Weightloss & Colleagues Comments?

[Anonymous]

I recently have been working on losing weight through calorie counting, portion control, semi strict dieting and exercising everyday through my employer weightloss program. I've been doing well lost quite a bit of weight. I'm still heavy but surely will lose more weight, I'm determined.

I have a lot of guys super and encouragement from some of my colleagues, but then there are some that seem kind of rude.. for example, at lunch ill have my daily salads and they will comment that I am hacing salad again. And then when they ask me my diet eating habits, it isn't perfect I still junk out, i didn't always have time for 3 meals a day.. they criticize. almost feels like they are attacking my eating habits and choices.. they are women and men, fit (& not so fit) and skinny, eat what they want.. and they don't utilize the weightloss program like I am. Im surprised, why not be happy for me, why give a backhanded comment so direct?

[Anonymous]

As the great Arnold Schwarznegger has said, you're going to encounter plenty of naysayers on your journey to self-improvement. You really have to learn how to ignore them, because they're not contributing anything to your journey and goals.

I'm a gym rat and have spent the last 6 months or so really dedicating myself to my training and diet routines. I've received words of encouragement from people, mainly from those I've made friends with at the gym and some from people outside of the gym. But I've also encountered my share of naysayers as well. I was prepared to experience them after listening to various motivational speakers in YouTube videos address this very topic specifically. It was weird how they seemed to predict it, but then not so weird once I really thought about it.

You see, your discipline and dedication to your goals is essentially a spotlight that is shining on THEIR insecurities, or failures, or things they tried at but didn't see through to the end (so they left them as failures). When you show that you're not only dedicated to making a change but you're actually seeing results, it is shattering the careful reality they have set up for themselves when you show that it's not impossible or just something you see on TV.

Most people don't know what it takes to really succeed in something. Whether they're stuck on their own assumptions, fears, insecurities, afraid to fail, afraid to even make a move, afraid to stand out from the crowd, afraid to admit to their own insecurities in order to fix them, or any number of other things... they unconsciously feel the need to attack you. This is to try and bring you back in line with the group for two reasons.

1) As I mentioned, they have a carefully constructed reality built up for themselves due to assumptions
2) The group reinforces this reality because the rest of the group feels the same as each other

[Bluemax]

Also as the great Arnold Schwarzenegger said, "Sarah Conner?"

[Asker]

Thank you for replying, your input really struck a chord with me, but It helped me understand the root problem as an insecurity that my colleagues share :( Thankyou!!

[Opinion Owner]

You're welcome. It seems like an odd thing to happen (someone putting down another person doing something healthy and not destructive) but it definitely does happen. If you were to bring this up to your coworkers or whoever else is saying these things, they wouldn't be able to tell you why they're doing it. It's just this nagging feeling underneath the surface that makes them want to take shots at you.

I body build, diet lean, and am really committed to what I do... yet you'd think that I was doing drugs and kicking babies by some of the criticism people give me lol

[torken]

You working so hard on getting healthy just reminds them how crappy they are doing in this department. They take your eating habbits as an insult to their own, which is stupid because they can make their own decisions.

Basically, they are a bit jealous and nobody enjoys being outperformed in life by other people around them.

[Asker]

Thanks for sharing, I had not thought that maybe it's reflective of their own eating habits! For a long time I would eat a lot unconsciously without much thought of consequence of weight gain. the change has been so drastic these recent few months its surprising to get this response from people I thought would be supportive.. instead they are the most critical :/

[Anonymous]

They just want to bring you down so they feel better about themselves. Many are probably jealous of your progress too haha. Don't even pay it any mind. Keep up the good work! Congratulations on the weight loss!

[Asker]

Aw, thanks for taking the time to conmment and encouragement, I understand the situation better, Thankyou! :-)

[Opinion Owner]

You're welcome! :)

[BertMacklinFBI]

they seem to be jelly of your dedication, determination, and overall your will power and ability to have mind over matter, for the most part.

[Asker]

Thanks for sharing, helps me understand the situation a bit better! :-)

[BertMacklinFBI]

well it could be your overall progress so far that is making them jelly but maybe more so its not how much weight you're losing, but the fact that you have the will power to do it. you have the ability to commit to it, to say yes and do it whilst they might just be lazy and not have the will power to commit to what they want to do or what they desire. they envy your ability to have control over your life in terms of mind over matter or just will power in general.

[Asker]

That makes a lot of sense actually, is such a busy industry and maybe they are jelly (hehe I like that word!) There are so many factors that made it difficult for them to commit to a change in exercise and diet.. it's a pretty busy industry, and i often wonder if my ability to utilize the program effectively makes them envious or msged then think I have a lot of 'free' time :( though all the hard work usually takes place after working hours. Haha but i guess that's a another question to ask :) Thankyou for your reply and insight!

[Bluemax]

Out of curiosity, are you living in Japan, asker? I've heard about companies in Japan having weight loss programs.

[Asker]

Hi @bluemax I am working for a company in the US but it is also a widely known international company :)

[CourtJester]

Who care what they say! Do it for you!