Do people treat you differently -- or is it you?

I think it was a little bit of both. I lost 30 lbs a couple of years ago and I definitely noticed that I was approached more often and that I also felt more confident in my skin. I think the way you carry yourself has a lot of power and people can see that and are attracted to it.

Also, they have treated me negatively as a result. People assume, because I have a small frame, that I have "always" been skinny and tiny and I don't know what it's like to be overweight or that I never eat unhealthy things. It's kind of ironic, actually. People just see the way you are and assume that it's how you've always been. People are shocked when they hear I lost almost 25% of my weight at one point in my life.

Even though I am still obese, I get that. At my current job, people know me as the tall curvy 218 lb I am right now and they can't envision me at 300. I was having a discussion about weight loss with my supervisor one day and she clearly thought I'd lost like 20 lb or something, not close to 100 lb. They made me trade office chairs with a larger employee who was uncomfortable because of the arms on the chair. I have lots of room to spare, but a few years ago I would not have. It is odd being the "right now" me, but I like it. However it's still kind of surreal to me too. I still look at women who wear around a size 24 and think of them as my size, even when a pair of size 16 jeans is on my body.

I still look at women who wear around a size 24 and think of them as my size, even when a pair of size 16 jeans is on my body.

Yeahhhhh, me too. Was at a size 28, at an 18 now and STILL can't see it some days.

I think when you look better, you feel better-- and it radiates out from you.

People pick up almost magnetically onto positive people.

AMEN! feel better, look better. Vica Versa

Well I live about 2,900 miles away from people who ever realize me being bigger than I am now (I'm 150 now, moved away at 160lbs., my heaviest was 247 in 2009) -- so not something I experience. I did however get down to 138 at a point, and people were nicer to me that remembered me. While proud of my accomplishments, I no longer live in that "former fat girl" identity. It's a part of my past and it's where it'll stay.

This is weird, but the main thing that I noticed is that more people let me cross over the road on my way to uni. That, and there were more *****y comments than ever from girls, but I put that down to jealousy.

People that I knew for many years didn't recognize me. I lost 170 lbs in 10 months. To be honest I didn't push the issue by saying something to them about my weight loss. If they said anything or asked questions I just shrugged it off as politely as I could and changed the subject. People in general do treat me differently now than at 360 lbs. The word fat is no longer used to describe me. My religious, political or philosophical points of view have not changed. Yet people do talk to me differently

I have to say that most people did NOT notice my early weight loss. From 205 pounds down to 180, only my mom and a handful of females noticed. Then when I dropped to the 170s more people noticed. My arms were looking bigger and veinier too from my training. I bought clothes that fit, then lots of people noticed. Many guys at work made comments and wanted to know what I was doing. I've had male and female friends and almost strangers cop a feel of my arms, shoulder, torso, without asking. That never happened before this year.

I think I look better because I'm thinner, more built, have new clothes that fit, and I think I smile more. I do think people treat me better in general, at first I thought it was all about how my body looks, but, I tend to think I didn't realize how happy I was with myself and I wonder how much that showed thru and makes me more approachable.

I think the reverse happens too sometimes. Today someone at the gym looked away from me when I looked back at her. I think when I was chunkier, more people would have been more comfortable smiling back rather than quick looking away.

For me, I feel so much better inside and out. A coworker told me that I have a healthy glow. I feel more confident. I think clean eating shows in your skin and hair especially. I think I've changed which affects how people interact with me.

After losing 50 or 60 pounds, people did start to treat me differently, but I believe it was because I was ready to have people see me. At my heaviest, I was so busy trying to be invisible, and now I have my head up and meeting people eye to eye and I am smiling! So I must be more approachable now. You won't get the love you need from others until you love yourself first... I truly believe that.

I've treated myelf differently. There aren't a lot of nice clothes that come in 4x, so even on a work day when I had 'power meetings' and training sessions, it was sneakers, stretchy pants, and an oversized shirt.

Today I had a meeting where I was meeting a new administrator and I WAS NOT EMBARRASSED BY THE WAY I LOOKED; nice shoes, fitted pants and tailored shirt.

I've also started sucking in my belly and sticking my boobs out a little more.