How you lost weight? Do they ask you for your advice?


.... and then when you tell them what you are doing to lose the weight (I count calories and eat massive amounts of veggies ) they say that "no one eats like that in reality" or "There is no way I would go through that much trouble, its not realistic."

Do they think it is EASY for me to see everyone else downing slice after slice of pizza while I eat my veggies and lean meat? Do they think it all comes easy to me?

IT IS REALISTIC to eat healthy and say no to bad foods, we here do it every day. AND then they continue to whine and moan about how they cannot lose weight, Of course you arent going to lose weight if you are eating 3/4 of a large pizza and washing it down with a pitcher of beer a couple times a week...

yeah, no thats fair... and realistic...

And I am the "abnormal one"

I'm ok with being abnormal... evidently, the average diet of America is not working for me.

Yes, all the time. They aren't willing to do the effort for it. I hate "oh, eat some pizza, you are small!" - Um no. That's why I am now small. I was fat when I said yes. I don't really care though, if they are ever ready, I will be there to offer more help - until then, I don't mind answering questions, but I just ignore the comments that come from it.

No one has asked me anything, I don't think they can tell I have lost weight. I am down 11 lbs now and I don't think it has made a difference. I also avoid eating situations around them because right now their Chinese buffet lunches and 5 slices of pizza dinners are too easy to get dragged into

People are almost always disappointed when I tell them how I lost weight (after they ask, of course). I see this crazed look in their eye...I can read their minds: "Tell me the SECRET! Tell me tell me tell me!" They don't want to hear that, in reality, it really is diet and exercise.

It's actually rather annoying. I work with a bunch of girls and it seems like everyone here is trying to lose weight or wants to lose weight. And I'm always the one they ask first, but not one of them has actually attempted to do it the way I did...or has even taken a grain of advice from me. Instead, I overhear them in the bathroom or the breakroom exchanging diet pill reviews or contemplating a juice diet or some such ridiculous thing. I felt kind of...insulted before, like they didn't take me seriously or believe me or thought I was a bonehead for doing it the "hard" way...but now, I actually sort of take it as a compliment.

I think the thing that made the difference for me this time and has helped me be kind of successful is that I finally realized...there is no secret. There is no magic pill, juice, work out, supplement, or food that will make it all go away overnight. I'm darn proud to say I did it the good old fashioned HARD way!!

I agree with this. I would take advice from you if we worked together.

Yep, people usually get a glazed look in their eyes when I start ticking off the keys.....calorie counting, reduce fat, increase fiber, exercise.

Lots of the younger women here at work have been doing the HCG thing. One girl lost 50 pounds in about 50 days....but now she is off of it and I think has gained back about 15 pounds.

My neighbour is like that. She ASKED me to help her plan a weekly meals/shopping list, ASKED me if she could come with me to the gym, ASKED me to help her with some exercises etc . . . . then after 2 weeks there is nothing but excuses
"Im so tired from working all day, I can't go to the gym"
"We are having compnay tonight I can't go to the gym and I'll have to make something else for dinner"
"Im feeling yucky, I can't eat at all"
"You have to MAKE me go to the gym" Uhmmm, no. That's your job not mine.
"I can't afford to get healthy stuff until payday" but of course in comes in sodas, pizza, more bread and cheese than I have ever seen.
And the enevitable "Im not losing any weight, Im so upset about it"

It finally got to the point the last time she whined about not fitting into her pants I flat out asked her, what do you expect? You know you need to eat better and exercise, you choose not to. What did you think was going to happen.

Needless to say I don't see her at the gym anymore, she knows when I go and I will be glad to take her with, but I'm not asking anymore - its her choice.

I get comments like that all the time.

"I could never give up bacon for breakfast"

"How could you not have real milk/cream in your coffee" (I drink soy milk)

"How can you even go out??"

"I can't drink that much water, I feel gross"

Lot's of little things like that, all excuses really.

I totally agree with you. Said perfectly!

I get the same thing - girls at work swearing that I'm their "inspiration," yet when push comes to shove - they give in every time. These same people go out to eat, hit the chocolate candy and eat the worst crap in the world - then complain about their weight. They go out for lunch all the time - Mexican food (my fav), burgers, etc. and I stay back and eat the lunch I prepared. Then, these same women wonder why they can't lose weight? Uh, really? You don't know why??

I try to help when they ask, but I've pretty much given up on saying anything. I have someone at work who has said (at least 6 times in the past 2 weeks), "If you can lose 80, I can lose 20." Really? Because I eat right and work out 5 days a week - and you're pouring a pound of salt on a SALAD! I just don't get it. There's no secret to losing weight - just hard work. I'm glad I'm among other women who understand!

Im glad you other chickies understand where I am coming from...

To be fair, we were no different at one time, were we? Or else we wouldn't be here in the first place... we all knew that diet and exercise worked, but it took time to accept.

Hehe....well the problem is that you are not telling them what they WANT to hear. The magic solution.

However, you can also get folks who will be desperate to know how you did it when you lose a large amount of weight and look so much better...and WILL try to take your advice.

I had several neighbors who asked me what I was using when I first started losing weight and when I told them Atkins, they all were telling me that it's dangerous and they would never use it. But then, when I lost all the weight and reached goal, they came back around and wanted me to explain and write out the diet for them. One had even bought the Atkins book.

Nothing sells like success.

deena

LOL, Sacha, I was thinking this same thing as I was reading. For years I "wanted" to lose the weight, I would "do anything" to be thin... but in reality, I wasn't ready to give up _______________ (fill in the blank).

I think a lot of people want to be thin, but they aren't ready to do the work and make the sacrifices. They will ask what we do, but when the answer isn't "a magic pill that lets me eat whatever I want while I sit on the couch watching bad reality TV," they know they are not ready.

I give advice only when asked, and then not again. Leading a horse to water and all that...

I've had a lot of inquiries about how I've lost weight, and my response is always the same "I just count my calories and try to eat better foods. And I exercise." Most of the time people just nod and tell me I'm doing great, but I have had a few people say "Oh no, don't tell me that! I was hoping you'd found the secret!" It's always said factiously though. I think most people understand that the average person isn't going to look fit a healthy without, well, being fit and healthy. It's just the way the body works. But they still don't want to give up what they feel is so important to their happiness.

I was like that too once. I couldn't imagine giving up eating as much as I wanted of chocolates, and twizzlers, and having slice after slice of pizza. But I realized that the real lie was believing I was actually happy doing that. I mean, I still eat a little too much pizza when I have it. But I pay attention and don't let myself get to that oh-I'm-so-SUTFFED feeling anymore, and I save it as a special every once in a while thing. If i have a bag of twizzlers it will still disappear way too soon, but I don't let myself buy it except for once in a very blue moon. And for the most part, except for the initial urge of oh I really want that when the idea comes up, I don't miss it. I certainly don't miss the way I used to feel.