Anybody else catch flak for losing weight?

[Mrcleen]

So, I have lost 40 lbs since September 4th. Today I hear a rumor at work that I had a bariatric bypass and others are wigging out about it too a bit. I don't think I've done anything that drastic. I have averaged losing 2.5 lbs a week. I started at 296 and just had a lot to lose. I really think I have a good metabolosm that I have always beat into submission. A normal person would have weighed 400 lbs the way I used to eat. I guess I'm just surprised by some of the quasi negative reaction I've gotten. I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing in spite of them. Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Not to me, the times I've lost people have been supportive. My guess is people are jealous. Congrats on your progress so far by the way.

[Waldo]

I don't catch flak for it, but pretty much everyone knows I spend my lunch hour walking, and they've seen me doing it from day 1.  The results they saw were pretty much expected.  Many are jealous and express as much, since it is clear that my dedication is unwaivering.  I never skip days unless its pouring rain; hot, cold, or light rain are no big deal.

[Barmacral]

Sounds like you've been doing great! Ignore the naysayers, and correct anyone who asks you about it, but otherwise don't worry about them. People always complain about the successful, because they haven't made the changes they need to make themselves.

 

I haven't had any complaints myself, but I also haven't made tons of headway yet. We'll see what happens in a few months time when I can really show results.

[RisenPhoenix]

I haven't gotten flack from *losing* weight (most people have told me I've slimmed down and look well), but initially when I told people I wanted to lose 50 pounds I was told that it was "too much and I'd look like a skeleton."

Granted, most people seemed to have though I was around 220 pounds rather than my actual weight of 250/60, so I guess their comments/concern is at least somewhat understandable. 170 pounds on my frame would be a bit Skeletor-y.

[Nucleus]

Wow, congrats on the progress!

 

In the past, I've been one of those people who gossip and raise eyebrows when people lose weight. It's 50% jealousy and 50% having nothing better to do. Ignore em.

 

Personally, I hate it when people comment on my weight, be it positive or negative. But you may feel differently.

[Mrcleen]

Thanks guys. Don't get me wrong, I have gotten a ton of positive feedback too. The last couple days though I have been getting the wth stuff from folks and was taken aback a bit. For the love of Pete, I still weigh 255 and hardly look sickly. I'm like you though Nucleus, I'd really rather no one say anything one way or the other. It embarrasses me to have attention drawn to me in public like that.

[jjhatch]

Not really negative, but people keep commenting on how I'm "wasting away", like I have some sort of terminal illness. I understand what they mean but it's still a little disturbing/annoying.

[Odyssey]

My mother is convinced I'm getting too skinny, and my normally supportive fiance pipes up about feeding me snacky cakes if he gets concerned whenever my mom makes her comments. I know it is out of love, but I just make extra sure she sees me stuffing my face with good food so she won't think I'm starving myself.

 

Most people who are negative are either worried or jealous, perhaps a bit of both. Just keep it up and keep healthy.

[vintageenvy]

I get tons of flak from (unhealthy) people at work who have tried and failed to lose weight about a dozen times and don't want me to succeed. People want to think that losing weight is really hard and that's why they can't do it, so when you show them that's not the case it can kinda shake them. Keep up the good work and forget the nay-sayers! 

[sumdawgtwigg]

I've had this problem from a close friend. When I lost most of my extra weight I did it with walking running intervals. I stuck to it and changed my diet. So, my friend wanted me to help. When it didn't happen in a month it was deemed by him as impossible for some people to lose weight or to run. I tried so hard to get him to stick with it. Still kinda makes me sad :\

[jehan60188]

haters gonna hate

[wesb1898]

The only negatives I have really gotten are from my grandmother saying she wants to fatten me up a little.  When I was big she said I needed to lose weight, go figure.  And I catch lots of backhand compliments from people who don't understand taking control of your life and bettering yourself.

[Namednoname]

A few years back when I lost a lot of weight I seemed to get a bit of negativity but tbh it was mostly positive. My mum would always complain that I'm getting to skinny and that my weight loss can't be healthy. But then my dad would usually counter with "Your kidding right? He's healthiest he's been" or something along those lines. So it didn't bother me at all.

 

But also I think some people can just get jealous and try and bring you down a bit, so they can feel more comfortable about themselves. But this is their issue, not yours Or as someone else said, Haters Gonna Hate.

[Gladius270]

I started as the same weight as OP about a month ago and I am down 20 lbs. (not by trying to lose fast or anything, it has just kinda happened). So far no negative reactions at work. I've been quietly going about it. However, as it becomes more apparent that I am losing weight I'm sure I'll start getting comments. I'm not so worried about work, but my family/girlfriend's family's inevitable comments about me wasting away, looking too thin, not eating anything, etc.

[Raidne]

I haven't personally, but my workout partner gets it almost daily.  She's gone from 220-ish to 130-ish in about a year and a half.  She's a "food snob" at work (refuses to eat the constant parade of baked goods) and gets flack for not having a stereotypical 'black girl booty.'   

WTFever though.  She's worked hard.  She's got a smokin' body.  She does it for herself and no one else.  As current pop culture would say "Haters gonna hate."

[missrackl]

Especially in work settings, I find that people can become haters extra quickly.  After all, what else are you going to be doing?  The drudgery of your day-to-day work tasks? No thank you!  I'd much rather gossip.  

 

Don't let them bother you -- if you are achieving your goals for you, you are winning.  Keep it up!

[BeautifulBeast]

I got a lot when I first started losing weight and the pounds were just dropping off. Mostly I was accused of being anorexic. Ha! Quite the opposite people!

I've learned that when people say things like that, generally they are just upset because you're achieving something they cannot and want to come up with excuses to why they can't follow your example. If they convince themselves and others that you had surgery then they don't have to feel bad because they can't duplicate that.

What can you do, people are petty and sucktastic!  

[EmCee]

I get mostly positive feedback. I was surprised and shocked when my dad told me that my sister was concerned that I was anorexic...

 

...

 

I cleared that up with her immediately but she came to visit recently and told me that I'm getting "too skinny" and that my face isn't round enough and yada yada (she's thin herself, so I'm not sure how jealously plays into this but I'm sure it does). 

 

Other than that, I just get ribbed a lot at work because I don't eat the constant barrage of crap that people bring in. Especially now that I have joined the 30-day Paleo challenge at my box... they get kinda snarky but it's usually in a playful manner. 

[notanartmajor]

My Mom freaks out about it, says that I don't need to "starve myself" (I don't) and that I'm just big-boned, despite blood tests showing signs of non-alcoholic fatty liver and high cholesterol.

[Strigine Oak]

All of the feedback I received was positive at first but then I overheard some co-workers one day asking each other "how much spend on meth a week." I laughed, he realized I heard him, got intimidated and walked off. "Oderint dum metuant" right?. From that point on I just ignore the praise or the criticism from almost everyone, I only really care about the opinions of a few people that are close to me anyway.

[Bokni]

I got a lot when I first started losing weight and the pounds were just dropping off. Mostly I was accused of being anorexic. Ha! Quite the opposite people!

I've learned that when people say things like that, generally they are just upset because you're achieving something they cannot and want to come up with excuses to why they can't follow your example. If they convince themselves and others that you had surgery then they don't have to feel bad because they can't duplicate that.

What can you do, people are petty and sucktastic!  

 

I have to agree with this.  In my experience, people like to believe that significant fitness results are outside of their means and the only way for anything to happen is to take extreme action.  Many are shocked to see the results of simply eating better food and exercising more.

[JessyJean]

I went from 250 to 155 in under a year and the reactions from folks are...unpredictable. Some folks are happy for me, want to know how I did it, supportive, etc and others are like...are you on coke, anorexic, bulimic, sick,....uh, nope, just getting healthier. Some heavier friends seem to be irritated when they see me now, tell me I'm too skinny (still overweight in all honesty), and just seem to take my personal success and efforts as somehow an insult or negative towards them. Whatever, if they are good folks to have in your life, they will be happy for you! What was interesting was my VA doc's reaction -had a year between appointments and had dropped 95 lbs...she asked me what happened (like it was bad I lost weight, eliminated my hypertension, pre diabetes, had awesome cholesterol levels, alleviated some of my chronic back pain and eliminated pain in my knees!). I told her I quit eating grains, beans, and potatoes, and severely curtailed my dairy intake and she literally would not accept that as the explanation. Her words- you must have done something else, you must have been sick, no one loses that much weight and maintains a lower weight....I guess as our society gets fatter and sicker, those of us that manage to turn back the tide are left slightly perplexed by the lack of positive response from others.

[secretlobster]

After losing 40lbs, my fat sister-in-law started suddenly giving me advice about how to eat and would brag about how healthy she was. She would post to my facebook about the fad diets she was on for a week at a time, gaining and losing the same 10lbs. At the time it made me feel bad about my success, but in retrospect, I think she was just being a jealous dick.

 

Also, if you're a woman, it's amazing how many "anorexic" comments you'll get if you lose a significant amount of weight in a relatively short time. 

[Mrcleen]

I'm a dude and have in fact been questioned about being anorexic even now. In college I managed to maintain at 215 and got asked a few times if I was getting enough to eat. Never understood that. At 6' I don't think 215 has ever looked close to skinny.