It seems like about the only time I come here anymore is because I've had about enough and need somewhere to unload it all. Which is one of the great things about this site I suppose. So many supportive people, usually nonjudgemental too LOL. I'm still very happily smoke free btw, little over 8 months now, 3806 cigarettes not smoked! Here comes the but....
Finally after 7 years of being completely dissatisfied with myself and my health, I'm exactly where I want to be. I gave up smoking a little over 8 months ago after a pack a day 10 year habit, and I've lost a total of 23 lbs. I'm 5'6 and 125 and don't want to lose or gain any. I do a 25 minute Jillian Michaels workout every day, with an occasional day off if I feel like taking a day off. My husband is thrilled for me, and is nothing but supportive, & when it's just me, him or my friends, I'm a really happy, content girl that I feel like made necessary healthy life changes and is exactly where I need to be.
Now for the but part. Instead of celebrating my successes with me, my parents have fought me every step of the way. They quit smoking the same time I did, and gave up after a few months. I didn't really say anything about it, because they have to make their own life decisions, but when I didn't want to go out to eat with them and sit in the "smoking section", it's because "there's nothing worse than a reformed smoker," followed quickly by a semi-supportive, "but if that's what you need to do to stay quit...." I never can just get a "hey, good job, glad you didn't give in." It always has to be accompanied by some kind of snarky comment about me being preachy about smoking. I don't consider me silently removing myself from a smoky section of the house or where ever we are, being "preachy." If I don't smoke, I certainly don't want to smell like it, or more importantly, breathe it in. They've fought me on the weight loss too. Me working out every day is "obsessive" to them. I take days off every now & then, if I don't feel like working out, I don't. But it's not as though I'm doing daily marathon training sessions at the gym. It's 25 minutes for heavens sake. With 3 lb weights. Not exactly the next strong (wo)man competition. And me being 125 at 5'6 is unhealthily thin apparently. Nevermind the fact that I've shown them BMI charts and told them that my doctor is completely happy with my progress and my physical health. That can't possibly be right because I'm just too thin. They're "shocked" at my portion sizes on the rare occasion that I meet them for dinner because you can actually see the surface of my plate, while theirs is overflowing.
Sorry if I brought everyone down with this, I just had to vent & attempting to talk to them is like throwing words at brick walls. They just don't get it and are in complete denial when I point out how judgemental they're being. I think a lot of it is how dissatisfied they are with their own weight. They talk constantly about making life changes and I've offered more than once to let them borrow my workout DVDs so they can see if it's something they'd be interested in doing, but they get these facial expressions like, um. no, we don't want to be that "hardcore" about it. What part of this am I not understanding, how is 25 minutes of ANYTHING hardcore? I don't count every single calorie, I just set a limit for each meal and try to stay within that, with a few healthy low calorie snacks throughout the day. UUGGGGHHHHHH. It's so frustrating. I know I shouldn't let it affect my own happiness with my accomplishments, but when the people you love the most can't celebrate with you, and worse disregard it or turn it into a negative, it really takes some of the shine off. 😞
