I've been on my weight loss journey since October 28, just shy of three months. I just hit 30lbs lost. Yay me! But I've been very low key about the whole thing, not mentioning anything to friends or family except my husband.
Well today my mom asked me the big question! How much have you lost???
I'm surprised at my own reaction. My first thought was "why? Do I look different?" My next thought was "oh just a little..." (Downplaying my efforts)
In the end I told her the truth, but I still feel weird about the whole exchange. I kind of wish I could continue losing weight unnoticed.
Good for you. I know how you feel. I find myself reluctant to tell ppl how much I've lost so far for fear that they will be able to calculate roughly how much I weigh lol
I just give the number proudly and continue on with most folks, or to those who might give me lip about it I say 'a good amount so far!'. It's not their business, but I'm not ashamed or about to downplay it, either
Good for you. I know how you feel. I find myself reluctant to tell ppl how much I've lost so far for fear that they will be able to calculate roughly how much I weigh lol
Yes to this! I know I shouldn't downplay how much I've lost. But I definitely do. I've lost 100 pounds, but if someone asks me I'll shrug and say 35 (if I even give a number). I know I should be proud of that number, and I am when I'm online, but I just feel a little uncomfortable when people ask me weight related question in real life.
I always have to do the math right when they ask me. I always forget how much I lost. But why be ashamed? It's an accomplishment that you should feel proud of!
Ive up until recently have rejoiced at telling people how much Ive lost . For some reason Ive started to get a little weird about it now when people ask. I think its like telling someone how much i weigh (which i would never do).I got asked the other day by my sisters skinny beautiful friends and when i told them they were like "oh that's amazing well done" but i was thinking god now they must be thinking if shes lost that much and still fat how MUCH did she weigh. I think i'm being paranoid and am going to be determined to be proud of how much I've lost . YES i was that heavy ,YES i did let myself get that bad. But I have lost 73lb woohoooo
I'm thinking when I get closer to goal, I might be able to tell the number and be able to be proud about it. But from past experience, I know that I didn't like giving it, even when I was over 50 lbs gone. I felt like people would think "wow, you've lost 50 lbs and you are still that fat!" I tried to find some middle ground and say something "I've lost a good amount but still have a ways to go."
But it's still great that you got asked the question, your hard work is showing!!
Part of our problem in society is that we think we are HIDING our weight. I think it does more harm than good. We can hide many things - pill popping, bulimia, alcoholism, child abuse, extra marital affairs, but we cannot hide our weight - when we lose it and when we gain it and pretending that it's a secret is comical!
Sure, people might not know the number on the scale, but they can tell if you are a little fat, a lot fat or just right or too skinny. No long sweaters, jeans or shaggy hair will hide that. yet, we like to pretend it does. It's comical and sad at the same time.
For me, when I was getting close to goal and people would say, "Oh, you don't need to lose more." I would say, "I'm working on getting my body fat percentage down so that I'm fit. I don't really know where the scale will settle". And that was the truth.
My 160 is to another's 130 or 150 = all depending on body build. So I was honest when I said I wasn't hung up on a number.
Now that I've been close to my ideal body fat percentage and weight, I have a good idea of where the scale will be, but it's just a number and that's how I try to educate people around me too.
It's always interesting to me how different people feel about sharing this information. When it comes down to it, you gotta just share what you're comfortable sharing!
I'm very open about it, I don't mind sharing my starting weight, current weight, measurements etc etc. I figure people saw how big I was, the number I've lost or the number I started at doesn't make me look any different!
Something I no longer openly share is how much more I want to lose. People get awfully weird about that, so I just say I don't know. In some ways that's true!
I think I have finally come to realize that its just a number. Obviously most of us would like a smaller one, but that number is not going to determine how you feel. I got on a scale at work, for our little weight loss challenge at work and the friend who was recording the numbers looked shocked that I weigh as much as I do. Apparently I "wear it well" lol It was kind of a nice feeling to have someone think I weighed less than I do, instead of the opposite that I have always assumed people would think. I don't care if people know how much I weigh. I don't care if people know how much I lose or need to lose!
Berryblondeboys nailed it, hiding your weight is kinda silly!
I don't like to talk about it either - I feel like it invites people into the process in a way I don't want them, especially with my parents. Once they know I'm actively trying to lose weight the comments start, the judgment of everything I eat: "Are you really sure you want to eat that? You look so good!" "How many calories are in that?" "You don't want to blow your hard work!"
I hate to say it, but those comments just get under my skin and they demotivate me so much! I am way more motivated when it's a private experience...
So I got asked the big question...
But why be ashamed? It's an accomplishment that you should feel proud of!
I tried to find some middle ground and say something "I've lost a good amount but still have a ways to go." 
