Reflections on loosing 40 lbs

As of today, I have lost approximately 40 pounds since last October, and am at the halfway point of my weight loss journey.  I recently looked at photos that were taken last June, and was amazed at the transformation.  I have gotten rid of all of my 'before' clothes and am selectively getting new clothes but not going crazy because I anticipate not being able to wear them for a very long time either. 

There has been a lot of change in the way society has perceived me.  One of the first things I noticed was I was shopping in a local grocery store and had bought some generic brand of pizza sauce.  Someone just asked me out of the blue, "Hey is that any good?"  I was surprised that someone would just start talking to me.  I quickly came up with a response and chatted with the lady while we were waiting in line at the checkout.  This never happened when I was bigger.  This also happened to me when I was waiting in line at the Wall-Mart photo center waiting on photos.   

While thinking about this situation later a few possibilities came into mind.  First, I thought that perhaps after loosing weight I might have better self esteem and probably dress better and might even exude more friendly vibe to strangers.  The other option was that people are just more friendly to thinner people than they are to bigger people. 

I had the opportunity to discuss it with a friend, and she thinks that if you fit into the cultural perception stereotype of what people want to see then you are more visible than those that do not.  In other words, I was somewhat invisible to the rest of the world when I was bigger, and as I got smaller I once again fit people's expectations and became more visible. 

I think that same thing happens to other groups of people.  For example, those who do not fit into typical gender stereotypes may be invisible, as do those in different racial/ age/ disability/ homelessness, etc... stereotypes.  I'm not really saying that this is necessarily a good or bad thing but more of an observation on one thing that I noticed.  Some people may or may not want to be visible at times. 

The lesson I learned from this experience is to be more aware myself of the cultural blinders I may have on at times.  I can't change all of society, but I can change the way that I comport myself in the society I currently live in.