Jealousy
What if the jealous people are in your family? We’ve all heard the nasty little comments—OMG, she’s totally on Wegovy. So lazy. So obsessed with her looks. Total Ozempic face. What a cheater!
But what if the jealousy comes from someone you don’t want to hurt?
I’ve always encouraged my daughter to be body positive. She was tall and skinny all up until puberty, when she started to have curves. In high school, if she ordered dessert, I did too. If she wanted an extra helping at dinner, I tried to as well. The difference was that she’s tall and has a fast metabolism. I’m short and my metabolism just gave up around age 50. So I just packed on the pounds. But it was something we could complain about together. And I tried to teach her about healthy eating and exercising, but never wanted her to feel bad about an extra helping once in awhile.
Now, I hide my weight loss from her. I’ve worn baggy clothes for months now, despite losing 35 pounds and I still go out for dessert with her any time she wants. She’s out of university now and working full time and she is gaining weight. For the first time in my life, I’m not wearing a swim dress at the beach or on holiday. I don’t flaunt my weight loss, but i like the way I look and feel. I can feel her disappointment when she sees me eating less. The last thing I EVER want to do is make her feel bad about her own body—especially in her early twenties. And I told her, when she’s asked about it, that she could always go on it, though I don’t think she needs to. I always compliment her height and her gorgeous hourglass shape. But she has fears of nausea and vomiting, so I tell her that maybe it’s not for her. Plus, my metabolism has slowed down completely and hers hasn’t.
After trying to model body positivity for her whole life, how can I enjoy how I look and feel knowing that she is secretly jealous of my body transformation? For the first time in forever, I’m being selfish and doing something for ME for a change. But she’s the last person on the planet that I want to hurt or feel bad. What do I do?