Things People Say When You've Lost Weight

It really bugs me when I am at work or with friends and I get comments like "You're wasting away!" and "You don't need to lose anymore weight, you look good". I know they are trying to be supportive, but it really irritates me. I am only half way to my goal, I am still considered obese, and telling me to stop is the opposite of being helpful.

*rantover*

Anyone else get stupid comments from people trying to "help"?

Just remember people don't like change. They see you changing...in a positive light and they are in the same spot-whatever that is. Humans are jealous by nature. Be flattered. Its all how you look at. When they say "you're wasting away!" ..say "aw-thank you! Smile" ...You will get a different reaction and even probably feel differently towards that comment.

Just be goofy like me and say "thanks, i welcome any and all compliments" and smile. I'm not a sensitive person really. Though I do understand what you're saying. People will be people.

Yes, I do know what you mean. I get WHAT DID YOU DO HAVE GASTRIC BYPASS?! or WHAT PILL DID YOU TAKE? How Rude!!!!!! But, there are the others that ask what I did. I'm happy to tell them, but, what worked for me, might not work for others. So, I give them my two cents and hope it helps.
Congratulations on your weight loss. You look Fantastic!!!

WHAT PILL DID YOU TAKE?

The reply to this is simple! "The pill called getoffmylazyassandworkforit!"

I wish there was a "Like" button like on Facebook!

I'm most irritated by people who tell me that I don't need to lose any more weight. Really? What exactly are your qualifications to make that determination for me? My doctor, my trainer, and the BMI charts beg to differ...

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Just remember people don't like change. They see you changing...in a positive light and they are in the same spot-whatever that is. Humans are jealous by nature...
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Totally agree with this. After my first round of weight loss from 159lbs to 128lbs (21 pounds) an obese aunt of mine would hint to everyone that I had an eating disorder. Said aunt is now doing a liquid shake program to shift the pounds. So I guess people who have a problem with your weight loss success are insecure and need to address that rather than projecting their issues onto people who are making a real effort to better themselves.

Now that I'm doing MFP for the next 20 pounds, my whole family is freaking out that I'm going to die of starvation haha gotta love Europeans

"Did you lose, like, a ton of weight?"

Lol. She meant well though, and honestly I thought it was funny. Besides, I DID lose, like, a ton of weight

That happened to me the last time I lost a decent amount of weight. I lost 30 lbs but was still pretty far above my goal (healthy) weight and a friend kept asking me if I was sick and saying "what do you weigh? like 100 lbs?!!" HELL NO, if I was that skinny I wouldn't have had to lose 30 lbs!! It was ridiculous because it was just a comparison with how I looked before the weight loss. Turned out I really was sick so who knows if the illness (cancer) helped/caused the weight loss or just coincidence, but why can't people just say "you look great!!"?? No comparison needed. I mean, does anyone think that saying you look sickly or wasted away is a compliment??

I am about half way through my weight loss goal so far and am already getting the "you're wasting away" crap from people (and the usual feeling of shoulders and elbows from mum trying to find some "bones" (way to go before that happens yet!) The worst is some of the girls at work who have been talking about losing weight for ages but undo everything good by going on a pie and chips binge at the weekend and they can't seem to help looking me up and down whenever I have to talk to them about something....and not with a smile on their faces either! I think the comments here about people not liking change, being jealous etc are all valid and you just have to do what's right for you. It can be very hurtful sometimes (one which really got me was "you'd better not throw away your big clothes because you might need them again"....i.e. "this is just a phase you're going through"), but you have to develop a sort of bloody-minded attitude to it all and keep up that regular exercise and stick to your food diary. If people ask how you do it, give them the basics but don't go into too much detail as you'll either find people challenging something which clearly works for you or saying "yeah I'll do that" but then completely ignoring half the advice and telling you a couple of weeks later that (surprise surprise) it didn't work for them......keep going everyone and don't be put off by negative nellies!

I hate it when people say things about me being "skinny." Um, I'm still "obese" according to the BMI scale and am still 30+ pounds from a "healthy" weight for my height. I'm definitely not skinny. Have I lost a lot of weight? Do I look a lot better than I did before? Am I healthier and happier now? All yes, but I'm not skinny by any stretch of the imagination.

I usually just respond with thanks, but I still have a long way to go. I don't want anyone to think that I'm perceiving myself as "done." I won't be "done" ever. This is just how I live now.

Just remember people don't like change. They see you changing...in a positive light and they are in the same spot-whatever that is. Humans are jealous by nature...
[/quote]

Totally agree with this. After my first round of weight loss from 159lbs to 128lbs (21 pounds) an obese aunt of mine would hint to everyone that I had an eating disorder. Said aunt is now doing a liquid shake program to shift the pounds. So I guess people who have a problem with your weight loss success are insecure and need to address that rather than projecting their issues onto people who are making a real effort to better themselves.

Now that I'm doing MFP for the next 20 pounds, my whole family is freaking out that I'm going to die of starvation haha gotta love Europeans
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Im glad you agree. Isnt it funny the same ones that ask you questions negatively or talk bad are the ones that "secretly" try to then lose weight and want you to be happy for them? LOL..people are funny creatures!

Back in 2007 i was about 140, still considered overweight for my height and i was still working on losing about another 15 lbs.... anyway i bumped into people i hadnt seen in years and the last time they saw me i was about 180 or so. i kept getting asked if i was ok, if i was sick etc. i felt i looked the best i had in years,, but to them i looked sick because i wasnt as big as i used to be!

It really bugs me when I am at work or with friends and I get comments like "You're wasting away!" and "You don't need to lose anymore weight, you look good". I know they are trying to be supportive, but it really irritates me. I am only half way to my goal, I am still considered obese, and telling me to stop is the opposite of being helpful.

*rantover*

Anyone else get stupid comments from people trying to "help"?

I find that stuff totally dishonest and manipulative. They think they mean well but they actually don't. Because the reality is that it undermines your will to continue.

My MIL tells me I lost weight so othe rmen would perve on me... I've been with my husband (ie her son) for 18yrs She fails to understand that I did it for me, my health and to ensure I'm here fo rmy family. Oh and she's just been diagnosed with diabetes.. on top of her crazy high cholesterol, and had her gastric band removed as 'it doesn't work'.

I get the old, "You've lost weight! How much have you lost?"

And most of those people don't take "a lot" or some other vague response for an answer. I'm usually so shocked by the question that I don't remember my planned canned response, which is, "I can't believe you would ask me that question." Because it really is nobody's business exactly how much I've lost.

Another one that's popped up fairly frequently is, "Did you lose it on purpose?" or "Have you been sick?" Which, as a friend pointed out, is also incredibly rude.

Then there's "You can stop now" or "You're starting to look gaunt" or "You're wasting away." And the one my boss uses, which I also hate, is, "She's half the Ann she was." No, I'm 65% of the Ann I was, not that it's any of your, or our customers', business.

"What's your secret?!"

Urgh. And after telling them that it is all dedication, healthy eating and exercise, they just raise their brows in disbelief.

SO MUCH THIS.

Also related: How did you do it? What plan are you following? and What did you do? But nobody ever believes me when I say "counting calories and watching portion sizes." They all want some magic formula or miracle pill

And sub-related to that are the people who then see me eating things like ice cream or bread and say, "I thought you couldn't eat that on a diet." To which I respond, "I'm not on a diet."