Keeping it to yourself??

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  • XtyAnn17
    XtyAnn17 Posts: 632 Member
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    I am too. Aside from my husband knowing. I want to surprise everyone
  • stephanieb72
    stephanieb72 Posts: 390 Member
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    I tell everybody that will listen! I have had people that I mention it to come up to me months later and tell me that I inspired them to join or just to get moving and lose weight.
  • MFPfriend
    MFPfriend Posts: 1,121 Member
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    I kept it to myself for a long time, because I knew if I told people I was trying to lose weight, they would get hypercritical of what I was eating. Like, if I went to a family member's birthday party, and even just had one bit of somebody's cake or something, my family would get all up on me and say things like "Why are you eating that? Aren't you on a diet? How do you except to lose weight if you're eating cake all the time?"

    I still haven't really told my family that I'm actively trying to lose weight. They do comment on my weight loss though. But I'm pretty sure they all just think it's magically happening by itself. (except for my dad, who accuses me of being on drugs. -.-)
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
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    I didn't really get serious until I committed to it and didn't tell everyone until they started asking. I read an article once about the best tips for losing weight, and a doctor said the #1 thing to do was to not tell anyone. Why?

    1) Based on a psychology study: when you tell people you're going to lose weight, they respond positively. They tell you you're doing a great thing. Hearing that, you already feel rewarded, so you don't feel the need to actually carry out the action of losing weight.

    2) Fat people tend to have fat friends and family, and some of them have jealousy issues. The doctor had heard a lot of cases of friends becoming mean, not respecting the person's eating habits, insulting them for becoming too thin - all things that might have been discouraging to the point of failure if the person wasn't already well along in their progress.

    Obviously, if you're determined to do this and you think your friends and family will be supportive, there's nothing wrong with telling them. But to say that you NEED to have them to do this doesn't apply in all cases - I find the people on here to be much more encouraging and understanding than anyone I know in real life.
  • vicrandom
    vicrandom Posts: 80 Member
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    I'm not keeping it to myself, exactly - most people at work know I've been making an effort over the last several months (and so have they). Although they were supportive at first, things got a little weird around the holidays as everyone got their halloween/thanksgiving/christmas gorge going. The chatter and conversation around food tends to get really strange as people vocalize either their pleasure or their justifications regarding various sugary treats... it starts to sound more and more like "diet talk," which personally drives me up the wall. I'm recommitting to a much more personal effort right now, in part because even when people are being "supportive" - in honestly nice and genuine ways - their comments end up making me feel bad.

    For example: If I don't notice any visual difference in my appearance, and someone comments that I'm looking good or that I've lost weight, that makes me feel REALLY WEIRD in a bad way. If they don't know I've been working on it, then at least I can take it as genuine, if unecessary - if they do know, then I pretty much assume they're lying and get creeped out by how invested they are in MY appearance/health. I know, my brain's messed up. But that's why I'm keeping it on the relative down low right now.

    Edit: Also, people usually misunderstand my reasons for making changes. It took a zillion years to accept my body, and how it looks and feels. The changes I'm making should result in fat loss (I've got some serious endocrine issues if it doesn't), but the point of them is not to "look good." So being supported on how my appearance is changing just sounds like criticism for what my appearance has been for the last ten years, not true support for what I'm doing. If that makes sense.
  • simpsona5
    simpsona5 Posts: 24
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    I've been lucky, I'm losing weight with my wife. I've tried on my own before and that did not work. Having someone else involved keeps both of you on track and I've found that if one of us wants to exersise, we will exercise together. I've let some friends know what I'm doing. The only people who are not supportive are my in-laws who think its funny when we exercise in the back garden!!!
  • littlewhittles
    littlewhittles Posts: 402 Member
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    I've told my boyfriend, and friends only if they ask. I don't want them to treat me differently.
  • Orchidjaz
    Orchidjaz Posts: 3
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    I keep it to myself generally, the right people know. For example I can't tell my mum because she gets negative and tells me it will never happen. 15kgs down and she still refuses to acknowledge I look like I've lost weight. Easier just to let her think she's right.
  • kathyms13
    kathyms13 Posts: 497 Member
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    i tell everyone, ive nothing to hide, if anything i tend to spread the word on what they should be eating but i can be quite boreing.
  • PaprikaPrincess
    PaprikaPrincess Posts: 89 Member
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    My family knows and two of my coworkers and one of the two coworkers is being weird about it. I sort of wish that she did not know.
  • wendybird5
    wendybird5 Posts: 577 Member
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    Strangely enough I read about a study once that showed that you were more likely to achieve a goal if you didn't tell anyone about it because telling someone about your goal gives your body almost the same feeling as having accomplished the goal and then you no longer feel motivated to achieve because you feel as if you had.

    Here's the URL for it: http://www.mind-meditations.com/motivation/want-to-achieve-a-goal-don’t-tell-anyone/

    I told some people about my goal and the rest just found out as I was working towards it.
  • rockstar4Him
    rockstar4Him Posts: 22
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    I'm doing p90x, but I'm not telling everyone I'm doing it.

    In my experience, I have learned to keep what workout program that I'm doing a secret. When I tell everyone, "this is what I'm doing...", I find that I quit easily. Weird, right?

    But if I tell people, "I already completed so and so workout program", then I did it already.

    There was an article I read about that. If you tell people what you're going to be doing, that you're less likely to do it, but if you do it, well then you've done it.

    I do the Exact same thing!!! If i start telling people about it, then I lose my motivation, self sabatoging maybe?
  • rockstar4Him
    rockstar4Him Posts: 22
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    Strangely enough I read about a study once that showed that you were more likely to achieve a goal if you didn't tell anyone about it because telling someone about your goal gives your body almost the same feeling as having accomplished the goal and then you no longer feel motivated to achieve because you feel as if you had.

    Here's the URL for it: http://www.mind-meditations.com/motivation/want-to-achieve-a-goal-don’t-tell-anyone/

    I told some people about my goal and the rest just found out as I was working towards it.

    Ok now thats really interesting!
  • Motivated_Mom_4
    Motivated_Mom_4 Posts: 87
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    My immediate family knows, but I haven't posted anything on Facebook or told anyone else. I also haven't connected and added my Facebook friends who have this app as well. I just prefer to be as private as possible. Support wise, I don't have a strong need for support. I haven't struggled with making good food choices or motivation to exercise yet at this point, but it is great to come here when I have questions that I don't know the answer to and to interact with other people doing the same thing I am. When/if the day comes that I need motivation or support, I'm sure there will be some friendly people here to cheer me on.
  • lovinmyselfagain
    lovinmyselfagain Posts: 307 Member
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    Only those closest around me know that I'm getting back in shape and I prefer it like that. MFP is the only place I post about exercising and what I eat. Posting it all over FB is not me and I find myself rolling my eyes when other FB friends post about going to the gym everyday, what they eat everyday, etc, each to his/her own I suppose. Even now when current pictures of me are posted on FB and there's an obvious difference, when people bring it up or compliment me, I only say thank you and don't mention my weight loss journey. While I'm glad family and friends have noticed my weight loss, the constantly talking about it does get on my nerves. 98% are totally supportive and then there's my Mom who compliments the weight loss, but likes to make sarcastic comments about my methods. And then there is a good friend who I don't get to see too often these days and she came into town for Christmas. Now, God love her, she is an airhead, but the one day we hung out together she gave me cookies for my Christmas present and then throughout the day kept handing me candy. I'm talking I would go to the bathroom and when I come back there is more chocolate waiting for me. Years ago when I said I wanted to get back into shape she said "But, you won't be the same person!", so I don't know if all the junk thrown at me was her attempt to sabotage me or just her usual "airheadedness." It was annoying nonetheless.
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
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    I didn't talk about it much except to a couple of friends who I trusted and my family (I was in 9th grade). I was afraid to blab about it b/c I had talked about diets before and failed to lose the weight and I didn't want people to make fun of me if I didn't succeed. This was back in the 80s, way before Internet and MFP lol

    At least ya got us! Feel free to add me!
  • skankamaggot
    skankamaggot Posts: 146 Member
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    I keep it to myself and I do just fine.

    I read this article last year about shutting up and doing it and I think about it quite often

    http://todayhealth.today.com/_news/2011/12/29/9807220-should-you-keep-your-new-years-diet-a-secret
  • chauncyrenayCHANGED
    chauncyrenayCHANGED Posts: 788 Member
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    Trying to keep your goals to yourself from the people closest to you will never work. Support is a MAJOR factor in weight-loss, and to be frankly honest MFP isnt full of the "best" supporters.

    Wrong answer!

    If keeping it to yourself came naturally to you, it's probably what is going to work best for you.
    I know from my life's pattern that when I don't broadcast my new goal or venture, that's how I know I'm serious.
    When I walk the walk instead of talking it, I get the best results!

    Good luck to you on your journey!
  • sheppeyescapee
    sheppeyescapee Posts: 329 Member
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    My close friends and family know about it but acquaintances no. I have tried and failed so many times that I didn't want to announce it until I had lost a significant amount.
  • road2goal
    road2goal Posts: 29 Member
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    I'm keeping it to myself. I have some people in my life who constantly watch me and ask me how much I lost last week, etc when they know I'm dieting. And look me over top to bottom as I'm talking to them. Talk about feeling judged! I would just rather do my thing quietly on my own. If people see results and start asking questions, I may share with a choice few people who are not like the ones I mentioned at the beginning of my post. I will generally just say though that I'm just eating right and exercising. I wont make a big deal about it. That is what works for me. My husband knows of course but that's it for now.

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