hellyhartley
Full Member
I've been thinking about this for a few days now...
I'm back on SS for the second time and in a completely different place this time round, only positive about the scale of work and the time it will take. No trapped or upset feelings and actually quite enjoying the meals too!
I've been out a few times this weekend and had no problems with abstaining from food and drink but have already begun to get tired of justifying myself to my friends.
These are always the type that have never had a problem with their weight. The most common comments have been..."what do you mean you don't eat food? Won't you collapse?" "Can't you just have a couple of drinks?" "It's only a sandwich, what harm will it do?" "What happens when you stop? You'll just put it all back on again, surely?" Eventually I had to say "I've been a dieting for the last 15 years, I've made enough mistakes to know what I'm doing." Even my husband, whom I love dearly and just worries about me said "You know what's going to happen, you'll get really miserable, crash off it and end up putting it all back on again." -Needless to say, he's athletic and never had an eating problem.
I'm aware that a diet is never just for the time you're sticking to it, you have to change your relationship with food which can take years to get over in itself, then re-learn how to eat sensibly and maintain permanently. For people like me, who have a strong emotional dependance on food for comfort and support it can be even harder.
I also know to the outsider, who has witnessed a person trying and failing-like me-repeatedly to lose their excess weight, it can seem like just another fad diet that will fail again and leave that person more miserable. What they never seem to understand is that the control and self discipline required to put yourself through a food replacement program is a massive task that requires huge personal strength and commitment. Willpower is the main driving force in succeeding but these friends need to understand support is also vital to most of us. They would never whisper in an athletes ear "They look faster than you, why not just leave it to them?" but it seems perfectly acceptable to say destructive things to fragile people struggling to gain/keep the confidence to achieve their goals.
I applaud every person who can stick to a program like this, and thank heavens there's a place like this we can support each other.
Keep strong and remember you're doing this for you and no-one else xxx
I'm back on SS for the second time and in a completely different place this time round, only positive about the scale of work and the time it will take. No trapped or upset feelings and actually quite enjoying the meals too!
I've been out a few times this weekend and had no problems with abstaining from food and drink but have already begun to get tired of justifying myself to my friends.
These are always the type that have never had a problem with their weight. The most common comments have been..."what do you mean you don't eat food? Won't you collapse?" "Can't you just have a couple of drinks?" "It's only a sandwich, what harm will it do?" "What happens when you stop? You'll just put it all back on again, surely?" Eventually I had to say "I've been a dieting for the last 15 years, I've made enough mistakes to know what I'm doing." Even my husband, whom I love dearly and just worries about me said "You know what's going to happen, you'll get really miserable, crash off it and end up putting it all back on again." -Needless to say, he's athletic and never had an eating problem.
I'm aware that a diet is never just for the time you're sticking to it, you have to change your relationship with food which can take years to get over in itself, then re-learn how to eat sensibly and maintain permanently. For people like me, who have a strong emotional dependance on food for comfort and support it can be even harder.
I also know to the outsider, who has witnessed a person trying and failing-like me-repeatedly to lose their excess weight, it can seem like just another fad diet that will fail again and leave that person more miserable. What they never seem to understand is that the control and self discipline required to put yourself through a food replacement program is a massive task that requires huge personal strength and commitment. Willpower is the main driving force in succeeding but these friends need to understand support is also vital to most of us. They would never whisper in an athletes ear "They look faster than you, why not just leave it to them?" but it seems perfectly acceptable to say destructive things to fragile people struggling to gain/keep the confidence to achieve their goals.
I applaud every person who can stick to a program like this, and thank heavens there's a place like this we can support each other.
Keep strong and remember you're doing this for you and no-one else xxx
Gonna try shake things up a bit, its at times like this i'll find out who my true friends are xx
