“you look great!”. what sometimes comes next is the problem.

“You look great!”. Something anyone would be happy to hear, right? Except lately, when I hear those words, I’m just waiting for what comes next.  

Because whilst most people are being kind and simply want to pay me a compliment (which of course, I appreciate!) that first comment is sometimes followed by others that are less comfortable… 

“Where’s the other half of you?”  

“How did you do that?”.  

“You’re not ill, are you?”. 

It surprises me most when this happens in a professional setting. And each time I walk away thinking... how strange it is that some people think it’s fine to comment and discuss my weight at a networking event, often in front of people I have never met before.  

It’s obvious that over the last eighteen months I’ve lost a significant amount of weight. 9 stone in fact. It’s just one outcome of the work I’ve been doing to improve my health in general.  

My weight and wellbeing were a challenge for as long as I could remember. But in recent years I found that one good lifestyle decision led to another. I started by cutting out alcohol and have been sober for almost two years. Since then, I have adapted and made better lifestyle choices which have all elevated my mental and physical health.  

I’ve taken a holistic approach to wellbeing, with regular personal training sessions, prioritising nutritious food, accessing the right medication, removing caffeine, prioritising rest, walking in nature, taking up yoga and carefully choosing the people I spend time with. 

And for a while, to achieve my health goals, I also utilised GLP –1s. I realise they’re not for everyone, but they were useful to me in combination with the other changes I had made. 

The thing is, when people compliment my appearance and ask; “How did you do it?” they’re mainly commenting on my weight. They don’t want to know about the juicing, the dawn walks and the detox. Instead, the conversation quickly turns to GLP-1s, as though that alone explains or somehow diminishes the changes I’ve made or even undermines the healthy person I have become. 

But for me, achieving an optimum weight is just a piece of the puzzle in my ongoing commitment to holistic health. 

Over the years, I’ve made no secret of the fact that at one point I didn’t look after myself well at all but then came to a realisation that things needed to change. I’ve long championed organisations that support wellbeing, such as Hospitality Action and Kelly’s Cause. My personal experience and focus on wellbeing were the impetus to create Walk for Wellbeing which is now a flagship event for Hospitality Action. The reason and purpose around that focus is both professional and personal to me.  

I feel the best I’ve ever felt, am more comfortable in my own skin but still recognise I’m a work in progress. And I’m now happy and willing to share my experience, in selected conversations. 

But that doesn’t mean my health journey is up for open discussion at industry events. 

Mental health is intrinsically connected to physical wellbeing, and the journey that people go on with their wellbeing is deeply individual. How could it not be? 

If you take one thing from this share today, please have respect for others and their journey. If you notice someone is looking well, don’t presume, judge or quiz them about their weight loss or reasons for. If they offer up their story then great, but otherwise it’s really none of your business. 

Simply tell people they look great, share in their happiness and enjoy making them feel good.