RE: Yet Another
Sparrow, I understand the need to rant, and I know you were just blowing off steam. I also totally sympathize with your first paragraph. But I just wanted to make one, no two, comments.
"Weight" is such a big deal for women in our culture. I think it is unrealistic to expect most women to avoid judging themselves to some extent, although I agree it is a shame.
I also just wanted to say that your exercise routine and eating habits seem easy to you, because they're second nature now, but it doesn't look so easy from the "outside" looking in. I had a serious weight problem when I was a teenager and it took me many years to learn how to manage my weight for the long term. I had many failed attempts and found that I had to learn so much about nutrition, exercise and, most importantly, my own psychology, and what worked for me. It's really SOOO much more than just going out and buying a workout tape.
In a way, I feel I was lucky to learn at such a young age. There are so many women who never had a weight problem until middle age. I keep meeting women who became heavy as a result of illness, surgery, motherhood, medication (the number of women with autoimmune diseases these days is staggering!) menopause, etc. and my heart goes out to them. It is not easy to change your whole lifestyle, especially when you're not a kid anymore. They suddenly find themselves faced with a problem they've never had before, and it is not an easy problem, especially because "weight" has so many emotional associations.
I absolutely agree that others should not be trying to make you feel guilty because of their problems. But remember: in the end, you're the one who is in good shape and who is happy with yourself, and they're probably pretty unhappy with themselves. In short, I recommend calling on your empathy and saying something kind and caring. Maybe when they feel a bit better, they'll be nicer, and you may find yourself less angry too.
Nancy