Hurtful comments about weight?

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TheDoctor90
TheDoctor90 Posts: 461 Member
Just reading the thread about the worst comments about your weight and it got me wondering. For those who said it's most hurtful from those closest to you, do you think that is perhaps something you need?
Whether you are trying to lose or gain weight if your husband/wife made an extremely critical comment, like 'I no longer find you attractive at that weight' or 'I no longer find you sexy'.... How many of you would argue that the person is an *kitten*?

Should a husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend love you regardless of your weight? Or is there a limit? What if they still love you but at your weight, simply don't have that attraction any more?

Surely if all the little comments didn't work about your weight, and didn't make you change, the big one like those above, are necessary?

My thinking was, looking at the rude comments thread, a lot of people said they wanted to change their lives due to a comment that stuck with them, so perhaps those comments are needed?

And finally, if you don't agree with the above, how else would you like your significant other to approach this, or how would you approach it to your partner?
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Replies

  • Clarecbear82
    Clarecbear82 Posts: 369 Member
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    I've personally had the opposite from my partner. He says he doesn't like me thinner but for some reason that's given me the determination to do it more lol
  • LilMissFoodie
    LilMissFoodie Posts: 612 Member
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    For me, wanting to lose weight really has to come from myself - having other people make nasty comments just takes my motivation away for some reason.

    In any case, I think if my husband told me that he didn't find me attractive because I was too fat then I would think he was a jerk (luckily he would never do that). If he said that he found it unattractive that I seemed not to care about myself and my health any more then I would think that was a fair comment and would appreciate his concern. I guess I just don't expect my relationship with my husband to be superficial.
  • Nos150
    Nos150 Posts: 150
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  • persephone87
    persephone87 Posts: 220 Member
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    My partner is the same, we actually weight the same and I was comparing tummy size and we are both the same, he wants to lose weight but for me he doesn't like skinny girls he loves me as I am. Thing is I dont!

    I have been lucky I never had comments about my weight from others but I have from myself, I look in the mirror and criticise what I see, I think it depends on your attitude if someone was called fat they could either get a 'screw you' attitude and prove them wrong, or it could send them into a deeper depression about weight (for someone like me who is a comfort eater) and make the problem worse.
  • changinmyways72
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    I've actually just had this happen to me by my son. His comments were said out of anger, but that doesn't make it hurt any less. It bothers me so badly to know what he thinks of my weight. My husband on the other hand, couldn't be happier, he loves me the way I am. I have hated the way I look for a long time but I procrastinate. I'm hoping this site will keep me in check and I can procrastinate about procrastinating lol.

    I would definitely be more responsive to someone making a comment about my weight in a kind approach rather than nasty comments spilling out of someone's mouth.
  • losing4kt
    losing4kt Posts: 11 Member
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    I believe when our loved ones and people we care about make those derogatory comments it hurts the most because those are the people who are supposed to be in our corner. They are supposed to accept us for who we are, not what we look like or what we weigh. I am lucky to have a husband that supports me no matter what. In fact, my husband and I fell in love when I was at my biggest so he has not known me to be smaller and the thought of me losing weight does not matter to him other than the fact weight loss means a better chance of us having a child. He fell in love with me as a person, not me weighing such and such pounds, ya know? I believe if he made a comment instead of a snarky remark out of concern it might be different. It'd still hurt but it would come off better than an insult.

    I really believe weight loss has to come from within. People can make all the comments in the world but it is up to us to decide what the limit we will take is before we ourselves look within and decide it is time for a change. Let's face it, people will make comments no matter what. When we all reach our goal weight, people will start nitpicking over something else. I've learned to just let what people say roll off my back because my opinion is the only one that matters.
  • PennyNickel14
    PennyNickel14 Posts: 749 Member
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    Honestly, if my partner said that he no longer loved because I had put on weight... I would feel like he never really loved me, he had only loved the packaging. it would open up so many dark spirals Of would he love me as i age, would he love me if I became debilitated for some other reason...

    But I think a marriage should be a we vs. the world situation and not a him vs. me situation...
  • AshDHart
    AshDHart Posts: 818 Member
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    Honestly, if my partner said that he no longer loved because I had put on weight... I would feel like he never really loved me, he had only loved the packaging. it would open up so many dark spirals Of would he love me as i age, would he love me if I became debilitated for some other reason...

    But I think a marriage should be a we vs. the world situation and not a him vs. me situation...

    ^This!

    My husband put on 125 lbs after we married. I was already 100+ lbs overweight. His weight gain never once changed my love or attraction to him. I would hate to be in a marriage where any negative change to my body would cause my husband to not find me attractive anymore. What would happen if I lost a breast to cancer? Or what happens when the guy goes bald? Do you leave them because they aren't attractive anymore. That is a sad marriage in my opinion.

    My husband and I have a we vs. the world and I wouldn't change it for anything! We call it circling the wagons. :happy:
  • taramaureen
    taramaureen Posts: 569 Member
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    I think there is a way to approach someone you love about their weight gain without being a butthead about it. My mom would always approach me in a concerned manner when I gained too much. Never hurtful.

    Honestly if you're changing your lifestyle because of a single (or even multiple) comments from someone else you're doing it for the wrong reasons. I believe that change comes from the inside, and while it may be "motivated" by hurtful comments they are not enough to sustain healthy weight loss if the person doesn't really want to change to begin with.
  • paulyarwooduk
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    Honestly, if my partner said that he no longer loved because I had put on weight... I would feel like he never really loved me, he had only loved the packaging. it would open up so many dark spirals Of would he love me as i age, would he love me if I became debilitated for some other reason...

    But I think a marriage should be a we vs. the world situation and not a him vs. me situation...


    I was chatting to a friend of mine the other day about this very subject. He said he would love his partner regardless of how big or small they were but if she got too big he would still love her but he would no longer find her attractive. They love each other enough to be able to talk freely about these things and not take offence.
  • KittyExpress
    KittyExpress Posts: 8 Member
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    Problem is, we don't think people are jerks because they aren't attracted to blondes, or short people, or people with freckles... That's just their personal attraction. What they find sexy. So if we say to someone "You're not allowed to find a larger person sexually unattractive", isn't that kind of unfair? I mean, I don't think anyone should ever say it to hurt or to be spiteful, but if you're not attracted to a larger person then wouldn't it be kind of cruel to expect them to say nothing and to try to be turned on by someone that's just not their type?

    I've been large. In fact I've spent most of my adult life in the obese range until relatively recently. But I think expecting someone to become physically attracted to a completely different body type is unfair, no matter how slow the weight gain. Our physical attractions are for the most part instinctual and not something we can control. You can love a person without having a physical attraction to the body they're in.

    On the other side of things, I've known couples that have split up because one of them lost a lot of weight and the other was no longer attracted because their partner was 'too thin' and they didn't feel attracted anymore. Different strokes for different folks. Literally!
  • zombiefruit
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    My husband calls me "beautiful" and "gorgeous" on a regular basis. I know that he loves me and finds me attractive no matter what... And that is a huge factor in my ability to lose weight. If I were doing it because I felt he didn't love me as much fat (or wasn't as attracted to me fat), that would be a huge issue for me and I would find it really hard to stay motivated. I'm getting healthier for ME, not for him - and as long as I have his support I can keep the focus on myself and lose in a mentally healthy way.
  • Bahet
    Bahet Posts: 1,254 Member
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    I'd think he wasn't the man I married. I don't find 80yo bald men attractive but someday if my hubby is 80 yrs old and bald I'll still love him and I'm sure I'll still find him attractive because I love him for who he is on the inside, not what he looks like on the outside.

    When I met my husband he was 25, fit, with a thick head of dark brown hair. I was 19, thin, and pretty darn sexy if I do say so myself. Fast forward 22 years. I'm now 42 and fat. My hair is brown but only if I dye it. My breasts are no longer pointing upright. Hubby is 48 with silver hair that's starting to thin in the back. We've both put on about 100 lbs since we met. But when I look at him I don't see a fat man with thinning hair. I see the twinkle in his eyes when he smiles and hear the laugh that is infectous to those around him. I see a man who loves his family and would do anything for us. When I hug him my hands barely touch (both of our faults) but I'm still happier in his arms than anywhere else in the world.

    He'd never tell me he was no longer attracted to me and vice versa. Anyone who bases their attraction to their spouse on looks isn't someone who ever really planned to be married forever in the first place and probably will end up cheating and/or divorced.

    Now, if my DH wanted to motivate me he might say "Honey I'm really worried about your health. How about we start going on walks every evening? I want to keep you around as long as possible to enjoy being old together and unless we both lose weight that's just not going to happen.
  • dalgirly
    dalgirly Posts: 280 Member
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    I think it depends on how they say things.

    I am ALL for a loved one saying you should lose a few pounds. But if they say mean or cruel comments, then I don't like it. If my bf were to be like "you're looking fat today", well that's hurtful. But if he goes, hey why don't we go to the gym, or did you want me to drive you to the gym --- or something more encouraging to get me out --- go for it!

    When you encourage someone to go out and lose weight, that's when its a great thing (even if they acknowledge you need to lose weight). But if they are cruel, that is not good.
  • court182
    court182 Posts: 307
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    Me wanting to lose weight has completely come from within. No one has ever said anything rude to me, I just got disgusted enough with myself to want to change.
  • deadstarsunburn
    deadstarsunburn Posts: 1,337 Member
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    I'd think he wasn't the man I married. I don't find 80yo bald men attractive but someday if my hubby is 80 yrs old and bald I'll still love him and I'm sure I'll still find him attractive because I love him for who he is on the inside, not what he looks like on the outside.

    When I met my husband he was 25, fit, with a thick head of dark brown hair. I was 19, thin, and pretty darn sexy if I do say so myself. Fast forward 22 years. I'm now 42 and fat. My hair is brown but only if I dye it. My breasts are no longer pointing upright. Hubby is 48 with silver hair that's starting to thin in the back. We've both put on about 100 lbs since we met. But when I look at him I don't see a fat man with thinning hair. I see the twinkle in his eyes when he smiles and hear the laugh that is infectous to those around him. I see a man who loves his family and would do anything for us. When I hug him my hands barely touch (both of our faults) but I'm still happier in his arms than anywhere else in the world.

    He'd never tell me he was no longer attracted to me and vice versa. Anyone who bases their attraction to their spouse on looks isn't someone who ever really planned to be married forever in the first place and probably will end up cheating and/or divorced.

    Now, if my DH wanted to motivate me he might say "Honey I'm really worried about your health. How about we start going on walks every evening? I want to keep you around as long as possible to enjoy being old together and unless we both lose weight that's just not going to happen.

    This is SO SWEET. You're so right about basically being able to love them unconditionally. I really hope to have a marriage like yours.
  • RonneyKay
    RonneyKay Posts: 464 Member
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    My husband and I have been married over 18 years. We both have put on weight. I am wanting to lose it now because of my health. Things hurt that shouldn't. I get winded easily, etc... I don't want to be like that.

    That being said a lot of things are so much more important to us. Our children, etc... My husband would NEVER say or even THINK that about me. He loves me for who I am. And Vice Versa. If he did tell me that, I would lose 200+lbs REAL QUICK!!! Fat and ugly are not the same thing.
  • sonjawi
    sonjawi Posts: 46
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    If there is love, smallpox scars are as pretty as dimples.(Japanese Proverb).

    If my husband is not attracted to me anymore because of my weight (or vice versa) I doubt I picked a good partner. Being overweight or obese is not the worst faith in the world - how can I rely on such person to stay when I have an accident that will make me wheelchair bound? No, I do not expect my partner to make hurtful comments.I tend to react to such comments with a high resistance, which demotivates me completely and can lead to pretty defiant behavior on my part.

    Did I have boyfriends who were like that? Yes...short encounters *lol* Funny enough often guys who were themselves obese and did not change anything about their appearance, but got on me to be 5 pounds over the "normal" range.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    how else would you like your significant other to approach this, or how would you approach it to your partner?
    My wife just told me she found me unattractive fat. Period!

    And if the shoe were on the other foot, I would do likewise and say as much. I needed to hear that, and I did something about it.
    I know she would have left me had I not changed. And if she got fat? I'd express myself, give it 3 months, and if there was no progress, I'd be a gone pecan.

    When physical attraction evaporates due to obesity, love goes right out the window.

    That's reality.

    And by the way, we've been together over 30 years - married 28 - 5 kids.
  • mcdonl
    mcdonl Posts: 342 Member
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    Caring - Wanting for your family to be as healthy and fit as possible.

    Love - Non conditional, and is not impacted by physical appearances other than the caring factor.

    So, my wife and children and myself all care about each other, try to motivate and keep each other on track but we love eachother no matter what we look like.