Have you told your friends and family about your journey?

brandymk

I have told some of my family about trying to lose weight, but I won't tell my friends and coworkers. Fear of failure maybe? I don't know. I think it's more that I know my coworkers will turn it into a contest. They may not actually say this but I know in their heads they are thinking, "I can do better," or "she lost two pounds, I lost 4!". Or maybe I'm afraid that they are secretly hoping I will fail or that they are laughing at me thinking I can't do this. I have never cared what other people think about me...why do I care so much now? Why can't I be okay with telling everyone? Sometimes we even hide our efforts from of family......cause they will make fun of us????

How about you? Have you told your friends and family? Or do you just wait for them to notice?

brandymk

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mommymeyersto2

I have told a few family members and suggested the site to a few people. I had my second child 14 months ago. One friend I have is a classic "one upper". I'll let her see the change when I see her. This is me taking control of my life

Kym1610

I have told my work friends (we are all doing this together). I have told my family I am dieting but I haven't really mentioned anything about progress. I haven't seen my Mum since June and I will be visiting her in a few weeks, it will be interesting to see her reaction

blnorman29

I haven't told that many people, and definitely not my co-workers. I feel like it's personal, and there are things I'm just not interested in sharing with everyone. Most of my family doesn't know, either. My mom does, and is supportive, and my cousin does. She's fantastic, very supportive and encouraging. I'd rather tell the people who I know will be supportive, then tell everyone and risk comments or criticisms. If/when they notice, I'll let them in on the details if they're interested. Otherwise, this is about me and only me.

crystalslight

I have told all my family and friends. I've been trying to not tell strangers. But I've been known to slip. :embarassed:

I tell EVERYONE. I LOVE MFP that much

Happy0326

I guess I'm just waiting for them to notice. I think they will start watching me like a hawk & when I eat ONE thing that they think isn't so great I will hear things about me trying to lose weight. This is a journey I decided to take on my own well with MFP family only...LOL!!! I have lost 12 lbs. so far & it's NOT noticeable yet...LOL!!! when they start to notice I will just say I CHANGED my eating habbits & started moving more. You don't need negative thoughts to bring you down so if you feel in your gut to not say anything you have the right not to.

kiannlouise

I told my family, my co-workers & my close friends... So far I have lost 25kgs if i hadn't told them I don't think I would be where I am today. With their constant questions on how I'm going or "that's not healthy" words I couldn't have done it. I find it motivating, because everyone is expecting you to lose weight and you wouldnt want to let them down! If you want to lose weight you need to
- set goals
- write down your goals
- tell people your goals

Seriously i find it is the key to success! I mean if you dont tell anyone you wont feel guilty about letting yourself down!
I agree with Kym - do it with your co-workers they might join in set a challenge!

spyro88

I have told a few people I am close to, my mum, dad, partner and a couple of friends. It helps me keep on track because as well as their support, I feel like they will be thinking about whether I have lost weight, and I want them to notice

janiecorona

I told everyone in every social network possible and in real life! I feel like I hold myself accountable because of that and getting fit isn't something I want to hide, it's not something I'm ashamed of. I am very proud to be working on myself and that's my new attitude. (:

Pebble321

I started by saying to my husband and family "I need to get healthier, I need to eat less and exercise". He knows that I track my food (or he did, though I bet he thinks I have given that up by now....). I think he would think being on MFP every day was too excessive but it's working for me!
Now I've lost a fair bit of weight, if people notice and ask how much I tell them but I don't bring it up. I'm really doing this for me - if they notice that's fine but it's really not anyone else's business except mine.

iamahealthychick

I think you may be feeling worried about it because it is so important to you? I know when I first started, I was determined to not say anything to anyone. I was terrified that this "would be like all of the other times" where I mentioned I was working on my health... was really gung ho, then abandoned everything after a month or so. It is terrifying to feel like a quitter and I didn't want to say anything for fear of judgement if I didn't make it again. I talk a lot with my hubby about my fears and I am so grateful that he is so supportive. He agrees that this time seems different. Not a diet but a lifestyle. (I am also easing into exercise!)

I actually told my coworkers before my family. The coworkers noticed I wasn't eating any of the yummy baked goodness at the staff appreciation tea we held and all of them were looking at me funny. I decided to 'fess up and tell them. They were very supportive and positive about the whole thing. They do ask how I am doing but I don't feel like it is a "checking up" on me... more of a "so, how are things going for you today" sort of thing. If it is any different, I don't wanna know!

I was more worried about telling my parents. They have worried about me for years but weirdly, they then decide that they will cook the way they cook and if I come for supper, that's what they are having so eat it or don't. I also worried about them scrutinizing everything that went into my mouth at my brother's wedding and during the camping trip we all went on afterwards but amazingly, they were great! No mention of the chips and alcohol I indulged in (and counted, no matter if I went over for the day)... no comments about the measuring utensils and electronic scale out in the boonies. They just curiously enquired how things were going for me and did I meet my calories. I wonder if they worry I am not eating enough?? They are great people but funny about some things.

lstnlondry

I joined because of my niece and she is the only one who knows. It's a damn shame no one in my house has noticed I lost 13 pounds too!!

brandymk

I am doing this for myself as well. I just hope there is a point in which I don't feel like everyone is critiquing me. My family is extremly supportive....and that's all that matters!

Elleinnz

I told everyone right from the start......I just felt that this was not a secret, and to be accountable every day I was going to tell people. What I got in return was the most amazing bunch of cheerleaders - both at work and in my personal life....they are there to celebrate with me - they are there when I am struggling, and in return my success has actually inspired a few people to go on their own journey.....

On a monday morning they are all there to hear what the result of my weigh in over the weekend was, and they are just as impatient as me to finally nail this last 1.5 kgs to get to my 50 kg lost point.....

lucythinmint

My husband and I moved to other side of the country, away from our families almost 2 years ago and have only been to visit once. I hadn't lost but 5lbs at our last visit.

I have not told anyone besides my husband and kids. My family is kind of (a lot of) negative about everything. It's not that I don't want them to know it's just I don't want them to discourage me from goals.
I have told my husband I will be ready to visit when I hit my goal weight, but I still will not tell them. Just let them see.

But at the same time, it's kind of hard for them to not notice, I am friends with most of FB and they see some random pictures of me that get posted.....

Suzannejl

I tell everyone! I'm so bad, but I love MFP! And I've never been able to lose weight before!
And my kids tell me, buy more junk food!!!!!! lol really they do! I'm getting chastized for buying too healthy...

Just returned from a vaca home and my Mom and everyone noticed! 12-14 pounds gone! woo hoo! almost half way there!

sauerkrautpolka

Yeah, I told them.. but now I kind of wish I would have kept it to myself. I feel like they're just trying to be nice when they tell me they can tell that I'm losing weight.. I would have liked to have seen how long I could have gone with losing weight until they noticed something and then I would have told them. I'm not afraid of failing, though I have many times in the past.. I'm bound and determined this time. No going back. Ever! My life changed after the beginning of this year and I'm a different person. I am living for myself and no one else. I am doing this for me now. This is the longest I've ever gone with exercising and this way of eating and the most weight I've ever lost at one time. Not going to stop here. Have a long road ahead and then the rest of my life. Sorry, went off on a tangent. :P But yeah, all of my friends and family know now. And a lot of them, including my husband, are on the same mission as I am and it's great to have them by my side. It's definitely much easier with their support and being able to show that same support to them. They (((I'm looking at you, @TheWizzard, @leilahh, @RainyDayKelli, @sapphyretwins and the rest of my MFP friends that I've made here))) help keep me motivated!

chantell7

I told my family, I tried to get them on board but there not interested. They all are obese and need too get healthy ,I just don't think there at that point yet. They kind of looked at me like " another diet" lol. But this is not. Diet for me, more a lifestyle . And im loving every minute.

thenewkarisa

i told my boyfriend about what I wanted to do and I started doing it... he has jumped on the horse with me and lost more than I have! Other than that, I have not flat out told anyone what my plans are, I just make small mentions like "woo hoo! I lost 6 inches!" It seems to get me a lot of congrats without people making a big deal out of it. I'm not one for attention, so I just wait for people to notice or when someone says that I look like I've lost weight, I tell them "thanks, I try." without making a big deal.

brandymk

Thanks for the comments everyone! I still don't think I will tell my coworkers. This is my change, not theirs.

lucyhoneychurch

Yeah, I told them.. but now I kind of wish I would have kept it to myself. I feel like they're just trying to be nice when they tell me they can tell that I'm losing weight.. I would have liked to have seen how long I could have gone with losing weight until they noticed something and then I would have told them. I'm not afraid of failing, though I have many times in the past.. I'm bound and determined this time. No going back. Ever! My life changed after the beginning of this year and I'm a different person. I am living for myself and no one else. I am doing this for me now. This is the longest I've ever gone with exercising and this way of eating and the most weight I've ever lost at one time. Not going to stop here. Have a long road ahead and then the rest of my life. Sorry, went off on a tangent. :P But yeah, all of my friends and family know now. And a lot of them, including my husband, are on the same mission I am and it's great to have them by my side. It's definitely much easier with their support and being able to show that same support to them. They (((I'm looking at you, @TheWizzard, @leilahh, @RainyDayKelli, @sapphyretwins and the rest of my MFP that I've made here))) help keep me motivated!

That sounds like my own tangent.
At first I only told my sister, who had lost 15 pounds and was my original motivator. I didn't mention specifics to my husband - I just wanted to start working on exercising as soon as possible. I made myself accountable for myself, challenged my own willpower, and reminded myself that if I cheated on something, I was only cheating myself (That's a whole lot of "myself"s!) . No one was going to make me lose the weight, and it wasn't coming off unless I just got up and did it.

If I felt that coworkers would be mean-spirited and competitive, and not in a healthy way, I wouldn't bother to tell them about something that doesn't affect them. Just do the work and let the results speak for themselves!

heather7marie

My immediate family knows and some of my friends do. Everyone knows I've been working out a lot more, because I basically broadcast it to the world. :laugh: I've only told a few people outside of MFP about my plans for when I reach a loss of 40lbs. I'm waiting until it actually happens to tell everyone. Gotta make sure I don't chicken out!

Gary1977

I didn't tell anyone at first in fear they would look @ me and think, "He'll never do this". After a while, people @ work & family as well started to notice. When they started asking if I was losing weight, I gladly told them about me efforts. For a guy my size, I had lost 50-60lbs before any visual differences were noticeable. Now it's like a game with my co-workers always asking me on my updated weight loss numbers. They or I can hardly believe that I've lost almost 160lbs (103 with MFP) in the last 6 months. :noway:

quietlywinning

I haven't told anyone except one friend and my 25 year old daughter. A lot of my family is very negative and likes to ridicule. And if I were to get down to 80 pounds they'd never admit to noticing.......so it's best not to set myself up to be discouraged. And friends.....I'm new to the area. No friends, really, other than those I communicate with online.

brandymk

I didn't tell anyone at first in fear they would look @ me and think, "He'll never do this". After a while, people @ work & family as well started to notice. When they started asking if I was losing weight, I gladly told them about me efforts. For a guy my size, I had lost 50-60lbs before any visual differences were noticeable. Now it's like a game with my co-workers always asking me on my updated weight loss numbers. They or I can hardly believe that I've lost almost 160lbs (103 with MFP) in the last 6 months. :noway:

Congrats Gary! Wow! You are an inspiration! And I love your dog....looks just like mine!

brandymk

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brandymk

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zippo32

Nah!

sweetsapphire85

My immediate family knows because I live with them so they see me eating less and going to the gym every day. My friends and sister (who lives separate) tend to make it a competitive thing doesn't matter if it's weight loss, dating, clothes, etc. so they know very little if anything.

My family at this point i wished didn't know because now they ask me every time I eat how healthy is what i'm eating trying to make me skip meals and second guess myself, or giggle if I decide to do a home work out video. It becomes kind of frustrating and makes me just want to take this journey by myself.

brandymk

Bump