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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To avoid colleague whose weight loss

158 replies

southcoastsammy · 18/04/2026 09:11

Is now her entire personality?
Member of my team, loud and outgoing, has lost 10 stone over the last 18 months +.
Good for her, she looks great, feels great etc BUT it’s all she talks about ALL the time.
Her motivation, how she changed her life, her gym routines - how many reps blah blah what she eats etc.how we can all be healthier.

I just find it really dull! We have a hot desk situation at work so I have started picking a desk away from where she is sitting, and some of the team, to get away from the constant talk about it.
AIBU? Should I tell her? She’s noticed and has started going - oI Sammy! Are you avoiding me??

YABU - be happy for her. Take some of her advice.
YANBU - that’s boring, tell her you’re not interested in hearing about kettle bells any more!

OP posts:
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Forthesteps · 20/04/2026 22:54

One person droning on about the same subject day in day out is not 'chat'

newornotnew · 20/04/2026 15:10

Bifster · 20/04/2026 15:06

Surely you are here to to a job of work. Sounds like she is a distraction. Could take it up via line management, but ask yourself whether you harbour any jealousy or resentment at her success.

It's normal to chat at work, it's not a Victorian mill.

Bifster · 20/04/2026 15:06

Surely you are here to to a job of work. Sounds like she is a distraction. Could take it up via line management, but ask yourself whether you harbour any jealousy or resentment at her success.

Gossipisgood · 20/04/2026 12:22

When she shouts 'Oi Sammy are you avoiding me' just reply 'Actually I am as I don't want to talk about weight loss again, it's getting boring' & leave it at that

Beatriz85 · 20/04/2026 10:08

Kneenightmare · 18/04/2026 16:56

As someone who is struggling to lose weight it does make me wonder if you need that level of obsession to be successful. It sounds frustrating but no more than the woman at work that I don’t know that well who talks incessantly and in great detail about her divorce. I’d never be as rude as to tell her to stop but being honest I do avoid the kitchen when she’s in there.

I worked with someone like that. You'd think she's the first person ever that had divorced. Her ex husband was a shit, and we all felt sorry for her but after 2 years of hearing the same tune it became tiresome

southcoastsammy · 20/04/2026 09:34

BoredZelda · 20/04/2026 08:56

Wow. Judgy much? A woman can be positive about her own body in whichever way they choose, and can change their body shape if she wishes to.

I couldn’t have cared less about how I looked and was “body positive” when I was obese. I’m losing weight purely for health reasons and am now “body positive” because it would be weird to be sad about something I was forced to change.

Was it the part where I said I was genuinely impressed AND pleased for her?????

OP posts:
roastdinner346 · 20/04/2026 09:08

AllaMova · 18/04/2026 11:19

YANBU.

I felt this to my very core, OP. I have a relative who is OBSESSED with weight (both her own and other people’s). She talks about her weight and the weight of others all of the time. She will even comment on my weight to me, which I’ve asked her to stop, but she doesn’t listen.

It was worse when she was on WLI because she’d send me pictures of herself, plus photos of her scales etc. My final straw with her was when she said that someone we knew “just keeps getting bigger and bigger.” I don’t respond to her pictures anymore.

Protect your sanity, OP and do whatever you need to do.

This sounds exactly like my now ex friend.

BoredZelda · 20/04/2026 08:56

southcoastsammy · 18/04/2026 09:19

I’m genuinely impressed and pleased for her. She was having health issues despite being young. She’s always been one of those body positive people - big and loud and proud - so now I suppose she’s now going the other way with it.

Wow. Judgy much? A woman can be positive about her own body in whichever way they choose, and can change their body shape if she wishes to.

I couldn’t have cared less about how I looked and was “body positive” when I was obese. I’m losing weight purely for health reasons and am now “body positive” because it would be weird to be sad about something I was forced to change.

southcoastsammy · 20/04/2026 08:51

This morning was a case in point - we heard about this mornings 5.30am work out, and all about the running the whole family did this weekend.
Have taken myself off to a private booth so I can flipping focus!
As to whether or not I like her - am ambivalent. Shes one of those ‘big’ personalties and I find her too much a lot of the time in general. Before weight loss she mainly talked about her kid - the cleverest, funniest, best at everything etc but not quite to the same extent

OP posts:
bafta16 · 19/04/2026 19:16

Any subject over and over again is dull.

pouletvous · 19/04/2026 18:49

Yeah but she’s obviously been on the jabs

she can go to the gym all she wants but that doesn’t help you lose ten stone

Tazmania77 · 19/04/2026 18:43

I feel the same. I avoid going to the staff room at lunch time now as that’s all some ever talk about which is irritating and boring as hell!! I just want to enjoy my half hour - hour eating whatever I choose to eat without having to listen to what time they got up this morning for a workout or how many grams of protein is in a chicken breast /how many calories in a bit of cheese!!!

SardinesOnButteredToast · 19/04/2026 16:21

muggart · 19/04/2026 12:01

I think youve gone off on a tangent here.

The OP finds the conversation boring. For that, she wants to tell the woman to pack it in. Fair enough for her to keep her distance, but to me it feels awfully entitled to censor other people’s conversations because they don’t interest you.

Regardless this is a totally different thing to self censoring chat around calories because you know you’re in the presence of someone with an ED.

But you often don't know you're in the presence of someone with an ED. Almost none of my colleagues know my health history despite my working there for 15 years. No one even commented when I had a very brief blip in recovery and went down to seven stone. People still chatting about 'syns' in front of me whilst I'm grey faced in a jumper in summer eating my calorie counted vegetables and diet coke. I recognise we can't all understand what everyone else has gone through, but incessant talk in any direction about something as sensitive as weight in women is not rocket science to think maybe tread slightly mindfully.

Editing to add: I'm not suggesting people shouldn't be allowed to talk about diets or weight loss, just recognise that there's a limit to how long and frequently it's sensible for any of us to be filling our heads with this, especially during actual eating times.

muggart · 19/04/2026 12:01

houseofvelvet · 18/04/2026 22:08

You have proved my point - you arent "kind" at all.

I think youve gone off on a tangent here.

The OP finds the conversation boring. For that, she wants to tell the woman to pack it in. Fair enough for her to keep her distance, but to me it feels awfully entitled to censor other people’s conversations because they don’t interest you.

Regardless this is a totally different thing to self censoring chat around calories because you know you’re in the presence of someone with an ED.

Bleble · 19/04/2026 09:38

Kneenightmare · 18/04/2026 16:56

As someone who is struggling to lose weight it does make me wonder if you need that level of obsession to be successful. It sounds frustrating but no more than the woman at work that I don’t know that well who talks incessantly and in great detail about her divorce. I’d never be as rude as to tell her to stop but being honest I do avoid the kitchen when she’s in there.

I’ve lost weight twice. Both times it was around 4 stone which is a lot on a short woman. The first time was in my early twenties and I kept it off for over a decade but I feel I wasn’t that obsessed then. Maybe that’s because it was relatively easy to achieve while I was super active and did over 10K steps easily back then as part of my regular commute and lifestyle!

But when I did try to lose it again more recently in my late 30s I found it a lot harder, (partly because of health issues which affected my energy levels, cravings and ability to exercise) Maybe because of that, I probably did become a bit obsessed as it was such a slog! Lol

But even then I saved my weight loss updates for online weight loss threads and one or two friends who were talking about losing weight too and would actively ask me about it.

What I did not do was bore all and sundry about it!

Bleble · 19/04/2026 09:02

houseofvelvet · 18/04/2026 22:08

You have proved my point - you arent "kind" at all.

Have you considered that going on about diets 24/7 might not #bekind to those you work with who might have eating disorders - not very kind or sensitive at all is it?

This. I used to be unaware of it but someone once told me they had to leave a dinner table when the calorie talk began due to ED and it stuck with me so nowadays I don’t just randomly talk about my weight loss with/in front of people. It’s not something I’ve ever banged on about in a settling like a workplace anyway.

The #Bekind mantra for some reason typically attracts people who just don’t want to be held accountable for their shit.

Bleble · 19/04/2026 08:57

Greyblankie · 18/04/2026 15:48

IMO it’s common sense that eating too much makes you put on weight. Eat less, weigh less 🤷‍♀️

No such thing as “syns” in this house, we just don’t over eat

I agree it’s boring to go on about the weight loss and quite inconsiderate in this situation, as it’s an open plan office where they’re not allowed to wear headphones so OP is kind of a captive audience .

But really it’s not a flex to be eating pot noodle and monster munch if it’s something you eat regularly - whether you’re slimmer than them or not. I used to eat crap like that for a while in my 20s, but health and nutrition is important and you won’t find much of that in a pot noodle.

Eating less is good if you’re smart about it and make healthy nourishing swaps.

But just to say there’s all sorts of reasons some people - especially women - find it hard to eat less.

hipposcanweartutus · 19/04/2026 08:25

This has really resonated with me! Since March last year, I have completely overhauled my diet and gone from being totally sedentary to exercising every day. I have lost 6 stone and I’ve never felt better! But I don’t go on about it to everyone! Unless someone actually asks how I managed it, I keep it to myself. A friend commented the other day saying that I don’t talk about it so I guess everyone is different.

SunnyRR · 19/04/2026 08:13

YANBU to avoid her. People who go on endlessly about one subject are boring as fuck. I know people who do this with weight generally - what they weigh, how they’re trying to lose weight, what they do, what they eat etc etc. it’s been the same for the last 20 years. I can almost predict the conversation when I see them. Yawn…

mjf981 · 18/04/2026 22:56

ThisDandyWriter · 18/04/2026 11:07

Do you not follow this advice, it’s really mean.

I disagree. When you move elsewhere in the world where people can be more direct, you realise the advantages of it. All the worry and angst disappear. As long as its said with a smile and no ill intent, its the best way to be.

People need thicker skin.

houseofvelvet · 18/04/2026 22:08

Stoneangel · 18/04/2026 22:01

You have proved my point 100%. Tolerance has gone out the window...

You have proved my point - you arent "kind" at all.

Stoneangel · 18/04/2026 22:01

houseofvelvet · 18/04/2026 20:17

Eh? how on earth is it "mean" to not want to talk about weight loss and diets from the moment you start work at 9 until you finish at 5.30pm?

If someone I worked with had lost a load of weight I'd be really happy for them and good for them for their hard work losing it. That doesnt mean I want to hear about their diet or what they are eating every second of every day as if it's the only topic in the entire world. Any topic when its done to death gets tedious

Bloody hell. This #bekind mantra doesnt mean you have to listen to people literally talking at you about topics that dont interest you all day, every day.

Have you considered that going on about diets 24/7 might not #bekind to those you work with who might have eating disorders - not very kind or sensitive at all is it?

Edited

You have proved my point 100%. Tolerance has gone out the window...

5128gap · 18/04/2026 20:27

If you like her, I'd try and bear with. She's very very excited and happy with her new self and is a bit evangelical. As she gets used to the change she should calm down. She'll probably start doing all sorts she didn't do when so much heavier and that will dilute her obsession with her body.

MyLimeGuide · 18/04/2026 20:21

AllFours · 18/04/2026 09:16

D’oh - I accidentally voted the wrong way. You are NOT being unreasonable to avoid this at work!

You can change the vote

houseofvelvet · 18/04/2026 20:17

Stoneangel · 18/04/2026 14:17

I'm amazed at the mean girl comments. Then again, this is Mumsnet. The woman has lost a shed load of weight. Have you ever been obese? The comments you get, the dirty looks, the inability to find clothes to fit.. it destroys your self confidence. This woman has got her mojo back. Has everyone forgotten the #bekind mantra? Trying celebrating her success. You might find she's there for you when things fail for you...

Eh? how on earth is it "mean" to not want to talk about weight loss and diets from the moment you start work at 9 until you finish at 5.30pm?

If someone I worked with had lost a load of weight I'd be really happy for them and good for them for their hard work losing it. That doesnt mean I want to hear about their diet or what they are eating every second of every day as if it's the only topic in the entire world. Any topic when its done to death gets tedious

Bloody hell. This #bekind mantra doesnt mean you have to listen to people literally talking at you about topics that dont interest you all day, every day.

Have you considered that going on about diets 24/7 might not #bekind to those you work with who might have eating disorders - not very kind or sensitive at all is it?