When it comes to gift-giving, you’d expect that you’re always the intended recipient. Alas! As it turns out, some people buy something that they personally want, hoping that they’ll end up getting the item back.

Redditor u/MouseAnon16 recently went viral on r/pettyrevenge after sharing how she lost weight to spite her mother-in-law. Everything started after her MIL bought her a stylish jacket that was clearly too small for her. Scroll down for the full story.

Bored Panda has reached out to the author via Reddit and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from her.

People can have overlapping motivations for wanting to lose a bit of weight. Some do it for health reasons, but they might feel partially driven by spite

Image credits: Andres Ayrton (not the actual photo)

One woman shared how a gift from her mother-in-law inspired her to change her lifestyle

Image credits: Laura James (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Tobias Tullius (not the actual photo)

Image credits: MouseAnon16

Losing weight in a healthy way doesn’t happen overnight: it takes a long time and requires a lot of discipline

Image credits:  Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)

There are two main issues at play here. First of all, we’ve got the entire situation with the gift jacket that was purposefully bought to be too small for the OP. And second, there’s the not-so-subtle insinuation from the mother-in-law that u/MouseAnon16 was overweight.

Many of us would have probably reacted in one of two ways in this situation. Some of us would have called the MIL out for her behavior, whether diplomatically or a tad more bluntly. Meanwhile, others would have given her the jacket or given it away to charity.

However, redditor u/MouseAnon16 did neither. She had wanted to lose some weight for a while for her health, so she figured she’d use the entire situation for some motivation. “Until my MIL pulled that little stunt on me with my Xmas present, I wasn’t that motivated to lose the weight. By the next Spring, the jacket fitted me perfectly,” she shared.

The OP succeeded with flying colors. The best revenge is a life lived well, after all. However, losing weight is a huge endeavor. It can be extremely challenging for anyone because it involves fundamental lifestyle changes and developing new, healthier habits.

It’s not something that happens overnight, either. These changes require a lot of discipline and patience as you make small shifts to your life, day after day, week after week, and month after month.

If you try to change your diet and exercise habits all at once, the odds are that you’ll quickly fail and fall back into your old ways. What really helps is having a very clear purpose for why you’re making these changes.

Having a firm sense of purpose can give a huge boost to your motivation

The reasons can be very personal and vary from individual to individual. One person can do this for the sake of having more energy and being healthier for the sake of their loved ones. Others might want to look more attractive so they can find a partner. And some might want to fit into a gorgeous jacket they got as a gift. There are no wrong answers here. Whatever motivates you through the tough times ahead clearly works.

Naturally, before you make any major lifestyle changes and start to lose weight, you should talk to your doctor about the entire process. They’ll be able to give you some pointers on what kind of progress and roadblocks you can expect and how you should pace yourself.

The general rule of thumb is to avoid sugary and processed foods, as well as items laden with saturated fats. Meanwhile, it’s important to avoid alcohol and smoking, drink plenty of water, get enough sleep, and move more throughout the day.

Something that you shouldn’t ignore is cultivating positive relationships in your life, as loneliness can be incredibly detrimental to your physical and mental health.

Healthy living is fundamentally linked to a nutritious diet and lots of movement

Image credits: Jane Doan (not the actual photo)

The NHS suggests eating 3 regular and balanced meals per day and only snacking if you’re physically hungry. A good idea is to substitute high-calorie, unhealthy food items with healthier alternatives. That might mean choosing carrots and dip over your favorite chips or opting for black coffee instead of super fancy drinks with lots of whipped cream and three different syrups.

Another thing to keep in mind is the size of your main meals. Eating slightly less than you normally would should help you lose weight. And don’t finish the plate in front of you just because the food’s there: if you feel full, you can save the leftovers for later.

It goes without saying that you should be eating in a mindful way. That means no breakfast, lunch, or dinner in front of a screen, whether that’s your TV, computer, or phone. If you’re eating something, do so with purpose.

The CDC recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week. That’s the equivalent of at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise.

According to the NHS, moderate aerobic exercise could be anything from walking to cycling and even heavy housework. The point is to move in such a way that you increase your breathing, but you’re still able to talk.

Meanwhile, vigorous exercise is anything that you do that makes it difficult for you to talk, from running to playing sports. Including some strength training at least twice a week is also recommended to keep you strong as you age.

The author interacted with a lot of her readers in the comments

Here’s how some internet users reacted to the story. Some even had similar revenge stories to tell

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