Upped 100%

You will lose friends when they don't care for truth and choose to remain attached to falsity.

I can relate to this - when I came abroad - people thought I became an ATM machine, they ask me for money, gifts on holidays, some of my relatives expected a monthly support and some demanded from me. The moment I've said no and didn't do what they want - they cut me off their lives .
I think you get to see the true colors of people when you say NO to them.
I'm not selfish or self oriented, I just don't want to underestimate the capacity of a person to provide whatever he was asking me for - for himself and I don't need to be "the big madam" in my family, to my friends and the people around me. It's a disease in the Philippines - many "big madams" and it's none of my business because it's their lives but I don't have the need to be validated by people around me at all. I noticed that "big madams" would love to be part of every events, contribute to everything (financially), say YES most of the time to requests and TREATS everyone OUT and the way I say it - this is all - as you wrote it there - to be liked.
Food wise - when people come to my house, we serve them what we eat - and we don't eat craps - mostly organic and healthy stuff only - nothing that looks like a science experiment on the label. We do the same when giving gifts .
People who REALLY value you for you would stay no matter what - you don't have to bribe them to like you. I choose like minded people who can take NO for an answer - although when I do say no or have to "say it to someone's face" I put salt to my words -because telling them the truth doesn't mean it has to hurt.