Do you find that people take your weight loss personally?

ARDuBaie

Depending on the tone of voice, it could be taken as a compliment or a negative criticism. As a compliment, it means that you look good where you are at right now weight-wise. As a negative criticism, it means that you look too skinny.

Of course, it could be just a comment that comes through because of the giver's sense of insecurity about how they look. I often get such things when I have to go out to eat with my family and I am following a vegetarian diet. They are eating porkchops, steak, pie and other ungodly foods and there I sit with my healthy vegetarian meal.

This all reminds me that I will have to put up with this crap when the summer comes and I go visiting relatives. Not something that I want to look forward to since I will be at my lowest weight in over 30 years and back on my strict vegetarian diet.

Makes me bummed out just thinking about it.

ritmeyer

I have responded that because I'm freakishly tall that the weight sits differently on me. My goal is to have a healthy BMI, not to look good in tiny clothes.

UGH! Me too!! I weigh A LOT! But I don't look like it because I'm 5'9. I weigh 190, and you would honestly never be able to tell. I also hate the up and down look going "where?"

That's when I say, "You haven't seen me naked" and I usually get and "Oh" and that's the end of it.

THIS!!! I"m 5'9 and a very muscular build. I put on alot of weight with my first pregnancy (eh...90 lbs). So after I had my second I was down to 210lbs and I would say I want to lose 60lbs more... people looked at me like I was crazy. "From WHERE?!" Eh, I'll show you if you want. So now at 169 I don't really have a ideal weight loss goal per say, just that I want to lose one more dress size. But I won't tell a soul that I have 19lbs I would like to lose. 10lbs on me isn't noticable, it isn't even a dress size. Now for my 5'2 sister, that is like a size and a half.

Sometimes I even feel like I have to downplay the more I lose, "Oh it's just because I'm training for this half marathon...I can't eat enough" Ugh.

PAhillbilly

Good for you! Your success should buoy up your confidence. Don't pay attention to such comments. I agree that it can be distracting, but keep up the good job.

JaneDoughSanAntonio

If you're not obviously overweight, you're going to get some funny looks and/or comments when you say you're losing weight. That's why I pretty much keep my goals to myself, because the general public just doesn't understand.

Just wanted to chime in as an "obviously overweight" person (it's OK, I know I'm fat) ... trust me, it doesn't make the co-workers any less awkward.

They DO notice when your eating habits change and when you're too sore from boot camp to move, and ESPECIALLY when you mess up ... or they perceive you to be messing up. It's like working with the hypocritical food police. "Should you eat that?" "Are you sure you don't want some?" "I didn't offer you any because you're on a diet." ... and so on. I know I've failed in the past, but that doesn't mean I need you to monitor my diet for me, and it's OK for me to have a cookie once in a while.

And they also try to make it about themselves, but instead of "You must think I look horrible," it's a thinly unveiled, "Well, at least I know I still look/eat/exercise/whatever WAY better than you." Just wait until they don't anymore! :bigsmile: :devil: :bigsmile:

fitobsessed

UMM PREACHER <---> CHOIR! Lol

At work people see me looking at the nutrition labels and I get all sorts of questions - if you saw me, I'm by no means overweight, but I want to be a certain size and the doctor says it isn't unhealthy for me to be the size I choose to be, so I want to tell people to leave me alone. Just because I'm not "Precious", doesn't mean I shouldn't make an effort to watch what I eat and stay in shape by working out. Everyone keeps assuming I can eat what I want - ummm no I can't, because if I could, I wouldn't have gained 12+ pounds. HELLOOOOOOO!! lol

JanineHarrison

I definitely get it. I try not to make it too public because I know some people will be offended because surely if I think I'm fat I must think they are huge or something crazy like that.

I have a little dilema with my neighbors that sort of revolves around that. We usually go to their house to eat on Friday nights, and we are talking southern cooking where butterbeans are cooked with a bacon fat. When I go I feel so awkward eating. I try to keep potions small and not go for seconds but that is almost an insult in a country home. I don't like to say out loud that I'm on a diet. One because I don't want to view it as I diet, I'm trying to train my body to eat normal portion sizes and indulge only in moderation while increasing my physical activity for a more healthy lifestyle. And two, as the smallest female I don't want to insinuate I have negative opinions about anyone elses body.

This also make lunch dates very difficult, its become either decline, risk going somewhere bad, or end up in the "well your the one of a diet so you pick where we eat" situation.

This is a hard enough process as it is, it is only complicated more when you are constently having to defend your decision to do it. And its not like the majority of us here are already in a "normal" BMI range and trying to get uber skinny, just trying to get or stay healthy.

NiciS72

I get the same thing from people. THEN I tell them, well that is what I weighed when we got married and they shut up. I was not skinny by any means when we got married, I was a good size except I wasn't FIT. I'd say something to this effect if you were ever that weight before. If not, then just say you're going for what your Dr. says is good and they'll shut the H**L up! Congrats on your weight loss to date!

Churble

Because I don't publicly talk about the fact that I'm actively trying to lose weight, what I deal with mostly is people take it as an insult when I don't want to eat their food. I work in a place where people are constantly bringing in cookies and donuts and candy. There's actually a freezer full of just ice cream. People get so offended when I won't eat their donuts or cookies. I usually end up taking one and then throwing it away when I get to my desk just so I don't have to answer a thousand questions.

987Runner

I know, me too. I don't talk about losing weight to others, only my hubby. I just tell others I'm eating right so I can be in shape for running the half marathons this year. When I go to scan a label, I make sure none of my co-workers are around so I don't have to see any eye rolling. That's why this website comes in handy, so many of us in similar situations! :flowerforyou:

PercivalHackworth

Yah that happens a lot
The same people go from "Man, you gained weight, eat less". When you are ligther than them : "Man, you skinny, eat more"
ahah