Suffer in Silence? When Do You Talk About Your Diet???

mogletdeluxe

If people ask, I'll tell. But as far as I'm concerned, it's my gob and my body that'll deal with the consequences, good or bad, of what goes into it - so peeps can go smell themselves if they're putting in unsolicited advice and/or comments.

Put it this way - in my experience, I kept my head down and just got on with it. Didn't leave me open for criticism, and if I had a bad week or whatnot I was not being judged or tutted at in any way. I work in an office with a lot of serial dieters, and it's hard to take someone seriously when one day they're photocoping their endless diet plans, and the next bringing back a fat munch to their desk and wondering why they haven't lost weight and it MUST be to do with their thyroid/genes/cat.

I think that, the more open you are, the more open you are to criticism or scrunity. Which is fine - haters gonna hate - but something to be aware of.

TavistockToad

I have been doing this dieting thing for a while. Up and down, up and down….I can’t eat this….I can eat that….wait, I can’t eat this again.

My husband, who is supportive and wonderful, tries to listen and help me cook healthy food. He’s a chef and is European, so he is a totally “foodie.” I am not a foodie, I just like to eat food ) He never complains, but I feel like I should keep my thoughts about my diet to myself. BECAUSE, sometimes I’ll fall off the wagon and I eat things that I say I won’t and that sends mixed signals.

ALSO, I’ve got a few girlfriends who swear they know my body better than I do, and want to tell me what weight I would look good at. And, if I actually meet my target weight, than I will be too skinny.

So, I ask you all….do you talk about your diet? Or just keep it to yourself?
Thoughts?

i think the issue you have is that you are on a diet in the first place! a healthy lifestyle doesnt exclude ANY food - you just have to use moderation with less healthy things!

i never had a lot to lose, so poeple just think i am 'naturally skinny' not that i watch my cals/macros and workout 5x a week! so noone ever asks me anything!

WendyTerry420

I talk to just about everyone about it. They are amazed at my results and surprised when they see me eating high-fat or sugary foods. I get to tell them that we can eat what we like and still be a healthy weight!

WendyTerry420

I only talk about it when people find out about how much I've lost. 9 out of 10 times they are disappointed when I tell them about MFP, tracking what I eat pizza, cheeseburgers, etc etc in moderation. It's like they are expecting some sorta magical food, eat only veggies, or I am avoiding certain foods. There is one thing I don't drink anymore and that's soda pop. I don't bring it up or brag in anyway unless they do first.

This too! All my friends and most of my co-workers know by now that there are *NO* unhealthy foods, just unhealthy diets!

Ayirela

I'm easily excitable....so I share changes I make with people. Plus if I voice that I'm doing something different I'm more likely to stick to it

Tatiyanya

I dont talk about diet, i do talk a lot about the lifestyle change and my current eating habbits because I am rather passionate about nutrition and excercises now.
So if they want to listen I DO talk a lot about all that stuff. Managed to get most of my friend to eat healthier and move more , so i like to think I do a lil good for the world like that and this: plus , you know, my body itself, seem to be isort of inspiration for people.
So siting in silence when you can do GOOOOOOD for people you care about ...dats hella crazy talk!.

Don't treat the change as something terrible and strainfull and torture like. Its joyous adventure and i never knew as much about human body as i do now. Learned hella lot last year

EmmaKarney

I try not to talk about it because all I would get is people saying "oh my god you soooo don't need to lose weight blah blah blah...'

The only times I say I "cannot" eat something is not to do with losing weight but to do with the IBS specific diet that i am following on the advice of a nutritionist.

momof4greatkids1

I will talk about my diet if someone asks, or with other fitness friends, otherwise I don't cuz I don't want to bore people.

funhouse77

It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle choice. I choose to eat healthily, exercise, and ultimately this will make me lose weight, get fit, and stay that way. So I don't really feel I need to talk about it to anyone, my boyfriend is very supportive and obviously we talk about food, exercise and progress. Remember, you don't have to explain your eating habits to anyone. And I find people can be negative, jealous, judgemental etc so it's best to keep it to myself and enjoy the compliments as they come

When people ask me how I do it I reply: 'Hard work & Healthy food'.


Oh, and also, please don't see this as suffering. I don't. I see this as the first step to a long, healthy, happy life. This is a POSITIVE step you're taking.

Suffering, for me, was Obese at 213lbs, Depressed, pre-diabetic, painful joints, bad skin, IBS, unable to walk more than a mile before getting out of breath. That's suffering. This isn't suffering, This is living.

cinrn68

I don't talk about it either, since I don't consider that I'm on a "diet". I've made a healthy lifestyle change -- forever!! Diets imply that it's something short term, which most "diets" are. And then people say diets fail -- they don't. But when we go back to eating the way we did prior to the diet and gain back all the weight, WE are the ones that fail, not the diet! So this time, I'm not dieting. This is the way I will eat for the rest of my life. I don't believe in cutting out foods completely either. I've cut out some things for now, but only because alcohol and junk food are not daily "requirements" in sustaining health in my opinion.

As for what you weigh or will weigh, that's nobody's business but your own! I don't get on the scale in front of other people, and I don't watch others get on the scale, so no one needs to know the number! It's my business only. When I'm happy with the number and how I look, I will stop losing weight and maintain that weight. If someone asks how much I've lost, I will share, but otherwise, they don't need to know the number!

HMD7703

I tend to be very tight-lipped about my exercise routine and eating plans. Why? Because people will give their opinions (good and bad) without realizing that it may be offensive. Years of people asking, "WOW, what are you doing to look so good?" and I learned to just say "Eh, new lifestyle". People don't like to hear about the hard work that goes into a lifestyle change. They want easy quick fixes and they always have some get-thin-quick scheme from Dr Oz or Womans World magazine LOL..

So, yes, I suffer (not really) in silence but I smile ALL the way to the skinny jeans section of the store :drinker:

suz155

I was just thinking about that yesterday. in the beginning of myy little journey people were interested in how I was losing weight. When I mentioned good food, even chocolate when I wanted, in general, learning to eat in moderation, with an exercise plan, they stop listening. Thats one of the reasons I joined MFP, sometimes, I just need to talk (ahhh type about it) and get others feedback. Before I joined MFP, I knew I needed to stop eating like it was the last day on earth. But, someone talking about it , all the time, was a constant reminder that I was continuing to kill myself with food. I didnt want to be around them. It wasnt that I didnt want to learn, but, I just wasnt ready to take that step. Today, Im not suffering. Suffering for me, has always led to martyrdom (on my part) and failure. It feels good to eat right and exercise. It also feels good to be able to still eat sweets and not feel guilty about, because, Im eating them in moderation. I have some friends on MFP and in the "outside" world and I can share with them, when I need to. And, as always, if someone asks me how I did it, I will share with them. I just won't talk about it constantly. It works for me.

missjeevious

i had to stop....
i too am married to a chef. I finally realized it isn't right to put him through the BS...the whinging on about the scale, the tears, the sulks, the mixed messages.
He is a very patient man, but seriously i was getting sick of listening to myself. So i stopped talking about it.
I'm now EM2WL and and heavy lifting and i can tell you that it has had a positive impact on me and he has really noticed. He likes to see me eating 'like a normal person' and not weighing myself every day (i didn't know this bothered him but he has admitted it now that i don't do it anymore). My husband loves me, the way I am, and I think he was feeling really badly watching me beat myself up.
now we can go out to eat or eat at home and because i'm not trying to eat 1200 calories, the only thing we really talk about is quality of food- (e.g. I haven't had enough veg/protein today, can we get some meat/veg into dinner?)
I think it creates anxiety in my female friends- to be talking about weight and food choices all the time. I work with two younger girls who never discuss it, but they do lead by example and I do notice their food choices. I've decided to use them as models- I don't want other women to become as fretful over food as i allowed myself to become.
If someone asks? I'll talk all day about it!

dbrightwell1270

I will talk about my progress. I periodically put on facebook how much I've lost (sometimes how mch I've gained) and post progress pictures every now andd then. I'll also talk about my workouts if I do something really crazy or extreme. I never talk about my "diet" unless specifically asked. Even then I never say "I eat only this and that" or "I do not eat this and that." I tell people I focus on lean meats, fruits and vegetables. I avoid fast food as a result, etc. There is no food I prohibit myself from having (although I've debated eliminating Reese's Peanut Butter Cups because every time I eat one, I want to eat about 8 to more.)

TheRealParisLove

I don't talk about it. My husband knows my goals, but otherwise I keep mum about what I'm doing.

People know I'm up to something with diet and fitness plans, they see me working out everyday and eating big salads for lunch, etc. I just have learned over the years, if you want to do something don't talk about it, just do it. Most people will see you doing something good for you and will have negative warnings such as: "Just don't lose too much weight." or "I hope you don't turn into one of those body-builder women." etc. It's demoralizing to deal with those comments and can derail your efforts.

My mom is probably one of the worst at this.

Mokey41

I don't know why you need to talk about it or ban certain foods. There are no bad foods, just foods you may eat too much of. Control your portions, stay in budget and enjoy life. I don't talk about it with anyone who doesn't bring it up first or have something to contribute. It's my life and they want to hear about my food choices as much as I want to hear about the cute thing their kid did yesterday!

marsellient

Being able to discuss here is great because I need to talk about it, but people usually don't really want to hear about it, so I try to avoid the conversation. For example, the other night at a meeting (all women) a picture of me was on the screen and one of the women kept looking at it and then me. She finally asked out loud and in front of everyone how much I'd lost. I answered and then there was a chorus of "what's your secret?" When I said I was using a website to track calories and exercise, basically doing the math, not one person asked about the website, although one did ask if I was on the ubiquitous 1200/day diet, so I did manage to get in that I refuse to go low calorie. The end.
On the other hand I do have a friend who is using another website and has been very successful. We had a whole afternoon discussion recently about it, but that's rare.

doggiesnot

Why suffer? Eat right and exercise. Make it fun!

seamanny

Diet is a four letter word. I do not consider myself to be on a diet, it is a way of life.

^^^^This

For my husband and I this is a lifestyle change, not a diet. Incorporating more fruit, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein along with exercise is just what we do now. We're trying to live healthier and banning certain foods or food groups is not a realistic way to live for us.