Things people say when you lose weight

I wish I was a conversational analyst - this material is wonderful.
Some tiny things that contain so many presuppositions that we all guess – e.g. "Don't give up now." (I don't know why, but this one bugs me.) – but which somehow are difficult to explain.

Good luck everyone and thanks for these posts.

.... for me, "oh come on, you don't need to lose weight" from women (I am a woman to, sorry for my silly nickname ) is the most annoying, I am projecting a lot of things there. I am BMI 26 and I just know I look awesome at 23, sigh, but really not now yet.

Okay, so glad I stumbled on this thread!

"You're looking great!" That was very encouraging, seeing as it came from a pretty health-conscious guy.

"You've always been small, you've just been hiding it with baggy clothes." This made me laugh. I am short, yes, but the baggy clothes are now 100% because I can't afford to buy new clothes (thanks 2020, haha). I had fun digging through the back of my closet to fish out smaller sizes, and then the 'holy cr@p' comment followed.

For the first time in more than 10 years, I feel half decent health-wise. I am not where I want to be just yet, but I'll get there, slow and steady.

What I can say, and this is making me giggle, is that people around me are suddenly becoming aware of their own health/weight. Almost every social gathering/interaction they are mentioning plans to do this diet or sign up with that coach. Meanwhile, here I am doing it all by my self, no fancy diets, no expensive health coaches, just some good common sense, haha. Honestly, I do hope they find something that works for them, as dropping the extra fat has done wonders for my mood and energy, and I want them to find that same joy.

I was told im looking skinny when I went from 382lbs to the lower 300s. I also was drinking a monster drink and my boss said your drinking those again you were doing so good. I told him I still am reminding him im down 114 lbs in 7 months. I also had someone try to fat shame me for eating a slice of pizza implying that I'm gaining weight when I'm still losing and working hard as he'll at it.

CameronWhittaker wrote: »

I hear most of the comments you guys have said, one in particular that confuses me.
When they ask what I have done I explain "stopped eating junk food, exercise more, and log every meal on an app.:

Then they say "oh you count calories???"

Like its a bad thing.. iv had some pretty significant results since I started logging, It's not the only thing iv been doing and I don't count super accurate, more like just to keep track...

But I don't get why people think counting calories is a bad thing.

Oh goodness that's so true! I wonder that too. Yet, so many books/sites/ads/signs/commercials say "lose x pounds a month without counting calories" or things like that, as if counting calories is the biggest heap of drudgery imaginable. I think of some hungry person counting calories individually like beans. Really it's freeing - once I know what I'm putting in, I know how much more I can put in, and I can enjoy my food without that worry "did I eat too much? Did I not exercise enough?" It's all about information! Information is good!

I just got a "you make me sick" from someone whose scale went the other way during lockdown

Jealous much??

AlexandraFindsHerself1971 wrote: »

Sand_TIger wrote: »

CameronWhittaker wrote: »

I hear most of the comments you guys have said, one in particular that confuses me.
When they ask what I have done I explain "stopped eating junk food, exercise more, and log every meal on an app.:

Then they say "oh you count calories???"

Like its a bad thing.. iv had some pretty significant results since I started logging, It's not the only thing iv been doing and I don't count super accurate, more like just to keep track...

But I don't get why people think counting calories is a bad thing.

Oh goodness that's so true! I wonder that too. Yet, so many books/sites/ads/signs/commercials say "lose x pounds a month without counting calories" or things like that, as if counting calories is the biggest heap of drudgery imaginable. I think of some hungry person counting calories individually like beans. Really it's freeing - once I know what I'm putting in, I know how much more I can put in, and I can enjoy my food without that worry "did I eat too much? Did I not exercise enough?" It's all about information! Information is good!

I think before apps like this one it really was problematic and difficult, and that's what people are imagining.

Having (briefly) tried in (if I remember correctly) the 1970s, when one used a little book with pathetically little calorie info in it, and looked stuff up there . . . yes, it was problematic and difficult. Not the easiest way to lose weight, back in the day.

AlexandraFindsHerself1971 wrote: »

missblondi2u wrote: »

I just got a "you make me sick" from someone whose scale went the other way during lockdown

Jealous much??

I've felt a little bad admitting I lost fifty pounds this year. I always say that I'd already started and seen loss by February when we started locking things down, and it was one thing I could control so I did. But I try really hard not to imply superiority at all.

This is something I'm concerned about if/when I go back to work at the office. I'm proud of the weight loss I've accomplished and would be happy if my coworkers noticed, but I also know that several employees in my group struggle with their weight as well and wouldn't want to make them feel bad if they've had a different quarantine experience.

One time someone was looking at an old picture of me and said "Wow, you look so great! You used to look like a big mean bully."

Every time I've put on weight since then, I've made sure to smile more so that people don't think I'm mean lol.

A favorite in-law who I hadn't seen in a few months (during which that time I had lost 30 lbs) complimented me on my weight loss and then ask me if I was happy where I was at or if I was going to try to lose more. This came as an interesting thought to me, since I was still officially obese. I really liked that comment. It implied that my journey is very personal and she did not assume to know my goals. Also, it made me entertain the idea that someone might be content with the weight I currently am. Overall,just one of the most encouraging, simple questions I've ever been asked on this journey.