who do you tell you are dieting?

do you find that some people are just not supportive about dieting? I find that sometimes when I tell other women, they are usually sort of negative about dieting. I'm curious to hear what other people's experiences are... especially about:

1. Dating. Do you tell the guy right off the bat so that you don't have to endure fried chicken on the first date or something like that?
2. Do you tell your family? In my experience, family members are not supportive... they tend to freak out.

okay, just wondering if anyone has useful advice about getting as many people to help with the diet as possible.

thanks!

Wed. Sep 13, 10:55pm

anybody who asks wil find out I don't eat wheat or corn derivatives. I'll tell anyone I don't eat processed foods.

I never tell anyone "I'm on a diet" because fact is I don't eat certain things because they are unhealthy. If a potential date has a problem with that, I have a problem with him- so he's curbed. Family? I don't really care.

But, I know what I'm doing is right and healthy, so I don't need family support. I'm strong enough for that on my own.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006, 11:45 PM

it's been proven that people who tell others that they're dieting tend to be more successful because they feel held accountable... which is why programs like PT are so successful. If you tell people and they don't support you, then that might be a negative thing for you and you won't get the push, so if nothing else, keep checking in with us and we're going to be here to cheer you on!

Wednesday, September 13, 2006, 11:50 PM

I don't "diet" so I don't tell anyone I am "dieting".

I don't eat anything fried, salty, sweet, or fatty and I haven't in a decade. No soda, no chocalate, no ice cream, no fried chicken, nothing. no cake. never.

I am not dieting, I eat healthy. And I don't "induge" ever. I prefer the food I eat.

Thursday, September 14, 2006, 12:01 AM

I can vouch for that family thing. I wouldn't ever tell my mom if I were dieting, but she noticed I was trying to eat healthier and started tempting me!!!

Mom: -brings bowl of chips to the coffee table- You can have some if you like.
Me: No thanks.
Mom: -finishes bowl of chips- You made me eat that whole bowl by myself. Shame on you.

And the next day she brought me a donut!!! I even get dirty looks sometimes when ask for a doggy bag at a restaurant. :(

I don't think there's really animosity there, but family members are afraid of change.

Thursday, September 14, 2006, 12:27 AM

I have a very supportive family - who wouldn't want their 100-lb overweight daughter/sister to lose weight? They'll often take that into account when picking a restaurant too ("is there anything you can have at a steakhouse, or should we go somewhere else?"), which is hugely considerate of them. My sisters love to show off their healthy cooking skills to an appreciative audience too.

Guys...my guy-friends (don't really have any girl ones) are my best cheerleaders, and they're too clued up to ever comment on my eating. "Aren't you on a diet?", or even "come on, just one won't hurt" are things I would never hear from them. Back when I had co-workers (mostly male), they were the same way - quietly letting me choose for myself.

When it comes to dating...well, I don't do much. But I wouldn't make a fuss over dieting because for some reason, guys really like to see a girl eat what they do and, well, that's how I like to eat too. They're used to us girls getting doggie bags - they seem to care more about us eating the kind of food, not necessarily the same quantity.

Anyway, I think people's reactions are different based on your size. If you've got 100 lbs to lose, the whole world is cheering for you. If you've got 10 lbs which are very likely only really noticeable to you (not putting down those with "only" 10 to lose - I wish I'd nipped my problem in the bud at that point!), then everyone thinks you're getting neurotic about your weight, or they've got a mean catty streak about you looking better than they do. When I get closer to my goal (passed the halfway mark!), I'll be keeping my dieting efforts more to myself.

Thursday, September 14, 2006, 1:18 AM

To me diet is a NOUN (my diet is all of the things I will eat)...NOT a VERB (what I do to lose weight is follow a diet).

I have however, told everyone possible that I am "in training". If they start to pressure me (mom with the chips in my case would bring a plate of cheese out) I will have to be firm and decline with a perfect out: "sorry - that's not allowed in my training plan". Putting the blame on my training plan hopefully means they won't keep badgering me to have "just one".

If I for some reason splurge on something and anyone comments, I can choose to respond with "well, I planned ahead & worked it into my plan this week" or something like that. If that's not true - then I can acknowledge that even I slip once in a while...and then get over it.

Thursday, September 14, 2006, 1:48 PM

I find..

Generally if you tell people you are on a diet...it gets negative reactions...

if you say that you are eating well, people are usually ok with it.

Saturday, September 16, 2006, 2:29 AM

When I let people know that I'm dieting or trying to eat healthier or trying to lose weight or however you want to put it, I find that I'm more likely to stick with it, period. If I know I told someone that I was trying to get in shape, I'd hate to see them a month later and still look the same. It's like an extra dose of accountability.
About the dating thing that the original poster asked about, don't tell the guy you're "on a diet."

Saturday, September 16, 2006, 8:21 AM

I tell EVERYONE...helps me be accountable ALL the time

Saturday, September 16, 2006, 9:08 AM

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