Does anyone else experience this?

jamie_reynolds
jamie_reynolds Posts: 67 Member
edited November 15 in Motivation and Support
I have never been obese or even what's technically considered overweight, but I have reached points where I feel uncomfortable in my clothes and when I am unhappy with my weight. So, I use MFP to help me stay on track. I try not to talk about my diet or exercise with most friends or co-workers because they usually tend to make comments like, "You don't even need to exercise!" or "Why are YOU watching what you eat?" I normally just laugh it off, but I want to scream that the reason I am thin (or thinner than you) is because I DO exercise and monitor my calories! Right now, I'm excited because I lost 10 lbs in just under 2 months, and I want to tell people, but I'm afraid they will make comments like this. I don't know - maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, but it's frustrating not to be able to share your accomplishments without people thinking you didn't even need to try in the first place.

Replies

  • My_Butt
    My_Butt Posts: 2,300 Member
    edited April 2015
    First off, it sounds like you're taking their odd 'compliments' as a rude remark. Most people that say those things, either never had a diet, or only think diets are for overweight people.

    I just brush those comments off. I talk about my successes from working out to anybody, not about how many pounds I lost.
  • Jus_gem
    Jus_gem Posts: 38 Member
    ignore them, shout about your success!
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    jmeprich wrote: »
    I have never been obese or even what's technically considered overweight, but I have reached points where I feel uncomfortable in my clothes and when I am unhappy with my weight. So, I use MFP to help me stay on track. I try not to talk about my diet or exercise with most friends or co-workers because they usually tend to make comments like, "You don't even need to exercise!" or "Why are YOU watching what you eat?" I normally just laugh it off, but I want to scream that the reason I am thin (or thinner than you) is because I DO exercise and monitor my calories! Right now, I'm excited because I lost 10 lbs in just under 2 months, and I want to tell people, but I'm afraid they will make comments like this. I don't know - maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, but it's frustrating not to be able to share your accomplishments without people thinking you didn't even need to try in the first place.

    Maintenance is a lot of work and thought and bringing ourselves back into compliance with 5 or 10 pounds is a lot of work and thought....be proud but I completely understand what you are saying and I simply only talk about it to my kids...they are just so supportive and athletic so they get it...

  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,744 Member
    I would just enjoy your success. Sharing it with others only opens the door for more comments that you don't want or need. Sad, but true. If you DO talk about it, I agree with the previous poster: do NOT mention weight or a number, just your physical accomplishments as far as fitness or health. Congrats!
  • mawkishstoic
    mawkishstoic Posts: 14 Member
    I had a coworker who was quite thin, and would from time to time get upset that she had gained a bit of weight, and would take steps to lose it. I always thought she was crazy. In my mind, I would think "who cares about 10 pounds - you're skinny!"

    It took a long time for me to realize that I had everything backwards. She was thin because she cared about 10 pounds. She was thin because she was willing to get in under control as soon as she saw a problem. She was doing exactly what I plan to do once I get to my goal weight.

    I'm sorry if others say hurtful things to you. Please know that it's not mean-spirited; it is only a misunderstanding that they have about why some people are thin and some people are not. Hopefully in time they will see how misguided they are like I did.
  • scaryg53
    scaryg53 Posts: 268 Member
    People say stuff like that to me, too. But a lot of them don't realize that I have lost 67 pounds and I have keep tabs on what I eat or I will gain weight. The ones that do know that say those things, don't realize that after you lose weight, it doesn't just end there, I usually just explain that I'm in maintenance and watch what I eat to keep myself from gaining weight back. Congrats on your loss btw! Way to go!
  • jamie_reynolds
    jamie_reynolds Posts: 67 Member
    this is just what I needed to hear...thanks to all of you!
  • blu_de_ville
    blu_de_ville Posts: 4,296 Member
    I used to get similar comments, along with friends trying to get me to eat fatty things "just one bite" I felt like if they are not being supportive well I don't need that negativity in my life. I stopped talking to most people around me and found comfort in people with the same lifestyle as me it's better this way
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    I just wanted to say that friends tell you that you don't need to workout. This world SMH.

    Honestly let your actions show the accomplishment more than telling people I think will work. Wear some nice fitting clothes and they will tell the difference.
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,081 Member
    I know exactly what you mean. I have been overweight before, but 13 years ago I lost 56lbs and since then I have been within a healthy BMI range and weight for my height. Despite that, maybe because at one stage I let my weight get out of control I have a lot of body fat, and therefore have not been happy with my body as I've never reached my goal in terms of being lean and have yo yo'd quite a bit up and down losing and gaining the same 15-20lbs.

    Whenever certain people hear I'm counting calories or trying to change my body composition through eating high protein/low carb or doing a lot of exercise they make me feel like I am doing something I shouldn't be because they tell me I'm fine as I am. It's been a struggle for me to keep my weight at a level I'm happy with and it's mostly been because I've stopped counting calories or reduced my level of exercise so some of the weight has crept back on.

    When I first lost a lot of weight and felt a lot better about myself and maintained that weight for a number of years I was still only really in the middle of the BMI range for my height, yet people who had known me before told me my face was too thin and I was making myself ill because I was smaller. It really upset me at the time because I knew I was a healthy weight and was still carrying a little too much body fat for my size yet most of those people felt I was supposed to be bigger so didn't accept me as a smaller person.

    At the beginning of this year I again let my weight creep up to the top end of my BMI range and my body fat is higher than ever yet I am not considered technically overweight in terms of BMI. When I started in January I was a UK 10-12 which is a US 6-8. I've started doing 5:2 fasting and I'm counting calories too as well as exercising daily but a lot of those around me keep telling me I shouldn't be doing it, I'm a perfect size/shape etc. and all because they only ever see me with my clothes on as I like to cover up as much as I can as I'm not very comfortable with a lot of areas such as upper arms, thighs etc. which are carrying most of my excess fat.

    It's very frustrating when I'm trying to become fitter, leaner and improve my health and how I feel about my body yet others who don't have these things to worry about or who don't give their own body image a second thought constantly tell me I shouldn't be doing it.

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