Teased for Tracking

MissGamerGirl

This is really more of a vent post than anything.

You know, I didn't mind it at first when people would say jesting comments about how I weigh and track everything I eat. I know most can't conceive of being hyper-aware of every single thing they eat, or they just weren't aware that people actually do this. I looked at it as them just being funny with me, like how friends pick on each other. Normally it doesn't bother me.

Buuut...now I'm getting annoyed. The comments just keep flowing. I get them mainly from school and work, where I spend most of my time. And I never advertised to them that I tracked in the first place. They asked what I was doing since my body has been changing so rapidly and I shared with them that tracking - for me - is essential. Or, they would see the MFP app open on my phone while I track some things and be like "What's that? What are you doing?"

At school, I get a lot of, "Why on earth would anyone even bother doing that? Why can't you just eat and be done with it? Don't you think that's a little silly and borderline OCD?" At work today, a coworker said, "So, you literally weigh EVERYthing you eat? That's just psychotic! You're being way too picky."

Alright, seriously? This is just ridiculous...and rude! Food and eating in general for many people is a personal subject. I eat well and am proud of my discipline and the habits I have built, and I'm proud of my progress with my body. This is what I tell myself when I keep hearing the comments. I tell myself not to worry about it, that at the end of the day, I'm bettering myself.

I just think it's bizarre that people are going out of their way to make their opinions known, you know? Has anyone else been in this situation?

Hell, even my husband doesn't badger me about it, and we pick on each other all the time, lol.

CorlissaEats

This is one reason why I have been purposefully vague about my weightloss efforts. I tend to stick with the whole "diet and exercise" combo as my reason and lightly touch on MFP as the tool I use. I might say that I am working to ensure that I eat enough food, that I struggle with balancing the high and low days. I usualy say that I am weighing and measuring everything but I think it gets lost for most by the "eating enough" focus. Most people know I am struggling with food allergies and am cutting foods so that might naturally cut the conversation short- I have little to offer them in terms of secrets or techniques.

I work with mostly men though and I can count on one hand the number of people who have noticed that I am 30lbs lighter. There are only a few women and not enough for the cattiness factor comes into play. I think it doesn't start until the group exceeds 4 women? I find women confusing and hard to understand and I am one. :embarassed: I don't understand jealousy. Someone else's success has never diminished my own.

Sorry to hear about your experience. It IS hard to fathom how weighing all your food isnt OCD. Its empowering, but I have to confess that its an idea I struggled with prior to joining MFP. But It lets me eat all the foods I want (that arent off limits due to allergies). I get to eat EVERYTHING because I weigh. There are no bad foods if I can meet my calorie and general macro goals. It gives me more freedom, not less. I avoided calorie counting for years because I thought it would restrict. I was wrong.

Shake it off. You are doing great work. Your husband supports you thats more than some women get.

JoRocka

"I'm sorry- how is this any of your business again"

"I'm not asking you to weigh your food"

"it takes you longer to complain about my logging than it does for me to log my food"

" I'm sorry- how is this disrupting your day"

"I'm sorry I didn't realize your life was so boring you had to spend your day nosing about mine"

"I'm sorry how much weight have you lost this month?"

"I'm sorry- how much is your dead lift at this point??"

"I'm sorry when was the last XXXX event you ran??:

my number one- for all time rudie of all rude's is

"when I want to look like you- I'll eat like you"

"I'm pooping at 3 PM this afternoon- if you could be there to add your comments in on that - it would be great- because I really do appreciate your input in my life!!!"


people are so rude.

You're doing fine- don't give them the satisfaction. seriously. push back a little and keep on being fierce. No body has time for that type of rubbish atttidue.

lyndyloooo

I know you didn't post that for praise, but I feel the need to do so all the same because of the comments you made about diet being a personal subject (a concept most people don't seem to understand) and how rightly proud you are for your discipline that is yielding desirable results for you. That's such a great thing and, as I just joined MFP today, I hope to get there too.

I get annoyed when people see me eating a salad or fruit and ask me if I'm on a diet or say, "Look at you being good!" People may think they're being encouraging and don't seem to realize it comes off as patronizing. Maybe the best way to respond to the insulting comments you're getting is to shut them down with a dismissive one like, "Well, it's been working for me and in this case that's all that matters." Or if you're feeling particularly spunky that day you can turn it back on them with, "Does it bother you?" and when they say, "No," you can say, "Then why does it matter to you?" Putting them on the defensive puts control of the discussion in your hands and then you can end the subject and move on to more neutral ground, like ANYTHING besides dieting.

We are inundated with marketing every day, which leads people to think that because something is out there in public so much, that it's a free-for-all subject and they are allowed to openly express their opinions about our personal choices. My go-to response is, "If we all thought the same way and did the same things, the world would be a boring place." That's my way of letting them know we have different opinions and theirs doesn't change mine.

Good luck!

mandasalem

I've had a lot of curiosity, but not a lot of teasing. I think occasionally, it frustrated my husband, but primarily because I was being a lunatic at him. "YOU'RE CUTTING THE CHEESE SLICES TOOO BIIIIIIG." You know, normal stuff >.>

I don't even know how to suggest to handle this, though. What an intrusion. I understand curiosity, but outright calling you psychotic or OCD is just plain harmful. How about "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful?" Ha.

bigldesigns

When ever I tell people I am tracking everything I eat.. and weighing it.. I get all sorts of weird comments.. eventually they all get to WHY would you do that..

And I have one easy Standard reply..

I show them a pic..




That is why!!! I NEVER want to look like a beach ball again!

DPruneda17

Just remind yourself that when people are critical, it's due to their own insecurities. Happy people don't need to put down other people! They are probably jealous that you found something that works, and they haven't. Or that your way is different then there way. Oh well! Be proud of the weight you've lost and the work you're putting in. And smile to yourself when you get rude comments; because you secretly know they wish they were as cool as you!!

ValeriePlz

When I eat out, I take out my little notebook and jot some notes, and I have been asked what I am doing, but no one has been too critical. I'm sorry to hear you have had a bad experience!

I think that people think there is some secret to losing weight, and they feel threatened by the knowledge that it's just hard work and attentiveness. Then they comment that logging must be such hard work to justify to themselves that they would never want to use your methods in order to get the same results as you.

seltzermint555

"I'm sorry how much weight have you lost this month?"

JoRocka that is my FAVORITE.

Although I never would, I'd love to say this to a lot of my friends who post constantly on facebook about their intense workouts but never ever lose a single lb (I'm talking about people with 100 lb to lose, sometimes more) because calorie counting is an old wives tale from the 1960s and 1970s and it doesn't work.

rieann84

I get pressured a lot to do shots at work. I laugh and say no, that I don't have room/calories for it. A few people know that I keep track of my calories. I get a lot of eye-rolls from the guys and they plead to me that I look fine the way I am. I know its meant well...but practically coming to tears in a changing room because nothing fits or looks good is not "fine".

dt3312

I'm sorry people are saying such weird things to you! Maybe they are a bit envious and know underneath their facades that they should consider doing the same thing you are. The people I have shared with are either neutral, or else they are so happy I told them about MFP that they have started to do it. One of my friends doesn't need to lose weight, but because of some health issues, her nutritionist said she needs to make sure she gets a certain amount of protein each day. She is glad I told her about MFP so she can track the protein.

_lyndseybrooke_

"when I want to look like you- I'll eat like you"

BOOM! Haha, love it!

zeal26

Oh I've learned to not mention it to anyone. I definitely don't mention the words ''calorie counting'' because that seems to really freak people out! If someone asks how I'm losing the weight, I just say I'm watching my portions and exercising. It's true, anyway.

kk_140

I just don't tell anybody anything. If someone asks why I am looking thinner I just say "I don't know what you're talking about" or "I haven't noticed, but thanks."

That way no one is the wiser and no one comments.

Ysmir

Then they comment that logging must be such hard work to justify to themselves that they would never want to use your methods in order to get the same results as you.

THIS.

I think I've reached a point in my life where I care very very little about what anyone else has to say about anything that I do. I usually just smile and leave them wondering.

ottermotorcycle

People still do that? Pick on others for things like that? Seriously, I thought we left that kind of behavior in high school.

I can understand why someone would say something like "So you weigh everything? Always? Don't you take some time off?" or even "I could never do that, seems like so much work." But I guess people aren't as self-aware as I expect them to be. I'm sure that's what they mean. Particularly if they are asking you how you lost weight, they're probably thinking about doing it themselves, and write it off as "obsessive" behavior so that they don't have to feel guilty for not putting in the effort.

RhysJ13

People still do that? Pick on others for things like that? Seriously, I thought we left that kind of behavior in high school.

I can understand why someone would say something like "So you weigh everything? Always? Don't you take some time off?" or even "I could never do that, seems like so much work." But I guess people aren't as self-aware as I expect them to be. I'm sure that's what they mean. Particularly if they are asking you how you lost weight, they're probably thinking about doing it themselves, and write it off as "obsessive" behavior so that they don't have to feel guilty for not putting in the effort.

Came here to say this about that word 'obsessive'. I'm sure we've all been told that we're obsessed at some point; with our diets, the gym etc. etc.

It's just a word the weak use to describe the dedicated!

AllOutof_Bubblegum

I get teased for whipping out my phone and tracking/scanning food labels all the time. Guess what? None of the ppl who tease me look like this
<

---

So they can tease away while I rock the teeniest bikini available this summer. You got this. Ignore them and do what you want to do!

allbarrett

Don't bring it up yourself. Don't take the bait if someone else brings it up, just change the subject.

Anyone rude enough to comment on your personal habits like that isn't worth responding to in any meaningful way. I'm actually surprised anyone inquired, to be honest, the people I know all seem to understand that if you want to lose weight or change your physique in any meaningful way, you have to 1) be aware of what you are eating (and possibly change your eating habits), and 2) be aware of how much (or how little) exercise you are getting (and possibly change your exercise habits). So, they didn't ask when I lost weight, they haven't asked since I started weight lifting either (I just get comments like "I can't believe you can pick up your nephew and swing him around like that, he's such a big boy!").

AllOutof_Bubblegum

Or you could go with:

"Don't pester me about how I choose to eat, unless you'd like me to start calling attention to YOUR eating habits!"

that usually shuts them right up.

AlabasterVerve

"when I want to look like you- I'll eat like you"

I love this answer so much... I would never say it but still. :flowerforyou: