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humorist-workshop
Why do people drool over models but try to discourage overweight people...
from losing weight? I went vegan for my health and to get skinnier, and have already lost 25 pounds this year. I still have an overweight BMI and have gone from a BMI of 30 (tipping point for obesity) to a 25.7, the tipping scale of normality. my boss frequently comments on my losing too much weight, my dad really hurt my feelings the other day by saying I should just eat the oil heavy, animal product heavy foods or get out (before my parents wished I'd cook more, now they hate that I need to make meals once every one to two weeks, saving money on food costs in the process), and many family members and family friends are very skeptical, in spite of my progress and the fact that it's the first time in my life I've ever been successful at a diet for more than like 2 days (it's been 2 months!), I was on the brink of getting type 2 diabetes medication at my previous weight, I'm finally learning to cook, most of my cravings went away (fast food is expensive. And not only am I vegan, I'm also mostly plant based, but I don't shame myself for occasionally having coconut ice cream or vegan cheese. It's like people recognize all these famous, beautiful people but don't like the idea of me being one, finally being happy with a slim (I want a BMI of 18.5, I don't have anorexic dreams) body for the first time in my life since I started puberty in elementary school (early menarche is linked with dairy, meat, and etc and I ate those with no restraint), or eliminating my risk for various diseases common with my elder family members. I'll just try to not talk about the diet as much and have my blood tests my proof of the benefits of a whole foods, plant based diet, but it's been sad to pretty much have barely any support, especially from family members. At least my co workers are supportive and consider that I'm vegan with things, unlike my parents who joke about me needing to eat animals
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Congratulations on your weight loss, keep up the good work. If going Vegan is what has turned the corner for you then be proud and do not let others, including family members drag you down. There is nothing wrong with the Vegan diet; just make sure you get the proper amount of protein in your diet. Also make sure your doctor is monitoring you weight loss. This is very important on all diets when you are losing more than just a few pounds. It certainly sounds as if you and your doctor are working together which is excellent.
My son is a Firefighter/Paramedic who was tipping the scale at 290 pounds. He and others on his shift were all overweight. My son and his girlfriend challenged each other to lose weight. They are now in week 6 and he has lost 22 pounds which is just about the right amount to loose each week. He is exercising with a fitness coach and eating right. Funny thing happened in week three when his weight loss became noticeable. The others on his shift at work saw how much weight he lost in just 3 weeks. Now the entire shift is eating healthier and they exercise together after the house work is done and other things they need to do each shift24 hour shift. Now they are all losing weight.
His fire chief is a friend of mine. I expect that once he sees the results from my sons shift he is going to challenge/order the other shifts to follow suit.
Why did I tell you all that? Simple, most people, me included do not have the will power to diet and diet properly. My son didn't until his girlfriend challenged him to a diet contest. This I believe is where your parents are. I believe that secretly they are proud of you for losing wait but because of other factors such as not understanding the Vegan diet and life style they cannot bring themselves to compliment you. So let me and the other older parent types on here do it for them.
You’re doing good. Stay the course and when you reach your goals come up with a maintenance plan that allows you to enjoy what you obtained and to enjoy you new slimmer, healthier you.
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I wouldn't be concerned about puberty and what causes its start earlier or later and whether its true or not as it really had no influence on where you are at right now in life, what you're trying to do and any family opposition against you.
I am glad to hear how well you are doing. Its something you should be proud of. You can't choose family and sometimes we get bad ones. Don't let what they say or do hold you back just because they don't understand and are not supportive. Here's how you need to look at it:
There is a story of the bucket of crabs. There is one crab trying to escape the fate that awaits him if he stays in the bucket, eventually becoming someones dinner. But he is unable to escape because all the other crabs latch onto him with their claws and draw him back in.
That is so true of humans. The one who wants to do something different rather than hang with the crowd, wants to improve their situation, is often feeling held back by those close to him and around him and of course, the closest is family, mate and best friend. Rather than give in, give up the fight to get ahead and make progress toward your goal, the thing to do is resist their teasing, non support and actually trying to convince you to just give up and do what they are doing. This means you'll have to go it alone, without the support but sometimes that is what an individual has to do to survive or reach their goals and dreams and get ahead.
If your whole family invited you to join them on the local bridge and say they were all going to jump off the bridge holding hands, and want you to join them, would you allow them to convince you to do that? Heck No! It would be ludicrous, insane of course. You wouldn't even give them a chance to try to convince you. YOu might be terribly worried about their ideas and choice and try to talk them out of it, but sometimes, we can't change to course a family member is on and that hurts real bad to watch. If their decisions and lifestyle in the end cuts their life shorter, then so be it. No one will change until deep inside they have a desire too, like you. YOu can't make that desire appear in them. So your efforts need to be focused on obtaining your goal, not convincing or changing the views of your family, for if you do, you may too easily get pulled back into the bucket of crabs and you dont want to end up stuck there.
Good luck dear.
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You are conflating and confusing a lot of different issues here. Being a vegan is not always a healthy choice - any more than eating meat is always a healthy choice. Both these diets have pit-falls, misunderstandings and temptations that can lead to weight gain. Your diet choices might be great for you - they might not be great for everyone - they might not even be great for you at all stages of your life.
It's great that you are so much healthier, and it's great that you are feeling betters, and learning to cook. It really doesn't matter that other people don't recognize those great things, but frankly, you'll have an easier time letting them see those great things if you keep it personal, and don't claim authority on subjects you are not an authority on.
For example, you claim that early menarche is linked to dairy, meat etc. It's not. That's been debunked pretty damn throughly. Girls are not getting their periods much earlier than they were 50 years ago - the average has only moved by a few months - and has been linked to being obese, but also is largely happening along ethnic lines, not dietary ones.
So you see, the information you got was warped by your preference for information that would support the conclusion you already believed in.
That isn't something that just happens to vegans. That happens to everyone. We are more likely to take information seriously when it confirms what we already believed to be true, and less likely to take information seriously when it challenges our beliefs.
Your diet is your choice. That is only defence you need to make. Stop trying to defend the science - you don't actually know the science. No one knows it's 100%, and it's not going to convince anyone. No one cares about your blood tests, or how much money you are saving. Instead, demand respect for your choice, not your version of the facts.
Honestly, it's a bit weird to me how much you've got wrapped up in being slim and what other people think of what you choose to eat. In the end, what we choose to put in our bodies is a highly personal choice, and any choice you make is going to get some comments, good and bad, from others. It sucks when your parents don't support a choice that is important to you, but that's also just life. Make your choice anyway and stand by it, but stop trying to get them to change their beliefs if they are not open too it. Their choice to eat as they do it just as valid and deserving of respect as yours is.
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