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Monday, November 13, 2006

Pet Peeves

Why is it that everyone who congratulates you on your weight loss has to tell you how great you must feel? I didn't feel "bad" before I lost weight, I was just fat! I was healthy feeling and had no chronic health effects from my weight other than inactivity. So I guess that comment means fat=bad (the opposite of great) which frankly feels a little insulting.
While I'm at it- what is with people who ask loudly in a crowd how many pounds you've lost? I work in a hospital on the top floor so I am often caught in the elevator with someone who does that. There is no easy way to sidestep the bluntness of the question that I have found sucessful. I have tried answering "a lot," but the questioner invariably presses on even more loudly for the exact amount of pounds lost. In the last week, I have been asked that in an elevator full of Family Practice residents and then again in the elevator in front of at least 6 20-something construction workers (at the hospital working on a renovation). I have lost more than 175 pounds, or almost the equivalent of a high school linebacker......... it's really kind of embarrassing to admit in front of a pile of people you don't know that you were once at that level of gluttony. Everyone can relate to needing to lose 10 or 20 pounds, but I imagine there are a lot of folks out there who hear my answer and think "Wow - you must have been huge!". Yes, I was, thank you very much for shining a spotlight on it! There is another co-worker here in the hospital who asks ocasionally at the end of meetings for the update, still embarrassing but I can tell she is trying to be supportive.
I know these people mean well and are trying in their own way to be suppportive, and I try to remember that they probably dont mean to be rude or embarrass me to death as I try to answer the question before I crawl under a rock and try to hide...................

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow! You two are unbelievable. I saw your post on Runner's World weigh in. I thought it was a typo. Your beginning weight that is. You both should be extemely proud.

Your my new heros.

wow! Everyone has aspects in their lives that they let get out of hand. Very few address those aspects as clearly as the two of you have.

Your pictures are incredible. I will be reading your blog from now on.

Pat
Arizona, USA
(I log in as anonymous, because beta won't cooperate)

Pat said...

Does your husband have a blog?

My blog is: www.patsrunning.blogspot.com

If you'd like to add it to yours, I'd appreciate it. I am going to add yours to mine, regarless.

Pat
Arizona, USA

J~Mom said...

Both of you have done an awesome job!!! Your thoughts are right on about the weight loss comments!! Keep up the awesome work!! YAY!!

Pat said...

I've been thinking about your statement that you get embarrassed in front of strangers when your asked about your weight loss.

I don't think you should be. Those of us who see you as you are today, see a healthy, vibrant person and cannot really fathom you as you were before. Even,if you say you were 175 pounds heavier. I see that as a positive and would only see you in a better lite.

I'm sure you were just as good a person when you were heavier, now you're just healthier too.

Hope all is well in Wisconsin,

pat
Arizona, USA


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