People thinking you're sick after weight loss?

I was once asked if I lost the weight on purpose. LOL

I think it's a common assumption because maybe more people do lose weight as a result of being sick as opposed to losing the weight to be healthy.

I started out at 258. When I was around 190, someone told me I looked 'gaunt' No, baby, no one is GAUNT at 190 pounds

find another adjective.

They could be if they were 7 feet tall. : ) I'm guessing that's not your height though.

I WISH someone would ask me about my weight loss. Down 32 lbs and its as if people are scared to tell someone "you look great!" or "i can tell your losing weight." Why is it so hard to say that to someone?? gahhh. So frustrating!

Yup, been asked that several times by family, co-workers, and friends. Even people who knew I'd made some changes in my lifestyle to drop some weight. I just take it as recognition that I've achieved noticeable weight loss. So it's a compliment... Albeit a strange one.

I think that the social norm now is for people to be over their ideal weight by about 25 / 30lbs. Too many people now see this as a normal weight, so when someone makes the change and loses that extrea 30lbs and gets back to their ideal weight and they do it in a healthy way. Other people just precieve it as being too thin, looking unhealthy. And its also an excuse from them to justify their own weight issues.

My sister said the same to me after I lost about 22lbs. I told her that I was still overweight by about 15lbs and that my test was standing straight naked, if I looked down and could not see my little fella I was basically still over weight.

Do the healthy thing.

I have been asked if I have a drug problem. But I live in Corpus Christi where the obesity rate is 30.2%. Being in good shape and health is definitely abnormal in these parts.

I lived in Corpus for many years! I am now in San Antonio where the same issues exist. People have been really good about my weight loss because they know it is deliberate...but I do keep getting comments about getting "too skinny". Funny since I am a loooong way from goal.

my mom asked me if i were making myself throw up the other day wtf

i would have looked my mom dead in the face and said "yes, ma'am" just to see the look on her face.

I lost about 15kg a few years back and my best friend's dad was too scared to comment. eventually when her stepmum said something about my jeans getting a bit saggy in the bum he came out with some comment along the lines of 'I noticed you've lost weight, you look good, but I didn't want to say anything in case you were sick or something'. we all laughed at him, and then bless him, he came out with the most considerate comment of all.. 'well, it's really none of my business if you are sick or if you do just want to lose weight, so I kept my thoughts to myself!'

I actually was sick a couple of years ago and lost weight - but was still above my goal weight - so I'm assuming that 'concern' will return as I continue losing.

That said, there's a bunch of research on this in the U.S. - 63% of the population is significantly overweight (and going up) and peoples' perception of what is "normal weight" has been distorted ... so first off many people see "normal" weight as "underweight", when it isn't. Second, as lots of folks have pointed out, graduate loss isn't noticed until it hits some sort of "perceptual threshold" and then it looks like a sudden loss, so people are concerned.

Myself I also wonder if people are also unused to seeing people successfully reduce as a result of choice and hard work that they assume illness rather than conscious change.