I want to be less angry...

FloraSin

So, I'm pleased with how I'm doing and enjoy the process, but sometimes, I want to eat a whole cheesecake and top it with a full can of whipped topping. I don't because I understand that would defeat how hard I've been working and it's not worth it.

I can handle all that.

But tell, please, how do I not punch somebody in the face when they spend every conversational opportunity complaining about their weight and never make any effort to change it?

I have two coworkers who are particularly bad for it. Not the usual grumblings of how they want to change, but lack motivation or whatever, but actual long winded explanations about how they hate their bodies and how they feel like crap....all while eating a super-size doritos bag.

At first, I could ignore it, but today, at lunch, one of them had sushi. She ordered two full meals and followed it with a box of girl guide cookies. Literally, the whole time she complained about how she can't lose weight.

I don't want to get all judge-y or preachy or anything. I understand everyone is different.I know it's hard to change, but I can't walk away from them at work and all the whiny negative stuff is really taking the wind out of my sails.

I guess, ultimately, I just needed to vent.

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Yeah that's a rough one. I guess a couple of things come to mind. The first one is a saying someone once told me which is "Happiness is something that you decide". When you realise you are the one who decides if you are happy, you realise that even in an identical situation two very different people can have very different perspectives. So why not choose the perspective that is happy?

The other thing I'm thinking is that when we are presented with a situation I believe we all have two types of reactions - instinctual and conscious. Your instinctual reaction would be to be angry at looking at someone contradicting their words with their actions. Your conscious reaction would then be the one that understands how hard it is to change. You shouldn't rely purely on your instincts for insight to a situation. When you choose to extend your understanding, the anger should slip away.

For me, when I'm presented with something similar to what you've described I just remind myself that everyone goes through their own journeys in this life and it's up to the individual to make changes along the way. At a crux, I'd finish with:

"You can only show them the door but they have to be the one to walk through it."

FloraSin

Thanks. That's all extremely true. These coworkers aren't even people I dislike. Really, I see the people at work like family because we've been together so long. It's hard to watch them do stuff that I know is leading them into this spiral of body-loathing.

Like all family members, sometimes you want to give them a good shake. Haha.

Wezlfuss

As much as I hate to admit it, I used to be one of those people, so I can kind of understand. I had (and still do have) issues with compulsive eating, and I would often go out of my way to get unreasonable amounts of whatever junk food I felt like at the time, telling my self I would "start tomorrow."

They have to realize for themselves that they can complain all they want, but unless they actually make a serious effort, nothing is going to change.

(I just wished I had realized that a little sooner >.<')