Don't be a FPIA

Getting on the road to eating right and losing weight is important. However, the one thing that makes me crazier then anything are FPIAs (Food Pain In the Asses). Embarking on the road to weight loss does not entitle you to be rude and obnoxious by being a FPIA.

What's a FPIA? Basically, it's anyone with a food preference who has to constantly draw attention to their food preference, whether it's a restrictive diet, veganism, vegetarianism or even some religious observances.

I have absolutely no problem with people having food preferences. I actually have them myself. I eat mostly raw vegan, and I don't eat many meat products.

A FPIA is the raw vegan who's invited to a restaurant on someone else's dime, who looks at the menu, sighs loudly, and says loudly enough for her host to hear that there's nothing on the menu for her do eat.

A FPIA is someone on the Atkins invited to someone's home, who A) quizzes his host in advance about what's on the menu, and B) tells the host that he's on Atkins when the host did not specifically did not ask if there's any food preferences, C) shows up at the host's house with a bag of food meeting his food preference requirements.

What you should do, is if at a restaurant, you quietly call the waiter over, explain your situation, and see if there's any way to accommodate your food preference.

If you're invited to someone else's home, politely offer to bring a dish that you know you'll eat. If the host declines the offer, then show up, drink water and if asked politely explain your food preference making the host comfortable by saying something such as "Oh, but I'm perfectly content eating this delicious salad you made," or "I'm really not hungry."