I work in HR. My primary function is benefits, but I spend a lot of doing on employee relations and general HR activity. By virtue of my job, I talk to employees a lot. I conduct new hire orientation every Monday.

I've always been an introvert, but really enjoy the social aspect of my job, because it's on a small scale and is limited. I have a lot of fun with it. But recently, I've noticed that people respond to me much differently. More positively. The same jokes I tell every week are a lot funnier now and get a lot more laughs and smiles.

My boss never used to give me the time of day. I knew she hated me. Since dropping 90 lbs, I'm her right hand. She raves about my work. I'm no better at my job now than I was a year ago! In fact, last week she nominated me for a prestigious leadership conference in London. No non staff level manager has ever attended. I'm a "lowly" hourly employee. This is a really big deal. I'm excited, and proud, but it makes me wonder, why now?

Just some introspective rambling, I suppose... it makes me almost embarrassed for my old self, and I want to give her a big hug. I wasn't a lesser person, or less funny, or more mean, or a crappier employee. I was just fat. Fat is a sin that just can't be forgiven by many.

Well it happened last week......one woman who works at my doctor's office has always had a puss on her face when I go in---could barely get a grunt out of her when I did my typical greeting "good morning, how are you?"....and because she was so miserable over the years, I always went out of my way to be pleasant.....

I mentioned it to my husband, and he didn't know what I was talking about, because she's always friendly to him.......I always wondered if I had done something or if it was my being morbidly obese----or if she was a generally miserable person......got my answer the other day.

I greet her as I always have.....and she was actually pleasant, we had an conversation......someone in that profession should be a bit more professional......I nearly called her out on it.......but decided what's the point........

I am a few days late but congrats to your bosses new attitude towards you. Just a thought maybe since loosing weight you have gained more confidence and drawing more people to you?

I am a month late. but this sleeve is going to be such a blessing for me.my co-worker's hide food from me. i don't even like eating infront of people.my boss thinks she's helping me by saying that's to much temptation for her we need to move the snacks from her office . i go home crying sometimes. so I'm hoping things change for me like they did for u. congrats on the nomination !!

I know what you mean. At 383 pounds I was obviously conspicuous anywhere I went, yet was somehow invisible. I think some of that was of my own choosing. In hindsight I generally kept my eyes down and avoided interactions. While I still have a long way to go, I have lost 70 pounds and am already noticing a change in how I am treated. Women start conversations with me in the produce section of the grocery store (don't think they're flirting as my son was with me and the wedding ring on my finger is quite obvious), clerks in stores are more quick to wait on me, etc. While it would be easy to attribute this to a societal preference for thin people, I have to point the finger at myself too. I was more than willing to fade into the background and did my best to do so.