So I Wasn't Nice...

Typically, I'm pretty nice about weight issues with people and I'm even nice when ignorant people make stupid comments. But on a flight the other day, I couldn't do it. 

I was seated next to a very loud and obnoxious woman who had a running commentary on my pregnancy, weight gain and relating every single body issue that could come with pregnancy. I smiled politely and managed not to say anything ugly even when she commented that "at least with pregnancy you have a reason and you didn't just give up and become a fatty". She was so proud of proclaiming to me that it must be hard to get used to not being thin but to at least be "obviously pregnant". Through it all, I managed to not respond. However, my politeness ended when I took off my sweater and she made a comment. 

She looked over and said "oh my lord, you let your arms go - you're going to have to cover those up or people will think you used to just be fat". She said this with such disgust that you would think I had formerly been a Nazi or a convicted felon etc. When she started pointing out the overweight people on our flight, I absolutely lost it. 

Instead of being polite, I opted for leaning over and telling her that I used to be quite overweight. Severely overweight. That not only did I have no idea what it was like for people to think of me as thin but that I understood exactly how it felt to be overweight and self conscious. That it was really ugly to sit and comment on peoples appearances. She tried to redeem herself by telling me at least I got motivated and lost it the "right way" instead of "copping out with surgery and stuff". I smiled nicely and told her that I had surgery. That it was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made and that it took as much work, dedication, endurance and mental strength as anything I've ever undertaken. 

Then I paged the flight attendant and asked to move to another seat. =)