Do you tell people?

[ChewChewsBiscuitTin]

I get botox, I know it's a devisive subject and people can get judgmental about it whether they are for or against but if it comes up in conversation, then I tell people that I get botox. I like what it does for me and I'm not bothered how people view me for doing it. Happy to tell anyone who is interested all about it. In general I take this approach to life, take me as you find me, I'm an open book.

I also now use mounjaro. However, I've told my husband and my best friend (because she's using it too), and I'm not going to tell anyone else. I know it's my choice whether I do or not, but I'm just intrigued as to why, of all the things in my life, this is the thing I don't want people to know. Having pondered it, I guess I think it's a few things

• mounjaro isn't a magic bullet, you still have to put the effort in, yes it's easier than going it alone but my weight loss (so far, early days) is still an achievement and I don't that taken away from me by people who consider it cheating

• I don't want to have to listen to people's 'advice' on taking it, I find when it comes to weight loss everyone and his dog has an opinion on how you are doing it wrong despite the fact that what you're doing is obviously working

• I don't want people thinking 'well it's fine whilst she's taking it but it'll be short lived, she'll pile it all back on again'

I find it interesting that this is one of very few things where I care what other people think. I suspect it's ultimately to do with years of having to put to the back of my mind that people are judging me for being fat.

Anyway, I'm just musing really. I'd be interested to know whether you tell people and why / why not?

Have a great day, everyone 😀

I didn't to start with.

Now that I'm at goal I'm very open about it. I've found that people are less vocal about saying it's a bad thing to do when faced with someone who looks slim, happy and healthy having taken it.

Also I don't really care what they think about it. I would like to reduce the stigma around it and talking about it is the best way.

My partner is super supportive, he knows how much I struggle with my weight.

I also told my boss in case I have side effects, and my "work mum"/friend. I debated on telling her or not but she wasn't judgey or off about it at all, just very interested in how it works.

Telling my real mum though - not in a million years!

I had a very successful weight loss regime with Wegovy. (I'm the weight I was 40 years ago, and I'm fitter than ever - currently maintaining with no problems). The drug is truly amazing, and I have bored everyone senseless about it. If people want to judge, I really don't care!

No, I have only told a couple of close friends. I think it’s because weight is such a personal thing.
I haven’t even told my dd, who is currently back living with me. She is out a lot though or often sorts her own meals and I work so it’s not that obvious that I’ve drastically cut my food intake. She has bemoaned the lack of snacks in the house though!
I’ve only lost half a stone so far so not enough for people to really notice. I don’t know what I’ll tell them when I start losing more and it becomes more noticeable.

In particular I’m keen to avoid telling my oldest friend, as she’s worked very hard to lose weight with Slimming World and am
pretty sure she will see this as cheating. She is very opinionated!
I’ve just said I’m being more careful with what I eat as I’d put on a bit of weight since we lost ddog in the new year.

Nope, not telling anyone and no intention of telling anyone.
Don't want to have any discussion about whether it's the right decision or not. No one else's business.
Luckily one can discuss it and blab about it on here. 😂

I haven’t told anyone and I’m really not sure why😬
Scared of being judged? Don’t want to be lectured? The joy of keeping something so exciting to myself? 🤷‍♀️ Any/all I suppose.

I live on my own so there is usually no one here to judge me. My son is coming to stay for a few days though and I’m a little worried about the eating part of things as I LOVE cooking and food is a major part of our lives as a family so will have to play it be ear a little😩

I've only told dp and dd. Not planning on telling anyone else for a while.
Maybe I will if I get to a healthy weight one day.
I think people will just think I'm crazy, buying some weird drug off the internet. I don't think it's known about enough yet so many won't know it's a legitimate licensed medicine.

I’ve discussed it with my parents and husband. I’m not planning on telling anyone else because I’m worried about feeling judged or having to justify myself, and I just can’t be bothered with it.

No I've kept it private. The media has made it very difficult and I can't be bothered with the judgement.

Often people don't tell as it's seen as 'cheating'.

Not the same thing but I had weight loss surgery and my God the judgement was awful.
If I were taking them I would keep it a secret apart from my top trusted person
You don't owe anyone your story, people will start judging and dismissing your work. Like with my surgery i still had to deal with my emotions and life traumas because I wasn't numbing with food i had to face my feelings. The hardest part for most overweight people is the inner head chatter, IMO. They don't stop just because your body is not physically needing or able to accept as much food..for me it was like losing a limb such was the crutch of food to me and addiction transference ia very common, so yes losing weight even with aids like injections, pills or surgery has a huge mental element and change of habits. You are risking side effects long and short term, don't tell me this is not hard work and sacrifice, you have earned it because you paid and are paying the price for it.

And at the end of the day, all weight loss is consuming less calories so telling you havr cut down your portions or intermittent fasting and that you just felt fed up and took weight loss seriously is a good enough and truthful explanation. You don't have to lie you can be economic with the truth.

And don't feel bad if someone sweet and struggling with their weight asks how, we all know how it's eat less, all methods ultimately boil down to this and all info is online.

I haven't told many people because I had a very judgemental reaction from one friend when we were discussing the concept in general. My immediate family know and two friends. I was staying with the friends and it would have been insanely obvious I didn't want to eat anywhere near a normal amount of food. After a 20km hike and a sea swim I managed 1/2 a slice of bread and butter, 3/4 of a plate of pasta and about 5 bites of tiramisu which would have just looked farcical compared to both my friend's consumption and my usual consumption.

I've told DH.
I discussed the cost with him anyway, but he was fine about that.

He seemed to think MJ was tantamount to using snake oil, but as I haven't dropped dead yet, and am seeing some benefits already, he's impressed.

I have a lot of weight to lose. I also have a DD who needs to lose some weight. Once it's really working for me, I'm going to offer to buy hers (if she wants it).

only my husband knows i'm using it. i feel a failure enough using it without having people judging me.

Oh honey. You're not a failure.
It's a brilliant thing to do IMO.

Some of my weight loss came back, now nearly 20 years later and after pregnancies and I really have to lecture myself on not being too harsh at myself. It's definitely easier to be around people who don't know my weight history. The I told you so's, and why can't you just diet... never free from judgement once people know.

I was contemplating a gastric sleeve for a long while and joined lots of groups to try and get people's experiences. I gained a lot of understanding and insight of what I needed to address to fix my own food issues from those groups and the people who were forced to confront them in such a stark way. I have the highest respect for people who have had the surgery, it's such a tough thing to do. Then to have the ill informed telling you it's a cop out really takes the piss!!

It's weird isn't it, what's seen as acceptable and what's not. I felt the same when I was on antidepressants years ago then got to a place of 'fuck it, these things are saving my life whilst I work really hard to fix the underlying cause' and I started talking about it to other people if it came up in conversation, no shame attached, just a necessary medication to help me make things better.

Hopefully I'll get to a goal weight and feel differently so I can help remove some stigma for other people wondering whether to give it a try some day.

i think the weightloss injections are the same as anything nowadays... there are people who want and need them but can't get them because of cost or red tape.. then you have the other end of the scale where people are using them to drop a dress size for a holiday, and they can afford it..

i think its the later that give the injections a bad name.. if its a dress size you want to drop, then exercise and diet should be more than enough.. but we live in a society where people want things and they want things now.

I've spent my entire life overweight, i lost my mum very young and had a very traumatic upbringing, and i never managed to get a good relationship with food.. basically, i ate and ate and ate because as a child i never knew when the next meal would come, so you made the most of what you got.

I used to get away with my size because i was very fit and active.. i ran marathons, i did the gym 5 or 6 times a week, i did triathelons.. everything.. so, although i was larger than the norm, i impressed people with my fitness and stamina and you need fuel for all that..

then i herniated a disc in my back, ended up with 2 back surgeries, i now have 2 herniated discs in both upper and lower back with the added bonus of my body is riddled with arthritus and i need a new hip (at 57!).. so for a few years, the weight piled on.. and on and on until last year i was turned down surgery because i was too big.

i need 2 surgeries which i can't have until i have a BMI of under 30! but no help to get me there just advise from the consultants to diet and exercise..

so... i buy the injections! i've lost 3 and a half stone so far and i am nearly at that elusive BMI of 30. I do exercise, not as much as i used to, and i put myself through hell to do it.. becuase i need to be fit!

and yet if i told some of my friends and family i was using them... i would still be judged

I only started a couple of days ago and have told dh and my best friend but don't plan on telling anyone else. I feel like my mum in particular with will be very judgemental but we go out a lot for meals and drinks so I don't know how I'll keep it from her!

My husband knows and ONE friend but I’ve told no one else. Frankly I want to see if it stays off before I’m judged for spending a fortune on yet another way to lose weight.

I didn't tell a soul but them my husband saw the disguised package in the fridge!! So I came clean!!
I have lost 4 stones and am in a normal BMI for the first time in a decade.
It has been utterly life changing.
I feel so much fitter and healthier and I would honestly say to anyone if you can afford to to try it.
When people comment I just say Thankyou , it's been hard and I hope I don't pile it all back on again! No one's business but yours!!

I don't even tell friends I'm on a diet, and I wouldn't tell them I was on a weight loss drug. Obviously if successful people will notice, and many ask 'how did you do it'. Only then would I explain how (and when you say 'counting calories' they don't want to know, but if you say 'weight loss drugs and calorie deficit' they will be intrigued).
I'm having success counting calories currently, so don't feel the need for drugs.

I haven't told anyone at all and don't plan on doing so either!
I'm surrounded by a lot of people with unhealthy relationships with food and many who have been on slimming world for years and can't understand there may be another way (despite them never managing to loose the weight they want) and I just don't like to discus wright and diet with any of them! I calorie counted and lost my weight after all my kids and they were awful despite the fact they were "dieting" too, I was actually just losing the weight.
After becoming unwell and having kids with additional needs I just can't move more and eat less in the same way I did.

My family DH, my knee D's and sisters all know I take Ozempic. They also know I still have to work very hard not to nibble on snacks. I've lost 4 stone but I still have another 4 stone to lose. It's getting harder and I only tend to be loosing 1/2 kilo a week at most now. I'm keeping going.