Annoying things people ask about success.

amyvanblaricom
amyvanblaricom Posts: 62 Member
I do appreciate people complimenting me on my accomplishment.. But There are a few things they ask that get annoying. They always ask how I've done it. No magical sure, just hard work. Another thing they ask is what my husband thinks.. I thought this was supposed to be about me, not what my husband who loves me things about my weight loss. It was part of my reasons to begin to look good for him but it wasn't the important part. Why does it even matter. What are some of the annoying things people have asked you?

Replies

  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    One of the things that irritates me most is the look of complete disappointment when I tell them I did it by counting calories. It's like they'd rather hear about something they can buy and it will work in two weeks.
  • amyvanblaricom
    amyvanblaricom Posts: 62 Member
    emdeesea wrote: »
    One of the things that irritates me most is the look of complete disappointment when I tell them I did it by counting calories. It's like they'd rather hear about something they can buy and it will work in two weeks.

    YES!! They're excited to aske but the conversation seems to drift off after they hear that.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    Not so much what they ask, but what they say for me.

    The biggest thing I despise is when I tell them I do 1 mile each for my two 15 minute breaks and take 30 minutes of my hour lunch to do another couple miles. They always say, "Must be nice". Like they don't have the same opportunities?

    The other things, tied in with that is the lie that, "Well, I am too busy and don't have time", which is what follows them saying it must be nice.

    I facilitate some priorities life coach type classes and the one thing at the cornerstone of it all is, while we all have certain things we are required to do to live, how we structure them to balance our life is always our own choice. So where you put your most time and effort is where you reap the most benefit. Most people just don't make health a priority.
  • RWClary
    RWClary Posts: 192 Member
    I get peppered with such questions by just about everybody. How did I get such results????
    When I say "hard work", they slink off disappointed.

    The people herd want that quick, easy fix, and those of us who worked for our results must have some elusive secret - right?
    :p
    NOPE!
    Eat clean and healthy, exercise hard and smart. That's not what people want to hear...
  • Lonestar5715
    Lonestar5715 Posts: 466 Member
    I have heard, "When are you going to stop losing weight?" I have to try really hard to not say, "When are you going to stop gaining?" lol
  • chiptease
    chiptease Posts: 70 Member
    "You don't need to lose any more, you'll disappear!"
    "Why are you still dieting?"
  • dwulet130
    dwulet130 Posts: 108 Member
    Timshel_ wrote: »
    Not so much what they ask, but what they say for me.

    The biggest thing I despise is when I tell them I do 1 mile each for my two 15 minute breaks and take 30 minutes of my hour lunch to do another couple miles. They always say, "Must be nice". Like they don't have the same opportunities?

    I'm expected to stay at my desk all day (even when I'm taking a break) so some people don't have the same opportunity. I go for a 5 mile walk after work to get my steps in, but it's tedious and I wish I could break it up during the day.

    Just keep in mind that even though it's hard for everyone, not everyone is in the same situation.
  • RWClary
    RWClary Posts: 192 Member
    I have heard, "When are you going to stop losing weight?" I have to try really hard to not say, "When are you going to stop gaining?" lol
    Normal has become abnormal.
    We're such a culture of big people that when anybody is a normal, healthy weight, the herd can't deal with it.

  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 427 Member
    dwulet130 wrote: »
    Timshel_ wrote: »
    Not so much what they ask, but what they say for me.

    The biggest thing I despise is when I tell them I do 1 mile each for my two 15 minute breaks and take 30 minutes of my hour lunch to do another couple miles. They always say, "Must be nice". Like they don't have the same opportunities?

    I'm expected to stay at my desk all day (even when I'm taking a break) so some people don't have the same opportunity. I go for a 5 mile walk after work to get my steps in, but it's tedious and I wish I could break it up during the day.

    Just keep in mind that even though it's hard for everyone, not everyone is in the same situation.

    Where do you work? That might be against the law.
  • amyvanblaricom
    amyvanblaricom Posts: 62 Member
    chiptease wrote: »
    "You don't need to lose any more, you'll disappear!"
    "Why are you still dieting?"

    I've had similar. My boss told me I will waste away If I lose much more. Its my health not her's. I've also had her tell me she could do it if she worked fewer hours like I do. I know she is jealous though.
  • pansamanchada
    pansamanchada Posts: 158 Member
    When people see I trimmed down they go ahead and tell what I need to do to lose more weight.
    It's kinda funny and frustrating because you see... I ALREADY AM losing weight with whatever I'm doing lol
    They tell me I need to avoid any number of things like sugar, fat, bread, red meat, candy, rice, etc.
    They tell me to avoid eating after 6pm. They share with me links to articles that explain 'secrets' of losing weight.
    The whole time thinking I AM already doing this, thanks but no thanks lol
  • spickard34
    spickard34 Posts: 303 Member
    dwulet130 wrote: »
    Timshel_ wrote: »
    Not so much what they ask, but what they say for me.

    The biggest thing I despise is when I tell them I do 1 mile each for my two 15 minute breaks and take 30 minutes of my hour lunch to do another couple miles. They always say, "Must be nice". Like they don't have the same opportunities?

    I'm expected to stay at my desk all day (even when I'm taking a break) so some people don't have the same opportunity. I go for a 5 mile walk after work to get my steps in, but it's tedious and I wish I could break it up during the day.

    Just keep in mind that even though it's hard for everyone, not everyone is in the same situation.

    I think his point was you make the time as inconvenient as it may be. You put the work in you get results.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    RWClary wrote: »
    I have heard, "When are you going to stop losing weight?" I have to try really hard to not say, "When are you going to stop gaining?" lol
    Normal has become abnormal.
    We're such a culture of big people that when anybody is a normal, healthy weight, the herd can't deal with it.

    Been getting this a lot too, although mostly from family. Been accused of being sick, being anorexic, "getting too thin," all by people who are at least 60 or more pounds overweight.

    In no one's dreams am I "too thin." I'm a healthy, NORMAL weight. Heck, I still have a bit of a gut I'm trying to lose lol.

  • FitOldMomma
    FitOldMomma Posts: 790 Member
    Remarks about calorie counting, ie: CICO. 99% of the time the person will say "it's not about calories!" I just smile and respond..."It is for me".

    Like other's above have stated, some people seem disappointed that I've had to work hard to get where I am and that there isn't any short cuts to long term success.

    The worst comment that annoyed the hell out of me was concerning loose skin after major weight loss. A group of of women at my pool were discussing weight loss and one said "I'd rather stay fat than have that ugly loose skin hanging all over my body". I thought about it for a minute and said " If you could feel HOW GOOD being a healthy weight feels, you'd probably change your mind about that". I'm pretty sure she was referring to a wonderful gal who has lost nearly 175 pounds. Yes, she has a very large apron of loose skin that hangs down to her knees. But...this woman used to have use a motorized cart, then a walker, then a cane, and now she walks without any assistance. She's gone through two knee replacement surgeries in the last 18 months and she's at the pool for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week. I call that AWESOME!
  • Oversyte
    Oversyte Posts: 482 Member
    Not bothered about much questions yet... just the timing... like in the middle of my repetitions...
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
    FWIW, this comes up a lot on the forums. I lost half my bodyweight and have maintained for a year now, and have a different perspective.

    YES, people ask how we've done it and YES they look disappointed when we say "eating less / moving more / hard work." And sure, sometimes they might be expecting or want to hear that there was a magic berry or specific fad or celebrity diet.

    BUT I think the real reason most people look disappointed is that they already know that you ate less, moved more, worked hard. But if it were as simple as that, and as easy as it sounds (even when you say "hard work") everyone would do it. Everyone would succeed. The first time around, too. What would be more helpful and more interesting for them to hear is what made it different for you. And defaulting to a sactimonious "virtue" position (Variations of "I guess I was just better than I used to be" imply "I guess I'm just better than you") is not informative or helpful.

    1. An admission that it was not easy for us either. Most people look relieved AF when I say something like "I had to eat a lot less, and it was a total mindf*ck, man. I've come to believe that 90% of weight loss success happens above the neck."
    2. An admission that your attitude changed over time. I have yet to meet a single other successful loser of fat who believes that their approach the first few weeks continued to be their approach over a longer period of time, who didn't find their attitude towards food and exercise changed, or who doesn't have half a dozen "I wish when I started I had known..." beliefs.
    3. A brief elevator pitch of your philosophy of eating or meal planning that took some of the challenge out of it for you. For me that was "I already knew what foods I liked, but I had to learn what foods made me feel more satisfied." For other people it might be other stuff.
  • ald783
    ald783 Posts: 688 Member
    I hate when people ask how long it took. It takes what it takes, but people want to hear that you lost it super fast or else they tune out. Fast weight loss is generally not the longest lasting weight loss, and how long it takes one person is not how long it will take someone else.
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,779 Member
    for me, it's not really about the questions. I mean, if someone is generally interested, I am beyond happy to talk about it. i think wondering what/how a spouse deals with it is legitimate especially if the two share a lifestyle and one changes and the other doesn't. it's about attitude. if they are asking as a means to justify themselves not losing weight or looking for a miracle, then the questions become annoying.

    That said, the other members in my office are, somewhat, collectively dieting. and here i sit, having lost whatever amount i have, and they don't talk to me about it. I can hear them talking to each other about starving themselves and falling off the wagon with a cookie so they might as well eat a pizza and on and on. Basically, they look at me as an anomaly and not the standard. Because they have called me "naturally skinny" and commented on how unnaturally high my metabolism must be, because I do eat pizza and donuts and chips at work. They just don't see what i do every day to afford those treats.
  • Lisa_Ookoo
    Lisa_Ookoo Posts: 134 Member
    I get a lot of disparaging comments on the food I eat. One time I was eating a sandwich that had afalfa sprouts. My boss said "How can you eat that? It's like eating pubic hair!" Needless to say that ruined my appetite.
  • jpklv
    jpklv Posts: 1 Member
    Timshel_ wrote: »
    Not so much what they ask, but what they say for me.

    The biggest thing I despise is when I tell them I do 1 mile each for my two 15 minute breaks and take 30 minutes of my hour lunch to do another couple miles. They always say, "Must be nice". Like they don't have the same opportunities?

    YES! I work a desk job, 10-11 hours a day most days. I take the time to walk around the parking lot during breaks to the tune of 2.5-3 miles each day regardless of the weather (unless it's raining). So while my co-workers take their breaks to go smoke or grab ANOTHER bag of chips to eat at their desks, I'm taking those opportunities to be active.

    "Must be nice" they tell me. Yeah, it is nice because I see and feel the results day after day and while I'm not one to judge, ok yes I am, I can't help but think that if you put down that bag of chips and walked around a bit, you wouldn't sound like you're having a coronary just from shifting your (not inconsiderable) weight around in your chair.

    Choices, we all make them.
  • playmadcats
    playmadcats Posts: 199 Member
    Fitness ones bug me! I like to do things with decent technique and improve myself. Frequently get comments such as Why are you taking swimming lessons, you can swim? why have coaching if you can play tennis?
    Why have pt sessions? your fit etc.