How to talk about weight loss without being a jerk?

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  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
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    I don't mind hearing about people's weight loss, strategies, plans... I'm always looking for tips and motivation. I posted a picture of myself on Facebook after an 8k race and got the most likes/comments ever - I was really surprised how supportive people were. Aside from that I don't post about my weight loss or fitness efforts.

    I do tend to scroll past paleo, clean eating, cross fit posts... There are so many... and I just don't buy into the whole paleo, clean eating fad.
  • sonyaruns
    sonyaruns Posts: 24 Member
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    I have no problem with people posting their successes on FB, and I'm very happy for them, but that is just not me. Unless you are a very close friend I don't want comments asking how much weight I've lost now that I'm going down anymore than I would have wanted questions about how I had gained the weight :). I always appreciate a "you look nice today", but that's as far as I want others to go. Different strokes for different folks, I guess :)
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    I can't help but be enthusiastic and for anyone who shows interest in my weight loss success I happily share...but most people are after that quick fix and aren't prepared to be in it for the long haul.
  • dljones67
    dljones67 Posts: 88 Member
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    Def. I don't talk about unless asked. Every time I'm out and see friends they asks, "Wow, you look great, how much have you lost? how are you losing weight?" Then when I tell them counting calories, cardio/weights 4-5 days a week, limiting alcohol etc... I hear crickets, lol. They don't want to hear that.
  • CFrancine88
    CFrancine88 Posts: 23 Member
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    I started a youtube blog and post the links on my facebook. That way, people that want to hear about it can watch the video. I've had some friends subscribe. So if they don't want to hear it, don't click the link!
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,817 Member
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    lisalsd1 wrote: »
    I didn't read all of the comments, but here is a suggestion (maybe or maybe not mentioned yet)...make new friends who are interested in health/fitness. People who go to your gym are more likely to want to talk about weight loss and PRs.

    There's nothing wrong with posting things about food and workouts on social media, people can ignore if they arent interested. Bringing up weight loss IRL will get annoying to people who aren't interested; like-minded people will be more interested.

    Weightloss and fitness are boring topics for people who aren't interested. It's like looking at someone's vacation slides. It's like "Great - you went to Hawaii!" but you really don't want to see every picture they took there. The same thing applies here.

  • FatMoojor
    FatMoojor Posts: 483 Member
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    On a bit of a tangent about this, but why is socially acceptable for people to comment on your weight loss but highly offensive to comment on someone's weight gain.
    No one bats an eye lid when a co-worker or the like mentions that you have lost weight, or that your going to disappear if you lose more, but can you imagine the fallout if you went up to someone and said, you're going to have to take a lift on your own if you keep gaining weight.
  • jlahorn
    jlahorn Posts: 377 Member
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    FatMoojor wrote: »
    On a bit of a tangent about this, but why is socially acceptable for people to comment on your weight loss but highly offensive to comment on someone's weight gain.
    No one bats an eye lid when a co-worker or the like mentions that you have lost weight, or that your going to disappear if you lose more, but can you imagine the fallout if you went up to someone and said, you're going to have to take a lift on your own if you keep gaining weight.

    It's polite to celebrate success. It's rude to point out failure. You won't have many friends if you spend your time saying hurtful things. Do you think people don't know they've gained weight, so somebody should point it out to them? If so, I believe you are mistaken :)

    You can think things all you like - wow, your kid just really has the face of a bully, that thing you knitted is lopsided, your fedora makes you look like a dou***, how drunk does someone have to be to get a tattoo like that? But if you say them out loud, prepare to spend a lot of time alone :D

  • FatMoojor
    FatMoojor Posts: 483 Member
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    But it's exactly the same thing about losing weight, I know I've lost weight, I don't need someone pointing it out. I don't need someone telling me to stop losing weight because I'll look ill, or I'll disappear, or I'll look like a stick figure, or to enquire if I have an ED.
    It's the old back handed comment, "oh you look so good now you have lost weight", really, so what did you think I looked like before I lost weight, some hideous obese hunchback on Notre Dame.
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,817 Member
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    FatMoojor wrote: »
    On a bit of a tangent about this, but why is socially acceptable for people to comment on your weight loss but highly offensive to comment on someone's weight gain.
    No one bats an eye lid when a co-worker or the like mentions that you have lost weight, or that your going to disappear if you lose more, but can you imagine the fallout if you went up to someone and said, you're going to have to take a lift on your own if you keep gaining weight.

    Well, you congratulate someone for getting a promotion, but if they get fired you don't say "you unemployed loser!"

    Like the poster above mentioned, it's normal social convention to congratulate someone on an achievement, but rude to point out a failure.

  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
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    FatMoojor wrote: »
    On a bit of a tangent about this, but why is socially acceptable for people to comment on your weight loss but highly offensive to comment on someone's weight gain.
    No one bats an eye lid when a co-worker or the like mentions that you have lost weight, or that your going to disappear if you lose more, but can you imagine the fallout if you went up to someone and said, you're going to have to take a lift on your own if you keep gaining weight.

    I want someone to say this to me, but it needs to be someone who cares. My sister and I have an agreement now to keep me honest, and that is one of the things I love about her.
  • FatMoojor
    FatMoojor Posts: 483 Member
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    FatMoojor wrote: »
    On a bit of a tangent about this, but why is socially acceptable for people to comment on your weight loss but highly offensive to comment on someone's weight gain.
    No one bats an eye lid when a co-worker or the like mentions that you have lost weight, or that your going to disappear if you lose more, but can you imagine the fallout if you went up to someone and said, you're going to have to take a lift on your own if you keep gaining weight.

    Well, you congratulate someone for getting a promotion, but if they get fired you don't say "you unemployed loser!"

    Like the poster above mentioned, it's normal social convention to congratulate someone on an achievement, but rude to point out a failure.

    But as I'm trying to point out, people are not congratulating you on losing weight, unless you believe being told you look ill because you lost weight a form of praise. But like both yours and the previous post I replied to, these comments don't seem to register as being rude.

    It's like saying, "well done on your promotion, now you can be an w***er like all the other bosses"
  • Montepulciano
    Montepulciano Posts: 845 Member
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    It really does not matter the subject, could be weight loss, could be kids, could be your most recent trip to Italy, or the latest Jame Bond film. Depending on the other person's interest level you have to adjust the level of detail you share. Some people are fascinated by the smallest details, others just want the broad strokes, and others could not care less. It isn't so much the topic as it is reading other people and their level of interest.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    FatMoojor wrote: »
    FatMoojor wrote: »
    On a bit of a tangent about this, but why is socially acceptable for people to comment on your weight loss but highly offensive to comment on someone's weight gain.
    No one bats an eye lid when a co-worker or the like mentions that you have lost weight, or that your going to disappear if you lose more, but can you imagine the fallout if you went up to someone and said, you're going to have to take a lift on your own if you keep gaining weight.

    Well, you congratulate someone for getting a promotion, but if they get fired you don't say "you unemployed loser!"

    Like the poster above mentioned, it's normal social convention to congratulate someone on an achievement, but rude to point out a failure.

    But as I'm trying to point out, people are not congratulating you on losing weight, unless you believe being told you look ill because you lost weight a form of praise. But like both yours and the previous post I replied to, these comments don't seem to register as being rude.

    It's like saying, "well done on your promotion, now you can be an w***er like all the other bosses"
    What is a "w***er"?
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,648 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    FatMoojor wrote: »
    FatMoojor wrote: »
    On a bit of a tangent about this, but why is socially acceptable for people to comment on your weight loss but highly offensive to comment on someone's weight gain.
    No one bats an eye lid when a co-worker or the like mentions that you have lost weight, or that your going to disappear if you lose more, but can you imagine the fallout if you went up to someone and said, you're going to have to take a lift on your own if you keep gaining weight.

    Well, you congratulate someone for getting a promotion, but if they get fired you don't say "you unemployed loser!"

    Like the poster above mentioned, it's normal social convention to congratulate someone on an achievement, but rude to point out a failure.

    But as I'm trying to point out, people are not congratulating you on losing weight, unless you believe being told you look ill because you lost weight a form of praise. But like both yours and the previous post I replied to, these comments don't seem to register as being rude.

    It's like saying, "well done on your promotion, now you can be an w***er like all the other bosses"
    What is a "w***er"?

    Wanker.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    FatMoojor wrote: »
    But it's exactly the same thing about losing weight, I know I've lost weight, I don't need someone pointing it out. I don't need someone telling me to stop losing weight because I'll look ill, or I'll disappear, or I'll look like a stick figure, or to enquire if I have an ED.
    It's the old back handed comment, "oh you look so good now you have lost weight", really, so what did you think I looked like before I lost weight, some hideous obese hunchback on Notre Dame.

    This one I don't get. If someone tells me I'm looking unusually fabulous in a dress (or new haircut, or what have you), I'm not thinking they mean I looked hideous before. I probably looked fine to them before. I just look better now.

    I'm not sure why that would be any different with weight loss.
  • alyjb1121
    alyjb1121 Posts: 186 Member
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    FatMoojor wrote: »
    FatMoojor wrote: »
    On a bit of a tangent about this, but why is socially acceptable for people to comment on your weight loss but highly offensive to comment on someone's weight gain.
    No one bats an eye lid when a co-worker or the like mentions that you have lost weight, or that your going to disappear if you lose more, but can you imagine the fallout if you went up to someone and said, you're going to have to take a lift on your own if you keep gaining weight.

    Well, you congratulate someone for getting a promotion, but if they get fired you don't say "you unemployed loser!"

    Like the poster above mentioned, it's normal social convention to congratulate someone on an achievement, but rude to point out a failure.

    But as I'm trying to point out, people are not congratulating you on losing weight, unless you believe being told you look ill because you lost weight a form of praise. But like both yours and the previous post I replied to, these comments don't seem to register as being rude.

    It's like saying, "well done on your promotion, now you can be an w***er like all the other bosses"

    hahah, yes this ^^^
    I was always being told "i want to lose some weight, but i don't want to look like you/lose as much as you" by women 3-4x bigger than me. Geez. You can imagine the tables turned there. I just shrugged it off, i thought i looked fabulous and knew i was at a healthy weight for me and my own build. Body shaming to the big is shameful and to the small it is acceptable....i'd like to see that changed! LOVE EVERYONE! :smiley:
  • alyjb1121
    alyjb1121 Posts: 186 Member
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    Wanker.
    my guess was wiener. guess i want a hot dog. and some relish. and mustard. yum
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    glassyo wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    FatMoojor wrote: »
    FatMoojor wrote: »
    On a bit of a tangent about this, but why is socially acceptable for people to comment on your weight loss but highly offensive to comment on someone's weight gain.
    No one bats an eye lid when a co-worker or the like mentions that you have lost weight, or that your going to disappear if you lose more, but can you imagine the fallout if you went up to someone and said, you're going to have to take a lift on your own if you keep gaining weight.

    Well, you congratulate someone for getting a promotion, but if they get fired you don't say "you unemployed loser!"

    Like the poster above mentioned, it's normal social convention to congratulate someone on an achievement, but rude to point out a failure.

    But as I'm trying to point out, people are not congratulating you on losing weight, unless you believe being told you look ill because you lost weight a form of praise. But like both yours and the previous post I replied to, these comments don't seem to register as being rude.

    It's like saying, "well done on your promotion, now you can be an w***er like all the other bosses"
    What is a "w***er"?

    Wanker.
    Thank you! I couldn't figure that out. :)
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,648 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    glassyo wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    FatMoojor wrote: »
    FatMoojor wrote: »
    On a bit of a tangent about this, but why is socially acceptable for people to comment on your weight loss but highly offensive to comment on someone's weight gain.
    No one bats an eye lid when a co-worker or the like mentions that you have lost weight, or that your going to disappear if you lose more, but can you imagine the fallout if you went up to someone and said, you're going to have to take a lift on your own if you keep gaining weight.

    Well, you congratulate someone for getting a promotion, but if they get fired you don't say "you unemployed loser!"

    Like the poster above mentioned, it's normal social convention to congratulate someone on an achievement, but rude to point out a failure.

    But as I'm trying to point out, people are not congratulating you on losing weight, unless you believe being told you look ill because you lost weight a form of praise. But like both yours and the previous post I replied to, these comments don't seem to register as being rude.

    It's like saying, "well done on your promotion, now you can be an w***er like all the other bosses"
    What is a "w***er"?

    Wanker.
    Thank you! I couldn't figure that out. :)

    You're welcome!
    my guess was wiener. guess i want a hot dog. and some relish. and mustard. yum

    I haven't had a hot dog in forever. Yum!

    And, to be fair, it kinda means the same thing. :)