“You look good”

I’m a very social, outgoing person — a social butterfly. As a morbidly obese woman my social prowess was stifled. At 388 pounds, I didn’t feel so good about myself and as a result I just didn’t have much to say out loud. I actually preferred not to be in social settings and shied away from speaking in crowds.

Today, 170 odd pounds lighter, I feel good. Real good. Inside and out. So, I’m always chatting it up, striking up conversation with folks. Anyone willing to listen — or not, hears my weight loss story. Doesn’t matter where I am, I’m talking: The grocery store, bank, post office — everywhere. When I speak at local venues and have a captive audience all the more fun.

When I tell folks I used to weigh nearly 400 pounds, I tend to get the same reactions, the same responses “Oh, really. Good for you for losing the weight,” “Wow. What an inspiration,” and the awkward compliment “You look good.” That one always gets me. I’m not really sure what to make of that statement. Do I look good because I look good ? Or do I look good because I lost so much weight? Those are rhetorical questions of course. Perhaps my questioning the compliment is part of the negative inner battle that I often blog about. I guess, it’s about time, I take the response, “You look good” at face value.