Compliments

Sometimes, I think it takes longer to 'see' results. After all, we wear the same clothes, and our friends and coworkers and even our selves see us day in and day out. The change day to day might be so tiny. But after some months, if anyone thinks to remember back, only then can see the change and it is amazing.

I am generally a quiet and private person. I don't shout to my coworkers or even friends that I am trying to lose weight. A couple of my friends and I have discussed it, but I try not to be too 'Oh I can't eat that' when I am around them. A couple coworkers know, and I'm sure a few have seen me head out to try to run (given that I do that 3 times a week at lunchtime, and its kinda obvious).

Furthermore, this is a workplace. There is some stigma against commenting on someone else's appearance, even if it is a compliment. If gender is involved, there is perhaps a risk of it being taken wrong. And even without that, there is the negative side of 'I see you are skinny now' implying that 'you were fat before'.

However, in the past 2 days, I have received 3 mentions of my weight loss. I love it, but it is strange to me. I want to ask them 'Where do you see it', 'what makes you mention it', THANK YOU FOR NOTICING! But restraint, I thank them and move on.

Here on Spark, I get to discuss and blog these things out, so I guess that is the point of this post.

So here were the compliments:
1.) I was at the water cooler waiting to fill my glass. The other lady there saw me out of the corner of her eye. She said she thought I was Debbie because I was so skinny. (Note, Debbie is skinny, and I remember that she was not always).

2.) My best friend, I was sitting in her living room, and she commented on it. She at least generally knew that I was trying to lose weight, but this is the first she mentioned it. A brief conversation followed where I revealed that I had lost 37 pounds, and that the key is consistency and commitment. I so wanted to ask her what she looked at right then that made her comment -- was it my face, my clothes, a profile or what?

3.) Today, I was getting a spoon from the kitchen. A girl that I barely ever talk to here, just came out and said 'You look great! How much have you lost?' I was happy to tell her, and that was the big smile for the day, and what sent me to write about these three incidents.

Anyway, it is nice to be noticed. Maybe not when I return from my run with a sweaty red face, but when I am getting water or a spoon or a healthy lunch, I like it!

Another thought: If any one of these people seriously came to me and said, I want to do it too, I am committed, and will you show me how ... I would rearrange my exercise schedule to accomodate them. I could run in the morning for me, so I could walk with them at lunch; I could suggest what we should bring and eat our lunch together after our walk; I could give them exercise homework and meal suggestions. Of course, that is one of the things that happens here on Spark -- we help each other, push each other, and recognize each other.