"You don't need to lose weight"

jslane

I usually don't respond at all. Since I've always been skinny and smaller than most people, I always ran into disapproval any time I tried to eat better or exercise. People don't seem to understand that there is a big difference between being skinny and being healthy. When I said something to my mom about how I had put some of my weight back on over the holidays, her response was, "You needed to". Even when I was 15 lbs. heavier, everyone would tell me how they liked the weight on me, but they don't have to live in my body! I think a lot of times, it really does just boil down to other people feeling insecure about their own weight. You probably already look far better than they do, so it makes them feel even worse when you're still trying to improve yourself. I try to avoid talking about weight or clothing size with anyone I know is not going to be supportive, including family!

jslane

At my first teaching job, all the teachers would sit around and gossip about people in the community. (small town) One day, they were talking about a thinner, well toned woman who walked regularly and attended Weight Watchers. They were like, "So and So doesn't need to go to to Weight Watchers", and all I could think to myself was, maybe that's why!