When someone asks for your 'secret'

sunnysunny88

Hi Guys! So I've lost close to 12 kg around 26 lbs, and at a point where everyone is noticing! I've had a few people ask me what my 'secret' is and I don't know why but it makes me a little uncomfortable? One girl asked if I am on a very strict diet and I told her that I don't find it strict I just limit my calorie intake and exercise more, and then I get the glazed looks lol I dunno anyone else feels the same way?

apullum

I don't have a secret. I tell people that. I tell them that it's a matter of building a healthy routine that works for you and that you can sustain over a long period of time. People are usually really disappointed by this, because they're used to being told to eat a certain thing, not eat a certain thing, eat some combination of foods, do a special workout...all sorts of myths about what they should or shouldn't eat, or how they should or shouldn't eat it. All of these things make weight loss seem mysterious and unachievable. Your calories burned just have to exceed your calories consumed. There is no magic food. There is no secret. My only "secret" is persistence and basic math.

nutmegoreo

That glazed look is not uncommon. People want to hear that you had to cut out bread and potatoes and the weight just magically fell off. The reality of eating less and moving more seems like a lot of work, when it really isn't. This is why the diet industry is so successful. Everyone wants the secret and when someone promises it, they would rather spend ridiculous amounts of money on the books and the fads, than to use a free app and count their calories. (not people here, of course)

Unknown

This content has been removed.

bbell1985

Yeah. It's not sexy. People just shut down when I explain I eat less calories.

AnnPT77

Ditto to the others' replies - most people are either looking for some magic they can adopt without actual effort, or a story so extreme that they know they can't achieve it (so they have an excuse).

As an alternative, you could just mess with 'em: "I drink a quart of apple cider vinegar every morning, then eat whatever I want"; "I learned to do headstands, and that made all the difference", "Eat only apples on Mondays, berries on Tuesdays, Cabbage on Wednesdays, . . . .", etc. (I'm joking! Joking!)

nutmegoreo

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Ditto to the others' replues - most people are either looking for some magic they can adopt without actual effort, or a story so extreme that they know they can't achieve it (so they have an excuse).

As an alternative, you could just mess with 'em: "I drink a quart of apple cider vinegar every morning, then eat whatever I want"; "I learned to do headstands, and that made all the difference", "Eat only apples on Mondays, berries on Tuesdays, Cabbage on Wednesdays, . . . .", etc. (I'm joking! Joking!)

Pine cones from my yard. They were a challenge to get used to them, but If I coat them in peanut butter they slide right down. Also, if you are going to tell people this, please make sure they know you are joking, because no doubt someone will try it.

sunnysunny88

apullum wrote: »

I don't have a secret. I tell people that. I tell them that it's a matter of building a healthy routine that works for you and that you can sustain over a long period of time. People are usually really disappointed by this, because they're used to being told to eat a certain thing, not eat a certain thing, eat some combination of foods, do a special workout...all sorts of myths about what they should or shouldn't eat, or how they should or shouldn't eat it. All of these things make weight loss seem mysterious and unachievable. Your calories burned just have to exceed your calories consumed. There is no magic food. There is no secret. My only "secret" is persistence and basic math.

'Disappointed' yes! That's the word I was looking for for the look people give me when I said I'm just tracking my calories and eating less and moving more. I try to eat more veggies but I try to always eat a variety of things including treats, I also said that it takes months of gradual change and one girl said well i don't have months *shrugs*

JeromeBarry1

Be patient. Be persistent. Be honest. If you can't do those, you can't lose weight.

sunnysunny88

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

Be patient. Be persistent. Be honest. If you can't do those, you can't lose weight.

I like this

Misspinklift

I get these questions asked all the time. Most are expecting a magic pill. I just say I watch what I eat and exercise. I get these snobby comments sometimes where they tell me to live a little. How am I not living a little? I have a cheat day once a week, and isn't that what I'm doing? Living. Best thing is to try ignoring it.

nvmomketo

For me, I had had a magic pill of sorts. I went very low carb high fat for health reasons and the weight fell off pretty easily and quickly. Something I couldn't manage before.

When I get asked for my secret, I tell them about the low carb diet but usually ad the caveat that I have IR so I responded very well to it.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

daworley

Yes, I have those same experiences and feelings. People asking and reacting the same way; and me feeling uncomfortable about it. I don't know why on either part!

Therealobi1

People are expecting you to tell them something magical and when you don't they lose interest

ladyreva78

I've given up on trying to tell people. It's never what they want to hear. So that conversation usually goes something along those lines:

LR: My secret is a fun size packet of peanut M&Ms... Seriously... that's how I lose weight. I eat one of those every day.
Other Person: Huh? Seriously? How does that work? [Queue skeptical look.]
LR: Actually, I eat less and move more.
OP: Ah... so you DON'T eat M&Ms
LR: Erm... no... I do eat a package of those everyday.
OP: but... you can't lose weight that way!
LR: 30kg gone... are you calling me a liar?
[End of conversation]

The M&Ms are usually replaced by whatever sweet is currently number 1 on my list. I have a 150-200cal daily budget for sweets. I sweets.

kommodevaran

It's funny and even a bit annoying, and it seems silly now - but I used to think the same way! Normal weight people just have to either 1) hate food, or 2) be extremely disciplined. I would plug my ears whenever somebody tried to tell me I could eat normal food and lose/maintain weight. I couldn't believe it, I didn't want to believe it. I'm not sure why. I thought normal food meant boring food and never eating sweets. Now I know (for me) it's delicious food and no real desire for sweets.

Gallowmere1984

I like to give people the truth, but in a slightly different way. "My secret? Abject hatred for everything that I used to be. However, I moved away from my old self using simple caloric restriction. The hatred just instills the discipline to keep at it."

slacker80

Most people expect me to tell them the name of the magic pill or something. I just simply say sensible meals and exercise. Than I suggest MFP, and explain lightly how it works and how it changed my life. I don't break it down into science anymore. I know they don't really care about it

zyxst

I go with "I don't eat as much anymore" and pray to the gods they accept it, shut up, and go away. I hate talking about my weight loss since it puts me in the centre of attention and I'm expected to be this diet guru when I really have no clue.

MaddMaestro

LOL Everyone looks for a "quick fix" and often forget it's a lifestyle change that takes a good amount of dedication. That "glazed looked" is all too common among those not ready for that commitment

Rincewind_1965

sunnysunny88 wrote: »

I just limit my calorie intake and exercise more, and then I get the glazed looks

Yupp,
that about covers my experience.
Thing seems to be that the people asking already knew what the answer would be but somehow hoped that there was a less obvious but almost impossible to achieve one.

trigden1991

My go to response when people ask anything about health/fitness/lifting/diet;

"I do yoga once a week and stick to a raw vegan diet"

French_Peasant

nutmegoreo wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Ditto to the others' replues - most people are either looking for some magic they can adopt without actual effort, or a story so extreme that they know they can't achieve it (so they have an excuse).

As an alternative, you could just mess with 'em: "I drink a quart of apple cider vinegar every morning, then eat whatever I want"; "I learned to do headstands, and that made all the difference", "Eat only apples on Mondays, berries on Tuesdays, Cabbage on Wednesdays, . . . .", etc. (I'm joking! Joking!)

Pine cones from my yard. They were a challenge to get used to them, but If I coat them in peanut butter they slide right down. Also, if you are going to tell people this, please make sure they know you are joking, because no doubt someone will try it.

Good job Nutmegoreo....now we're going to be overwhelmed with questions about the miraculous peanutbutter-pinecone diet come next January.

I suggest you develop your branding, communications/article placement strategy, packaging, accessorizing and merchandising, book, book tour, warehouse packaging facility, and $40 starter kit (12 ounce jar of cleansing/detoxing peanut butter and 10 ounces of organic, sustainable, free-range pinecones!) now so you can get ahead of the curve. You are going to make a freakin' kitten-load of money!

xmichaelyx

"Eat less; move more."

wackyfunster

They want to hear something other than "eat healthy and exercise." Like "I added an extra 2 tubs of ice cream per day to ramp up my metabolism and stopped working out entirely and watch more TV" would probably be the ideal answer.

Like Ronnie Coleman said... everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but no one wants to lift no heavy-*kitten* weights.

StealthHealth

I tell 'em it's apple cider vinegar and a waist trainer

TR0berts

Yeah. Any time people find out that they'll actually have to do something other than take a pill or something magic/easy, they tune out.

cwolfman13

My secret is pretty observable...nobody really asks...they see what I'm doing...I've been doing it for years, so nobody really thinks much about it...

I'm the guy who rolls up to work with my bike on the back of the car and strolls into the office with a small cooler full of food pretty much every day. I'm the guy that doesn't go out for lunch with everyone save for on occasion because I'm out on my bike. I'm the guy that comes into the office with a gym bag most days. I'm the guy that leaves the office wearing workout shorts because I'm on my way to the gym before heading home. I'm the guy who walks past the cake and doughnuts in the break room most of the time and I'm the guy that doesn't give a rats *kitten* that there's a bowl of candy sitting there. I'm the guy who walks around with a water bottle all day instead of a Coke. I'm also the guy who illustrates to his co-workers how to properly perform a snatch and rips the *kitten* out of his dress pants and has to make an emergency run to Wall-Mart for some slacks and who's administrative assistant still jokes about his blue underpants...

The vast majority of people are just looking for a magic solution...doing stuff is too hard.

ccrdragon

Unicorn sweat gathered under the darkness of a new moon...

__TMac__

Well, that took a turn.