[lipidful]

After losing about 85 pounds over approximately a year and enduring funny looks and accusations of doing something bad to myself (eating disorder etc.), I find myself with the difficult task of maintaining my weight loss. I'd have to say that the most difficult part of this is the way I eat is different from the way so many other people seem to eat. Seriously, I find that my blood sugar is very sensitive and I absolutely can NOT allow myself to get hungry or I get all loopy and cranky. I also found that I can't stuff myself anymore without feeling disgusting. So I have discovered that my body responds very nicely to the eating less, more often way of eating. Eating in this manner, I feel great! However, when it comes time to do social things, holidays, and all day things with other people, I have gotten many funny looks. "You're eating AGAIN?" "You ate breakfast with all this food we're setting out for dinner?" etc. LOL It's really tough. I'm not battling myself at all. I swear, simply left to my own devices without the world interfering, I'm absolutely fine. Small amounts of chocolate, ice cream and other things keep me satisfied. So I'm not deprived at all. I think it might be because of the scrutiny my family put me under that even now I feel like I'm constantly under a microscope. If I want to eat "small" at a big gluttonous holiday dinner, do I look like I have an eating disorder? LOL Do I need to announce that I had oatmeal and yogurt just that morning and quite possibly a snack and that I also plan to have a small meal later? Hahaha Or am I assuming (selfishly) that people even care what I'm doing? They sure put me through the wringer while I was losing weight. I'll be d@mned if social pressure makes me gain it back.

[silvernight]

Those comments you hear tell you more about the person commenting, than about you! I have to eat every 3 hours or I get all cranky like a baby, and some people can't understand the concept of eating often and smaller amounts since they have always eaten huge meals twice a day. I give them my standard explanation of "I'm being kind to my blood sugar levels" and that usually shuts them up because most people *know* that blood sugar levels are more even when you eat often.

Good for you on not letting people's comments bother you, do your own thing, is what I say! Because YOU know best how to handle YOUR body, you lost those 85 pounds (wow, terrific job!), no one else! Everyone's different and we all need different things. This is something most people forget and they automatically think that "if X worked for me it must work exactly the same way for everyone else". But you know better. And you're under no obligation to justify or defend your way of eating. When people hassle me I just mutter and hem something intelligible, say "uh-huh" and go back to eating.

Hugs,
Ann-Charlotte

[lilybelle]

lipidful, my family that is here everyday sees how I eat. They know that I have plenty to eat and have lost my weight with reasonable eating and exercise. It's the family that I only see occasionally that think I have either starved myself or used diet pills or something. I'm like you, I will continue to eat the same way that I did to lose the weight. I don't care what they think. Occasionally my DH will look at me strange when he sees me eating a piece of fruit or something a couple hrs. after a meal. He forgets that I don't eat as much at a meal as everyone else. Sometimes I need a healthy snack for my energy. I'm comfortable with how I choose to eat and I also won't let anyone pressure me to change it. Congratulations on your wt. loss.

[lipidful]

There were times, even in the past, even after eating a huge meal, that I'd be hungry shortly after. I must just metabolize things quickly. So I guess if my body is going to be demanding food that often, I might as well cut back when I do eat. Also, it helps (for eating smaller portions) to remind myself that I can have something else to eat in a couple of hours. More times to eat during the day, more pleasure! LOL

[Diamonda]

I always had to laugh at my mother's reaction to my eating habits during my weight-loss period. I lost 130 pounds over 18 months, so obviously what I was doing WORKED, but she would still constantly comment in incredulous tones at how MUCH I was eating. Even as I got so thin that she told me to put some weight back on, she continued to comment and marvel at how much (and how often) I ate. To me, her argument seemed to be that if I wasn't starving myself to lose weight, I wasn't doing it the right way!

Can't please everyone!

Update on my situation: I feel I have to provide full disclosure. I am still struggling with my own private "relapse." This morning I was 159.8 on the scale, up from my original goal weight of 135 and five years of maintenance around 145. Things continue to be difficult as I try to figure this out.

Going to the gym tonight, though.

[Meg]

Good to see you again, Diamonda!