Coping With The Weight Loss Saboteur

It is frighteningly common for the overweight person to have a friendly weight loss saboteur in his or her family, office or group of friends. You know the kind .... the very skinny friend who feels "insulted" when you don't eat a piece of cake, or the mother who nags you and nags you to lose weight, and then insists on serving you desert or making a big fuss when you don't eat her big portions! These skinny people have a special interest in keeping you overweight, even if they won't admit it to themselves.

Sometimes people will feel threatened when you begin to lose weight, perhaps because they have been unsuccessful in their own attempts and your success only reminds them of their own failures. Perhaps they worry that if you are successful, you will depend on them less and develop more of a life of your own.

Occasionally you will come across someone who insists that their knowledge of health, fitness and weight loss is so superior to yours that you must do what they say, and give up your own plans immediately. Nothing you do can convince them and they will pester and lecture you until you give in.

So what do you do when you come across a weight loss saboteur?

The best way to deal with all kinds of weight loss sabotage is to slip under the radar! If you don't announce that you are losing weight, they can't try to sabotage your efforts! If you don't make a fuss, they can't either. Here are some examples of putting this into action:

Take the cake - but eat only a tiny mouthful (or slip some to the dog!!). If they draw attention to it, imply that you are very embarassed but that you don't like the cake. That should keep them quiet!

If you are on your weekly visit to your mother, don't tell her about your diet and don't protest when she heaps your plate high. Eat a fair amount, then clear the plates as if everything is normal. If you are lucky you will be able to scrape your leftovers into the bin before she notices. If you are not so lucky and she make a fuss, try changing the subject ("Did I tell you who I saw yesterday?") and if that doesn't work claim a slight headache!

If you are out to dinner with a group of friends and large quantities of alcohol are being poured, accept a glass of wine or whatever is appropriate and nurse it all evening. Ask for a large glass of water as well. Everybody will complain if you refuse to drink. Nobody will notice if you pretend to drink. Alternatively, you can volunteer happily to be the "designated driver" each evening. Everybody will be so grateful that nobody will make a fuss!

Do you entertain a lot? Never tell people you are on a diet! If you cook and prepare your food carefully, they will be very happy to eat whatever you would want to eat yourself and will be none the wiser.

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