Fed up of people criticising my diet

[Lemons1571]

So for the past year I’ve been on a well known meal replacement diet. Lost over half my body weight and gone from a size 20 BMI 40 to a size 8 BMI 19.5. People reactions were slightly irritating at first, but are now really getting on my nerves. For example:

“Eewww yuck I couldn’t drink that”
“Oh no that’s so unhealthy”
“I like my food too much, you’ve got to have solids and not exist on liquid”
“I can’t stand milkshake”
“Oh I bought some but it was grim and made me heave”

Aarrgggh fuck off. I don’t criticise the chocolate bar or McDonald’s you’re eating. Maybe I’m being unreasonable. But bugger off with your negative comments on my diet choices. It actually gets a bit upsetting and makes me wonder why I bothered if it’s all so grim.

Anyone for any good retorts before I say something I regret?

What a transformation, echoing others around the low bmi and continued shakes, you've done fantastic but you're on the way to underweight.

That's an incredible loss. I've done that diet, twice. I think the first time I lost six stone and put seven or eight back on. Second time I might have lost nine and put 10 back on. Something like that. As you say, the diet is easy compared to the maintenance. Your body has a set point and will be desperate to get back up the weight it was. Well done and good luck, it's really really hard.

I respond to most criticism with, "I know. I suck."

Or, "I know. I know. I should not be allowed to move among the humans."

I just agree with them.

Ignore, ignore, ignore. Congratulations on your weight loss, its fantastic.

Some of the comments are just that a comment , plenty of people comment if someone is eating a food they don't like
So comment if I tried them and didn't like them is just that a general comment that someone could make about any food.

What an amazing result OP. They sound a bit jealous, but as you have lost half your body weight and the change is so drastic they might also be wondering if you have developed some kind of eating disorder.

You are right that the tricky thing is to stay at a healthy weight - so often as soon as people begin to eat "normally" again the weight piles on - usually with a few more pounds on top. That is why companies that sell such diet foods/drinks are so profitable - lots of repeat customers. It's easy to get back into the bad habits that cause weight gain, but you sound like you're being very careful so there's every reason to think you can keep yourself at a healthy weight. Good luck OP.

I think a blase "ah well, it works for me" is perfect. I find there is quite a bit of conversation about what people eat at work, maybe because there is nothing else to talk about, I don't know. So don't take it personally.

All the people who say 'They're just jealous' are surely making a lazy assumption, that the people saying it are overweight?

They're not necessarily jealous at all, just very very rude.

I’m doing half and half - learning about maintenance and how many calories my body needs to stay at the same weight. Surprisingly few!

Not necessarily true. Some nutritionists etc. will put their clients on as few calories as possible, others are feeders and have them on a lot more calories (but the right foods that balance hormones etc). and the person doesn't gain!

@user1481840227

I’m doing half and half - learning about maintenance and how many calories my body needs to stay at the same weight. Surprisingly few!

Not necessarily true. Some nutritionists etc. will put their clients on as few calories as possible, others are feeders and have them on a lot more calories (but the right foods that balance hormones etc). and the person doesn't gain!

It is very likely you will need very few calories to maintain, yes. For example say you've gone from 17 stone to nine stone - you'll probably need fewer calories than another woman who also weighs nine stone but has never been obese. Maybe 100s fewer. There was a study by Dr Kevin Hall looking at almost everyone who lost weight on the Biggest Loser regaining it all. Fascinating

I think a stock phrase of "There's no need to be rude about it" and then ignore them.

i don't know why people feel the need to comment though.

"Works for me", coupled with a blissed-out smile and a gentle wafting away, always, er, works for me. Feeling for you, OP, as a vegetarian of 30+ years who is clearly still alive and eating "rabbit food" despite the dire warnings from randoms. "Oh, rabbits -- they have lots of sex and babies, don't they? Works for them." (Sound FX crunch on a celery stick.)

During my adult life I've ranged between fit size 12 and pudgy size 12, and fit size 12 has always attracted criticism. People do get jealous, especially when they think you are having more sex than them, or are capable of getting it.

You've done excellently, OP. How do you feel in your sleek, svelte bod?

Can I just say bloody well done, OP! Those people sound jealous. As am I!

@OneRingToRuleThemAll

You sound equally judgemental thinking about their McDonalds. Be aware that weight goes on as quick as it comes off.

That's a really spiteful and jerky thing to say.

I think the best way to deal with unwanted comments is to directly ask people to stop. ‘I don’t like people commenting on what I eat and I’d like it if you stopped’

Saying things like ‘that rude’ is more likely to make the person defensive and carry on the conversation.

You could say "well the diet has obviously worked for me. I've some packets left if you'd like to give them a try"!

Why are you telling them what you're eating or not eating?

Surely the best way to get them to shut up about it is not to discuss the topic in the first place?

If they ask how you lost the weight, just say "diet and exercise" and change the subject. It sounds like you're being too open with people in terms of what you're sharing if you don't actually want to discuss it with them - you don't owe anyone your life story!

There's a certain type of person that does this, and they won't just be doing it to you about your shakes, they'll be doing to everyone they encounter who is eating or drinking something that they don't personally enjoy. They're irritating as fuck but they don't have any self awareness.

Agree with ‘works for me’ or just smile and shrug. You don’t have to be drawn into conversations about your weight. Well done OP!

Well done! I agree it’s a jealousy thing, I get jealous about people’s self control to achieve amazing things ( not a nasty way but I wish I could do that way)

If they ask how you lost the weight, just say "diet and exercise" and change the subject. It sounds like you're being too open with people in terms of what you're sharing if you don't actually want to discuss it with them - you don't owe anyone your life story!

This.

As that's exactly how you lost weight.

Different dietary lifestyle changes work for different people.

** Some of the comments are just that a comment , plenty of people comment if someone is eating a food they don't like

So comment if I tried them and didn't like them is just that a general comment that someone could make about any food.**

^This. Why get so defensive about it?

We’ll done OP. Which one is it? I need to try :-(

Thank you all. Lots of good suggestions here. I do love @backtolifebacktoreality ‘s one - wouldn’t quite have the nerve though!

I don’t know enough about the meal replacements to comment if it’s ‘healthy’. But I’m sure your body will have been thoroughly grateful to you for losing the weight, so for that I’m going to say congratulations.