Unexpected results of weight loss

hlr1987

You start to realise that people you had mentally filed into a "super skinny" category are actually just at an ideal /healthy weight and its your own idea of normal which is unhealthy. Which is the root of people telling you not to lose any more weight when you're still 30 pounds above a healthy weight range.

getitamb

Clothes that I thought I fit before, didn’t actually fit. Feels great that they do now.

Sailor555

Underwear fits better! More comfortable! So basic! Hallelujah!

TxTiffani

Bump! This is one of my fav threads! I’ve just started my journey (again...) and this is my favorite to read...can’t wait to add to it

motivatedmartha

TxTiffani wrote: »

Bump! This is one of my fav threads! I’ve just started my journey (again...) and this is my favorite to read...can’t wait to add to it

Well done on returning to your journey

Sand_TIger

I wasn't expecting how bony certain parts of me would become when other parts still have way too much weight. Or how tiny my wrists actually are. When you see people losing weight in media, or sometimes even here, they often still look kind of proportional. That hasn't been the case for me, it seems like I have skinny legs and arms and chest and neck and everything else - and a big floppy saggy belly. I have built some muscle and I'm glad because otherwise I'd look like a famine victim.

sikorski

What an inspiring thread! Besides the expected things (needing to tighten my belt a couple of notches), I was surprised that I'm cold most of the time. I'm delighted and amazed to see my cheekbones again, and to lose my double chin. When I look in the mirror now I like what I see. Haven't felt that way in a long time. I'm about 10 pounds away from my ultimate goal, which I what I weighed at my wedding 27 years ago. It's just into the normal range for my height.

xxxtarable27xxx

RastaLousGirl wrote: »

Having the bars/Safety Strap go down with ease on a Roller Coaster. I was prepared to have to suck in my breathe and for the bar not to go all the way down. Took me by suprise when I got on and it locked smoothly.

That's a good one for me. My college I went to had a summer send off before summer break. They would clear out one of the parking lots and bring in fair rides for us. The last year I went I got on a ride and I was too big. I wasn't able to buckle in. It was so embarrassing. I love riding Roller Coasters. I guess I lost weight like a year after that because I was with some friends at the fair. They all wanted to ride a ride together. So I talked to the guy running the ride. He let me make sure I could fit before I went to buy tickets. I did fit but it was a very tight fit. I can't wait to not have to worry about my weight being a problem for that anymore. I might even do something like that when I hit my goal weight. Get myself an armband for somewhere so I can ride all the rides.

nitalieben

That I'd have this weird fascination with seeing and touching and admiring my ribs (I may have been previously convinced they're special things only other people have), that the look of loose skin improved after some months and I look less flappy. That I'd grow to LOVE moving my body. I even run sometimes! That it would take time to recognise myself in mirrors and photos (mostly I do, but sometimes I still don't). That my feet would get that much smaller! That I could comfortably shop in the kids' section for way cheaper (Eh, I'm a cheapskate). That people would treat me SO differently now that I'm smaller (what an eye-opener). That I actually have collarbones! That I would have a weird dimple above my frowny bellybutton. That I'd have to concentrate when moving at first to figure out the motion that would prevent my elbows painfully connecting my hipbones (I got it down, now). That armpit shaving would become a mission. How prominent it would be when I get bloated (Couldn't even tell before if I was bloated or just fat).

brittanystebbins95 wrote: »

acquilla30 wrote: »

My cheek bones look amazing and one that scared me was I can feel my heart beat in my stomach. I thought something was wrong but my doctor laughed and said it was normal in smaller people.

If you're lying on your back, you can see it, too! I find myself just laying there staring at it sometimes. Its fascinating!

I hadn't noticed this yet... Thinking I need to check it out because it does sound fascinating!

callriter

I was able to put my socks on easier than I have in a long time

AlexandraFindsHerself1971

I'm about a third of the way through all the weight I need to lose, and I'm definitely seeing changes.
When I was 24, I was in a car accident and folded my foot in half. (Essentially the same breaks/dislocations from footbinding, incidentally.) An orthopedic surgeon put it back together with pins and screws, and said I'd have arthritis from it in my forties. And he was right. For all of my adult years, I've had a weightbearing budget, and I was very careful not to get myself to the point where I couldn't get to bed and had to sleep in the chair, most of the time. I still have a weightbearing budget, but it's EXPANDED. OMG. I can do three stores worth of grocery shopping for three hours, come home, put it all away, sit down long enough to eat lunch...and then stand up and start precooking the new food. I can do all the downstairs housework in one go. I have a ton of energy and want to DO THINGS. I don't wait to take stuff up stairs, I just do it.

Of course, this has revealed that my new limiting factor is lower back pain. Apparently the surgery gave me a slightly longer leg on one side. Which has given me some lumbar scoliosis. Who knew? Okay, so now I wear a quarter inch lift in my left shoe and am having to rehab my lower back and core. It would help if I could go to the gym, but COVID. Things to look forward to.

I haven't been this band size in bras and size in pants since high school. I've actually got bras that are a smaller band than I have ever worn in my life. On the other hand, I'm understanding now why my mom got a breast reduction in her seventies. It is HARD to find bands in small sizes with larger cups. So for now I'm putting up with sore shoulders (yes, working out would help. COVID.) and waiting for some decrease in volume. There's a sharp divide in bras; above 36, and you can find all sorts of good supportive bras. Drop to a 34, and suddenly no one with a 34 has above a DD, and they are very much "let's be pretty and not worry about support." I may have to wear sports bras. This is definitely not something I expected; I thought the boobs would shrink right along with the band needed.

As far as the pants go, my partners can't keep their hands off my butt if I'm in jeans. Verbal and tactile appreciation all the time. I'm on the verge of being able to wear straight sizes, which is an amazing thought. I've had the amazing billowing shirt episodes (but with water, not fire) and can't wear my old t-shirts even as work shirts. I've started to see a waist above the drooping skin and fat that is left from having three large babies. Maybe I'm not shortwaisted, just heavy/low busted! I've never seen myself thin as an adult, and seeing this body starting to come through the haze of the fat and loose skin is tremendously exciting. Even if it does come with a turkey neck and a new appreciation for cardigans all year round.

tk2222

AlexandraFindsHerself1971 wrote: »

I haven't been this band size in bras and size in pants since high school. I've actually got bras that are a smaller band than I have ever worn in my life. On the other hand, I'm understanding now why my mom got a breast reduction in her seventies. It is HARD to find bands in small sizes with larger cups. So for now I'm putting up with sore shoulders (yes, working out would help. COVID.) and waiting for some decrease in volume. There's a sharp divide in bras; above 36, and you can find all sorts of good supportive bras. Drop to a 34, and suddenly no one with a 34 has above a DD, and they are very much "let's be pretty and not worry about support." I may have to wear sports bras. This is definitely not something I expected; I thought the boobs would shrink right along with the band needed.

Marks and Spencers. I'm a 34/36 DD/E/F now. It's a pain, but for some reason I find UK brands do a much better job than US ones at having a bigger size range, particularly in that weird larger cup/smallish band zone. And cheaper. And not ALL hideous beige. Anyway my go to is Marks and Spencers US store, or Woolworths when I'm in Kenya.

nerdgirlinlv

Actually liking my work id photo we have to wear everywhere

Onedaywriter

I’m trying to keep my weight in a range of about 8 lbs. - not at a fixed number. When I get to the higher end I can really feel it - I feel FAT. But this weight is still about 105 lbs less than I weighed when I started and I never seemed to notice then!

AwesomeSquirrel

I can feel the loose skin under my shoulder blades when standing with normal (ok, good ) posture.

Kind of hoping it goes away eventually, but if not I guess I’ll get used to the feeling. It’s a little freaky. There is still definitely a bit of fat in the skin fold as well.

dhiammarath

@AlexandraFindsHerself1971 https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/ --> that place seriously opened my eyes to bras (US bras are terrible for sizes). As a small-band/large-cup girl myself, I had to rethink how I get bras. (No easy peasy lemon squeazy shopping in mall stores for me!). For the budget minded, https://www.reddit.com/r/braswap/ is a great way to get expensive bras cheaper!

You may have already heard of this, but it really helped normalize my a) feelings about my bust and b) that the difficulty in finding a bra isn't because I'm weird but because the US bra industry sucks.

Good luck!

dianepenelope

I've always been slim until I got injured 10 years ago and was also put on meds that caused weight gain. I was diagnosed with more meds and gained more weight and I am slowly losing it again. It's a horrible feeling when I looked in the mirror and realised I was really overweight and none of my clothes fit, and my face was all puffy. I miss my cheekbones, collarbones, my knees and my ankles. I think it was when I saw my profile in a picture with my daughter at Christmas that I realised how I had gone downhill. I felt awful. I'm just doggardly swimming and eating low calorie diet, and it's working. I have to have a knee replacement in May, due to a botched surgery after a skiing accident, so I want to be at my optimal weight for that recovery.

AndreaTamira

nitalieben wrote: »

That I'd have this weird fascination with seeing and touching and admiring my ribs (I may have been previously convinced they're special things only other people have), that the look of loose skin improved after some months and I look less flappy. That I'd grow to LOVE moving my body. I even run sometimes! That it would take time to recognise myself in mirrors and photos (mostly I do, but sometimes I still don't). That my feet would get that much smaller! That I could comfortably shop in the kids' section for way cheaper (Eh, I'm a cheapskate). That people would treat me SO differently now that I'm smaller (what an eye-opener). That I actually have collarbones! That I would have a weird dimple above my frowny bellybutton. That I'd have to concentrate when moving at first to figure out the motion that would prevent my elbows painfully connecting my hipbones (I got it down, now). That armpit shaving would become a mission. How prominent it would be when I get bloated (Couldn't even tell before if I was bloated or just fat).

brittanystebbins95 wrote: »

acquilla30 wrote: »

My cheek bones look amazing and one that scared me was I can feel my heart beat in my stomach. I thought something was wrong but my doctor laughed and said it was normal in smaller people.

If you're lying on your back, you can see it, too! I find myself just laying there staring at it sometimes. Its fascinating!

I hadn't noticed this yet... Thinking I need to check it out because it does sound fascinating!

While not ribs I have been crazy fascinated with my hip hones for the last week or two. They just are... there. When I am standing or laying down i can easily feel them being all poky and stuff. Which is so weird because I am still slightly obese (very slightly, "overweight" is less than 1 kg away).

And yes, collarbones! I uncovered those my first try at weight loss and was so crazy about them. I never gained enough weight again to "lose" them completely, but they are definitely more pronounced now.

brendog79

I get treated a lot better. I take a lot more pride in my appearance. People are more inclined to listen to what I have to say. Its nice that woman as well as some men tell me I look really good even though I'm not finished yet. Sleep got way better. I was having a bout with sleep apnea having trouble breathing which I was constantly waking up. I work as a delivery driver and tips have gone up and am the only driver to get a raise from my boss. Face and body is getting clearer from rashes and eye sight got a little better.

lkrise93

I'm cold all of the time!

wunderkindking

I have absolutely no idea what size I am and even less idea how to dress myself (besides just wearing a tent, effectively).

There is a better way, somewhere, but heck if I know what it is.

I AM ALMOST AT GOAL I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK CUTE.

teamhugcpt

AlexandraFindsHerself1971 wrote: »

There's a sharp divide in bras; above 36, and you can find all sorts of good supportive bras. Drop to a 34, and suddenly no one with a 34 has above a DD, and they are very much "let's be pretty and not worry about support." I may have to wear sports bras. This is definitely not something I expected; I thought the boobs would shrink right along with the band needed.

My go-to is the Felina Aubrie, which starts at 32 and goes up to DDD. It doesn’t last as long as higher-end brands, but the support is good, it’s comfy and affordable, and works under most clothes.

If you need more Ds (and don’t mind spending more), check out the Freya Deco. That starts at 28 and goes to GG, and the support is Serious Business: I had custom belly dance costumes made using this in 34G as a base, and it kept everything “locked and loaded”, even with heavy beadwork added.

TxTiffani

I love taking baths and when I would let the water drain out I would stand up and a flood of water would rush out from the dam that was my butt & thighs! Well, that has stopped happening! All the water can drain because I’m now narrow enough that I can’t make a dam behind me anymore LOL

NecessaryChange

Way too many to name, I think the biggest 2 shocks for me was that I actually had bones under everything lmao. I obviously knew I had them but I mean come on.. after a lifetime of looking like the end of Wall-E I had never seen them! It's crazy seeing parts of my bones and muscular structure while moving around. Even my shadow when I'm outside shows things I can't see lol. The second has to be the foot pain.
My legs were always much thinner/smaller on my body. After loosing a large amount of weight.. walking and everything came much much easier.. but because of the fat (that used to cushion my feet) being gone.. it feels like I'm walking on my bones. It's not excruciation, but it is a consistant pain and pinch while moving around that is surprising. I didn't think that'd be an issue at all

lexirelissofia

For it’s still feeling like I weigh 186 pounds. Like I am now 163 5”8 and fit, and i walk around places like target and I see skinny girls and I feel so big, when I know I’m not. But my brain has not adjusted to the fact that I look different and that I have lost weight. It’s so strange !!

TxTiffani

You’ll have no idea what size you are🤷🏼‍♀️ Went thrift shopping and tried things on when I got home. One of the shirts I thought would be snug fits perfect, and a shirt I thought would fit looks like a tent LOL

wunderkindking

TxTiffani wrote: »

You’ll have no idea what size you are🤷🏼‍♀️ Went thrift shopping and tried things on when I got home. One of the shirts I thought would be snug fits perfect, and a shirt I thought would fit looks like a tent LOL

No idea what size I am OR how to dress myself. Not that I ever had a great idea but at this point I have resorted to 'leggings and a tent, talk to me when I can try on clothes in a store again, I guess'.

richardatpalmer

I actually sleep well for 8 hours a night - the first time in 30+ years

wunderkindking

Oh, I forgot a health one:

My GERD VANISHED.

sargemarcori

Nothing new to this thread, but this morning when my alarm went off, I reached across my body for it--and let it go a moment while I stared at my tiny forearm. I could see muscles moving in it!