What's up with that?

For a long time, I never had any comments about my weight loss (other than from friends or family who knew about my journey). It was a little strange, because back in 2004 when I lost 40 lbs, I got comments all the time. This time around, I started out heavier, and have lost twice as much, yet I don't hear as many comments - and I didn't start hearing them until late in the game.

There are exceptions here and there - there's a girl at work who comments every so often or asks how much I've lost now. One day, I was washing my hands and a woman at the sink next to mine sort of looked at me through the corner of her eyes and said casually "so...have you been losing weight?"

This week I experienced more comments than usual. Yesterday two separate people did double takes or didn't recognize me, literally. One was walking towards me and it just took her a few seconds to realize it was me. The other was particularly funny - we were right next to each other in line at my work's on-site cafe', and I said "hi". I used to work with this girl years ago at another company, but now we both work where I am now, although in different departments. About 1000 people work in my building, so I don't see her all that often. She looked at me and said hi back, sort of like one does when a stranger says hi randomly, to be polite. Then a couple of seconds later something clicked, she looked at me again and she said OH MY GOD I didn't even recognize you!!

Today, a friend and I stopped to chat quick with someone at work. Another person I don't really run into all that much, and someone that I've never really talked with much to begin with. He said "Look at YOU! Where did all of you go? You look great". I said thank you...and he said "It's like you've just disappeared!" and I said thanks again, and told him it has taken a long time. He said "Well, congrats, that is awesome".
I was beet red by this time, surely....kind of embarrassing to be called out that way! But nice, at the same time.

Know what else I notice? I swear that when I am running (and I run on a very busy, heavily used  path), way more people say "Hi" or "Good morning" in passing now, than they did when I started running that same path at 40 lbs heavier and 2-3 minutes per mile slower. I guess it's just an interesting observation, and when I see someone who reminds me of me when I started out, I try to make an effort to say hi. Sometimes, what I really want to do is join then in their run...give encouragement, tell them they are amazing and that they can do it. Tell them they are strong and awesome for getting out there... I don't, because that would be a little creepy.

But I always think about what it would be like if I did do it :-) I would either make someone day, or even week or month...or I would freak them the hell out.