AITA for yelling at my gf to stop eating everything?

In a cozy apartment, the fridge hums softly, but tension simmers louder. A young man, juggling bills and groceries, faces an unexpected hurdle: his girlfriend’s relentless appetite. She’s been unemployed for months, and while he foots the bills, she’s devouring their food stash—leaving bare cupboards and a growling stomach in her wake.

The breaking point? A box of birthday cupcakes meant for his sister, gone in a flash. His frustration erupts, but her tears and accusations of fat-shaming cloud the air. Readers can’t help but wonder: who’s really in the wrong here?

‘AITA for yelling at my gf to stop eating everything?’

My(28m) gf(26f) got laid off about 6 months ago. She has been unemployed ever since. This means money is tight. I am covering all of our rent, utilities, groceries, etc. Everything except for her car payment and gas money. My problem is that my gf keeps eating all of our food.

Like, all of it. We always run out of food money before my paycheck comes in. She'll eat everything she wants, and leave me with plain crackers or lettuce. I mean, everything. Even stuff I've specifically labelled or said I want. The cupboards will be bare and I'll have to skip meals three days before my next paycheck because she's eaten everything.

She's probably gained nearly thirty pounds since she was let go. I came home from work for lunch the other day and brought each of us a Subway sandwich. I only ate half of mine, so I popped it in the fridge and told her I'd just have it for dinner. When I got off work and went to get it, she'd already eaten it.

It really got out of hand when I bought some cupcakes to give to my sister(17f) for her birthday, and some pomegranate juice that I really love but can't often have because it's a little bit expensive. I put them in the fridge, told her not to touch them, and both were gone.

There was only one cupcake left out of a box of four full-sized ones and my juice was all gone. I lost it. I screamed at her to stop f**king eating everything I buy. We've had this conversation before or tried to in a polite way, but she shuts me down and denies it.

She says she's hungry, and she's stressed from being unemployed, and she can't help it. I yelled at her and told her it was disgusting that I can't leave food in my own home. She started crying and telling me I'm 'fat shaming her'.. AITA?. edit: RIP David. He was a good inbox.

Relationships can strain under financial stress, but add a disappearing food stash, and it’s a recipe for conflict. This couple’s clash over cupcakes reveals deeper issues—communication breakdowns and unmet needs. The boyfriend’s outburst, while heated, stems from hunger and betrayal; his girlfriend’s eating habits, however, suggest emotional distress.

Psychologist Dr. Susan Albers, in a Cleveland Clinic article, notes, “Stress eating is a common response to anxiety, but it can spiral into unhealthy patterns.” The girlfriend’s unemployment likely fuels her binges, but ignoring boundaries—like eating a sibling’s gift—crosses a line. Both sides feel unheard: he’s starving, she’s hurting.

This issue mirrors broader patterns. A 2021 study from the American Psychological Association found 42% of adults reported unwanted weight gain during stressful periods, often tied to emotional eating. Her 30-pound gain hints at this struggle, but her refusal to discuss it shuts down solutions.

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For resolution, Dr. Albers suggests open dialogue and structure—like meal planning or separate food budgets. He could apologize for yelling but set firm boundaries, like a lockbox for special items. She needs support, perhaps therapy, to address stress eating. Without mutual effort, resentment will fester.

See what others had to share with OP:

Reddit’s got some spicy takes on this fridge fiasco—let’s dive into the chatter!

MelodyRaine − NTA. They sell fridge lockboxes, and if she can't be trusted to leave your food in peace then maybe it has to be locked away from her. It's not fat shaming to tell someone to stop behaving as if they are 3/4 locust.

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[Reddit User] − She ate a birthday gift for your sister and you’ve had to go without meals 100% NTA

[Reddit User] − Okay but why doesn't she have a job? Every freaking gas station, fast food place and retail store is hiring anymore! She needs to get herself a job as a place filler until she can get back to whatever does she actually wants to do... Whatever her career is. But she needs to do something with her time other than sit around for 6 months eating everything and gaining 30 pounds! That's not healthy, mentally or physically!

Too-Paranoid − She's literally making you skip meals and you tried talking about it with her politely before. NTA

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Budget_Mouse_7858 − NTA- she is TA. she doesn’t seem to give two shxts whether you get to eat or not. who the hell eats 3 full sized cupcakes in a matter of hours, as well as drink an entire jug of juice? why didn’t she go get a new job when she got let go? i have lost jobs and started a new job 3 days later.

I would be just as annoyed as you man. it’s insane that she would deliberately eat and drink the stuff that you specifically told her not to. did she expect you to be o**rwhelmed with happiness when you opened the fridge and found that your shxt was all gone?

Stole_My_Conspiracy − I don’t think the yelling was the way to go but you weren’t fat shaming her. You’re freaking going without food while she’s eating more than her share. NTA. I had a significant other like this and it’s AWFUL. Being strapped for cash is hard enough but being hungry on top of it? Noooo.

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woollyviolet − NTA. Kick her out and be done with it.

blockparted − NTA: THis is out of your paygrade. Your girlfriend is stress eating. Is she getting unemployment? Can she use that money to buy her own food? This is clearly food insecurity.. I'd apologize for yelling but you're not wrong for being upset that she's eating all of your food.

StrawberryPincushion − NTA - she's not contributing and also eating all the food leaving you nothing. I'd scream at her too. If she's bored and stressed she can go for a walk instead of eating everything.. You also weren't fat shaming her. You were calling out her gluttony. And sometimes the truth hurts.. She's trying to deflect her role in this by pulling out the fat shaming card.

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njazrael71 − Absolutely NOT the a**hole. If she can't respect you and your wishes, she needs to go. Tell her to get off the pity pot and start respecting your wishes or she can find her ass a new place to live.

These Redditors aren’t holding back, but are they onto something, or just fanning the flames?

This tale of vanishing cupcakes and raised voices leaves us chewing on tough questions. Was his outburst justified, or did he cross a line? Her stress is real, but so is his hunger. Relationships thrive on respect, yet both seem stuck in a cycle of frustration. What would you do if your food kept disappearing? Share your thoughts—have you faced a similar kitchen conflict? Let’s dish in the comments!

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