To not tell friend about weight loss jab

[Arrivals4lucky]

For the past 6 months I’ve been on a health ‘journey’ - had a lot of weight to lose and decided to do it with the help of a weight loss medication. It’s been transformative for me because I didn’t realise ‘food noise’ was a thing until it was taken away by the medication. I’m under medical supervision & paying for the jab privately. I’m going slow and steady but at the point where the loss is becoming noticeable to others.

one of our circle, someone I see weekly cos of kids is VERY judgy about people’s weight, about obese people etc and has vocally said that overweight people need to do something about it while simultaneously saying jabs are cheating etc.This has never been aimed at me, BTW. and usually someone else changes the subject.

She can be really lovely and obvs this is to do with her own food issues etc so while it’s the one thing I don’t like about her, I don’t let it get to me.

I think my health is my own business. I don’t want to tell people what I’m doing etc. DP says, they’ll notice and they’ll ask so just tell them you’re taking meds and it’s helped. Why be embarrassed?

YABU - tell your friends.

YANBU - keep it private. People
will judge.

The jab controls how hungry I feel,.. but doesn’t melt fat! So yes, it’s still work, and a long term thing but the more I lose the easier it comes to exercise more too.
Weirdly it’s killed my interest in alcohol too…

Because this is a prescribed medication. In no other part of society is anyone ever expected to share personal details relating to their health. Why should this be different? If someone wants to tell the world, crack on. But I absolutely will not feel bad about having kept it from others, just like I have the right to do with any other medication I’m on.

Like I say, it's up to you.

I just assume that anyone who loses weight is on them now anyway. I never mention anyone's weight loss but if they bring it up and say they've just been eating healthily, I'll assume that's not the whole story!

I wouldn't tell her. Tell her you've changed your diet, you've educated yourself, you're moving more, etc - it's not a lie.

That’s up to you.

Nobody owes anyone personal information about their health.

Agreed. Pretending you are doing it on willpower alone feeds into the 'all fat people are only fat because they're not ...enough" schtick.

I wouldn't go out of my way to tell people, but if asked I wouldn't lie either.

‘Nobody owes anyone personal information about their health.’

that really is true.

And if it is nothing to be ashamed of, why hide it? I have no objection to telling people I am on antidepressants, ADHD meds etc if relevant.

‘Agreed. Pretending you are doing it on willpower alone feeds into the 'all fat people are only fat because they're not ...enough" schtick.
’

TBH I think that that’s not up to me to educate anyone, and also - only the truly dim think that.

See, if I was on antidepressants I wouldn’t be telling anyone. So I suppose this is just the same.

There is an odd section of society who like to make their negative opinions on obesity and how people should lose weight known, who also think the jab is cheating and people should do it properly.

Those people are fuckwits and should be ignored.

Absolutely no need to tell anyone. It’s fantastic these new drugs are helping so many people. Just have a standard response ready if people start to comment on your weight loss and then change the subject.

It’s up to you what you share with people. It’s also totally fine to keep one’s personal health information, private. It definitely doesn’t mean someone is ashamed, just that they think it’s no one else’s business.

Absolutely agree with this. If others are on a personal crusade to educate the ignorant, good for them. I most certainly am not.

It's completely up to you. I wouldn't mention it to someone as judgy as that.

I agree with this. I'm planning on using WLI in a few months (I'm newly postpartum) and being pregnant and the heaviest I've ever been was the shock I needed to take control.

I don't think anyone needs to go around broadcasting it, but I do find it disingenuous when people hide behind "I'm eating better and/or exercising more" if it was that easy you would have done it without the WLI and feeds into the rhetoric that obese people are just lazy.

I know exactly what to do to lose weight. I'm ridiculously determined, it's just that the part of my brain that thinks the world won't implode if I have that bar of chocolate or slice of cake is much determined than the bit that knows I should make better food choices.

The amount of times I've told myself I'm useless and fed into that terrible cycle of low self esteem, bingeing (repeat) because everyone around me seems to be able to stick to a calorie deficit, I know I owe it to my past self to be completely honest.

I wouldn't tell, even if asked directly. You don't owe anyone an explanation of your private medical business.

I am on WL medication too though I have only started it. If/when I reach a point where others notice, if they comment I will prepare a line about not wishing to discuss it and just repeat that politely.

I discussed it before I started with my best friend and even that was hard work because she has only seen all the judgy and negative stories about these medications and had swallowed them hook line and sinker. I spent a fair bit of time educating her on the benefits and the difference between obesity and overweight, and what my lived reality is really like. I shouldn't have had to but I did it for her and only her because she's my best friend of 20+ years and I know her views on it came from a place of ignorance. I also know that she wants to be supportive of me and actually the root of her concern was that I would be miserable or fall ill from not eating enough because that's the content she's been seeing.

I won't do that for anyone else. So I just won't discuss it at all. No one has a right to my private information.

Studies are now ongoing re WLI and alcohol consumption and could be used to help treat people with alcohol issues in the future.

Your body. Your business.

If people notice then stick to your intro comment on your OG post - 'I've been on a health journey'.

If pushed, you're counting calories, moving more and eating less junk food. End of.

Well done on your loss, OP. I hope you're feeling great.x.

I am part of a secret circle who know about someone on this. And honestly I’ll say to you what I say to them. It’s nobody else’s business what medication you take. Would you announce if you started using pile cream or similar? I doubt it. Then whose business is it but yours & your drs that you take this. Good luck, hope your success continues.

There is nothing wrong with using medical support to address a medical problem.

(And of course you don't have to share it if you don't want to!)

Its no-ones business OP. Tell who you want to tell, or don't.
I am not hiding the fact to my friends, however I have chosen not to tell my stepDM. (I would tell her if she specifically asked me) Its simply because she is OBSESSED with weight, and she is tiny - and always has been - but she tells me her weight every time I speak to her, and I have always found it difficult, because she doesn't really understand why I have always been so fat. She will struggle with me taking meds (she will be worried rather than thinking I'm 'cheating')

I therefore don't advertise the fact, but nor do I hide it if the topic comes up. I could not be happier. I have been a size 20 for years, and now I'm a 14. I can't quite believe it (still going - but its slow now) I don't think about food every waking moment, and my poor osteoarthritic joints are not suffering as much with that extra mass. Which hopefully means I've put off my other hip being replaced, at least for a few years.
Well done to you - I know everyone approaches it differently. I calorie count - I have logged every bit of food that's passed my lips since June - and I do more walking now as it doesn't hurt quite as soon. I also find that I am not in quite as much pain after standing up teaching all day (not my main job, which is sitting down!!) I think a lot of folk think it somehow just melts fat away, which is why its 'cheating', but I know that I still have to actively apply myself to it. I'm not just passively shrinking!

Your private medical prescriptions are no one else’s business…But, my friend had weight loss surgery in secret, and then dropped a load of weight very fast. We all thought she was dying, so if you are denying even being on a diet just be aware people who care for you may be worried!

Your jabs, your contraception,your blood test results, your medical history and every other adjective of your bodily health are between you and your doctor. It’s absolutely none of this person’s business.

I don’t think anyone will think I’m dying! I’ve got too much energy for starters…