My family is being a real downer...

So, I began this around June, weighing 200 pounds. I've always tried to be healthy - mostly vegetarian, some weight training and cardio a few times a week. The scale never budged. Even when I cut back to 1300 calories, I'd drop like 8 pounds then stop losing, and of course, give up after weeks of struggling. Started on Semaglutide in June, and suddenly it all clicked. My cravings for alcohol just disappeared, and I wasn’t constantly obsessing over food. I felt like I was finally in control. I’ve lost 40 pounds (now at 160) and feel great about it. My parents were supportive until yesterday when my sister and her husband visited. I hadn’t seen them in ages. I felt like they had been talking about me. No one mentioned my weight until my dad commented that I was "looking kinda thin," then he looked at my sister and said "maybe you should stop." Keep in mind, I'm not underweight. I'm finally just out of the overweight zone. I could honestly lose another 30 pounds safely. And I'm doing everything right: protein, vitamins, exercise, staying hydrated. The weight loss has been gradual. You can see in the pictures, I don’t look unhealthy. Since then, I've been hearing the "you're using the medication for the wrong reasons" and "it's cheating" comments. It's hurtful. I guess I'm just venting that it hurts that people who saw me struggle for years think I should keep struggling to deserve this. Thanks for listening. I feel a bit better now.

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You look amazing. They're probably just jealous and projecting their own insecurities.

Just say "My doctor is happy with my progress. I'll consider your input after you finish medical school."

Enjoy the benefits of your hard effort. People on the outside don't understand. This is a new change, and eventually, the novelty will wear off, and they'll calm down.

Awesome job! We're all proud of you!

These replies are exactly what I needed! You are all seriously the best. And I'll be vulnerable and say that the control this has given me over my alcohol addiction has changed my life. People don’t talk about it as much because of the stigma, but I was really struggling. Being able to stop drinking, not waking up at 3 am with panic attacks, is worth it even without the weight loss. It’s a totally new life.

Like two minutes into seeing my dad at Easter, I had to tell him, "We're not discussing people's bodies." I hate treating him like a child, but here we are…

You don’t look too skinny. You look like we all did in the 80s.

I went through this whole "it's cheating" thing myself and realized that calling it cheating means it’s a game. It's my health, and I'm following my doctor's advice.

Their opinions don't matter.

You look incredible! I'm excited to start my own journey. It’s been a long road for me. I was about 320 lbs. I chose to get a gastric bypass. I had high blood pressure and a very high A1C. Now I'm down to 210. I used another med and it worked great. Now I’m switching to semaglutide. My doctor told me, don’t listen to those who say you took the easy route. This will be one of the most difficult things you'll ever do. It's not easy because you'll be working harder than ever to improve your health. It's still difficult to maintain a healthy diet. You've got this. Ignore the haters.

I also had family members say I was getting too thin and should stop. My BMI is like 24 and I look fine. They're just not used to seeing ME this size. Don't let them get to you. You look healthy, not "too skinny."

"I'm healthy, I wasn't before, mind your own business." Repeat as needed. If they're judging your body, politeness is already gone, so act accordingly. You don't need to explain anything to anyone.

I'm so sorry you experienced this! It’s crazy how people react when you try to get healthier. I think many of us understand. Stay on the path that's right for you! Other people's views don't matter. You only have one body, and you know it best. When I think about the extra 50 lbs I carried around a long time ago, I feel bad for my past self. I'm sure people talked about me, but the saying that helps me is "other people’s opinion of you is none of your business."

I still can't understand those people. The self-righteous ones who have no clue and base their info on jealousy, internet garbage, and no medical understanding. Been there. I looked at someone and said, "You are wrong. You can have your biased opinion, but stop putting me down. I'm working hard, exercising, eating right, and I'm not cheating any more than someone taking blood pressure medication."

Bio_Hacker_99 said:

I’ve lost 40 pounds (now at 160) and feel great about it.

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Congrats on the progress! It's amazing how much these meds can help.

There's even research suggesting GLP-1s could help with asthma, something to keep in mind if you have respiratory issues.

T2D_Survivor_Mark said:

You look amazing. They're probably just jealous and projecting their own insecurities.

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Thanks! It's still hard to believe sometimes. Also, that's a good point about the jealousy thing. Maybe that's part of it.

The point about not covering your before photos with dismissive emojis is important. You were worth loving at every point and the before matters as much as the after. 200 to wherever you are now started somewhere and that starting point deserves to be in the frame.