"But you look good!"

I have always been a big girl. It's in my genes. Plus I loved to eat. Since about age 13, I steadily gained weight. I never know for sure how much I weigh since no doctor's offices have wheelchair scales. I gained the requisite "freshman 15" (and then some) in college. Easily accessible food is just plain evil. 

When I moved away I started unintentionally losing weight. The stress of trying to make it on my own coupled with  limited food choices meant that I lost about 15 pounds in the first two and a half years of living like a grown-up. I got some help to cook better meals, and I think I gained five of those pounds back.

Then I  got gastroparesis. I have been symptomatic since July 8, 2011. That's the last day that I ate a "real" meal comfortably. I remember what it was, too. Homemade macaroni and cheese with bacon. I no longer remember what it tasted like. After that meal, all hell broke lose. In the six long months since, I've lost by my estimation between forty and fifty pounds. That's about 2 pounds a week.  Without trying. I'm tempted to ratchet up that estimate given how my clothes have been fitting (or not) lately. Since I can't weigh myself, the fit of my clothes is the best tool I have for guessing my weight. Eating an average of 800-1,00 calories a day, mostly in liquid form, is bound to show eventually,

When I'm so nauseated I can't think about anything else, there are few words that frustrate me more than the seemingly innocuous "But you look good!" Thanks. I am malnourished and very sick. If I had started out skinny and lost this much this fast, you would be more worried. Not that I want people to worry. I just want people to understand that while I might look great, I certainly do not feel great.  So thanks for the compliment.