Cal Counter-- when I first lost my weight, I got a lot of those comments too. People just aren't used to the "new you". The comments stopped for me-- except from my elderly male relatives-- my uncle and my FIL-- they still ask if I'm eating, if I'm healthy, etc. No one says the same thing if you gain weight-- boy-- you really shouldn't gain anymore!
It's just as rude as asking Jessica if she's pregnant! People's rudeness blows me away sometimes.
By the way, I do bikram yoga which is a whole different ball of wax from yoga. It's in a HOT and HUMID room for 90 plus minutes. Totally worth trying out if you have a studio near you. Most will offer a cheap new student special. I tried it three years ago and I'm HOOKED!
Cal Counter, I think there's another thing going on, which is that when someone loses weight by dieting, their face and hands and arms can sometimes look kind of gaunt, even though they aren't at an unhealthy weight. This happened to me--people wondered if I was sick! I had a friend who said that "don't lose any more weight" thing to me--someone who is kind of eating disordered herself! I do think it's a rude thing to say, but people start to worry.
And thank goodness that no one says the same thing when you're on your way up again... At least not to your face.
Jay, I've seen that gauntness and know enough poor folks who've had cancer instead of diet as their reason for losing weight that unless they seem to exhibit that bounce and good cheer associated with health improvements I keep my mouth shut.
I'm still lurking here and checking in, though I've been busy and in and out of town for the last week. But I am excited to announce we're expecting baby #5 sometime in January 2015! It's a good thing I'm in my goal range overall and content with that, because it isn't changing anytime soon
I have a confession to make . . . I'm kind of scared of losing back down to my goal weight. I'm scared of starting to diet again because I've gotten comfortable with eating the very large quantity of food that I need to produce enough milk for two babies. I'm scared of having to limit myself instead of indulging, because I've gotten used to indulging again. I'm also scared that I'm going to get down to my goal weight again and instead of being happy with my body, I'm going to just have a big bag of loose skin on my belly and I won't fit into any of my clothes because of it. I've always had an hourglass figure and my wardrobe pretty much accentuates my small waist, but right now I have an enormous waist and I'm afraid the extra skin will make it so that even if I lose the fat I will no longer be an hourglass. I'm also afraid that my boobs will either not go back down to their normal size once breastfeeding is done or that they'll get super saggy and deflated. Right now I'm really uncomfortable most of the time because there is only one brand of nice nursing bra that comes big enough for my breastfeeding-inflated size, and it's not a great fit. I really want to fit into my old bras, but I'm nervous I won't be able to and the old bras may not come big enough for my current size. Also right now a lot of my old shirts won't fit over my chest (aside from the fact that I have enough belly fat that my fat belly sticks out the bottom of them). I really love some of those shirts! Anyway, sorry for the rambling. On to replies...
Congrats Taryl! Remind me the ages of your other kids? Now that I've had to take care of my twins for a year I'm always in awe of other people who manage to somehow take care of more than two kids. One of my coworkers has eight!
Developmental evaluation for my girls went fine. They are right on track for their adjusted age. Yesterday morning they started waving hello, and have repeated it multiple times yesterday and today, so that is a big step forward! I told DH that he has to make sure they don't take their first steps until I'm home in the evening though.
Re: people commenting on weight/asking if you're pregnant -- Yeah, somehow there are always people who haven't seemed to have gotten the word that it's not okay to ask someone if they're pregnant. To be honest I don't mind quite as much right now because I know that I look pregnant, because all of my baby weight is right in my tummy and it is disproportionately large. It bothered me more the time someone asked if I was pregnant when I was only a couple pounds above my goal weight! I guess it is the most bothersome when it comes from people who should know better though, like when one of the other twin moms in my twins club asked. Like, dude, you have twins. Clearly you know the toll it takes on your body! How could you ask me if I'm pregnant when you know my girls are barely a year old??
Dagmar, I hope your DH sorts out his work situation. I feel like I have said that to you many times over the past few years though, and like it never goes anywhere.
Cal Counter, I have also seen the gauntness Jay is talking about. Not sure if you have it or not, but it may be something that a change of hair or makeup could lessen a little bit. (If you have styleable hair or wear makeup, anyway -- my hair is super short and I don't wear makeup so I'm kind of giving spurious advice here.) But yeah, wearing clothes that are too big for you may make you look smaller than you actually are, or there may be something about the cut of the clothes that are doing it.
Jessica-- I understand your nervousness about losing weight and your changing body. My advice would be to take it slow and let the weight come off slowly. Your body will adjust over time. My "girls" are much smaller than when I was nursing-- they pretty much went back to normal. They are even smaller now but that is because I lost more weight after my kids.
I'm trying to avoid more food land mines this week. It is staff appreciation week at my school and we are getting super appreciated!! Each day is something. Today is "Soup-er day" (they have a super hero theme). I thought it would be a few soups but they are setting up and there is food everywhere! Probably 20 crockpots minimum, salads, rolls, desserts.... I think I will grab my salad out of the fridge and sneak eat in the library. I just can't afford to splurge right now. I know another day is "snack day", another day is "decadent desserts" and another is some sort of lunch. I appreciate all of their hard work and know my colleagues will take full advantage!
That's great news that the kiddos are on track developmentally! And I hear you on postpartum clothing issues - for me I have to work out fairly diligently to fit into my prepregnancy clothes without belly flab. It isn't even first, but soft skin that gives me muffin top if ANYTHING presses into it. More and more things like skirts are much more flattering to me, not because I don't have a decent figure but because they cinch above my mommy tummy at my waist, not hitting closer to my belly button.
My oldest turned 7 in April, so we have 7 dd, 5 dd, 3 ds, and 1 dd. The first three were spaced in such a way that my oldest was three when my son was born, so I had three kids in three years for a little while there!
Michele - I hear you on food bombs. That's the way it is at my church - tons of delicious baking and snack foods that aren't on my plan, always available and frequently being pushed by well meaning folks. Ugh!
Jessica - glad the developmental checkup was right on! I know it seems impossible now, but you will get back to your pre-pregnancy weight. It will just take time! I didn't have twins but did have a 10 pound baby who nursed a year and at 1 she weighed 30 pounds! So you can imagine I was huge and had the same bra problem. After her first birthday I did get serious for about 6 months and lost a lot of it but never was dedicated enough to get down to pre-pregnancy weight until now - 21 years later! But whatever I lost back then, did put my parts back into place and I was able to go back to my former bra size. I think the belly did sag for years but I didn't exercise. Like Michele said, I too am lower than pre-pregnancy, so the "girls" are much smaller than ever.
Taryl, Congratulations! It's great to start the pregnancy at a low weight!
Michele - when you teach in a HS, teacher appreciation week is basically one email from the superintendent ... "thanks for all you do". Years ago I taught in a PK-12 school and I remember being shocked at all the food and gifts. Also, the end of the year presents! At a HS, the parents are so glad to be almost done, that there is no recognition other than "why doesn't my child have an A?"
Maybe I do look gaunt, but I don't feel like I do. I have always had fat cheeks and they aren't as fat now. And at 52, the neck starts to show some lines I think have to just go with the flow and just assume people are worried about me. I don't know, I feel great and am trying to focus on how great I feel and not on little things like neck lines and jiggly arms! BTW, when I was at the dermatologist a few weeks ago, waiting impatiently in the exam room, there was a poster on the wall about adding fat to your cheeks. According to the poster, as we age we lose fat (or whatever they called it) in our cheeks so we can add it back in with whatever they were trying to sell. I got so angry reading that! First of all I've spent my whole life with fat cheeks, and now someone is trying to tell me that fat cheeks are good and I might be losing it, so pay to get it back! ugh!
And, yes, thank goodness no one comments when we are gaining!
I forgot to congratulate Jessica on the babies being right on track! I'm sure that was a worry for you!
I succumbed slightly to the food pressure yesterday but having a cup of chicken tortilla soup. It was pretty yummy and the scale was only up a smidge today. I posted a photo on FB of a card a student wrote me. So sweet but a tad awkward! It said "Thank you for all you do to me". Ha Ha! We'll see what the food pushers have on tap today.
I'm back at work after 2 weeks in Utah. My organization completed a grant application for a $330K grant in its ENTIRETY while I was away - I feel bad about missing out on contributing to the efforts but it was a very last minute grant, and I'm not sorry at all I went on vacation!
BF and I hiked a LOT and I lost about 5 pounds. Weighed in at 116.4 this morning which is the lowest I've ever been, and I can tell I've gained a little since my lowest (wasn't weighing, but my clothes were falling off). A few pictures from the trip:
One of my coworkers has eight! 
on the 5 lbs. lost!
