I like when people comment on my weight loss...I worked hard for it..

the only time I was a bit mortified was when someone came up to me and grabbed the fat on my stomach because they wanted 'to see how much was left and how firm I had gotten'....I was like, that's almost as personal as a booby grab.....
but it made me laugh later because it reminded me of my friend who, when she was pregnant, had people running up and grabbing her belly to see if they could feel the baby... lol people are weird :D

Ugh, I just wrote a whole post and it disappeared.

Anyway, was saying this is a great thread.

I put on weight suddenly three years ago, and have been hiding ever since. I live in a town of stylish, image-conscious women. I've dropped out of the social scene, now grocery-shop in the next town, etc. If I have to go out at night, I use every trick in the book--wear black, Spanx, etc. It's a ridiculous way to live, but in my shamed, obsessed head, I imagine that my dumpiness is the talk of the town.

I keep thinking that when I lose the weight (I almost typed "love" the weight, hmmm), I'll have been so out of sight that most people won't have registered it. I, too, have that horror of hearing, "Oh my GAWD, you lost a TON of weight! You were really looking heavy there for a while."

Recently I did have to attend a cocktail party, and was gratified to see many of those stylish gals had put on a few as well. I suppose it's our age (late 40s+). Still.

On the flipside, it is awkward when you run into someone who was significantly overweight, who has dropped a lot of it. I try to keep my eyes in my head, smoothly say, "You look great," and move on.

My neighbor was huge a few years ago, but lost probably 80 pounds. She's kept it off for about five years now, and looks hot, much better than me. I never would have believed it,but I'm envious of her. And I've FINALLY begun to permanently think of her as slim. :-)

Thanks for listening, I hope my honesty hasn't been off-putting. Weight is such a private, icky subject.

I was absolutely bombarded by compliments and attention because I lost my weight in about 10 months. Like the OP, I was initially embarrassed because I was so used to being the wallflower. Within a few months though my mind did wrap around my new reality and I began feeling comfortable in new styles and with attention from women and from men.

I don't make a habit to discuss weightloss though. Very rarely do I discuss it outside 3FC except with one or two friends in real life. I know what works for me and don't like to debate it with anyone else.

I have been overweight for years (15+). In fact, most, if not all, of my current co-workers have never known me "thin." I am about half way in my quest to be healthy and people are just now noticing!! Actually, I know that they noticed before, but many people were too shy to say anything...maybe they thought I was sick or something :-)

I even had one man, after I had lost over 30 pounds, say, "I'm sorry if this offends you, but I just have to say how great you look! You have lost so much weight!" I thought that was kind of funny, since I couldn't imagine why saying I look good would offend me in any way! But then I realized, that a lot of people feel that way...weight is a taboo subject...obviously on both sides of the conversation!

I have to admit, I don't mind when people exclaim how "thin" I am. My response, "Thanks." However, when they start to go on and on about it and want a blow by blow of how and why I did it...that gets very irritating.

Then there's the problem of seeing people you haven't seen in years, who remember you as effortlessly thin. And worse, who have, through a healthy lifestyle and discipline, finally achieved a great body themselves!

I feel exactly the same. I had people scream at me at a party recently because they were so shocked how much I lost. Not nice. I also expect some people freaking out when they see me in December after not seeing me since I started losing. And I didn't tell them I am!
However, I had one nice experience with my boss recently. She came in and told me how great I look and how amazing it is what I am doing. (She is skinny like a stick!) I told her that it is embarrassing how big I was before and that I feel weird when people make a big fuss about me losing weight. She said that she honestly doesn't remember how big I was. She just sees me looking better and better every day/week. And she thinks it is amazing how I transform from month to month.

I thought about it and actually, I agree. I don't even remember how huge I looked last year! How would she? People don't keep a perfect picture of us in mind, more like an outline. Ok, she was bigger but they can't remember the details. And I don't think it is any different for people that haven't seen you in a long while. They don't remember 237 lbs or size 16. They remember stories and experiences around you and a vague idea of your body size.

Anyways, I am still freaked out when somebody gushes all over it but I am ok with normal voiced comments and compliments.

Does that make any sense?

Great thread! I haven't lost enough weight for people to say anything. Although not too long ago, someone mentioned something, and i was surprised. I guess maybe I lost some inches?

I love the compliments. I love hearing how thin I look. I agree that there's a time and a place, though, and at some point, enough is enough.

I have also sort of gone in to hiding. I don't go outside as often. I don't want my neighbors to see me. I even had one neighbor who moved in to the neighborhood think that my husband was divorced because they never saw me. I'm ashamed! I dread running in to people who knew me back when I was thin, since i had lost weight to get there too!

So, I love the compliments (for now).

I'm still reading through the comments but I wanted to respond to this so I'm sorry if someone already pointed this out. But we've lost similar amounts of weight (my starting weight was higher but some of that happened years ago with yo-yoing in between). I think your main issue here is that you're wearing the same clothes!!!!

I can, for instance, still wear one of my favorite pair of size 14 jeans with a good belt (not possible without one). I love those jeans and they don't look very flattering anymore but they are SOOOOOOOOO comfortable that I wear them still. That being said I recently updated my wardrobe a bit (got a nice dress that actually fit, a few new t-shirts and a belt that goes around my waist to show off my figure more) and all of a sudden I started getting a lot of compliments! If you're still in your original clothes from 30+ pounds ago it really does hide your figure. Try going clothes shopping, I'm sure you'll be surprised. ;)

Ok, back to reading...

I'm not rich so I can't be the friend that you speak of but I've lost the vast majority of my weight doing just that (and in about a years time). I also yo-yoed for YEARS and it really took a detox period of getting rid of sugar and white flour for me to start this journey so I'd probably give a similar answer to your friend. She very well could've done it the old fashioned way. ;)

I really wouldn't assume that people will think you had weight loss surgery. I have a number of friends who have lost weight and I only know one who has had WLS she was a lot heavier than just 100lbs overweight and had some major health issues to boot. I don't think most people take WLS lightly so anytime I see someone with a big drop in weight I normally assume they did it through diet and exercise.

Ok, sorry for spamming you with a lot of comments but I've found this thread really interesting and now I'll actually respond to your OP. ;)

On one hand, I've kept my weight loss pretty private. I do talk about some changes I've made in my life (giving up sugar, weight lifting) but I normally never mention that I'm doing those things to lose weight. Like you I just want it to sort of happen organically because I'd kind of like to wipe that image of fat me off of the face of the planet. :p

I have started getting comments, though. Sometimes just posting a picture of myself on FB or even wearing a new outfit has elicited them. Normally, though, they have been from people that know I've made some changes in my life. I was pretty surprised because yesterday I got a comment from a friend of mine that I see often at the gym (she used to be a personal trainer) and she's only known me at about 10-15lbs higher than where I am right now (we moved not too long ago so nobody here has really seen me at my highest) but she was pretty surprised and said she could see the difference. It felt nice because she also knows how much effort I've put into the whole thing.

On the other hand, we're going to a wedding this fall and I'll see people there who haven't seen me since I was well over 200lbs! I'm really excited to see them but nervous too. Will they notice? Will they say anything? Maybe I won't look that different to them? I kind of wish I could just turn off the worrying about it. :dizzy:

Don't ppl on IP loose 100lb in 1year? i think it is possible especially if you are young.

I do think there is a passive/aggressive/jealous type that will go overboard with the astonishment and praise, just to put you down.

Actually, I just thought of this. There is a nicer way to pay a compliment, and I've used this one: "Wow, you've been working out!"

Haha, now that you guys mention it, you're right that comments that are limited to "you look great" are probably best. My mom likes to repeat the winner of, "Now you have a chin!" Implying that I lacked a chin before? Thanks, mum. ;)

Yep, I had a "doubter" whispering behind my back too. She started asking me questions one day at a park--in a round about way she was SUGGESTING I had surgery in front of a group of women. I pulled up my shirt and said--"No surgery scars here but some stretch marks from my babies!" LOL, she wasn't sure what to say.

Hey, and for the record I have a friend that had the surgery. Wow. I wouldn't wish what she went through on anyone! No walk in the park for certain!!!!