I know I'm still new around these parts, but I've been lurking and reading for a while. You seem like a pretty sage group, so I'm turning to you for some advice and maybe a little pick-me-up.

Thanks to the TE Weight Loss Challenge, I've greatly increased my activity levels these last 2 months. Four years ago (this week, I think) I joined WW and lost 30 lbs. But I could never stick with exercising consistently. Last year I decided I needed to change that, and I signed up for a 50 mile bike ride for MS, knowing I'd have to prepare for it. I completed that ride, and did a metric in September. I've really fallen in love with cycling, and I want to achieve greater goals. This year I'd like to do a century and the MS 150 (my brother has MS, but thankfully is doing well and does the rides with me). For that, I know I really need to step up my training and fitness levels.

Thanks to WW, I know how to eat well. I eat plenty of veggies, fruit, protein, etc, and don't starve myself because I know that's not how to get the results I want. My workouts aren't outrageous: an hour on the elliptical once or twice a week, the Turbo Sculpt video twice a week, and a day or two on the bike for an hour. While I haven't lost weight according to my scale, I can see that I'm getting more toned (I dropped a size). This is where the problem lies.

Over the holidays I got a barrage of "you're wasting away" comments. Of course, I come from a traditional Italian family, so the fact that I'm anywhere near a normal weight is cause for concern for them. What's hard for me is that growing up, I was always chubby, and my parents never let me forget it. Any chance they had to point out how fat I was or that I was lazy and didn't exercise, they jumped on. Now I'm doing all the right things, and instead of being happy, they tell me I'm turning anorexic and generally mock my desire to be fit. I can't stress that point enough: I don't want to be thin, I want to be fit. "Oh, another reformed dieter!" is my dad's favorite refrain. I often feel like I can never win with them, that there's just no making them happy.

The whole thing is stressful to me. I know I'm not doing anything wrong or that will hurt me, i.e. extreme dieting or exercising. But somehow I feel like I am. I'd like to continue with the progress I've made and tone up more, but I fear the torment I'd have to endure from them should I get any smaller (btw I'm 5'-1" 123 lb, not exactly waif-like). It's tough knowing that no matter what I do, I can't seem to get any kind of support from my own family. Yesterday literally my entire family - aunts, grandparents, parents - were sitting around the table commenting. Oh sure, if I do complete a century, they'll tell me they're proud, but leading up to it will be a whole lot of "well you just do the best you can. I'm sure there are vans to take you back if you need to stop." I don't think they understand how much work is involved beforehand to be able to complete a ride like that. What's doubly frustrating is that my brother essentially did the same thing when he was diagnosed with MS. Changed his diet and started working out, eventually getting into weight-lifting and getting pretty cut. But no one said a word to him. He looks great, he's in great shape, and so forth. But no, I guess I'm not allowed to do the same thing.

So the point of all this is what can I do to a) convince them I'm not out to hurt myself, b) get them in my corner, and c) should that fail, learn to ignore their criticism? I want to be healthy, but part of that includes mental wellness, and right now I'm not feeling all that great. Have any of you had to deal with similar doubts/criticisms from those close to you? I'm sorry for the long post, but I really needed to get this off my chest, and I felt like this was the only group that would understand my plight. Thanks so much for listening.

Annette