I always bring my lunch but appreciate that my sweet coworkers still ask me if I want anything despite me never getting whatever they are ordering. Of course I still sit with them and eat I just have whatever I brought. For me its about being healthy as well as frugal. The money they spend on ordering out is shocking to me. Like someone else said bringing in a tray of healthy snacks for everyone to enjoy would probably be most welcome and might even start a trend.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

I'm not quite sure I'm understanding this "food pressure" ... and the term itself is not something I have ever heard until now.

Coworker: "Hey Altra, there's pizza in the breakroom."

Me: "OK, thanks, I'll get there when I can." or "OK - I'm heating up what I brought, and I'll see ya in there in a minute."

End of conversation.

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I know exactly what you're talking about! I always bring in a healthy lunch but my unit is famous for always having snacks. Sometimes the surgeons buy us lunch and sometimes we order in. Everyone's really nice about it but there's always that pressure to eat! My coworkers usually tease me about it for a little bit and then let up when I really stand my ground haha.

Another solution for you is to look up nutritional value for the food they're ordering? Sometimes I order something light or I'll make room in my diet for one piece of pizza. It's all about balance! Hope this helps.

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