What to say to someone who's lost weight?

Eryndil

My friend is my greatest inspiration. She has lost over 80lbs and continues to steadily slim down to her goal weight. It's no secret that she was unhappy with how she looked for years, and it wasn't till after she finished school that she had time to buckle down and get more fit.

When walking around town together we sometimes bump into people we knew from school, or that she knew from her home town. Their initial reaction is always "OH MY GOD! What happened to you? You look AMAZING!" to which she jokingly replies "Ouch! Did I look that bad before?" She takes it really well, but it sort of sucks seeing people trying to compliment her, but always ending up just insulting her instead.

Is there a way to express excitement over someone else's weight loss without sounding like a total idiot?

(I've been guilty of the ol' "What's your secret?" dumb question - obviously a healthy lifestyle is their secret, there is no gimmicky fix for weight loss!)

Jennjenn1974

I don't think there is anyway, really.

When people say "You look amazing!" or "What did you do?" they are not trying to belittle or be insulting.

Maybe your friend should take it as that. A compliment on the amazing work she has done to change her life and her health.