EMAIL THREAD

Do people know you're trying to lose weight?

I'm just wondering how many people share their weight loss efforts/progress/plan with others?

Sat. Aug 25, 1:03pm

everyone arround me knows about My weight goals.. it keeps me more accountable to myself.. they are all very supportive.. I am really lucky.. I have an amazing husband that supports me.. He says he loves me as I am, but knows I need this for me.. my family and friends support me every step of the way.. not to mention my pt family I could not get through the rest of this journey without.. they are terrific!!!

Saturday, August 25, 2007, 1:19 PM

The only ones who knew were my doctor, my daughter, my two best friends, and my friends here at PT. Otherwise, I didn't share w/ anyone, and intentionally kept it quiet. I'm not sure why...I think I was afraid I'd fail or expected to hear negative comments, discouragement. But now many people, especially coworkers comment almost every day about how much weight I've lost.

Saturday, August 25, 2007, 1:49 PM

No I don't like people keeping tabs on me!

Saturday, August 25, 2007, 2:01 PM

My husband knows obviously - and it helps, too, b/c now he makes a point not to offer me anything that he's eating after dinner (my danger zone.) My friends know now just b/c it's now obvious that I've lost weight, but I didn't tell them before hand. I generally kept my efforts to myself unless there was someone I knew well who expressed a desire to lose weight, then I tried to rally them (and myself) by proposing a joint effort. It usually doesn't go anywhere (some people get stuck with the action part...), but a friend did recently take me up on the offer and together we've lost 45 pounds!!

Saturday, August 25, 2007, 2:06 PM

I didn't tell anyone I was trying to lose weight... they just began to notice I was eating better and getting smaller, and then I told them I was making changes. I try to keep it as low key as possible because, for one, its quite personal, and also I just don't want the pressure. I get plenty of accountablity here on PT! Also, I don't know about you guys, but none of my friends or family know I use PT. I love PT but for some reason I want to keep it a secret.

Saturday, August 25, 2007, 2:08 PM

2:08 - I keep PT a secret, too :) Have no idea why! I'm just a closeted internet user I guess!

Saturday, August 25, 2007, 2:09 PM

1:19 poster here. I didnt tell eveyone.. of course My husband knows. and close friends and family, but when I lost 2 stones.. to americans thats 28 pounds. I got what are you doing? wow you look great? so I started sharing.. it helps too. I work in a choc shop and dont get offered as much by my coworkers that way lol

Saturday, August 25, 2007, 2:41 PM

This is an interesting question. I have never been one to talk weight loss mainly because people have so many preconceived notions about what a that involves....mainly because they expect a diet....and diet jail....and going off a diet. I can't even go into that space for any length of time ..mainly because I don't make a good jail bird.

I HAVE lost a tremendous amount of weight and the effects are unmistakable so now I talk (this is a five year effort...very slow moving but I have taken off about 85 pounds). My strategies are for the long run and are focused toward permanent change so I do some very nondiet things like eating dessert...but I only do that once a week and it is real dessert, ordered out in the company of loved ones and shared. Don't hear people who "diet" talk about that unless they are talking about cheating...a word I don't include in my vocabulary.

I have become a one woman movement and I talk about how people are living.....that is my focus. I ask about the amount of sleep they are getting and how they deal with stress. I also talk about real food vs. manufactured "food".....and I talk about having fun which for me is being active outside in nature.....it's not hours clocked on an eliptical. So it is complicated and many people are so convinced that dieting is THE answer it gets confusing for many. But I am still talking.

Saturday, August 25, 2007, 4:28 PM

I don't tell folks - that is tantamount to an invitation to make comments and offer advice, and quite frankly, my eating plan and weight loss goals are not up for debate, scrutiny, etc... They've been working for me and I don't need to advertise.

Sometimes I have folks notice (esp if they haven't seen me in awhile) and ask how I did it - I usually don't go into it because I've tried before and for the most part, unless they're at 'that point' where they are ready to make changes in their life, they may ask but they really don't want to hear about it.

Saturday, August 25, 2007, 8:08 PM

8:08 - I hear ya! In my case, I find the people who don't really want to hear about it are the ones who are disappointed that there's no 'secret' to how I did it - it's good old fashioned eating less and exercising more.

Saturday, August 25, 2007, 9:41 PM

My husband knows, and like others, people have noticed as I've taken off weight. When someone comments, I say "Thanks for noticing. I've had more time lately to pay attention to my health." I NEVER talk about pounds lost/diet/calories/skipping donuts with anyone because I think weight loss talk is SO uninteresting to those who aren't working on it! Like new parents talking about their baby's poop: So very fascinating to them, so NOT fascinating to anyone else.

Sunday, August 26, 2007, 1:41 AM

No one except my immediate family knows I"m trying to lose weight. I keep it to myself so as to not put unnecessary pressure on myself. Not only that, but I think telling people somehow makes them feel like they can tell you what you should and shouldn't eat, etc. - like they somehow have "business' in your weight loss attempt. I put enough pressure on myself, I don't need it from others who don't know my struggles.

Sunday, August 26, 2007, 1:03 PM

To the two posters above -
so, so true! I had been updating my mom over the phone about my plans for dieting to try to build in some accountability, but it didn't help a whole lot. I tried several different diets before finding one that seems to work for me, and I was doing it for a week before I told her that I was "trying to eat healthier" - she's been in the organic soy brown rice vegetarian camp since that was considered very weird for suburban housewives, so she's definitely behind my decisions along those lines. PT is my little secret though - and I think I like it that that is true for other people in the community. A secret society of successful weight loss! I dig it ;)
-Emilie

Sunday, August 26, 2007, 1:33 PM

I am making it pretty public knowledge. If I hide it or something, then I will be more likely to cheat at the diet and not exercise.

Sunday, August 26, 2007, 5:50 PM

I've taken to saying things like "I'm trying to eat better" when I'm questioned about my eating habits - usually in situations where I pass on food. I only have a few pounds that I want to lose, so to some my efforts seem silly and I always feel weird trying to explain how 5 pounds will make a difference for me.

Sunday, August 26, 2007, 5:55 PM

I let a few close friends at work know when I first started... BAD idea. Some of them have now decided that it is alot of fun trying to torment me with cake, chocolate and chips. It is horrible becasue I work in a grocery store and people are always offering or even buying me food! Other than the few at work I told, my boyfriend and my parents know as well as my best friend, but no one else. I'm pretty lucky because even though my parent aren't really supportive, my boyfriend rocks! He is awesome, he always tells me not to eat bad food that I always seem to ahem... wander upon and he doesn't dicipline me, just reminds me of my goals.

Sunday, August 26, 2007, 6:38 PM

6:38 - Igrrr...that would aggravate me! I wonder what your coworkers would say if you flat out said, "I wonder why you're trying to sabatoge my efforts to do something good for myself?"

Sunday, August 26, 2007, 7:23 PM

I tell people, family, loved ones.... Partly for the encouragement and partly because I don't want them to bring me treats. I am thankful that I don't have people around me who will try and sabbotage me. I even tell the people in my house if you want something you go get it but don't bring it here. I don't want the temptation. And for the most part that has worked.
The one thing I have noticed though is nobody ever thinks I am eating enough calories and though I am limited I have drs approval. That doesn't seem to satisfy them though.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 3:45 AM

I don't even tell other pt members :). I started on pt quite awhile ago and I was in groups but I felt that I got too excited and tried to change too many things at once because of the pressure of being in a group. Not that my groups were not great. So I came back and started only logging my goals for the month and when I've started to meet them I'm going to consider getting back into groups. My husband knows and while he tries to be supportive he also tries to be a little controlling so it's not that helpful. No one else knows now because I found that with my efforts in the past when I failed I felt I was letting all those people down to. This time the battle is mine to win or lose and I'm doing it very slowly.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 8:55 AM

At the beginning, I only talked to my husband and a couple of very close friends about my weight loss goals, but now (20 lbs later) people are starting to notice. I tell people who seem interested, but don't bring it up to most people!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 10:33 AM

Yes!

I told everyone I trusted. For me, I think that was one of the differences that led to success this time around. In the past I have made many attempts and never told anyone because I was afraid I would fail. In essence, I was setting myself up for failure.

This time I knew I was really ready to do this and get it right. I built a support system around me, at home, at work, and in my extended family.

87 pounds later, and only 23 pounds from goal, many people (who knew me when) ask me what I have been doing, and I am very open, but only if they ask the specific question.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 12:16 PM

Yeah for you 12:16! What an accomplishment!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 1:43 PM

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