How to respond to comments around your GLP-1 weight loss: A Juniper guide

Weight management has it’s ups and downs, both literally and figuratively.

While a win on the scales can feel motivating and energising, unsolicited comments and judgments from friends and family can leave us feeling disheartened, and sometimes even hurt.

Whether it's well-intentioned advice or outright criticism, remarks like ‘You look different’ and ‘You’ve lost so much weight!’ can be confronting at the best of times.

But the discussion around medical weight loss has evolved significantly in the past year, and while we’d love to think all conversations about GLP-1 medications would feel productive and open-minded, the reality is these can also come with judgement.

It can be helpful to prepare for the likely scenario in which someone comments on your weight loss, and ensure you have the tools to respond with confidence.

Below, you’ll find some useful tips for navigating the inevitable conversations around medical weight loss, with a conversation guide for common scenarios.

Identify your feelings

When imagining the scenario in which someone comments on your weight loss, how does that make you feel? Do you feel excited, and ready to share more? Or does it make you feel nervous, even anxious?

Your emotions can serve as a useful guide for how to prepare for these conversations, and should absolutely be taken into account.

And if the primary feeling is dread, nervousness or anxiety, consider that you may not actually be ready to talk about your weight loss journey yet, either at all or with specific people – and that is perfectly OK.

Keep reading for the tools to politely acknowledge the comments, but shut down the conversation from progressing.

Anticipate and prepare

Spend some time thinking about the questions or remarks you’re likely to encounter during parties, family lunches and celebrations.

You may already have received comments from friends, colleagues or others around your appearance during your medical weight loss journey, so reflect on these and write them down, along with anything else you’d like to be prepared to respond to.

Focus on the positive

Likely the comments you do receive will centre around looks: “You look different”, “You look smaller”, “You’ve lost weight”. This may be what your friends and family can see, but what they may not know is how different you feel.

One way to take the emphasis off your appearance is to shift the focus onto the non-scale benefits of your weight loss. Things like more energy, improved confidence, the ability to pick up a new hobby, or the fact you’ve fallen in love with cooking again.

This might sound like: “Thanks, you know I have so much more energy now? I’m doing 10,000 steps a day!” or “I can’t tell you how much better I’ve been sleeping. I never realised how tired I was feeling”.

Address assumptions with empathy

People may have misconceptions about weight loss medications, and might even project some judgement about their use for weight management.

Rather than getting defensive, it can be useful to approach these conversations with empathy. Acknowledging their concern is a great place to start, followed up by a brief explanation of the science behind GLP-1 use.

Here’s one we prepared earlier:

GLP-1 medications mimic a naturally occurring hormone, which slows down digestion, makes you feel fuller for longer, and reduces cravings. This can lead to weight loss and improved blood sugar control.

They’ve also been found to improve heart health by lowering bad cholesterol and blood pressure, and can also protect your liver by reducing fat buildup. There’s even some new research showing they can help addiction and cognitive decline too.

Practice ahead of time

Whether it’s in the mirror, while you’re driving to work, or over tea with a friend or partner, a little bit of practice will go a long way in making you feel comfortable and prepared.

It’s not going to feel seamless, and that’s okay. There’s likely to be some clunky moments and some awkward pauses, and if you’re just not into talking about it, you can at any point shut the conversation down. We’ll show you how below.

Conversation scenarios

Here are some likely comments you may receive after weight loss and how to respond.

Well-meaning remarks

Relative: “Wow, you look amazing! You’ve lost so much weight!”

You: “Thanks, I’ve been working hard on my health and feeling great. It’s been a long journey but I’m really happy with my progress.”

Unsolicited advice

Relative: “You should try this diet my friend told me about…”

You: “I appreciate that but I’m following a personalised plan and it’s going well for me. I’m feeling great about my progress.”

Judgemental comments

Relative: “You look so different, I hope you’re not doing anything dangerous”

You: “I’m working with my doctor to manage my weight and improve my overall health through lifestyle change and modern treatment. It’s been a great tool.”

Curious comments

Relative: “What’s your secret? What are you doing differently?”

You: “Weight loss is different for everyone, but I’m focused on a holistic approach to my health which includes diet, movement, and medication. The combination is really working for me, and it’s something I feel I can continue sustainably.”

Skeptical comments

Relative: “Weight loss medication is cheating/the easy way out.”

You: “Medication is just one part of my journey and it's not a magic solution. I've also been working hard on my diet and exercise habits with dietitians, health coaches and a big community, and I’ve never been more supported to reach my goals. It's been a lot of hard work and dedication, and I'm really proud of my progress.”

Dismissive remarks

Relative: “I heard all the weight comes back on after medication stops anyway.”

You: “That’s a possibility when you stop any medication, but I'm committed to making sustainable lifestyle changes and I'm working with my healthcare team to develop a plan that will help me maintain my weight loss long-term.”

Fear-driven remarks

Relative: “I’ve heard weight loss medication is dangerous.”

You: “I understand your concern. However under the guidance of a clinical care team, these medications can be safe and effective. I’m monitoring my health closely and feeling great about my progress.”

Reductive remarks

Relative: “You were fine the way you were, you didn’t need to lose weight.”

You: “I appreciate that, but my journey with my weight is about more than my appearance. I’m working hard to improve my overall health and wellbeing and I’m really happy with that.”

Cynical comments

Relative: “Everyone’s on Ozempic now / You must be doing Ozempic.”

You: “Actually, it's a comprehensive treatment plan prescribed by my doctor. I’m putting a lot of work into making diet and exercise changes, and I'm feeling great about my progress.”

When you’re ready to move on

If you’re open to discussing the details of your weight loss journey and are able to speak openly in a supportive environment, that’s wonderful.

If, however, you find you become uncomfortable and would prefer the conversation move along, you can set a boundary at any point, politely decline to discuss personal health information, and suggest a change in conversation.

"I'm happy with my progress, thank you" and “I'm feeling great and focusing on my health” can be powerful responses to just about any scenario while offering a definitive end to the conversation.

And if that doesn’t do the trick, you can keep these one-liners up your sleeve for when you’re ready to redirect the discussion into a new direction.

“Anyway, I’m sure we have more interesting things to talk about!”

“But that’s enough about me, how was your holiday?”

“Anyway, what’s something you’d like to do more of next year?”

“We can move on now. Tell me, how’s your family been doing?”

Remember, you don’t owe anyone anything

If you feel dread or anxiety at the thought of responding to comments around your weight loss, remember: you don’t have to!

At any time, you can respond with any of these one-liners, which politely acknowledge the comment without inviting more questions.

“Thank you, but I’d rather not talk about my weight today.”

“Thanks for noticing, I’ve been working to better my health for a long time.”

“My weight feels quite personal to me, I’m keeping things to myself for now.”

“I might tell you about it another time, just excited to hear from everyone else today.”

Stay calm and confident

You’re on this journey for you. You’ve put in the time, effort and energy to make your weight loss journey a successful one, and no one can take that away from you.

Photo credit: Unsplash / Priscilla Du Preez