First time I've ever had to justify continued weight loss!!

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chunkytfg
chunkytfg Posts: 339 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For the first time over the weekend I had to justify a continued effort to lose weight!

I started out over 330lb and I'm now around 230lb but all these people have known me at my biggest. I'm very very fit and active and have 3 weeks ago completed an ironman in under 12 hours.

Being tall I carry my weight well but I still have a very pronounced belly and fat on the legs and arms I want rid of.

It was just a very odd experience to have to argue as to why I need to lose weight!!

In a way I'm using it as a breakthrough moment.
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Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    edited August 2015
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    I'm starting to get some of that. I still have plenty of fat to lose. I don't bother trying to argue or justify it.

    ETA: I'm pretty tall, as well. I've gone from 335 to 213. That's a little further than I meant to go, so maybe I'll be eating more soon.
  • AspenDan
    AspenDan Posts: 703 Member
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    330 to 230? That's basically my goal, I was 337. Just made it back under 300, at 296 now..super stoked!!

    Thanks for sharing!
  • robspot
    robspot Posts: 130 Member
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    Congrats on the 12 hours, awesome time!

    Btw, just read your profile about the wheels. I have a brand new S-Works Roubaix sat in the corner of my office with a weight limit of 17.5 stone. I've promised myself I won't ride it until I make the weight.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    It never stops unfortunately. Try to shrug it off.
  • dinsfamily
    dinsfamily Posts: 84 Member
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    Congrats on the IM!! You IM'ers amaze me. I get the comments too just going from the high end of normal BMI to the mid-normal BMI. I think people get used to seeing you look a certain way.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Way to get it!
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
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    chunkytfg wrote: »
    For the first time over the weekend I had to justify a continued effort to lose weight!

    I started out over 330lb and I'm now around 230lb but all these people have known me at my biggest. I'm very very fit and active and have 3 weeks ago completed an ironman in under 12 hours.

    Being tall I carry my weight well but I still have a very pronounced belly and fat on the legs and arms I want rid of.

    It was just a very odd experience to have to argue as to why I need to lose weight!!

    In a way I'm using it as a breakthrough moment.

    First off - congrats on your ironman! That's amazing and I'm pretty jealous and in awe of it . . . I wish I could do one!

    Second - I totally get it! I started at 340lbs and I'm just under the 260 lbs mark now. However, some people have asked me what I weigh (which is rude, but I'm pretty proud of my 80lbs so I don't mind all the time lol) and when I say 260 they look at me and they're like you don't weigh 260 . . . there's no way you weigh that much. First off, I'm 5'9 or 5'10 . . . I'm not a petite woman by any means and I carry my weight very well. You should never ever have to justify why you want what you want for yourself. You keep doing you!! Stay healthy and do what's best for you and your body . . . you know what that is, others do not.

    I think some people have a hard time dis-associating from a person looking a certain way and they must weigh a certain amount if they look that way. I know my own family looks at me in two ways: one - I'm not tiny so there's no way I'm running a 5K and two - I am way smaller than I used to be so there's no way I'm still over 200 lbs. There doesn't seem to be an inbetween and many people associate looking good with weighing less than a certain amount when that's not always the case.

    Keep being awesome, though :) way to rock the ironman
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    edited August 2015
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    I was at the perfect weight all my life until I quit smoking in 2004. Then I gained about 30 pounds. I lost 17 of them, then moved to another state in 2005 and then immediately gained back all of it back plus another 30 or so pounds. Everyone in my current state says I don't need to lose weight but the one time I went back to my former state you could see the aghast look in their eyes. I've lost nearly 30 pounds so far, with 35 to go, and I am not justifying that to anyone here!!! I need to be ME again!
  • ladyrixx
    ladyrixx Posts: 12 Member
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    acorsaut89 wrote: »
    Second - I totally get it! I started at 340lbs and I'm just under the 260 lbs mark now. However, some people have asked me what I weigh (which is rude, but I'm pretty proud of my 80lbs so I don't mind all the time lol) and when I say 260 they look at me and they're like you don't weigh 260 . . . there's no way you weigh that much. First off, I'm 5'9 or 5'10 . . . I'm not a petite woman by any means and I carry my weight very well. You should never ever have to justify why you want what you want for yourself. You keep doing you!! Stay healthy and do what's best for you and your body . . . you know what that is, others do not.

    I recently had that conversation with the daughter of a friend. We're both dieting, and at the moment we weigh about the same. After going "how the h3ll do you weigh the same as me?!?" I did the "oh yeah, you're a foot taller than me..."
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    edited August 2015
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    People think that it's nice to say stuff like that. "More?! You want to lose more?!" like they're shocked that someone who is fat wants to lose weight.

    When I was about forty pounds down and said I wanted to lose at least 100, total, someone said, "Oh, no, you cannot have that much to lose!" She knew it wasn't true, but said it all the same.

    Why ask if you're just going to lie when you hear the answer? I don't know. But that's what they do.

    Just keep doing your thing. You're doing great!! :)
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    I hear from people all the time "But you are already skinny/in shape/thin" but I wasn't :| I was skinny fat and could stand to lose the 15 lbs I gained. I just ignore it mostly.
  • getupandgo877
    getupandgo877 Posts: 13 Member
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    I'm not sure why people ask, "are you still trying to lose weight?" I would ignore it, only you know what's healthy and right for you.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Congrats on the competition! that's most excellent.

    Unfortunately most people will find something to complain about - gain- or lose- they have something to say about it- get used to it. I've never been fat- not really. I've been plush- but always reasonably fit- and people still feel the need to give you their two very "kind" and thoughtful cents on what they think YOU should be doing with you're body.

    Keep on kicking butt and don't worry about the rest- it's just not that relevant!!
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
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    ladyrixx wrote: »
    acorsaut89 wrote: »
    Second - I totally get it! I started at 340lbs and I'm just under the 260 lbs mark now. However, some people have asked me what I weigh (which is rude, but I'm pretty proud of my 80lbs so I don't mind all the time lol) and when I say 260 they look at me and they're like you don't weigh 260 . . . there's no way you weigh that much. First off, I'm 5'9 or 5'10 . . . I'm not a petite woman by any means and I carry my weight very well. You should never ever have to justify why you want what you want for yourself. You keep doing you!! Stay healthy and do what's best for you and your body . . . you know what that is, others do not.

    I recently had that conversation with the daughter of a friend. We're both dieting, and at the moment we weigh about the same. After going "how the h3ll do you weigh the same as me?!?" I did the "oh yeah, you're a foot taller than me..."

    Yeh body composition accounts for a lot for sure . . . it can be tough because all you have is how someone looks to you but you have no idea how much lean muscle mass they have and how much fat.
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
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    That moment when everyone around you keep telling you, you are skinny... Um yeah :D 220 lbs at 5'5 and I'm like you haven't see skinny' yet B) #SitAndWait

    You keep doing you, congrats on your weightloss! :wink:
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Ironman very impressive! Having gone from 301 to 199(!!) I get that too, even from my trainer a little bit, but it's my body and I know what I need to do. Part of it is that because of all my strength training I have good proportions and an "hourglass" figure (said by others), but the hourglass is still too big around!! As others have said, thank them for compliments and just keep going. Great job!
  • MSDave
    MSDave Posts: 116 Member
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    You all are so awesome. I've lost 37 lb so far after starting out over 300. I'm just walking now but have cut 5 minutes off the time (3 miles), and recovery time is a lot quicker. Good things to look forward to.
  • Domicinator
    Domicinator Posts: 261 Member
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    It's super frustrating. I'm nowhere near what could be considered a "healthy weight". I have about 36 more lbs. to go before I hit my goal. I look better in clothes and I'm wearing a size L tshirt instead of a size XXL now, but I still have a lot of belly fat to lose and I won't be satisfied until that's gone.

    Over the weekend we had a family gathering on my wife's side of the family. The VERY FIRST thing someone said to me when we walked in was, "Hey, how much more chemo do you have left to go? You're wasting away to nothing!"

    First of all, I don't find it funny to joke about chemo--there are real people out there every day suffering through chemo and losing weight is a lot easier than what they're going through.

    Second of all, this mentality is what got me here in the first place. I am too heavy. I am bad at saying no to food. Today I am saying no. I don't need a second pile of lunch meat on my plate. One sandwich is enough. And one dessert is enough, thanks. I know Aunt Matilda made 6 different kinds of pie, but I only need one piece, and if I turn a second piece down, please stop bugging me about it.

    This is all just people trying to bring you down to their level. You have to press on.

  • pbryd
    pbryd Posts: 364 Member
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    I'm a 5'6" male who currently weighs 130lb with a 30.5" waist. I've avoided telling anyone other than my immediate family that I'm counting calories to get a six pack 'cos even my family think I'm crackers.
  • Ironmaiden4life
    Ironmaiden4life Posts: 422 Member
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    Get used to it OP and trust me it gets worse! Do the polite smile, think about something else while they waffle on and then continue on your merry way. Oh And start mentally preparing for the ' you're losing too much, I think you looked so much better when you were a little heavier'

    Congrats on the Ironman, keeping kicking butt and taking names :)

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