How to respond politely when people comment on my weight loss

I don't assume everyone is happy with weight loss. I am well aware that not all weight loss is positive. But that isn't the case here and OP has been offered various ways to deflect the comments and move past it.

Plenty of other threads to choose from where OPs are affronted when people DON'T note/comment on their weight loss. You can't please everyone.

Oh my good lord. Is there anything we can say without someone taking offence?
When I say " You look well" I mean they look well. This could mean anything from a new hairstyle to a nice shade of lipstick.
It's not an insult.

I (now) never comment on anyone's weight if they haven't mentioned trying to lose weight to me at some point.

My attitude towards receiving comments has completely changed with time too. I used to welcome comments (when I was in my twenties - now I'm in my fifties) now I don't like them (if I haven't discussed my weight/trying to lose weight to that person - which is almost everyone, I only discuss weight loss with one person), especially from some people.

I go with the 'thanks' and move on quickly to something else route too - unless they crossed the line into OTT/rude...

I've had a couple of people who are not friends do a public OTT exclamation before (6 years apart - I was ready the second time) - the type where other people turn their heads and look you up and down because of it because the person has made sure to add in that you've lost LOADS quite loudly. So I am happy to make them squirm a little then e.g. 'LOADS? Wow - was I was really THAT fat last time you saw me?'.

The problem is not other people

Sit there with a sourpuss face and say “none of your business is it really”

They won’t ask again

Problem solved

I always wonder about “ You look well”. Are people who say that meaning that you’ve put weight on?

You've walked right into that one.

The whole point of the post is the OP doesn't want unsolicited comments.

Would it also be rude not to mention someone significant weight gain.

Weight loss can be for a number of reasons and not all are healthy

You’re assuming that everyone is happy with weight loss.

I was raised not to comment on people’s bodies as the height of rudeness. If you want to pay a compliment then comment on something they have chosen - a nice dress or bag or hairstyle.

Weight loss is not universally good. I went from low end normal to seriously underweight due to illness for some time and frankly having crass idiots commenting endlessly on my body, telling me I looked so well when my ribs were showing and asking which diet I used, how lucky was I to lose weight easily - its rude, intrusive and innappropriate and made illness much harder to bear.

Unless someone is a close friend who has discussed their diet proactively with you then people should keep their rude comments to themselves.

I really think you just need to say "Thanks - and <other conversation>"

The answers you are giving sound a bit sinister, like you might have cancer or something. That is going to make people ask more questions because it's almost like you want them to pursue the subject.

I've been told this also, by a very pragmatic GP who said that where you carry your weight is the most important thing to watch out for. But she also said that people confuse aesthetics and health and actually the threshold for carrying a little bit of extra weight is higher than one might think.

It’s a tricky one. I quit drinking & have lost 63 pounds - I’m short so I was classed as morbidly obese. Depending on how well I know the person commenting, I might mention that I’m slimmer because I don’t have alcohol anymore.

Not all weightloss is intentional and I think it's really rude when people bring up people's bodies when it hasnt been initiated by the other person.

I have family members who weren't public about cancer and my best friend lost over 100 pounds due to a different illness.

Her loss was dramatic, but the cause was painful.

I would rather someone be offended I didn't mention their weightloss from a diet than someone go to the bathroom and cry because they are dying and no one knows it yet and they aren't sure how to answer me.

That is grossly inaccurate! If my BMI is 25.5 I am technically overweight and I get into the pre-diabetes range. Also it doesn’t help that genetically I am probably prone to diabetes being asian. But even a few pounds can make you more likely to die of heart disease or diabetes. My father died at the age of 54 and he was overall a thin man but had a bit of belly fat, in terms of BMI -26. He had a massive heart attack and died in his sleep. So living in denial saying being overweight won’t kill you is being daft.

Losing weight is an achievement and it is bloody hard to lose a few stone for most people, unless one is ill. So it is not surprising that people comment on it, as it is hard to do and obviously you have done it! If you don’t like to talk about it just say so and I am sure people will respect that and move on to another topic!

I think if somebody points out their weight loss, it's OK to comment.

Otherwise not. A lot of people regain weight and they would subconsciously think that any comments about their loss being positive would equate regained weight as negative.

Just say thanks and move on. If you say 'let's not go there' it sounds like there is an issue which causes people to speculate.

People should not communicate on weight but they probably mean well and won't want a conversation about it. I reckon 'thanks, and how are you doing' will move the topic along.

Being 2 stone overweight will impact your health. Your joints if nothing else! I'm a stone overweight and I can feel it on my knees. It's sits on my middle and I have a raised risk of diabetes and some cancers.

Because being fat isn’t better - it’s very unhealthy and that’s why people are instinctively mildly repulsed by it

and yes that’s blunt because I am getting tired of “it’s ok to be fat” it’s not. Spend sone time in hospital and look at the huge numbers of people with amputations and heart disease and cancer caused by being overweight and carry on saying it’s ok ( not all are caused by weight but if roughly half are that’s a lot of people)

Just “thanks”

You sound a bit too sensible and well-balanced for weight convos on MN. 😁

I generally only mix with colleagues and very close family so im a bit different.

I feel like if it was a colleague who had complemented me before about my hair, clothes etc then again if they notice I've lost weight then that's OK and I'll say thank you.
But if its someone who has never complimented me or commented on my appearance before then why do they get to comment on me once I've lost weight? I've always had nice eyes, they could compliment me about that now. But they don't. So once I am through this process and people start noticing, no, I won't accept their comments about my body.
I accept this comes from my own feelings of guilt and shame about being fat but I don't care. If you have nothing to say about my fat appearance then don't comment once I look socially acceptable to you.