I’ve shared a lot of bad embarrassing moments with you over the two years I’ve been blogging, and believe me, I have plenty more stories where they came from. But, today, I thought I’d share an embarrassing moment that turned out to be a good one. Well, at least for me.
My morbidly obese years were spent in Florida. That’s where I grew up, went to college, and married John. We had a history there. Because of that history, we had a large circle of friends and acquaintances. It was nice to walk into a store and run into someone you knew. However, as I got fatter and fatter, I became more and more uncomfortable running into people I hadn’t seen in a long time. I was embarrassed at the change in my appearance, and worried about what they would think of me. In my head I imagined them calling up their friends and saying, “I ran into Diane today, and boy has she gotten big.”
As I started my weight loss journey, it took a long time and a lot of pounds before anyone noticed that I had lost an ounce. In fact, it wasn’t until I had lost about 50 pounds before the first person tentatively said, “Diane, are you losing weight?” I wanted to jump up and down, but I was afraid I might scare her, so I just said, “Yes, a bit.”
In my head I was screaming – “A bit! I’ve lost 50 pounds. Ten bags of sugar, 50 boxes of butter. 50 pounds!” But I just calmly finished my discussion with her, hoping she didn’t see the elation on my face! Someone had finally noticed.
As the weight came off, more and more people started commenting on my weight loss. I disliked the attention, and always brushed off the compliments. Over the 14 months that it took to lose my weight, I had the opportunity to see most of the people I knew. So it became the rare occasion when someone I hadn’t seen in a while saw me, and didn’t recognize me.
One particularly embarrassing moment was while I was shopping for groceries at my favorite grocery store in Florida, Publix. While at Publix, I was rolling the cart down the cereal aisle, and saw my husband’s cousin. As I approached her, she looked right at me. “Uh-oh,” I thought. “She doesn’t know who I am.”
Sure enough, when I said, “Hi!” She just looked at me like I had lost my mind. I quickly re-introduced myself to this family member that I had known for 14 years. She stumbled all over herself, embarrassed that she didn’t know who I was. I reassured her that it happened all the time, and not to worry about it. We parted ways, and I was struck by the irony of it all.
You see, when I got fat, the same thing happened. People I had known for years didn’t recognize me. Then when I got un-fat, it happened again. Only this time, it was happy, and life-affirming, instead of embarrassing and defeating.
I offer this story as an encouragement to you. Change is possible, and it’s not always embarrassing.
Have you had people recognize your weight loss? Diane
This is something I am sure will happen to me also when I meet up with family that I saw long ago or even friends.
I too had people who recognized the weight loss
Thanks for sharing your story with us.
blackhuff recently posted…Saving a life, not costing one.
I had lost 30 of my 65 pound loss before the first person noticed. I always share that as an encouragement to people who’ve begun losing and moan the fact that no one has noticed. Since I carry all excess pounds on my hips and thighs, I can disguise it fairly well and it DOES take a lot of weight loss for it to become evident to anyone but me. I’ll have to say I’ve never had anyone not recognize me no matter what size I am. Must’ve bee a really sweet moment for you.
Sharon recently posted…Let’s Break Some Rules!
It’s taken me a while to lose the 40-some pounds and I think since I have at least that much left to go, no one really notices it. Sometimes it is discouraging but at the same time I’d rather people not comment and I can pretend people have *always* thought of me at the weight I am currently at and not when I was at my heaviest. Oh the tricks we play with our minds!!
But – my father recently lost over 100 pounds. He has all kinds of funny stories about being in meetings and finding out people were waiting for him to arrive before they started when he was already there!
Ali recently posted…Camping: Day 3 (Copper Falls State Park)
Hi Diane! Well, I want to discuss that first person who tentatively asked if you were losing weight. She might of said it that way out of politeness, or she might have always thought of you as a total person instead just of a human creature with a certain poundage.
I honestly never notice when friends of mine lose or gain weight (and they tell me they have). I look at my friends as very interesting people who have zest and wisdom to share with me. I always see something adorable about my friends, like the way a nose wrinkles up in laughter, soft skin (even if they have a toughie personality), great bone structure for weightlifting, or the way their eyes light up when they are excited. And, if you are fascinated with your friends, as I am, the pounds are that very last thing I see.
So if any of you lost weight and nobody noticed, it might be a compliment about the person you are.
Marion@affectionforfitness recently posted…The Really Fun Fitness Song To Sing Today!
The un-fat is the fun side of things!
I have a family member now that lost a lot of weight & put about half of it back on & does not want to go anywhere so people will see that.. trying to encourage her to get back to it but also just get out 7 do things again… hard stuff!
Jody – Fit at 53 recently posted…Family Pics/Fun; Happy Bday!
Publix is where I had my big wake-up call. I’d followed the kids onto the scale (what was I thinking??? But thank goodness I did!) and my older son, then 7, announced at near-top volume, “Mommy, you weigh two hundred!”
Oops? LOL
People don’t recognize me a lot now, but I think it’s a combination of the weight loss and that I am now, arguably, a blonde. It wasn’t a deliberate transition, but with the grey it’s been necessary from a hair color maintenance standpoint. Ah well.
Amanda recently posted…WW Weigh-In, Week 19
When I was an anesthesia resident, one of my teachers used to be very obese before he came from another city to work at our hospital. He once laughed as he told me a story about how, now trim, had run into someone he used to know, and they, not recognizing him, after he said his name, told him of some really fat guy they used to know with the same name!!
I have lost 26 of the 70 that I need to lose and people are noticing all the time. The funniest one was the other day after church I was walking next to a 90 yr old lady who has macular degeneration of the eyes and she said “Deanna, have you lost weight?”…. I laughted and said I had but how could she tell since she can hardly see? And she said, “Well, there so so much less of you to see!” That just cracked me up…..
I disliked the attention at first too. I’d diminish what I’d accomplished by saying “oh I have a ton more to lose” or something. It took a long time to get used to the attention and comments and to finally just say “Thank you.”
I love it so far because it’s so new to me. On the other hand, I think people are just saying that and it isn’t true. Weird, I know.
Lisa recently posted…I DID IT!!! 100 pounds lost (pic included)
It is awesome when those that know you acknowledge that you have lost weight and say how good you look. It is even better when they ask, “How much weight have you lost?” That is when you are able to brag on how much weight you lost and how good you feel. Some times it even turns into a conversation on how the weight was lost.
Larry Romeo recently posted…4 Carbs That Helps With Belly Fat Loss and 4 Carbs To Stay Away From
I hadn’t seen much family and did a great job recently of getting back on the wagon. I lost a whole ten pounds which to me was really hard! Nobody noticed. I got so upset, that I spiraled (childish I know). I’m not losing for anyone but me but I had built up so much in my head that I was really let down and subsequently, gained it all back like a tantruming child. In my head I thought, “if nobody notices either way, what difference does it make?!” I was wrong of course, I feel better when I’m living healthy and I do this for ME!. Now I enjoy my private victories, there is less pressure and it’s a gift to me all my own. Reading this is encouraging, it seems we have a lot to lose before anyone notices anyway.
People at work have noticed, and when a student last year said Mrs.M – you look awesome (even though by then I had only lost 30, a tiny portion of everything I need to loose) it felt great. Especially for a student, who are usually so unobservant… I guess they pick on more than we see
susan recently posted…No Carrots for You!
Gosh, I never lost that much weight that I was a totally new person….but what an awesome feeling having people notice the 40 odd pounds I did lose.
Marcelle recently posted…Day Ten ~ 17 Days
I didn’t recognize someone in the grocery store who said hi to me, one of the ex’s friends, who had lost probably 75 pounds since I had seen her last. I was a bit embarassed, but realistically, it’s a huge change, she looked completely different. She must have lost it quickly, too, within a year. I’ll have to ask the ex if she’s regained, if I think of it.
julie recently posted…Pool parties!
I know the feeling, maybe it is the look on their faces that made the difference. When I got slimmer, though my friends had a silent moment, I know it was in a good way. Thank you for sharing.
Martin recently posted…How To Pick Up A Girl
I never had that to date, but I have had people look at a picture and say OMGosh, that doesn’t look like you at all! That makes me smile.
Sheri @ TheMotivationalGirl recently posted…Exercise Becomes A Part Of You
I lost almost 50 pounds so I don’t think I look like a different person just a smaller version!
Tami@nutmegnotebook.com recently posted…Chicken Souvlaki Kabobs with Tzatziki Sauce & Positive Thinking
I have had several sweet experiences with this and one bitter sweet that I will share.
I have some causal friends I get together with a couple of times a year. After I had lost 120 pounds we got together for a Christmas party and NO ONE said anything about my weight loss. Granted they commented when I lost the first 40 pounds but this was 80 pounds later and nothing. But they did comment and someone else who had lost 20 of the 60 pounds she needed to lose. I said nothing but I left that party feeling very resentful. (An issue I learned is like poison to me).
A month later the one who lost 20 pounds was diagnosed with a terminal cancer. Three months later she was in the hospital dying. She was mostly in a comatose state. I was told it was time to go and say goodbye and I went to the hospital. Her husband was there and he went up to her bed and kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear “Ellen, Jane is here.” Ellen opened her eyes, raised her head and looked at me and ot a big smaile on her face. . She said “Jane, you look wonderful!. You look incredible.” She never said anything else to me. She just laid back and closed her eyes, keeping that smile on her face. I felt so many emotions at that moment I did not know how to stop and feel them one at a time. I felt shame for the resentment and shame for the joy I felt that she noticed and cared enough to say something to me. I was shocked that she woke up and talked to me. (Her husband said she had not been conscience over the previous two days. Later, after I gave Ellen a foot massage as she slept, I felt peace. The resentment was gone and it its place I had the gift of being freed from the self seeking behavior of wanting to be noticed all the time.
Jane~
Jane C recently posted…Please Remain in Your Seat with Your Belt Fastened
How awesome is that!
When I was losing fairly rapidly, my hubby would regularly not be able to recognize me from behind. It was always fun to see people I hadn’t seen in a while. I still have a big group of folks that I knew in San Diego that only knew me as obese. I haven’t been back but that would be a lot of fun too!
Quix recently posted…Hunkering Down – Nutritionist, Week 2
Wow! 50 pounds of weight loss! I’m proud of you. I agree with you that some people might not notice the gradual change but it’s funny when you meet old friends and they hardly even recognize you . It appears to be a drastic change for them. I’m inspired to continue with my goal to lose weight and bring sexy back!
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