tell people i am losing weight or keep a surprise?

BeautyFromPain
BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
edited September 27 in Motivation and Support
So I was just wondering should I let people know that I am losing weight so that I can get motivation and support and such or should I just keep it a surprise???

Replies

  • kee9kee9
    kee9kee9 Posts: 23
    I don't tell people, I let them tell me. :smile: It encourages me and feels good when someone looks at me and tells me that I've lost weight (especially people I haven't seen in a while).
  • Solat37_Neil
    Solat37_Neil Posts: 379 Member
    I've only told close friends and family, keep waiting for someone to say "Hey, are you losing weight?" .. Still waiting lol thought work colleagues might noticed I've dropped 20 pounds, but nothing yet.. Swines :)
  • alienblonde1
    alienblonde1 Posts: 749 Member
    I have only told a very few people what I am doing and a couple joined here but didn't really do anything. Most my friends and none of my family knows and none of them noticed any changes or at least none said anything to me, BUT know of them said anything as I was gaining either.

    Some say tell others so they can support you but you know of the few I have told only one really supports and encourages me anyway.
  • craft338
    craft338 Posts: 870 Member
    there's a few people that know at work, and they're like "omg u look so good" all the time, and i don't really think they're being honest because the people who i HAVEN'T told and who i don't see every day, haven't said anything. i'm almost at 50 lbs lost and people JUST started noticing who had no idea about the diet. it was a really really amazing feeling to have people say "wow" and have it be for real :) i think it's worth the wait and to keep it a secret for a few months.
  • emmajane_2288
    emmajane_2288 Posts: 132 Member
    Only my boyfriend knows because we are trying to do it together.

    If I started telling my friends, they would say thinks like 'what you mean, you dont need to lose weight! You look good as you are' .. which although is very nice of them, it will probably put me off track!

    And also, I want one of my friends notice and say 'omg have you lost weight? you look amazing!' lol! I cant wait for that day!
  • MissAnjy
    MissAnjy Posts: 2,480 Member
    tell AT LEAST one person. That way you're held accountable.
  • ChaseAlder
    ChaseAlder Posts: 804 Member
    Only my husband and my mother-in-law know I'm losing weight. No one else has noticed yet, but I didn't really expect them to because it's only like 7.6 pounds or something like that.
  • infosynth
    infosynth Posts: 81 Member
    The people who see you every day are less likely to notice the change because to them it's gradual.

    Someone who has not seen you in a while (since before a major weight loss, for example) will notice right away.

    The question is whether you *want* someone to make a comment about your weight..
  • lovingbears2
    lovingbears2 Posts: 73 Member
    Personally, I never mention it to people. I look forward to the NSV (non-scale victories) if they DO notice, and that way I know they really ARE noticing, and not just being polite:blushing:

    I also have had situations in the past where as soon as I let someone know that I was "losing weight", they immediately became my "food police", even if what I was eating was totally ok and worked into my day. I would get the side comment, raised eyebrow, or their supposed "helpful" criticism of my meal/snack. I 'd prefer not to have to defend myself again these type of "helpful" friends/colleagues.

    I enjoy the NSV even more that way, too! Have had several "wow, are you losing weight?", "you've lost a lot of weight, haven't you?" comments in the last few weeks, esp with people who hadn't seen me since march this year, when I 'restarted" back up on MFP. :bigsmile: :bigsmile: REALLY makes my day and keeps my motivation up!!!:heart::wink:

    32 pounds total since march! Oh, and , by the way, does anyone know if there is a way to "reset" my original weight? I had originally joined last year, after 3 months on the South Beach diet. I wasn't losing any more weight on SBD, had plateaued for over 6 weeks, and was really discouraged, so only went onto MFP for about a week, then stopped. I gained back 10 pounds from last spring to this march. I'd kind of like to be able to "show the loss" since starting on MFP this march, but , of course, it is starting with my initial weight from last year, so for the first month here of losing those 10 lbs it showed no weight loss at all:noway: , and now just 22 lbs lost. Any ideas, other than starting all over , which I don't want to do?

    thanks, and good luck to all of you !:flowerforyou:
  • Dtho5159
    Dtho5159 Posts: 1,054 Member
    The only ones that know are:

    my husband
    my mom
    my grandmother
    my mother and father in law

    Nobody else knows.. Mostly becuz only my mom lives near us and the rest of our friends/family live 900 miles away and we're planning to go home on vacation next spring and I want to surprise the crap outta everyone lol
  • I tell some that I'm dieting "Again".. and with. All the yoyo dieting they've seen me go thru..they think..here she goes again! LOL ..but when they see me for the first time..its jaw dropping! I have gone from a size 18/20 and 2X to a 12/14 and M/L... The best will be in June when I go see my great aunt in Chicago..cuz I haven't said anything about my lifestyle change
    ..Can't wait!! Blessings on your journey and enjoy the ah-ha moments!
  • Kanzaki3
    Kanzaki3 Posts: 656 Member
    I like to surprise people. I enjoying seeing the reaction on their faces.
  • Jade_Butterfly
    Jade_Butterfly Posts: 2,963 Member
    Honestly. I would tell a few people that are close to you and don't say anything to the rest. . . as others said then when they notice it gives you additional motivation to take off the remainder of the weight! Good luck with your journey!:smile:
  • lesteidel
    lesteidel Posts: 229 Member
    I wouldn't mention it to anybody unless they are close to you and you know they would be supportive. I didn't mention it to anybody at work but since I have lost over 115 pounds since I started dieting, they know I am doing something. Even though I have made a point to not include them, every time I eat something I get snide comments or questions. "I can't beleive you're eating that!" "Is that part of your diet?" "you're going to gain back every pound if you keep eating like that!" Theres nothing to ruin a good treat like someone criticizing what you are eating and reminding you that you used to be extremely fat as you're just trying to eat. People by nature want to help and if you let them know you are dieting, they will try to help. Make sure it is someone whose "help" would actually be help and support before you mention anything. I liked it a lot better when they didn't know I was losing weight and I didn't have food police.
  • FairyMiss
    FairyMiss Posts: 1,812 Member
    I like to tell people, or atleast the people around me day to day. Mainly because that way if for example the boss brings dougnuts or buy us lunch as they will do on crazy days , they understand why i am not eating and don't feel insulted. or for the lunch alot of times they will buy a couple pizza and then ad some wings for me.

    So to me letting it know, kinda save the trouble of trying to explain while not snacking at an event or what ev er
  • FairyMiss
    FairyMiss Posts: 1,812 Member
    I wouldn't mention it to anybody unless they are close to you and you know they would be supportive. I didn't mention it to anybody at work but since I have lost over 115 pounds since I started dieting, they know I am doing something. Even though I have made a point to not include them, every time I eat something I get snide comments or questions. "I can't beleive you're eating that!" "Is that part of your diet?" "you're going to gain back every pound if you keep eating like that!" Theres nothing to ruin a good treat like someone criticizing what you are eating and reminding you that you used to be extremely fat as you're just trying to eat. People by nature want to help and if you let them know you are dieting, they will try to help. Make sure it is someone whose "help" would actually be help and support before you mention anything. I liked it a lot better when they didn't know I was losing weight and I didn't have food police.

    wow you must work with some unhappy nasty people, guess i am lucky, or maybe thats one of the benifits of a very small buisness you tend to get close enought to get beyond that
  • tatiana_13
    tatiana_13 Posts: 325
    Unless you are in a weight loss club and they are going to be supporting you because they are doing it to...I wouldn't. I mean, I wouldn't go out of my way to lie...if they happen to see you eating a salad instead of a hamburger...just say something vague like, "I'm trying to eat a little better."

    But, I would not say the words "diet" or "lose weight" or even "trying a healthier lifestyle." Because, people are perverse. Some people will purposefully try to tempt you with donuts and candy. "Just a little taste won't hurt you!" They're not evil...but human beings are perverse. We don't know why. We've all probably done it at least once in our lives. Forgive them, for they know not what they do.

    Second, even well meaning people will try to "help you" in very unhelpful ways with unsolicited advice. Just try to eat a mini snickers in front of them and they will give you a pitying look and say "that's not on your diet." Or if your diet is based on whole grains, someone in the lunch room will give you the spiel about how avoiding grains is the only way to lose weight...or if you are eating primal, your mother in law will tsk tsk you about how avoiding grains is going to eventually kill you. Again...they are just trying to be helpful...but it will get on your nerves in the first few months, especially when you really need support, not naysayers.

    Once you start getting results, and are more secure in what you're doing, these things won't matter so much, AND, the naysayers will stop questioning what you're doing and start ASKING what you're doing. And they'll get use to your routine and won't bother you about it so much...it'll just be what you do. Now, people don't even remember my former eating habits. Its actually kind of weird how quickly people forget.
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