[Hotaruchan]

I live 10,000 miles away from all of my friends and family, and I STILL get crap from them...they demand that I post pictures on facebook, then it's "HOLY CRAP, YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'VE LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT!" or "You're looking SKINNY...that's new!" My parents are the worst, because both of them are obese, and lately every time we talk on Skype, it goes straight to "You're looking thinner...I wish that I could lose weight. You should do Atkins. I used to do Atkins. You're looking skinny...are you eating enough?" Seriously. Every time I talk to my Dad. It's like talking to a 5 year old with ADHD who's been guzzling pixi stix...he bounces from 'way to go' to unsolicited advice to 'oh god, my baby's killing herself on the other side of the world because her mommy's not cooking for her' and I always hang up from the calls wanting to punch something.

One of my friends Skyped me yesterday and was being super obnoxious about it...first it was "Wow...you look like you've lost weight...have you lost weight?"
(In my very best drop-it-and-leave-it voice "Yes."
"Man, your face shape is completely different. Stand up and give me a turn." "Why?"
"I WANT TO SEE."
"But I don't want to."
"I WANT TO SEE."
"You're not going to drop this until I do it, are you?" *Resigned turn for the webcam*.
"Oh wow...yeah...you look completely different. You should get a new haircut for your new face." *Starts sending links to ridiculous 80s haircuts*
"I just GOT a haircut..."
"Yeah, but now with your new face, you should totally try something edgier."

GAAAAH. It doesn't help that he's lost almost 100 lbs recently. Thankfully he was preachier about food when I wasn't trying to lose (not specifically to me, just in general), but the styling tips...really not wanted or appreciated.

The people at work are tactful enough to realize that weight might be a touchy subject with me and not mention mine, but they've discussed each other's at lunch and said things like "Oh, walking is so good for your body...do you go for walks, Rachel?" "Do you eat natto? Natto is very good for your digestion," under the guise of just including me in the conversation. For those that don't know, natto is absolutely disgusting fermented soybeans, which, if you can get past the smell, have the most disgusting texture I've ever had the horror of putting in my mouth. Also, because of my hypothyroidism, I'm not supposed to have soy products because they block iodine absorption and can lead to goiters. When I pointed THAT out, they suggested that I go get my thyroid removed. One of the older women had had that done, so clearly it was a good choice for 23-year-old me too...

[sontaikle]

Originally Posted by Hotaruchan

GAAAAH. It doesn't help that he's lost almost 100 lbs recently. Thankfully he was preachier about food when I wasn't trying to lose (not specifically to me, just in general), but the styling tips...really not wanted or appreciated.

I can sort of sympathize with him. When I find someone IRL who has lost a lot of weight, I am immediately drawn to them because it's often very difficult to find someone who has been successful. I try my best to avoid the actual nitty gritty of how I lost weight, but it is refreshing to meet someone who understands and that I can have an actual conversation with them.

One of the instructors at my gym is a long-term maintainer of a big loss and it's sometimes nice to just have someone who understands that I changed my life to do this because he had to do the same thing.

[mrhianne37]

well your weight loss has been great !!congrats on that and just keep your head up!! dont let the people around you effect your feeling of success. no matter when you have an off day you have still lost and remind them of that and especially remind yourself!

[meltaway]

I'm actually the opposite. Having people say stuff like that to me actually helps me stay on track. I don't see it as such a huge problem. I mean, if you're actually doing what you need to do, those questions would just not even impact you, right?

[lilmsstrange]

This is why when people question me I just say in my super happy squeky voice "Just eating healthier!" or "I was just dying for a salad!", and never tell them I'm trying to lose weight. Otherwise they see me eat and cookie and go "OMG should you EAT that!!!", yes...and now I'm gonna eat 12 of them. My mother, who says my grandmother always did the same to her, thinks she's helpful by pointing out to me what the healthier version would be. Like I'm 5. Yes mom, I know an apple would be better then ice cream, I'm still gonna eat a little ice cream though.

[ADL]

I also really hate when people think that i'm on a diet because I'm eating salad. As If because I am overweight I only eat unhealthy food and have giant quantities for every meal. Even when I'm not dieting i'll eat a salad because it's healthy, because it's delicious or maybe because I am not so hungry just then. But apparently it's hard for some people to imagine a heavy person choosing to eat a salad for any of these reasons.