Who have you told about your weight loss mission?

mlrtri

AnnPT77

I don't love polls, and I'm not losing weight anymore. (I'm in maintenance.) Therefore, I didn't vote.

I didn't much talk with anybody about it, when I was losing weight, unless I had good evidence that the person was on a similar course. For most people, I just ate what I ate, didn't talk about it, used pleasantries to explain if people asked random questions. ("Yeah, eating a light dinner tonight, still full from lunch", which was sometimes a bit of a white lie - that kind of thing.) Most of what other people have to say isn't helpful, IME. I kept the conversations short - even when my loss became obvious, I cut off the topic with a minimal response to any comment, then brought up some other topic I thought the person might like to talk about.

I live alone, so I might've said more to people I lived with if I lived with some, but more probably just letting them in on the idea that I was trying to make changes in a positive direction, asking for their support (including asking them to not talk about it lots, avoid deliberately tempting me with treats, etc.).

There are so many stupid diet myths in popular culture, and I don't blame people for buying into them, but I don't need people repeating them to me as gospel, especially people who haven't run that particular course themselves. It's just not helpful or productive, IME.

88AViva

Nobody

The results will speak for itself. I'm just getting back to the size I used to be. And since things have gotten back to normal I haven't really socialized much anyway. Besides, I doubt anyone cares what I'm up to 😅
Everyone's on their own journey to becoming better versions of themselves. I'm doing the same.
Also I hate having to listen to the "you know what works? If you tried..." conversations I often hear others talk about.

perryc05

Only family/people in your household

Except for my wife who was losing along with me, I never talked to anyone about it especially at work. No one has ever really commented on there either and I have lost around 25-30kg. I was always doing it for me anyway.

Lietchi

Currently at the stage of 'last few lbs', but when I started out, 75lbs ago, I told no one.

Before finding MFP, I stupidly bought some weight loss pills (carb absorbing pills or something like that) and I even hid them from my boyfriend.
After ditching the pills and starting on MFP, I didn't declare to him 'I want to lose weight', but I just started logging and then 'recruiting' him to log the home-cooked meals he was preparing.
I didn't tell anyone else, until I saw I was actually losing weight (I was convinced weight loss was impossible), and even then only one close friend.

When my weight loss started becoming visible, I only talked about it when people commented or asked questions.

Chef_Barbell

Nobody

I tend to be a private person who hates unsolicited advice.

littlegreenparrot1

Nobody.
I don't see how my weight or what I eat is anyone's business but my own.

ruqayyahsmum

I have one friend who I text my daily weight to and will talk fitness with
My 17 year old daughter knows as she sees me eat and hikes with me

And that's it. It's no one else's business

Xellercin

I never talked about wanting to lose weight when I was obese because I never had a weight loss goal. I had a lifestyle goal and I talked very openly about that.

Everyone knew I was very focused on nutrition and health overall. I never ever commented on my own weight.

Everyone else did, but I didn't.

cmriverside

I didn't talk about it to anyone other than the very few who said something like, "You've lost weight! How did you do it?"

Almost without fail, when I replied, "Diet and exercise," they would give me some disappointed face or say something to the effect of, "Well that doesn't sound easy."

cwolfman13

Nobody

I lost my weight about 10 years ago and maintained up until COVID lockdowns where I gained 20 Lbs back. My wife knows I'm trying to get back to where I was but that's about it. Personally I find it annoying when people go around talking about it incessantly...I don't care...nobody cares. If someone were to notice and ask me I would tell them, but other than that I just do my thing.

When I started out a decade ago I got more comments from people about what I was eating and my exercise, etc...but after a decade of good nutrition and exercise, nobody notices and what I do is just..."well, that's Wolf, that's how he rolls."

srmeyers3

Only close friends and family

I told my family that I live with, and my family members who I'll be visiting soon, just so they understand that I'm trying to eat in a healthier way and can support me by not trying to ply me with sweets. I also told a couple of friends who I knew would be supportive and encouraging. It's nice to be able to discuss topics like nutrition, cooking, lifting, etc. with them if I want.

I'm lucky that people close to me never make unsolicited comments about what I eat, my exercise type/amount, or what size I am. By now (my third major weight loss), they know what to expect and it's not especially exciting to them.

mlrtri

Only family/people in your household

My husband knows and is supportive. My kids know we are adjusting the way we eat to include more fresh foods but I am not talking to them about my weight loss. The only other person is my sister in law who is working to lose as well and we are supporting each other. I don’t intend to tell anyone else. If anyone mentions my change in food choices for my lunch at work I plan to just say I am trying to make healthier habits. Which is true. I don’t like talking about my weight - good or bad.

Xellercin

cmriverside wrote: »

I didn't talk about it to anyone other than the very few who said something like, "You've lost weight! How did you do it?"

Almost without fail, when I replied, "Diet and exercise," they would give me some disappointed face or say something to the effect of, "Well that doesn't sound easy."

HAHAHA

This is so true. I lost weight very slowly, but people often didn't see me every day, so when they would see me, it would look like I had suddenly lost a bunch of weight.

In reality, I had only lost 2lbs/mo, but that adds up to noticeable weight loss pretty quickly.

They would always ask me with bright eyes "OMG, how did you lose the weight?" and then they would look horribly disappointed when I said "eating mostly vegetables."

Like, did they actually *want* to hear that I did some insanely restrictive diet where I can't eat foods of a certain colour during certain phases of the lunar cycle?

Most commercial "diets" to me sound miserable and difficult, which is why I've never ever done one.

So it was always kind of shocking to me when people were so disappointed to hear that I DIDN'T do some crazy hard diet to lose weight.

It's also crazy how resistant people are to just eating highly nutritious food in moderate portions. Like that's somehow a fate worse than death.

My spouse started telling people I only ate broccoli stems and liver for a year, and people would actually be interested in hearing more!!!

sijomial

When I lost weight the only person who had to know was my wife as she did the majority of the food shopping and cooking.

But it wasn't a taboo subject at all to me and I was perfectly happy to talk about diet / dieting to anybody. Either because they were also losing weight, or just interested, or who noticed me losing.
I'm not someone who needs approval, accountability or cheer-leading so I didn't "force" my dieting as a subject of conversation but also didn't feel any need to keep it secret either.

If people want advice I'm happy to help but I have a limited tolerance of excuses and woo.
The "it's easy for you because xxx" or alternatively "it's harder for me because xxx" are particular triggers.

These days I'm a performance oriented cyclist and in that demographic weight is often talked about in the same terms as training routines due to power to weight ratio being such a huge factor.

scarlett_k

Only close friends and family

I mean I haven't announced it over loud speaker to my close friends but has just come up in conversation when they open a conversation about their own weight or struggles with food. My husband is the only one I talk to about it really but it's mostly just "on in the background " rather than an active conversation. He isn't trying to lose weight but needs to get his cholesterol down a bit so we do discuss nutrition somewhat.

COGypsy

Nobody

littlegreenparrot1 wrote: »

Nobody.
I don't see how my weight or what I eat is anyone's business but my own.

This. I don’t think much about what other people eat, why would they care what I’m eating (or not eating)?

Deni_R

I've been on a weight loss journey for the last six months and until this last week the only people who knew were the people who saw me eat so my closest family/friends and my workmates.

I was doing a bit of research into long term weight loss as I'm determined to get to goal and maintain for the long term and one suggestion was to put a public commitment into the world so I posted a bit of a mission statement on Facebook. The response was very heartwarming. Everyone was incredibly supportive.

Ultimately the only person that matters is you but it's always nice to have external support especially with long term weight loss.

Xellercin

sijomial wrote: »

If people want advice I'm happy to help but I have a limited tolerance of excuses and woo.
The "it's easy for you because xxx" or alternatively "it's harder for me because xxx" are particular triggers.

Oh yeah, I became somewhat hostile to the ubiquitous response of "well it's easy for you because you don't have kids."

They would say this to me knowing I usually worked 10-14hrs/day, usually 6 days a week, that I'm disabled, and was on meds that cause weight gain. And they would have the audacity to say that I was only successful because it's so much easier for me.

Like, why even bring up the subject if you're just going to insult me and invalidate my experience?

Plus it always sounds disrespectful to me towards parents. As if being a parent fundamentally makes you incapable of basic self-care. Like "oh, well everyone knows that if you have kids, you aren't capable of basic self care."

JaysFan82

Totally put the word out there

More people as I went along, mainly because I've lost a noticeable amount of weight.

Decoy152

Totally put the word out there

Initially (December 2019) I told no one. Two weeks in I shared my plans with my spouse. 90 days in I shared with friends and peers who began to notice and encourage me. 2 years in ( December 2020 or so) I shared with a physician and began sharing info on social media within a closed network. Six to eight weeks ago I put it out there on YT and here on MFP. I seemed to be more comfortable discussing it as others began to notice and inquire.

HoneyBadger302

Nobody

I don't really share it with other people - if I have a good workout or something I may snap a photo and post it, but I don't really put it out there. My boyfriend ends up aware every time I'm tracking my calories, some friends end up seeing that, but I don't really talk about it to much of anyone. I have one or two friends I might confide in, but that would be about it, one I would probably strive to help use as an accountability buddy.

Lullaby2021

Nobody

No one this time, I learned my lesson from telling people. It is my little secret. That they'll find out later on their own.

Annie42019

Nobody

No one. Not even my husband who is the most unobservant person you’ve ever met. When I’d lost about 60 of my 75 pounds we were out to dinner with friends who were like “Oh my goodness you’ve lost so much weight!” And my husband looked surprised. When people asked how he reacted to my 75 pound loss I would say “ he never noticed but also didn’t seem to notice when I was obese!”

not_my_first_rodeo

Nobody

This time? No one. I got a couple of comments from coworkers saying I was looking good. One person asked if I was trying to lose weight. I just said thank you to both of them and kept walking. I feel like when I tell people I either get sabotaged or I start feeling guilty when my progress slows.

When I go see my GP for my physical, I will tell him what I am doing.

mlrtri

Only family/people in your household

My answer was originally only those in my household. But now I have lost enough for people to notice and some have asked. I try to keep my response very brief. Maybe a quick Thank you with a “I am trying to improve my health”.

AmiW85

Nobody

Nobody. I've said it so many times, and lasted a week, then ended up fatter that before I don't want to say anything yet. I have told people I'm cutting out alcohol, but said that's for health reasons x