Having my weight loss noticed makes me feel uncomfortable

I like hearing that someone noticed. Proves to me that I am really on the right road. Let's all face it, if you lose weight people will notice. The more you lose the more they will notice. Them making a remark is meant as a compliment I am sure. It does not matter what they think though, hopefully you are losing for yourself. Taking off pounds is not easy, a lot of people really struggle. So hold your head up with pride and answer them "Absolutely, I am losing."

Skinny people get more attention... it's so unnatural to me to receive it but it's always. I'm like... *turns into a hermit*

I also feel uncomfortable when people notice my weight loss. I know they are trying to compliment me, but in my warped, low self-esteem brain it sounds like "wow you used to be SOOO FATTTT!!!" I don't ever mention how much I've lost, because I obviously still have a ways to go, and I don't need people eyeing me up, doing mental math at how much I must have weighed before. Like, wow, you lost 90 pounds and you're still overweight. I'm ashamed that I ever got to that point, and I don't like the reminders.

It sucks to feel that way though, and I'm actively trying to stop. It's hard to reverse a lifetime of feeling uncomfortable in one's body, and all the social responses developed with it.

I don't mind so much the "you look great, you must have worked really hard" type of compliments, because I did work really hard, but its when they want to get into detail, asking how much I've lost or what size I wear or my annoying neighbor who no longer calls me by my name but, "hey skinny" which I hate, or a new one, "you don't have to worry about food, you're skinny now". I've been at this for almost 2 years, I'm over it, it's a part of my life now. I get it if someone hasn't seen me in awhile, sure they'll have lots of questions, I usually answer with the basic, "eat less, move more, blah, blah, blah" and try to move on to a different subject.

maybe because it reinforces that they thought you were fat before.

Yes, this is why it was for me.

maybe because it reinforces that they thought you were fat before.

Yes, this is why it was for me.

This kind of thinking is caused by low self-esteem. We train our brains to twist everything everyone else says into a negative & almost always incorrect statement about ourselves. We can correct this thinking but it takes consistent effort.

I've struggled with taking compliments pretty much my entire life. Losing weight has attracted more attention than any other thing I've done, so I've really had to work hard not to come across as an ungrateful *kitten*.

The place where I work is full of the most weight-obsessed people I have ever encountered. Not that the employees are necessarily healthy (far from it, actually) but they notice and call out weight changes and call them out--positive or negative.

I've lost 45 pounds and have another 35 or so to reach my goal. My goal is 5 pounds under the top end of "normal" weight for my height, so I'm not looking to be uber-skinny. Even so, I have gotten all kinds of hyperbolic comments ever since I was about 20 pounds down::

"You're wasting away!!!"
"You are skinny as a rail"
"Look at you, skinny mama"

A few months ago, my response was a shy nod, a "hmph", and maybe a feeble "thanks". Lately, I'm getting more co-workers coming to me for advice and suggestions so I'm trying to boost the confidence in my response.

What I find funny is when I see people in the canteen as I'm getting an afternoon snack (usually a protein bar and coffee), and they ask me how my efforts are going. As if my actually eating indicates I've fallen off the wagon or something.

Today I decided that I felt comfortable enough to wear a form fitting top. As I was minding my own business at work, my supervisor walks behind me and states rather matter of factly,
"My God, Emily, you have been losing a lot of weight."

I went into instant social anxiety mode. Instead of saying something like "thank you for noticing! ect." I just go
"....yea."

This doesn't only apply to my supervisor, but to my friends and family as well. I just feel so uncomfortable whenever anyone points it out, and for the life of me I can't figure out why.

You know what's also uncomfortable? Passerby's looking at you and smiling. Strangers talking to you. Actually receiving help in a store.
I feel like I have been missing out on basic human interactions my whole life because of my weight, and they are now all being thrown at me at once as a 23 year old woman.

Anyone else in the same boat?

The only time I hate it is when people comment & call me skinny (I don't think 182.5 is skinny), when they exclaim with amazement that I still want to lose more weight, & when people tell me to eat a cheeseburger.

The part that really makes me uncomfortable is the (mostly unwanted and sometimes extremely rude) attention from men. You don't have to deal with it (as much) when you're bigger, and suddenly BAM here it is and you have no skills of deflection.

I feel the same way. So far, this time around I've only gotten positive & often amusing attention from men.

From past experience, I know the jerks are out there & they will eventually bother me. I know that when I lost a huge amount of weight years ago I did my best to ignore the jerks & there advances. I didn't want them to see that they have flustered me so I'd laugh or make a brief, dismissive comment. I hope I do as well this time around.

I haven't lost that much weight yet, so most people don't notice. But one of my colleagues that is from out of town keeps saying that I'm shrinking really fast and that it really shows. Once he did that when I didn't lose anything at all for weeks.

Just makes me uncomfortable because I don't know what to say. If I say 'not really' he insists that I did... I'm kind of at a loss with him. He's not hitting on me or anything, just keeps making these statements about me shrinking.

I have a hard time with it because the tone is often not that nice. "You're cold all the time because you have no fat left!" (Wrong. I was cold at 145lbs too), "where are your boobs? You look like a teenager!" (Still an F cup, but thanks?) "Were you sick?" (No. Do I look sick?)

If people would stick to "you look great. Have you lost weight?" and leave out the judgey commentary I'd probably be better at saying "yes, I have lost weight, thank you for noticing."

Aww! I felt the same way for a long time. Half of the time I feel awkward. Embarrassed, that people notice my weight loss. It was even stranger when these people I've been working with for two years, come in and say "OMG Jess you're wasting away!!!" I mean, I blush profusely, I bow my head, and say "oh... thanks." I mean, I should take it as a compliment right? But it sounds terrible! Wasting away??? I'm not thin, I'm 173 lbs. The other day a girl came in, I see her all the time, and she goes, OH MY GOD, Jess look at you! Where did you go?! It's embarrassing because no one mentioned I was "fat" before! To a few people I was referred to as the "string bean" or the "thin girl"... my boss pointed that one out yesterday.

Its embarrassing but you should be proud of yourself! I'm sure you've come a long way and it's a good thing people notice. I am using this as motivation to keep up my hard work! If you ever feel like chatting more or anything, feel free to add me --- same with anyone else here!

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Jess

The few comments I've gotten just surprised me at first, because they happened at a time when I didn't think it was noticeable.

The comments I've gotten now that I can definetly notice it, yeah, it gets me all flustered and shy. I've never been very good at taking compliments, however.