"You don't need to lose any more weight!"

FitBunnyEm

It's funny because those comments usually come from people who could do with losing a few pounds themselves (obvious jelousy right there) i get it at work and just smile and say how great i feel about losing weight

totally agree, its very annoying.

Luandanielle1979

I get it all the time now im nearing my target. I have about 8lbs to lose and then my BMI will be 25ish. I get people at work saying oh you will start looking drawn, your face will change. I have just learned to ignore them now and smile. I know that most of them that say it are well without being rude. Overweight and just a little jealous of my success :O)

Think everyone gets it at some point. Keep going and well done so far xxx

raiderrodney

I've lost 27 since the first of January which puts me lower than I can honestly remember in years. So I've just been waiting to hear it....and I did yesterday In the end it doesn't matter what others think because it's what we want for ourselves so keep up the good work

And yes, as others have said, these type of comments do usually come from peeps that could stand to lose more than a few pounds lol!

xarla16

Growing up, I was always thin. I was 95 pounds and 5'6" when I got married. In the six years since then, I put on 60. That put me at 155ish, so I still wasn't particularly heavy, but I was out of shape and really wanted to do something about it. But my whole life I heard things like:

"Go eat a sandwich!"
"You'll blow away in this strong wind!"
"Do you have an eating disorder?"

As I gained weight, I didn't hear those things as often, but once I started dieting and exercising, I got the "you shouldn't lose weight" comments, too. When I explained that I was grossly out of shape, they said, "Yeah, but you're still skinny! So what! You only live once, eat what you want!"

I may only live once (that's up for debate, isn't it?), but if I'm healthy and fit, I'm likely going to live a lot longer and happier than otherwise!

I totally understand where you're coming from. I tend to think a lot of those comments come from people who are insecure about their own weight and see you, who is thinner than them, trying to get healthier, so they feel bad about themselves. If they decide that YOU don't need to lose weight, they can convince themselves they don't have to lose weight themselves.

I think everyone has their own idea of what their body should look like. When I started university I was 5'6" and 117 lbs. I was very healthy and by no means under weight, I was just really active. I gained 48 lbs in 6 years, and for me 165 lbs felt extremely overweight for myself. Everyone is different. I have seen people of the same height, have the same goal weight as my start weight. You have to do what is healthy for you and what feels right. I used to hear the thin remarks too, and I have no doubt that when I get closer to my goal weight people will be telling me that I don't need to lose any more weight, when for myself I really do need to.

docdesmond

I'm 5'8", and I used to be 155lbs years ago. I don't know if I want to be that light, but I definitely am looking to lose the body fat (down to about 10-12%). Right now I weight 180. People tell me all the time that I don't need to lose weight. I grew up playing sports. So, my thing is to get into similar shape as my competition days. I tell people that "I am not as athletic as I used to be. It would be nice get it all back." That usually does the trick.

Remember, weight loss and health are personal goals. Everyone views weight in relation to their ideal body type, not their friends personal goals. Them saying that you don't need to lose any more weight can also be viewed as them saying that you look good. Say thank you for their compliment and tell them that you still have a little more work to do. They will admire you for your work and dedication. As long as the weight loss is healthy. . .I say GO FOR IT!!!

mariiyah

i get this a lot at home too. im now 170.8 pounds and have a body shape & a collar bone!! personally im proud of this but almost everyone in my entire family is made up of really TALL, really round people so now i stick out like a sore thumb according to my dad, aunt & gran. :grumble:

sometimes its annoying because 170 lbs is still A LOT! too much for my height, however i am also happy that everyone noticed it & i take it all as compliments
i like to hear how "skinny" im getting round the middle...it motivates me to go on & get to my GW which is 123-126 lbs :happy:
i also hope others in my family will see that it CAN be done without having to follow fad diets that are easy to break.
im still trying to convince them to cook healthy food with fresh ingredients from scratch everyday though :ohwell:

kiminikimkim

I reply by saying my body fat % is unhealthy (25%) at this current weight and I am working on reaching a healthy zone (21%), which should take me to the 112lbs goal I have determined for myself.

No one can argue with healthy numbers.

Helloitsdan

I got that when I was 160....i'm 5'5"!!!!
Grrrrrr!

mogletdeluxe

Yeeeah, I get it quite a bit. But I must admit, people do seem to mean well - they just don't understand how I go to so many blimmin' exercise classes

As many have said before me, I just say that I'm working on my health and fitness. You can't really argue with that. Also, if it's close friends or people I'm really fond of, I'll murmur "yeah...but you haven't seen me naked. Needs work".

HarpingOn

I'm starting to get this now, and I don't really know what to say.

So far I've tended to shrug and change the subject

WhitneyAnnabelle

I get this. When I tell someone I'm going to exercise, I more often than not get the response, "But you don't need to lose anymore weight!". Well, sorry to break it to you, but I like being active and having a healthy heart and body (and mind, for good measure). Dropping weight isn't the only reason to exercise.

LindaCWy

"Are you still losing weight? You're getting too skinny"..

I respond with "well I'm not trying too but with all the beneficial exercise and eating properly the inches just fall off... Sigh..."

HAHA, they hate that one.

HURLEYX3RO

I guess it really depends on the person and how they carry their weight.

When I was in highschool I weighed around 135-145 lbs... at 5'3"

I was very active but ate horribly. Sure I had some weight that I could do without, but at the time I really didnt care.

After graduating within 4 years I packed on roughly 75 lbs.

I got together with a trainer and dropped 40 lbs. I weighed 180 lbs but was becoming very very toned and looked like I weighed so much less. In fact I looked thinner than I had looked in high school.

I think that even though that was still considered overweight for my height I was healthy and felt fantastic.

If I had lost anymore weight than that Id look sick.

BigMech

I've been getting this for the last 30lbs that I have lost, and I'm currently 6'6" 230lbs.

I think it shows how skewed people's perception of what fit and healthy weight has become.

I've also found that the more fit people at my gym have been complementing on my progress, which I think re-enforces the above statement.

sdubya04

I tell people it's just as hard to maintain as it is to lose! I'm MAINTAINING and being healthy (or trying to)
It's a good answer even if it's not the truth!

elvensnow

Growing up, I was always thin. I was 95 pounds and 5'6"

I'm going to go the other way here. I quoted this person because seriously, 95 lbs at 5'6 is incredibly underweight. That is truly unhealthy.

I think a lot of women have goals that are way too low for them. They want to look like a model or tv/movie star. But people need to realize that those women ARE underweight. Not to mention that the women hired to act, especially in TV, have very abnormal body types -- they are usually very tall and have very thin frames. This means they LOOK very skinny even with how little they weigh. And a lot of extra work is done to make them look even better on top of that.

Also, relying on BMI is a horrible idea. Just because BMI says 100 lbs is okay for your height doesn't mean it's okay for YOU. Everyone's body is different, and what you weigh is going to depend a LOT on your frame (skeletal structure).

I admit that yes, sometimes people say "But you're so skinny! Don't lose more!" a little bit out of jealousy. Sometimes. But I think more often than not they are being truthful, and you just don't want to see it because your self esteem is so low from years of being overweight. You have not adjusted to your new body, it takes time. You might not see yourself as "skinny" because you are so used to looking in the mirror and seeing a "fat" person.

Seriously, the only way you can KNOW if you are at a healthy weight and are ok to lose more is TALK TO A DOCTOR. They will know what is healthy for you. I have talked to mine, and I am 5'5 but they say for me to stop at 150 is JUST FINE. And 150, according to BMI charts, is right on the top line verging on "overweight". But for ME it's okay because I have a large frame, large hips, etc. I have measured my hips and weight and I have a good hip-to-waist ratio, I am working out to lose the body fat (but not muscle!). So I know even though I won't weigh 110 like all the TV stars, that I will look good AND be healthy.

Seriously, I worry about a lot of women out there who cannot accept a healthy weight. I really think you should talk to a doctor.

sophjakesmom

I say "Thank you." and change the subject. They are really trying to pay you a complement (or I choose to believe that) and frankly, my weight is none of their business.

HeatherR930

I'm starting to get that a lot, but I think most people are just trying to be nice & think they are complimenting me, so I take it lightly & just say, "thank you"

elvensnow

I had a discussion one time with my doctor about comments like this. His response was that we are a fat society and people aren't used to seeing others at healthy weights, so they look abnormal.

Can't agree more. I've told people my goal weight and they think Im nuts (165-170 for 6ft tall). At 185 im just crossing the line between over weight and "normal" My 39 inch waist is more than it should be. But they think I shouldn't lose any more. They just dont know what normal actually looks like...

Exactly. I've read articles saying that one reason we have an obesity problem is that many people no longer know what a healthy weight is. I live in a city that is considered "thin," so I do actually see a fair number of slim people at all ages. That probably does help.

I also want to add a little more:

"People no longer know what a healthy weight is" is true, even from both sides.

Did you know that the government redefined what is "overweight" and "obese" in the 80s? That's right - on the BMI scale, they moved the "overweight" and "obese" ranges DOWN, which put a HUGE amount of people into the "fat" categories, OVERNIGHT.

So you wonder why we have an "obesity epidemic" when the people defining it keep changing their minds!

Also, in the old days, being heavy was a sign that you WERE healthy. It meant you had enough food and leisure time to actually build some bulk. But now, if you don't spend 2 hours in the gym every night to burn off every last ounce of fat, then you are unhealthy.

My point is, healthiness is in the eye of the beholder. People think that "being healthy" is a solid, defined term when IT'S NOT. To be "healthy" you need to look at YOUR life, YOUR health, YOUR weight, and not what society says is right, because ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL.

Talk to your doctor. That's really the only way you will know if you are on the right path or not. Too many women think being ultra-skinny is okay and healthy because society likes people who are ultra skinny (and society equates this with being healthy which is COMPLETELY UNTRUE).

Yes I agree often times people will say you don't need to lose more when you can. But often times they are right - you don't NEED to lose more, you just want to. And that's okay to an extent. But don't get mad at them for it, often times it's really just a compliment.

FR89

its annoying .. especially when you know you have put weight on and dont fit into your clothes.. and want to get back.. but they are like noooo you havnt put weight on.. its like they dont want to be honest and are happy if you go fat!!! Or just make out that im paranoid.. when the scale shows i've put on 15kg and clothes no longer fit!! thats not being para.. that shows that people rather have you fat so they can feel good about themselves..

i will always look bigger then my friends before most of them are petite but i still want to be slim and toned..

i've stopped explaining and seeking for help or motivation from them.. i do my own thing.. keep an eye out for healthier meals or have smaller meals or if i am going out for dinner i have smaller lunch.. no1 needs to know about this.. but i can start to see effects already (5kg lost) and i will keep going till i fit back into my old clothes and feel good about myself..

Pinkgirl319

Bump

Impy84

Does any one else get this? It's so irritating. I think people are trying to be nice when they say it, but how do you respond? In my profile pic (taken today) I'm 156. I was 110 (5'3") previously, and that's where I want to be. When I tell people that (when they ask) they say "you shouldn't lose that much more" or "you look fine now" or "you'll be too skinny". Do you get this and how do you handle it?

i simply inform them their opinion is wrong. sometimes i say it rudely sometimes im nice about it but those are the words i use and it ends the conversation,

it's about what i want not what "they" think i need