Dear 300 pounds,
I have a friend who is trying to do calorie restriction to lose weight. But I think that she is not eating enough. How should I approach the conversation with her and not come across as pushy? I don’t want her to feel like she is under a microscope around me when she eats.
-Sunbuddy
Dear Sunbuddy,
That is an interesting question… When someone says they need to lose weight many people (and at a time myself) go down this slippery slope of starving oneself as a method to lose weight. Many people do not have success with this method and if they do have success, you can bet your bottom dollar that they would gain the weight back once they go back to their normal eating routine… I think many people do this because they don’t know where to start and they figure if they restrict their eating they will lose weight… Not so much… So back to your question, “How do you approach your friend with this conversation without being pushy?”
I would sit down and have a heart-to-heart conversation with them, preferably not immediately before or after the she is about to eat. You do not want seem judgmental. The tone of the conversation would be something like, “As your friend I’m worried about you, I know you trying to lose weight and I want to support you in your journey but I think the calorie restriction method is not the safest method and you may be doing more harm than good, by putting your body in starvation mode.“ Then I would offer up other options like, hiring a trainer or nutritionist to make a diet plan for them, offer to exercise with them, or any type of support you are willing to offer.
With that said, just know this it is a touchy subject. During the conversation look for cues to see if your friend is receptive to what you are saying. If it seems like they are not feeling what you are talking about, I would say something like, “As your friend I just wanted to let you know that I’m worried about you and then transition into another subject. You have to meet people where they are at and your friend may not be ready to receive your concerns and in that case you got to let it work itself out and just give them the support they want as they go through motions… I hope I was some help… Good luck with your conversation with your friend.
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How would you approach your friend about their diet without coming across as being pushy? Respond in the comments!
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