Comments on: Step On the Scale, But Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

By: Cindy L.

Cindy L. — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:28:39 +0000

I don’t hear too many men (except for my husband, at home) talk about their weight loss or dieting struggles. But the women I know talk about dieting all the time. I agree with Maura’s comment, too: If I notice a woman has lost a lot of weight, I will tell her how healthy or great she looks. I never ask how much weight.

A year ago, my husband and I began a pesco-vegetarian diet (mostly veggies with fish periodically). We only lost a few pounds, nothing to write home about. Yet the change in the diet changed our looks and the way our clothes fit — we are less “puffy” due to less flesh/fat in our diet. (Our health/blood tests also showed significant improvement.) Other women ask me if I’ve lost weight all the time, and I mention my new eating habits only if they ask, as I want to avoid sounding preachy about going meatless.

By: Barb

Barb — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:20:06 +0000

Very interesting. I’ve never really thought about it before, but it is true that men announce their weight loss results. Almost as if it’s some sort of competition, something to make sure that everyone knows about what they’ve achieved. Women seem to want a bit more comraderie; for our efforts to be noticed by others but not necessarily shouted from the hills. Also, from my experience most women I know are in a constant state of watching what we eat, or needing to be good, or dieting for the upcoming beach holiday, etc. Losing or maintaining our weight seems to be the norm for us. For men it seems to be more of a one off effort. Maybe that’s part of the puzzle??

By: Maura

Maura — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:11:21 +0000

I have observed similar experiences with men “announcing” their weight loss unsolicited. I don’t think I have ever heard a woman make that kind of declaration without someone asking the question first. I have found the opposite though, where some of my wise women friends will declare a weight GAIN unsolicited. I have done the same thing. I don’t know if it is a way to state the obvious before anyone else makes the observation or if by saying it out loud, I think it will force me into action.

Having said that if I notice a friend has lost weight, I will tell them they look great and ask them how they did it – hoping to glean some knowledge not imparted at a weight watcher meeting or at the gym.

In any event, being in my mid-forties, I have come to accept and love my body as it is – which is a much more evolved way of thinking than I had in my twenties and thirties. I love my forties!