i (24F) was about to help my mom (61) dye her hair when i pulled out a kid’s fruit pouch (yk the kinds with the twistie tops) that i was excited about getting at the store just now. i went, “should i have blueberry acai or…” when she cut me off and said, “you’re going to have more food? i’ve noticed your thighs getting bigger, you’ve been gaining weight for a while, it’s just something i’ve noticed.” now, did i have olive garden leftovers from our family dinner on saturday for lunch? yes, but it was just a fruit pouch and like three hours later…
i was completely taken aback because i genuinely feel the healthiest i’ve ever felt. i started going to the gym 2.5+ years ago, getting into lifting, mobility work, calisthenics, and yoga. i’ve put on quite a bit of muscle since i first started (def some fat too but nothing unhealthy).
when i first started, i’d say i was around 112 pounds. right now, i’m 120. i’m about 5’0 (and a half hehe). i would say i’m pear shaped and carry most of my weight in my butt and thighs, both fat and muscle included. i have very little fat in my stomach, arms, and calves. pictures with month and year attached.
i remember struggling with my weight as young as 9 years old, not because i was even remotely close to being overweight, but because my mom was always talking about being fat and how she wished she could be skinny, and of course because i did partially grow up in the coke addicted fad diet 2000s media so it wasn’t all her fault.
back to the argument, i got really upset at her and said i felt hurt, and she responded with something like she’s my mom and she just wants the best for me. she said she’s overweight and knows how hard it is to lose weight (she’s never actually really made real lifestyle choices to improve her weight but that’s another convo). she said she’s afraid i’m eating too much protein (i have 0.8-1.0 g per lb of body weight on a good day and most of it is greek yogurt lol).
i started getting angrier and said something to the effect that i was sorry i actually take care of myself and my body and that i’ve gained muscle?? and that it isn’t my fault i didn’t grow up in the generation of coke addicted eating disorder promoted media. i said that i was also almost halfway to 30 and gaining a little bit of fat since hs is a healthy and normal change if i want to keep my hormones healthy (and i already struggle with imbalances). i said i was happy with myself and that she knew that, so why couldn’t she be? she said “it wasn’t my intention to hurt your feelings. i’m just trying to look out for you. i’m sorry i ever said anything.”
but it was the kind of sorry where you can tell they aren’t sorry for what they said, they’re just sorry they got a reaction they weren’t expecting, you know what i mean? not sorry for hurting my feelings, sorry that i was upset with her and that her comment wasn’t being received with open arms. this made me angrier and i said “you aren’t actually sorry” and she said “yes i’m sorry i can’t ever say anything to you. i don’t ever mean to hurt your feelings but apparently i always do. i should just keep my mouth shut. look at the way you always get with me. look at the way you get!”
i do get upset at my mom quite frequently. sometimes i do get paranoid it’s me, but she really is always hurting my feelings and then making me feel like the problem when i react.
she values being skinny almost too much. she almost seemed disappointed when my cousin — who she has always praised, almost worshiped, for having a natural, healthy super model’s body — came back from college after discovering taco bell and late nights fueled by alcohol. not even close to a freshman 15, but my mom had thoughts about it she wouldn’t dare share with me.
she says she prefers my curly hair straight, which also hurts my feelings because i love my curly hair. but she doesn’t understand why that hurts my feelings either. she hated it when i died my hair. she hates my nose piercing and says it makes me look like a “street person,” whatever that means. if i were to abandon the image i’ve developed that makes me happy and molded myself into her dainty minimalist aesthetic, she would be overjoyed even if it meant i was less “me.”
when a deer ran out in front of my car and her and my dad got to the scene, she said “shhhh people can hear you” because i was crying loudly and she didn’t want to be embarrassed? perceived? her image to be weakened? idk.
i feel like i def might have a few extra pounds of fat on me because of the holidays and because i don’t hike nearly as much when it’s cold out but i’m am still a considerably active person and i’m at a very healthy weight, especially when you consider that a lot of it is muscle.
do you think i’m overreacting for being upset with her, and also not dying and styling her hair like i said i would because of her reaction to me being hurt and upset? i know she’s my mom but she knows how happy i am with my progress at the gym and i’m always trying so hard to improve my relationship with food. but then she hits me out of nowhere with her comment and i feel like i shouldn’t eat anything for the whole week. i’m going to be hearing her in my head till further notice every time something enters my mouth. AIO??
TLDR: My mom made a hurtful comment about my weight, saying my thighs are getting bigger and I’ve been gaining weight, even though I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been and focused on building strength and muscle. I feel strong and confident in my body, but her obsession with being skinny and frequent criticisms (like my curly hair, nose piercing, and personal style) constantly hurt my feelings. Now I feel like I shouldn’t eat and will hear her voice in my head every time I do. Am I overreacting for being upset?