Do you tell people?
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Only a couple of close friends, and the new friends I have made through fittness (at the gym, where others also use it). If someone asks I will tell them, but otherwise I don't.0
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In general, I neither hid it nor made unprompted announcements. Other people's diets are boring topics, so why bore people? And I don't need advice.
If people pressed me to eat, or commented on my eating differently, I'd say anything from "not hungry, big lunch" to "craving salad, too much junk lately" to "this just sounded good" to "working on more nutritious choices", depending in circumstances . . . then changed the subject as if what I was eating wasn't interesting or important, because it wasn't.
Same thing with specific questions: Brief polite answer, change subject.
I avoided logging or weighing food in front of others. If I'd had a live-in SO, I would've told him, but I live alone now.
I like alcohol, so I'd still drink a little, within calorie goal: Nurse a beer while also drinking water alongside; have a vodka/soda/lime, then quietly ask the server to bring soda/lime on subsequent rounds (in setting where there was pressure/expectation about drinking.
The only people I talked to at any length about it were other people who were using similar methods to lose weight.6 -
Following on from a thread I have been reading about people making negative comments when you are making healthy choices, I am wondering now if people tell others that they are tracking their intake and making a conscious effort to lose weight?
I am hit and miss with it, depending who it is. Some people (dad, bf, friends) know I am "trying to be sensible" to shift some weight, I have only really told people I am counting who I know have followed some kind of programme themselves (a couple of work colleagues, mum) and so will understand the weighing and tracking.
My boyfriend doesn't even know I am counting - I have no idea why I didn't tell him, but I just said I was trying to be good but would relax more at weekends (which I do, I allow higher calories than in the week)! It's almost like I am ashamed of it, when really, shouldn't I be proud that I am making changes? Perhaps it is because he is super skinny and eats like a horse that I don't expect him to understand that I need the structure.
Anyway, I am rambling, I am just curious as to how open others are, and the reactions they get as a result.
I don't outright tell people, but everyone in my group knows I'm the *healthy* one that is always conscious of what I'm eating and will prioritize the gym over hanging out on some occasions. Even people that aren't in my inner group of friends or that I've just met soon figure out how I am because if I'm out to dinner I WILL take like 3-5 minutes and log my order. It's part of the lifestyle. Sometimes people make comments ("Just live a little" "Who cares, we're out") but after they know me for a while they stop because I turn it right back around and make comments about how it's a healthy lifestyle, etc. Comments like that don't bother me anymore. Just tune them out.1 -
I talk about it, but not much. I use my Instagram for bragging about exercise, or whatever, because I have fewer folllowers there, but only talk on Facebook about it when I hit a milestone. I don't feel like it's all that exciting to everyone, but it's not a secret. They'll notice when I get to goal anyway, because I'll have lost an entire person.
I'm pretty open on Facebook though, and post about just about everything there. I'm pretty housebound, so the internet is my social life.
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I talk about it if someone asks me. I can say that if someone tried to 'police' my eating or make bad comments I would politely tell them what I do is not any of their business. I don't know how to post a photo here - but the little girl meme that says 'worry bout yo own self' comes to mind.
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I just make posts on Facebook every once in a while because I like the praise lol. But there is always someone who has to put their 2 cents in, like oh you don't need to lose weight, you're beautiful they way you are. I mean hello I started at 300 pounds, yes, yes I do need to lose weight lol. Or oh you are doing it all wrong, you need to do this diet or that diet or do this or that. Well no, I'm not doing it wrong, I have lost 35 pounds in 2 and a half months, I must be doing something right lol. But for the most part people are happy and pleased for me, some are tired of my roller coaster over the years lol but this time is different.3
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I don't usually mention it, but will if someone asks. People seem to be more inclined to comment about me being vegan than to comment about how healthy or unhealthy I eat anyways.0
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I don't shout it from the rooftops but the way I eat, I've actually been asked if I'm tracking my food. The guys in my deli are so great, they asked me and when I said yes they'd put my apples and avocados on their scale to tell me how much they weighed so I could log them, asked me how my progress was, told me it was really paying off. My coworkers know because they will sometimes make healthier choices when I'm prepping my meals OR they will totally cosign when I'm going to indulge. I actually get a LOT of support from almost everyone once they ask and I explain.7
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When I first started my weight loss journey almost 2 years ago, I told anyone who would listen about the support apps I was using. Over time, I realized that either people didn’t really have the motivation, didn’t want to put in the work, or a combination of the two. Eventually I just started saying “diet and exercise” when asked how I lost the weight.
Only my husband knows I use MFP - and really only because he started becoming curious about how to lose weight after having limited success with his own unstructured “I’ll just eat less” approach to the process.1 -
I don't shout it from the rooftops but the way I eat, I've actually been asked if I'm tracking my food. The guys in my deli are so great, they asked me and when I said yes they'd put my apples and avocados on their scale to tell me how much they weighed so I could log them, asked me how my progress was, told me it was really paying off. My coworkers know because they will sometimes make healthier choices when I'm prepping my meals OR they will totally cosign when I'm going to indulge. I actually get a LOT of support from almost everyone once they ask and I explain.
Great deli guys!!1 -
I don't go out of my way to tell people. I explain if I'm offered foods I cannot eat, but that's about it.
My mom and boyfriend know and are supportive. I can ramble about a new recipe I want to try, current successes, etc to my boyfriend and he happily listens and cheers me on.0 -
Most people around me know, it's pretty obvious as I'm down 4 sizes. I'm open with my food habits at work and I'd say I have "supportive" coworkers (one let me weigh her slice of cake last week as I'd scoffed mine, of roughly the same size, without thinking before doing so - a crap estimate is better than a wild guess, I suppose), nobody's ever made a negative comment to me about my food, probably because lots of my department are health conscious and maybe slightly because I'm the boss.
The only person who gets teased is a co-worker who insists he is on a low carb diet while scoffing half a dominos pizza but he makes the jokes himself first
I'm happy to talk about it with anyone who brings it up although very few people are interested in hearing "calorie counting" as the reason I lost weight, most press me on my exercise routines etc and then nod sagely when they hear I have a trainer (aaaah, that must be the magic secret of weightloss, the "expensive" trainer they decide they cant possibly afford thus giving them an excuse to not try) usually replying with "oh well of course if you have a trainer then it's easy".2 -
While I don't go out of my way to tell people most who see me fairly regularly know I lost weight. At 100 #+ it pretty noticeable lol now I'm admit to anyone I'm an attention *kitten* but it even gets to me how much people wanna talk about it. And omg I been asked so many times for my secret and I tell well I watch calories, weigh and measure my food/liquids. Then I get the dead eyes lol0
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I'm a private person so when I was losing I kept it to myself for the most part. I had support from my online fitness friends however.
Once it got to a point where you could clearly see my weight loss I could no longer hide. Then came the questions...
Most people wanted to know my secret or what diet I was on. When I said I was aware of my calories and was active almost everyday I usually got that glazed-eye stare. haha
I didn't mind sharing my experiences or what I was doing if someone asked, but I never volunteered.1 -
InkAndApples wrote: »I'm happy to talk about it with anyone who brings it up although very few people are interested in hearing "calorie counting" as the reason I lost weight, most press me on my exercise routines etc and then nod sagely when they hear I have a trainer (aaaah, that must be the magic secret of weightloss, the "expensive" trainer they decide they cant possibly afford thus giving them an excuse to not try) usually replying with "oh well of course if you have a trainer then it's easy".
Glad I am not the only one who experiences this - I consider myself an endurance athlete now, running marathons, triathlons, ultras, etc. I only started down this path to endurance-based fitness activities this year.... but when people comment about my weight loss, they almost always attribute my current weight to the fact that I do these endurance events.
Meanwhile, I would claim the opposite - if anything, these endurance events add an extra layer of difficulty to lose/maintain weight because you need enough fuel to power through the training, but not so much that you gain weight. It’s a struggle to keep the pounds off when you are trying to guess how much to eat to avoid bonking mid-run at mile 25.
But that’s not what people want to hear... my weight loss and subsequent maintenance are “easy” because of my dedication to fitness. I wish I burned as many calories as people think I do so I could eat whatever I want... but alas, I burn about 2,300 calories running a full marathon - not even enough calories burned to lose a lb.
Can’t outexercise a bad diet.... but people think you can!
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InkAndApples wrote: »I'm happy to talk about it with anyone who brings it up although very few people are interested in hearing "calorie counting" as the reason I lost weight, most press me on my exercise routines etc and then nod sagely when they hear I have a trainer (aaaah, that must be the magic secret of weightloss, the "expensive" trainer they decide they cant possibly afford thus giving them an excuse to not try) usually replying with "oh well of course if you have a trainer then it's easy".
Glad I am not the only one who experiences this - I consider myself an endurance athlete now, running marathons, triathlons, ultras, etc. I only started down this path to endurance-based fitness activities this year.... but when people comment about my weight loss, they almost always attribute my current weight to the fact that I do these endurance events.
Meanwhile, I would claim the opposite - if anything, these endurance events add an extra layer of difficulty to lose/maintain weight because you need enough fuel to power through the training, but not so much that you gain weight. It’s a struggle to keep the pounds off when you are trying to guess how much to eat to avoid bonking mid-run at mile 25.
But that’s not what people want to hear... my weight loss and subsequent maintenance are “easy” because of my dedication to fitness. I wish I burned as many calories as people think I do so I could eat whatever I want... but alas, I burn about 2,300 calories running a full marathon - not even enough calories burned to lose a lb.
Can’t outexercise a bad diet.... but people think you can!
Yeah. I even had one cousin absolutely insist that my frequent rowing was why I'd lost weight, even though I'd been rowing the same amount for 12 years while staying obese, and she knew that. SMH.2 -
Partner knows, he's seen me weigh my food often enough and I had to explain to him when he asked why ii wasn't eating the same as him in kfc that my calorie budget is a lot lower than his so couldn't afford the calories
I only have deeper health/fitness/nutrition discussions with one friend who gets it and is as interested as me in the subject
Anyone else who comments on my choices is told to stay in thier own lane1 -
I don't volunteer it, but I've dropped over 85 lbs in the last year. People notice and I'm not coy about it. As some of you know from my posts on other threads, what got me started was developing a medical condition. A year ago, due to cellulitus/lymphedema, the doctors wanted me walking as little as possible (until the vascular surgeon confirmed it was safe for me to exercise again), to the point where I attended Rosh HaShannah services in a wheelchair. People at synagogue were asking me then what happened. And since I attend regularly, they've all seen the changes over the past year.
When they ask what I'm doing, I just say 'MFP, calorie counting, and exercise'. Usually, one of three things happens at that point.
1) "Well, you look great! Keep up the good work!" and the conversation shifts.
2) "So... I bet you cut out bread/sugar/candy/gluten/dessert/alcohol/cooked food/raw food/rice cakes/soda/etc". To which I mostly smile and say, 'Nope. Everything in moderation.'
3) "So... I need to lose a few, too. What are you doing exactly? How does it work?" NOW I'll have that conversation. And pray it doesn't end with "Well, I think I'll do a cleanse and see how that goes."
When I was getting started, the people I told were my immediate family (since my Dad was after me to get bariatric surgery. I was BMI 45 with 114 lbs to go to reach a healthy BMI when I started, so it was a valid option for some people in my situation. Not one I was interested in.) and the friends who often had us over for meals, because I didn't want them to think my taking smaller portions of their homemade bread and desserts was any reflection on their cooking/baking.
Nowadays, I really only mention it if it's relevant (medical professionals. Shopping for clothes and explaining that I'm losing weight so I don't want to spend big $$ on something that might be too loose in a couple of months). I don't share details unless asked.3 -
I don't really tell anybody. For me if I screw up I only let myself down.. Which is hard enough, I don't like letting other people down as well.0
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@estherdragonbat Just wanted to say again what an amazing job you've done! Love your no-nonsense approach. No magic, just dedication.1
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Awww, shucks! Thanks! And is that a new avatar pic? I like!1
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Two people know in depth - my boyfriend (lives with me) who's super supportive and I talk to in depth and works out with me and a girlfriend at work who's also trying to lose 20-30 pounds who goes on daily walks with me. We don't talk about the boring details, but sometimes we'll share if we discovered a great recipe or had a great weigh in. I work in a pretty health conscious environment and most of my friends are pretty fit, so if I'm like, "no nachos fo rme today" people pretty much get it.0
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estherdragonbat wrote: »Awww, shucks! Thanks! And is that a new avatar pic? I like!
She's new for fall
ETA on topic, I basically only ever tell my husband, who is nothing but supportive of me no matter how royally I've screwed up.2 -
In the beginning I kept it very quiet. Now, with results backing me up, I'm an open book about weight loss when someone asks. I don't bring up the subject, but I'm not afraid to whip out my food scale in a restaurant anymore either. I try to be low key, but I still do my thing.2
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I never really volunteered anything, but it was pretty obvious since I usually ate out for lunch and usually with other colleagues...so when I started rolling in with a small cooler full of food and started using my lunch hour to exercise, it was pretty noticeable. I pretty much just said "doctors orders" if anyone said anything.
That was about 5 years ago...people are pretty used to me rolling the way I roll these days, so it's no biggie. Just had my birthday and my staff brought a fruit platter along with some bagels and cream cheese to celebrate rather than cake...because they know I don't cake at 8:30 AM.6 -
I don't tell anyone very much about controlling my weight. I've steadily lost weight every year for the last 15 years at a rate of about 3-8 lbs per year. People that are in my life tell me all sorts of things from the genuinely hostile to the angelic fist bump.
Overall, I think that people are generally trying to be helpful and some of them even succeed at it. Your mileage may vary. I'm happy with the balance, so I'll continue not talking about it much, unless I think someone could seriously benefit from what I have to say.2 -
I don’t really tell anyone including my husband. He knows when I whip out the food scale and start weighing my food hahaha.. I prefer not to talk to him about my weight loss or fitness efforts because his response is always something like “oh come on. That’s stupid. You look good the way you are.” So I just don’t care to get his opinion. The only other people I tell are people that I happen to be having a conversation with about weight loss or something similar. Like I have one coworker who is also trying to lose weight so she knows I am too. Just casual conversation really. Otherwise no I don’t tell people.1
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I only talked about it with people I'm very close too, but after a 23lb drop on my frame it was noticeable and colleagues started questioning the "how to do it". Once I explained counting calories, it bored everyone back into other local gossip. I made a mistake of expressing wanting to drop another 10lbs and of course the eating disorder talks started
Needless to say I'm going to lay low and let the dust settle and just keep plugging along. 4 -
I do tell people. If I didn't tell people, they'd tell me. "You've lost weight!" They say. "It's on purpose", I say.4
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I've lost enough that it's definitely visible. I'm not the only one working on my weight so I haven't noticed any food pushing. I generally tell people I have sugar issues, which I do, as a reason to refuse if I need to. For some reason no one seems to do the pushing on protein/savoury or veggies
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