DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been on a weight-loss plan for a few months now. What is working for me is eating cottage cheese and fruit in the morning. I sometimes bring it with me to work and eat it at my desk. The people sitting nearby often eat bagels or muffins, and it has been fine.
All of a sudden one woman who sits near me has started to talk about my food. She calls my cottage cheese “grandma food” and finds ways to poke fun at me whenever I am eating. She even went so far as to say she thinks it’s a waste of time to eat such nasty food only to lose a couple of pounds. I was furious. I’m doing my thing, minding my business. How can I get her to back off? -- Healthy Living, Miami
DEAR HEALTHY LIVING: Congratulations on your weight-loss program. It’s not easy to stick to a consistent path of wellness. It takes time to develop discipline. Good for you that you are doing it.
You have a couple of options with this woman. You can ignore her. Eventually she will stop if you don’t react. Or you can offer to share some of Grandma’s food with her! Don’t let her see she is upsetting you. That will only exacerbate the situation.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)