Has anybody else noticed this?

[Kath]

I think people certainly do treat me differently now. I'm not sure if people disrespected me or anything like that, but even I know the smaller I became the less aggressive I looked.

One thing that happened today made me cross. I was in Thornton’s (you know the evil chocolate place) today and they have a small cafe. I was drinking my skinny hot chocolate (so only half a million calories then ) when a man on the next table said to his wife or g/f, you better get your chocolate quick love before they are all gone. I looked up and there was a large couple making their chocolate selection. I am quite a calm person and although I have a bad temper, it takes a long while to surface. However, I think I went from calm and pleasant to murderous in 0.3 seconds.

As I had my boy with me, I could not say anything at that point, but just glared at the man. We carried on drinking our drinks and just as I was beginning to calm down the man then made a remark about this couple having sex which is too much for the good people of mini-mins to read. What amazed me was the wife or g/f laughed. I very calmly told my son to go and choose himself a chocolate bar. Once he was out of earshot, I stood up and stepped over to the man, lent right down in to him and told him in a quiet voice that he was a silly gentleman who impressed nobody (if only I hadn't added in several swear words and likened him to a part of the male body at the same time ). It was at that point that I remembered that I wasn't 24 stone anymore . However, like all good idiots, he probably thought I was a psychopath and not to be messed with. Him and his girlfriend left, 30 seconds later.

What was embarrassing was when I went to leave about 5 minutes later, an older lady who I believed to be well out of earshot puts her hand on my arm and says "Well done, that worried him" and I kid you not she followed up with "He was sh*tting himself" . This woman must have been 80 if she was a day.

Anyway, the upshot is, the man would not have made his comment in front of me 10 months ago and I bet he wishes he never did now as well.

*** Please do not try this at home, unless you have a 6 year old who thinks he is a Power Ranger to back you up should it be required ***

Finally, before anybody wonders what my boy made of all this - He never new anything went on, although might have been a little suss when I told him to choose anything he wants in the first place

That has just made me laugh out loud - well done you for telling him!

Lol, I loved the power ranger comment

 

[mindless]

Hi Ann,

You are very right - people have stereotypical images of 'fat' people - sorry all, using the common day phrase for all us gravitationally challenged souls.

Fat = lazy = stupid

I am nearly 25st and a Director in a multi-national company. Every time, I go to meetings where people don't know me then all the staring starts. No one sits next to me at meetings and I get talked over. This has made me develop a style that is more aggressive, outspoken and louder than usual - just to get myself listened to and not ignored.

So now I am seen as a Boorish character. It is only with time that the 'fat goggles' get taken off.

Strangely, I have not noticed this kind of 'ism' when on Business overseas!

Mind you, it does mean that no-one sits next to me on Buses or Aeroplanes so there is some good in it.

The same happens at the Gym, when all these tracksuit or lycra clad posers - who aren't even breaking into a trot on the treadmills - look at me (all sweaty and knackered) running/staggering for 40 mins or so, as if I shouldn't even be there.

I have to say that my experiences of what Brad described are few and far between and usually have been about comments about me that are quite easy to deal with in the Winston Churchill way (he was called a drunk i parliment by a lady MP and I believe responded, yes ma'am, I am drunk, but in the morning I will be sober, but you ma'am, alas you will still be ugly - probably not true but sounds good) along the lines of

'yes' i'm fat now but can be slim, you, however, will always be a ###### '

I look forwards to being able to 'take up the side' of our pre-program bretheren as bravely as Brad did - once I am a mere shadow of the man I currently am.

 

[Pixie]

I hope its only due to the fact that you are more confident Ann and not that they are deliberatley mean to larger people in shops!
x

 

[Pixie]

Hi Ann,



'yes' i'm fat now but can be slim, you, however, will always be a ###### '

Gotta say this works...

 

[Ann2shoes]

Thanks for all your replies. In reply to Pixie`s email, I do think that shop assistants were less respectful to me when I was a larger lady. I hadn`t noticed before because I was overweight for so long I had forgotten how they treated me before! I really do sense more respect for me now. Not that this is right of course - I still have the same brain and am a Company Director like our friend `Mindless` (I`m sure you`re not!) above. Other people`s body language also portrays to some extent what people really think about you. Mmmmmmmmmm very interesting subject.