Thin talk isn't always better than fat talk

I blew through fourteen cups of corn flakes in less than a week: the eighteen in the box minus four for a doubled chickenless nuggets recipe. I like the term "chickenless," rather than fake, because it's not like chicken meat has a monopoly on nuggets (just like other animal meat has no monopoly on burgers). Veggie burgers are not fake burgers; they're just burgers made out of vegetable products.  Anyway, these chickenless nuggets turned out very well and they were super-easy to make. A week ago, I wasn't sure what on earth I might do with the rest of the corn flakes, but I started having them, with soy milk, for second dinner, after a serving or two of pasta for first dinner.

I'm telling you this because I had to explain it to a friend who asked whether I was eating. I assured her that I was, and relayed the tale of the two dinners (not to mention however many breakfasts, lunches, and snacks).  She then asked whether I had tapeworm, and in all serious suggested that I see a doctor.

I wasn't offended, just a bit nonplussed. I'm not that thin. When I get close to that thin, I go on a vegan cookie binge and build myself back up.

I was offended last week, at a friend's party, when a host's friend whom I'd met before greeted me and inartfully stated, in front of two people whom I was talking to, that I'd lost a ton of weight. It probably wasn't polite on their account--one had gained a lot of weight after back surgery, and the other was struggling with stress eating--and I wasn't thrilled to have my weight changes discussed in front of people who might have been strangers. It was awkward for everyone involved.

This gets back to there being wrong and right ways to talk to people about weight (and body issues in general). The award for least objectionable--I'll go as far as "most welcome"--weight-related comment goes to Jay, who last night, as effective co-host on his way to take something out of the kitchen and onto the table, politely told me to move my perfectly toned arms so he could get by.