toxic family or friends who try to undermine your weight los

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  • Mission2Me
    Mission2Me Posts: 208 Member
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    honestly, why are you subjecting yourself to them? It seems as though you are losing weight more for them so that they will accept you and not for yourself. that is not what love is about. if they love you they would treat you better than they do. so why would you want to have them around. I honestly think you will be happier if you stop dealing with them. if it is effecting you this badly just by thinking about being around them, it can not be healthy.

    deal with them when you want. my mother does tries to sabotage in her own ways, she knows I wont tolerate being disrespectful though. thats for sure. I have no problem kicking people out of my life that are only bringing negativity. if that is all they are doing, what good is it? You dont have to cut them out completely if you cant handle that. but you can be very conscious about when and where you deal with them. or hang out with them for a while and leave before the food comes along. you have gotta do something more than tell her to stop posting pics of you. she is using you to feel better about herself. dont be that for her. make her deal with her own insecurities on her own or take it out on her friends. bet they wont be around that long. you did all the weight loss on your own. you put words into action. you can do the same with your family.
  • peacek
    peacek Posts: 211
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    Do you really think your Sister is doing this to hurt you?
    May be she knows you very well- may be she is supporting you by being negative.

    Sugar-coated words do not work for some people. May be she is being the bad cop.
    Do you think, you lost 50 pounds because she has been mean to you? If so, that's good, rt?
  • MeliNichole84
    MeliNichole84 Posts: 45 Member
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    I am so sorry this is happening to you. NO ONE should ever be treated like that by a family member. My heart really hurts for you. Reading that brought tears to my eyes I just cannot imagine. Family should be there to love and support you no matter what size you are. I probably wouldnt attend family functions anymore honestly. Why put yourself through that? Hoping things get better for you.
  • 2012slimjim
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    I am a very new member here, but it seems like there are a lot of great people here who are in the process of dropping weight and getting fit or have accomplished their goals, and I thought maybe some of you have had similar experiences and could help me with my problem.

    All my life I have had weight problems. My sister and mother both pride themselves on their 80-90 pound bodies and laugh, pick on me, make snide comments, or feel it's ok to disrespect me for being a fat disgusting slob.

    last year at a family get together, my mother gave me a size 4x( size 28-30W) shirt for a present. I was shocked as yes I was fat at a size 16/18, but I certainly was not a 4x. They both giggled uncontrollably when I opened the present.

    My sister has a regular habit of taking the worst pictures of me and tagging me on facebook. It's always the picture of when I bend over to pick something up, or right as I put a bite of food in my mouth. I always leave family get togethers feeling worse about myself.

    My husband told my sister, don't take pictures of her and post them on facebook, but to no avail. It seems like she relishes putting up the grossest pictures of me on facebook and tagging me. Once I asked her to see the pics she took and picked one out that wasn't terrible and said if you must post on facebook, please post this one, or nothing at all. When I got home, the picture of me that looked decent was not posted, instead she had gotten some even more mortifying ones and posted those.

    After that humiliating experience, I decided enough was enough. I dusted off my bike, located my old running shoes, and made a decision that from that day forward not one bite of fast food would ever pass my lips again.

    Fast forward to a year later. I now average 100 miles running a month and 200 miles cycling a month, and have lost over 50 pounds, yet am still no where near my goal weight. My sister and many of my friends, are not happy about my weight loss.

    I hear a mix of you run too much, or don't bike so much, or you'll blow your knees out if you try and run a half marathon, or you can't do this, or on the flip side, giggles and snide comments on how I think I'm losing weight but that Im still too fat.

    My sister giggles and makes fun of me about my intentions on getting slim. She still tries hard to get the worst picture of me. for example, at the last get together, she waited until cake was served and literally whipped her camera out from under the table and Snap right as I took a bite! My poor husband had been on picture watch and was supposed to jump in front of me at the sight of her cam, but she was sneaky quick and he was caught off guard.

    I finally got so depressed looking at these terrible pictures of myself on her facebook page, I deleted her, so at the very least I don't have to see these pictures or see her giggling snide comments on them. I even tried explaining to her, look, I am trying very hard to lose the weight and it hurts terribly that you choose to take and post the worst pictures of me on facebook. She just rolles her eyes and said if you don't like it, change yourself. I also explained that I have been doing something and it takes a long time to lose the weight.

    while my mother has finally come around saying that I look great, and that she was impressed I managed to do a half marathon, even if it was only at a 12 min per mile pace, My sister is still trying to enlist my mother in making fun of me.

    It is now time to start planning a date for mother's day celebration, and ever since, I've noticed I have been craving bad foods. I have anxiety/ depression over the idea of getting together with her and her camera as I have not achieved my weight loss goal.

    Does anyone have similar problems? and if so what do you do about toxic family who try and undermine your success?

    I am so sorry about your experience as can tell from the way you have written it so eloquently you are still in the hurt phase in how to deal with all this. You have admitted to having your own issues and are dealing with feeling negative by doing something positive and wow, 50lbs - that is amazing!!!

    It seems like you sister has incredible self esteem issues herself if she needs to make herself feel better by being mean to others. What a horrible way for her to live and exist and you are the unfortunate victim of it. Many have said cut them out but I appreciate how very hard that is as they are still your family.

    This year, be busy on Mothers Day - take a weekend trip with your husband - hiking somewhere. Maybe you could invite your Mum to your house or out for a walk / lunch the weekend before so you have not ignored the day and noone can criticise you - it should not matter what others think but for most of us it does. Maybe by taking control of the situation and managing it in a way that is easier for you to cope with / more pleasent for you and does not hurt anyone else you will grow in confidence and come to a place where you are able to deal with feeling bullied etc.

    There is no room in our lives for people who hurt us and make us feel bad. If you have explained this to your sister and she is not changing then you have to actively avoid seeing her until you are strong enough to cope with her, she develops a conscience or enough intellect to realise her behaviour is offensive and wrong.

    Good luck, don't stress about Mothers Day = get yourself out of there with your husband and see your Mum the weekend before!

    Take care x
  • babigurl86
    babigurl86 Posts: 138
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    I am so sorry this is happening to you. NO ONE should ever be treated like that by a family member. My heart really hurts for you. Reading that brought tears to my eyes I just cannot imagine. Family should be there to love and support you no matter what size you are. I probably wouldnt attend family functions anymore honestly. Why put yourself through that? Hoping things get better for you.

    ^this ,also,

    its-still-a-mile.jpg
  • creech6317
    creech6317 Posts: 869 Member
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    The next time she whips out her camera tackle her skinny butt to the ground rip it out of her hand and smash it repeatedly against something solid then take the SD card and stick it in the garbage disposal and the say "see that, the next time you take a picture of me without my permission that'll be you, UNDERSTAND" you may get a reputation as being the unstable sister, but I don't think you'd be bullied anymore.
    [/quote]

    This is my vote! I have family that are toxic, but to themselves and I have had to cut them out. It is easier than watching them hurt themselves (with drugs) but when they are hurting you it is twice as important to get them away from your enviroment. It is SO not OK for your sister to treat you this way! I feel sorry for any children she may have or will have someday, what kind of lessons will she be teaching them.
    You on the other hand seem like a wonderful person who is doing AMAZING things. I hope to be able to run even one mile let alone a half marathon.

    Keep up the good work!
  • ScarletShopaholic
    ScarletShopaholic Posts: 169 Member
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    I would not stand for this at all! If your sister is seeing your Mum on mother's day, give your mum a card and a gift and say you'll do something with her when the wicked witch isn't around - I would make this your sisters new name - on all cards, invitations, conversations, I would never speak her actual name again. And would avoid seeing her as much as possible, as a previous member said, the camera would be no more - a thousand pieces might not be enough!!! Don't put up with it! Make a stand and if it doesn't work, cut her out all together - she's not worth your time.

    I have an aunt who since she found out I lost some of my weight, every time an unhealthy food is mentioned says you shouldn't be having that, you don't want to put the weight back on. I'm like 'hello! I lost 140 pounds without your knowledge or input and I really don't need it now! Mind your business'!

    Sometimes family really are horrendous!!!
  • klmh614
    klmh614 Posts: 13 Member
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    I completely understand where you are coming from!! My mother is always getting on me about my weight and at family functions she is always making comments about how I need to exercise and I am the biggest I have ever been. Please take note that my mother is double my size (bigger). When I confronted her on the comments and told her that it hurt my feelings and did not motivate me she simply said "well then do something about it". I had recently joined a gym and was starting the process to change it but her negative comments seemed to set me back.

    My motivation has been my supporting husband, giving up his favorite soft drink in order to help me. We are also trying to have a baby and we have been having trouble so losing weight will hopefully help us in this journey to parenthood.

    I wish everyone the best of luck with your weight loss and I hope everyone can find some sort of support system. Please feel free to add me as a friend. I can always use the encouragement as well.
  • 1shauna1
    1shauna1 Posts: 993 Member
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    Sounds like your sister is jealous. I don't think you can avoid mother's day, but don't give in to her taunting. You are making yourself healthy and doing great things. Try not to let her get to you.
  • Baybbee123
    Baybbee123 Posts: 57 Member
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    No one could understand some of this more than me. No one but a select few have faith I'll lose the weight. My cousin and sister are both smaller than me and always seem to make comments of these sorts too. I agree with everyone that you should cut her out for a while. Sometimes it is that type of wake up call that one needs to realize how awful they are treating you. I cut my sister off for almost 7 months and believe me, it was not easy. I cried a lot. But I really wouldn't change it or take it back. It allowed ne time to focus on me and learn to somewhat love and accept myself. And we are slowly starting to build a relationship again and it seems much healthier now. You need people around you to support you. It only takes one horrible comment to bring your entire self esteem back down from being built up. You should be extremely proud of what you have accomplished hun. I wish you all the best and am around if you want to talk at any time!
  • Mission2Me
    Mission2Me Posts: 208 Member
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    The next time she whips out her camera tackle her skinny butt to the ground rip it out of her hand and smash it repeatedly against something solid then take the SD card and stick it in the garbage disposal and the say "see that, the next time you take a picture of me without my permission that'll be you, UNDERSTAND" you may get a reputation as being the unstable sister, but I don't think you'd be bullied anymore.

    This is my vote! I have family that are toxic, but to themselves and I have had to cut them out. It is easier than watching them hurt themselves (with drugs) but when they are hurting you it is twice as important to get them away from your enviroment. It is SO not OK for your sister to treat you this way! I feel sorry for any children she may have or will have someday, what kind of lessons will she be teaching them.
    You on the other hand seem like a wonderful person who is doing AMAZING things. I hope to be able to run even one mile let alone a half marathon.

    Keep up the good work!
    [/quote]


    I love this idea. sometimes bigger is better. and when people noticed that they could say and do what they wanted to me they kept going. this last year I have had to "go bigger" on a few of my family members for them to get the point, when just saying it wouldnt work. and it has gone a long way.
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
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    Your weight is something you can change. Your sister... she'll still be mean spirited and toxic. Don't live your life in fear of her. Cut her out of your life for now if that's what you need to do. Stay positive. You are a strong person to have come through all that, and will achieve your goals.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    The next time she whips out her camera, take it away, and throw it on the ground. Then jump on it a few times.

    Okay, I have to share and quote myself.

    So I phoned my mother and shared the story with her -- and her immediate reaction, before I added what *I* said, was "I swear I'd rip the camera out of the b-'s hand, jump on it, and then say 'Oh, sorry, was that YOUR camera?'"

    I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
  • bradphil87
    bradphil87 Posts: 617 Member
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    Oh my god! After reading that I now appreciate all the support my family and friends have given me. I cannot even comprehend that situation because my family and friends are so supportive. At least from what it sounds like your hubby supports you in your journey! And I wish you my best as well!
  • arleylange
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    its-still-a-mile.jpg



    LOVE THIS!!

    OP, you rock so hard! Think about it! You have run a half (how many other people do you know that does that kind of thing!?), you LOST 50 LBS! (not an easy feat for anyone!), you run and bike insane amounts every month. You're pretty much my hero! On top of that, you have a husband who rocks! Who needs blood relatives who are a-holes when you have a wonderfully supportive husband, and now, a whole online community of people who think you're awesome!