Misunderstood

huntress74
huntress74 Posts: 31 Member
in Motivation and Support
Why do people automatically assume that if you want to lose weight than you must have low-self esteem? I think it is high self-esteem to consider yourself worthy enough to work toward being healthy. Someone asked if I had lost weight. When I said yes, they said "why are you trying to lose weight, you look fine. You should learn to love yourself for who you are". I didn't even know what to say. I thought it to be rude to insinuate I DON'T love myself....

This whole "just be who you are" thing is fine, but if you know that you are living an unhealthy lifestyle, you shouldn't just accept it as "well that's just who I am and I'm proud of it". Weight should not define you, but it does affect you. You can't tell me it doesn't because I have been on both sides of the spectrum. That' s a terrible and dangerous attitude to have for some people because it can lead to obesity and major health problems down the road. That's what irritates me about the "fat and fabulous" campaigns in the media today.

Am I alone on this?

Replies

  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    Tell them you're doing it because you love yourself and want to live a long and healthy life.
  • lilpoindexter
    lilpoindexter Posts: 1,122 Member
    People are stupid idiots and they are haters. If you are unhealthily overweight, it makes it easier for them to be overweight. They take comfort in saying..."well I'm about the same weight as so and so",... "Everyone at work is about my weight" To hell with them....do your thing.
  • ashesfromfire
    ashesfromfire Posts: 867 Member
    I had a similar conversation with an old friend who hadn't seen me in quite some time, via facebook (meaning, she hadn't seen the 50+ lbs I had put on that I've now lost a good chunk of)
    She made a comment that she thought it was really really sad that I was trying to lose weight because I had always been "so confident and felt sexy" with who I was, plus size and all.
    Which I was and am. I'm fierce, I'm sexy, and you better believe I'm unbelievably fabulous but that doesn't mean I can't want to be healthier and take care of myself. I'm losing weight because I LOVE my body, not because I hate it!
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
    its a statistical impossibility that its an automatic response. i've never experienced that. you might be exaggerating a bit eh.

    carry on.
  • huntress74
    huntress74 Posts: 31 Member
    Yes, she is an older lady and that WAS her response. I don't think she was trying to hurt my feelings now that I look back on it. My grandmother has said things similar to that too over the years. She's always trying to feed everyone thinking that if you are thin you "need to put some meat on your bones". I think it must be a generation thing. Older southern ladies tend to mother everyone they meet. I think now this was the case.

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