Should you tell people you’re on a weight loss journey?

Let’s talk about weight loss again for a minute. I’ve been contemplating the subject of telling people you’re on a weight loss journey when you’re starting and it’s really opened my mind. Of course, Willie and I did tell our friends and family we were embarking on the weight loss journey. We’ve been discussing this a lot lately and we wouldn’t have told people we wanted to lose weight. We should have just done it.

Willie and I aren’t attention seeking people so we felt like it put a little bit more focus on us. That is a one of the reasons I didn’t start the blog until after reaching goal weight. We are also the people who like to figure things out ourselves so there is a lot of trial and error that took place on our journey.

There are some benefits of sharing your weight loss goals with others:

• Having some accountability in sticking with your goals
• Building a support system around you
• And you could motivate someone else to start their own journey

A weight loss journey is long and sometimes hard.  It is nice to know that you have people supporting you and want the best for you.  By telling others you are on a journey, there can be lots of praise and encouragement thrown your way…even when you falter. It’s about building a support system so maybe you could be more selective in the people you choose to tell so that you can get the support that you need to see it through.

Also, if someone knows that you’re on a journey, they can be there to be your gym or food buddy to make sure you stay on track sometimes even together. Things do get a little easier with a buddy so this would be a great reason to share your journey with someone else.

Those are all great things, but sharing your journey also opens you up to other things.  There will be times when you’ll be hit with unsolicited advice from people who probably have no idea what they are talking about.

There were the times of constant nagging from others about working out too much or not eating “enough” and it’s gets frustrating.  No one really gave those feelings when I would veg out on the couch with my $25 worth of McDonald’s fast food.

No matter what no one will understand your journey like you will.  There will be people who urge you to take just “one bite” or just enjoy this one meal. Little things like that seems like acts of sabotage and lack of support which can lead to other emotions.

The weight loss journey is an emotional journey and there were lots of times I spent arguing with people over some of these stupid things.  That was energy and focus I could have spent on myself learning and growing.  But I already mentioned this before, people will not understand or care about your journey the same way that you will.  Sharing your journey opens you up to so many other things that you may not ask for or want.  There is a strong possibility that no one will “get” it the same way you will.

It’s hard to open up about the journey because people will tell you things like “you’ll gain your weight back” or that won’t last.  Believe me, we had plenty of people who would lurk waiting for us to fail.  But you have to do what is best for you.  Actions do speak louder than words.

I did say I wish I wouldn’t have told anyone initially because of some of these reasons.  I think it would have been better if we were a little bit more settled into the process before we started telling family and friends.  It would have been a slow ease into everything but in the end it’s all a learning experience.

I am only one person sharing my opinion.  You have to make the right decision for yourself…and stick with it.