Yesterday, I saw an old woman comming out of the gym (did not see her since before going raw). She said:

Woman: Hi. It looks like you lost weight. Are you sick?

Me: No. This is what I wanted. I lost weight on purpose.

Woman: You looked better before. You need to go gain back the weight.

Me: But I feel much better. Bye.

-- End of the conversation --

I look better than ever, trust me on this. Many people already told me too. So, how could this woman tell me to go back and gain 40 pounds?

My current height: 5-11
My current weight: low 170s muscular


My thinking is that this woman maybe was old school. She probably looked for signs of a chuby face, clean haircut, iron clothes, etc, just like a well fed rich kid. There were many things I wish I had said afterwords but it really cought me by surprise.

Any way I thought to share my experience

People think nothing of invading your privacy with comments about being slim where they would never even think about it if it were the reverse, if you had gained weight. It's the rudest most ingnorant thing I've ever experienced. Somehow that line is ok to cross in one direction but not the other. I highly doubt these same people would think to stop you and say things like "Gosh, that new hair cut looks terrible on you." or "Those pants don't flatter your shape." etc but they feel free to critique slenderness. It's horrifically RUDE! What a mental disconnect.

Sorry, growing up slim this is quite the pet peeve of mine. My advice is to ignore it, you don't owe that creature any sort of interaction. I treat people like this as I would any socially offensive person: I avoid conversation with them entirely.

Society is so used to seeing people puffy and "well fed" looking.
And when you lose alot of weight they think you are sick.
Why this is so,I dont know.
Maybe the whole cancer thing.

It all boils down to individual perception,and that can vary by the billions.

For myself ,I am on the road to losing 40 lbs,and at 5-6" want to be at about 145 lbs.People have seen me as high as 198 in recent yrs,and I wonder what they will say in a few months......

Vinny



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/2012 01:10PM by eaglefly.

This doesn't sound like a complete stranger, but an acquaintance with whom you have discussed fitness before, perhaps? Also, you refer to her as an "old" woman. Hmmmm . . .

Your stats sound fine to me, and as long as they are fine to you, do not worry what other people say about your body

I talked to hear maybe 5 times in my life. She is probably in the upper 60s (don't know).

Anyway, I think it was good to find another person with a different point of view. Don't we all live with our own mental movie inside the head?

Panchito,

Agree, and thus it is important to think about what this acquaintance who is aware of you primarily as a fit guy at the gym--that's the context--said: if it didn't strike any chords within you, like if you have had no misgivings about your present form or health, don't let it bother you. That mental movie you mention can be a blockade against objective reality, but on the other hand, it can also be the most honest depiction of your self-image. You should be ultimate arbiter about how you feel about yourself and the way you look, not some person you know from the gym

Agree too. But people think they posses the ultimate reality, which is only thought and never reality. Reality is conceptual thought.