You look so skinny! (Page 2)

Yep - I'm 5' 10" and went from 180 to 160 over the course of about four or five months (I'm a public person by vocation), and I even heard rumors floating around after someone saw me who hadn't seen me in a while that I was evidently "Very sick", or "Over-worked" -- Those folks crack me up

I'm always surprised by the "skinny" comment since, like most triathletes, I have a somewhat developed upper body from swimming.  Not that gaunt look you see in some pure runners.  I usually just respond with the truth: never been healthier, lots and lots of exercise.

Similarly, I hate those "Wow, you eat so healthy!" comments, particularly from my overweight mother-in-law who doesn't attempt to eat well at all, and particularly when she says it in front of my 10 year old daughter.  It's like she wants to teach my daughter that eating well is only for excentrics... but I guess this if for another thread...

I hear the same thing from my wife from time to time. I used to be a big guy from a heavy lifting background, but I carried a lot of fat around as well. My wife will say that she misses my big shoulders, or my "guns" have really disappeared. She likes the fact that I've lost  ~6 inches in my waist, but she misses the guy who could bench 325lbs. I guess you have to make decisions on what's more important.

As I mentioned I don't really mind the "you are so skinny" comment although when the tone is more like "when I say you look so thin I really mean you are so skinny you must be sick with a terminal disease!" really makes me want to respond in a VERY sarcastic way.

Anyway, what do get very tiring are comments about eating healthy such as: “omg you eat so boring, I rather eat unhealthy but enjoy anything I want…” What makes them think I don’t enjoy what I eat? Better yet what makes them think I don’t feel awesome by eating this way? It is unbelievable some of the crap people eat and then complain that they feel tired, with no energy, with headaches, stomachaches, reflux, etc…

I look in the mirror and want to vomit.  I was 185 (5' 10", weightlifter with very low body fat.  But I was getting my handed to me by all the 150 pounders.  Being married and wife not giving a rats about my appearance, I decided I wanted to be <170.  Well I just rounded 166 and do I look thin.  I liked my body more when I was 185 but I'm WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAyyyy faster now.

 So, lifting will begin after my HIM in 12 days.  I'll probably let myself get to about 178 or so but keep the cardio on a bit so I don't have to start over.

People who comment are just jealous and don't know what else to say.

Some of the comments are a matter of perspective.  People that are used to seeing you heavier have that image of you in their mind.  When they see you lighter it is not what they expect.  I'm only 5'8 and weigh about 188, but I used to weigh 285 so I get that comment all the time.  Even my family that was very supportive during the initial weight loss question why I would want to lose more. So I don't talk about it much with them, I just try to push back a little at meal time and keep training.  Fortunately they are very supportive of the training and the whole tri thing.

I think the rest of the comments come from people (mostly overweight) who are just jealous of the will power it takes to either lose weight and keep it off or the discipline it takes to stay in shape.