The way others see your weight loss

Whether we admit it or not, a big part of most peoples’ motivation for weight loss is to improve the way we look or, more specifically, to improve the way we appear to other people. Of course this isn’t the only reason we lose weight but whether we want to be taken more seriously at work, be looked on as more of a contender in our team sports or turn the heads of potential mates, it’s a biggie when it comes to motives.

I’ve now crept over the 40lbs lost mark and over the halfway-to-target milestone. This loss has led me to some very interesting observations about the way other people view one’s weight loss. It seems to me that people fall into distinct groups. I wonder if this rings true for anyone else.

1] The Complimentors
These are the very nice people who comment often on how well you look and commend you for your efforts in a genuine way. They often start to notice even early on and comment on the first sign of weight loss and applaud you when the see you eating healthily. In my experience, complimentors tend to be female and have a healthy body weight themselves.

2] The concerned complimentor
This group also comment on your weight loss and eating habits but urge you to be cautious with “I think you’re overdoing it” or “You’ve lost enough now, it’s time to stop” even when my BMI has just crept out of the obese range.

3] The negative
Luckily, the number of people who have said something negative directly to me is very small so I think and hope this is a minority group. Last week I had one individual comment “How can you lose 40lb and still be so fat?” Ironically, I find the rare interactions with this kind of person more motivating than most as it prompts an “I’ll show you” response.

4] The no commentor
This is by far the bulk of the populous, the people who, despite the fact that you look great, have had a complete change of wardrobe and have dropped 20% of your body, don’t seem to realise. Closer examination reveals that these people really form 2 groups.
Firstly you have those who are genuinely oblivious. Often middle aged men who are not aware of their own weight never mind yours and who, if asked about your appearance before and after, would respond “Emmm, about average?”
Secondly you have the large group of large people who know that they too have a weight issue. And by acknowledging your weight loss they may have to strike up a conversation with themselves about their own health and body image. Often this is too painful so they ignore weight loss in others thus avoiding the subject.

Just a few observations on my part, perhaps others have experienced similar or have noticed other interesting behaviours.