Diary of a dieter - week eleven

A case of one-upmanship in the dressing room proves a challenge to Rachel Roberts

Most of the reactions I’ve had to my weight loss have been wonderful. When people notice I’m getting thinner, they’re usually supportive and full of compliments, often telling me how great I look. And although it’s taken a while to get used to believing them, I’ve learned to accept their kind words gracefully.

But for all of the positive reactions, there have been some downright weird ones too. The most recent example occurred when I went shopping with a close friend last week. It’s one of the things we love to do together because we have quite similar styles.

*Sue has always been slimmer than me, but she recently put on some weight after breaking her ankle and not being able to work out consistently. After seeing my results with Weight Watchers, she joined her local class. The difference in our sizes has truly never bothered me, as each of us looks better in different kinds of clothing. Our sizes have never affected our time together.

So one recent afternoon, while shopping on Oxford Street, Sue and I were in Warehouse when I spotted a lovely denim skirt with sequins round the pockets. Call it the magpie in me, but I have to try on anything that glitters. I optimistically grabbed a size 14, as did Sue.

Cut to the changing room, and there I am, overjoyed that the skirt fits (me, in a size 14) and looks quite good. Then Sue comes out in her skirt, proclaims how ‘massive’ the size 14 is on her and illustrates the point by pushing her hands down the sides of the gaping fabric.

Needless to say, by the time she came out again showing off the size 12, my feelings of elation were on the floor. I didn’t want to risk sounding like a teenager by pointing out that I had seen the skirt first (although I bloody well had!), so I kept quiet. Sue went ahead and bought the skirt and I quietly put mine back on the rack.

Far from being the feelgood experience this shopping spree should have been, the incident made me upset and resentful. But I learned that I’ve got to start sticking up for myself more instead of silently brooding over negative emotions.

I have accepted that some people are going to feel threatened by my weight loss – Sue included – but that’s their problem, not mine. I can’t help it, but I can stop letting it affect me. One way to deal with it is to have a laugh. Next time Sue gets a too-big size 14 and comments about it, I might just say, ‘Well you knew it would be too big, so why'd you bother?’ At least that shows her that nothing she says or does will sabotage my weight loss success. And if she’s reading this right now wearing her size 12 skirt, then she already knows that.

* Name has been changed

Original start weight: 13st 7lbs
End week one weight: 13st 2½lb
End week two weight: 13st 3½lbs
End week three weight: 12st 11½lbs
End week four weight: 12st 11lbs
End week five weight: 12st 10lbs
End week six weight: 12st 9lbs
End week seven weight: 12st 7½lbs
End week eight weight: 12st 6lbs
End week nine weight: 12st 3½lbs
End week ten weight: 12st 1½lbs
End week eleven weight: 12st ½lbs