So I have taken IF seriously over the last six months. Started 18:6 while doing cardio and weights at least 5 days a week. I’m a 50 year old male, 5’11”, with a starting weight of 255lbs. My current weight is 207lbs, but my goal is 195. After seeing great results the last month I’ve been trying OMAD, and fasted workouts. My body has responded very well and I feel great, none of what I used to think was age related aches and pains anymore.
Anyway, through this process I’ve had very little support from my friends and family. Often times being told that what I’m doing is unhealthy, even though I sit and have a pretty large meal with family during suppertime, and I have the support of my doctor (my latest check up was picture perfect). I’ve even been told that this is a “fad” diet.
I’m wondering if/how everyone deals with unsupportive friends and family?
Just ignore them and keep doing what you are doing. Only talk about it to those that are supportive or will, at least, keep their mouths shut.
Or, you can give them your doctor’s number and tell them they are free to express their concerns with him/her. I’m a smart ass, though.
Yeah that sucks. Do they think you were healthier when you were 255 pounds?
Unfortunately, there are people in the world who take comfort in other people’s failures.
Congratulations on how far you’ve come!
You just have to stay secure in your process and trust your own opinions more than those of uninformed friends and family.
I’m a smart ass as well and would probably say “And now would YOU like to hear what I think about how YOU eat?? I didn’t think so.”
I feel like the most effective response to discouragement is to politely, lovingly give it hardly any weight whatsoever: Fad diet? Hey, maybe; let’s see how it works for me! Unhealthy? Your concern is very sweet, and if something horrible happens you can say you told me so, etc.
Quiet confidence within yourself is less stressful, more satisfying, and a lot more obtainable than trying to get everyone to understand you.
I haven’t really told too many people what I am doing so that I don’t have to hear the negativity. My hubby was a bit concerned at first but once I explained that I had cleared it with my Dr and showed him some web sites and info on what I was doing he became supportive almost to the point of joining me on my journey.
people are internalizing what you’re doing as an attack on what they do; the discomfort comes from the questions your behaviour prompts in them ab their own choices and there is literally zero point in engaging with this. they’re making it about you when it’s really about them — it’s a classic defensive tactic in this culture and we would be better off as a society if we learned to recognize it in our personal relationships (incl ourselves!) and our politics!
Been there. You have lost weight. You feel great. If your family and friends can’t see that then that is not your problem. Most people have been trained to think 3 meals a day is best. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And the list goes on. Keep up the good work.
I luckily have not yet had the displeasure of having a friend or family member be unsupportive, but I would tell them that your are doing your diet with the consent and supervision of your doctor and that if there were any danger to your health, they would be the first to notice and put you back on the right course.
Of course, in today’s social and political landscape, there are enough laypeople that genuinely believe their “research” (i.e watching a YT video from a conspiracy theory channel with less than 10k followers) is on par with the knowledge and experience of an actual medical doctor, so that may also not have the desired effect.
Bottom line from me is, trust in yourself to know you are doing what’s right/best for you and, as they say, F&$K the haters.
It can be really hard but if a trained medical professional hasn’t advised you to stop, then just keep going with it. You’re obviously seeing results and in all honesty, it sounds a little bit like jealousy to me. You’ve done amazing so far and it’s clearly working for you, don’t let people distract you
Similar experience, my mother is unhappy about my fasting. Claiming I’m damaging myself. It doesn’t help when I screwed up and didn’t take the needed electrolytes during my water fast, proceeded to shock my body by chugging a dissolvable tablet and wound up 6 hours later on the bathroom floor utterly destroyed.
I totally understand where they’re coming from and why they would feel like that- but it’s so annoying when they tell me to eat and when I refuse they call me unhealthy and when I get upset in response I’m called irritable.
I now spend most of my time in my room and just avoid them.
I usually show them videos on YouTube about the benefits. if they won’t watch them then I just explain that digesting food makes other processes in the body not go as well just like when we multitask in life. I’m taking daily breaks from food for better healing,health and sleep. When my body can focus on what it needs to do without multi tasking I feel great and it’s not about weight loss that is just a side effect it’s about health and feeling good.