What nobody tells you about losing weight

TypingToaster

That when you are losing inches and weight it looks and feels like you are doing a lot better than you are even though you have a long ways to go yet. Then you as you are taking a progress pic you can see just how much you have to go yet and it is a little shocking and embarrassing to see.

IcanIwill1

That you will suddenly be seen as an authority on how to adopt a healthy lifestyle by friends and relatives...who saw you obese for years and know your struggle with weight is real.
That smaller sizes like British size 12 or lower (American size 8 and lower)has fewer takers, and are therefore in abundance at the clearance rails.
This has translated into the fact that being a smaller size actually cuts gazillions off the cost of dressing well.
I go into clothes stores and see racks and racks of clothes my size, marked down ridiculous amounts.
skirts from £49.99 to £2.50
dresses £79.99 to £6.99 sometimes even lower.
Everyday I am so grateful that I never gave up. So many times over the years I wanted to quit. I believed that there was something about me that made it impossible to stay a healthy weight.
Only to stumble upon the realisation that unless in very very moderate, amounts..any type of carbs unless from leafy greens and cruciferous veg make me insanely and uncontrollably hungry.

MimiOfTheLusciousLawn

IcanIwill1 wrote: »

Only to stumble upon the realisation that unless in very very moderate, amounts..any type of carbs unless from leafy greens and cruciferous veg make me insanely and uncontrollably hungry.

YES!! Exactly this!

MimiOfTheLusciousLawn

MudstainSally wrote: »

berolcolour wrote: »

Going to another country and realising sizing is different - but more than expected. I got looked up and down when I said I was a medium in France and told to try a large (I'm a small!) but she was right. I'm a French large, I can't imagine what a French small looks like!

New people (I have a new job) who haven't seen you fat will think you are a crazy diet exercise freak for not eating biscuits or saying you spent another evening running!

LOL, is it crazy that my current work environment is toxic and I really should move on, but one of the reasons I dont want to is actually wanting to be at least 30 more lbs down so I'm not in the obese category anymore?

When I had to job hunt, I was in the 270+ range and it added a whole scary dimension to the interview process. However, if your workplace is toxic, RUN, don't walk, to the want ads and put yourself out there. The right place is out there and you'll feel soooo much better when you're there rather than here. A great resume, cover letter and interview clothes will make up for what we see we "lack" in the appearance dept. I got hired at 275# - obese people work, too. Go get yourself a happy work environment, you more than deserve it!

MimiOfTheLusciousLawn

ladybuggnorris wrote: »

How I am secretly so annoyed at my husband for losing more than me. We are both eating low cal/low carb and he is losing twice as fast as I am and is allowed more calories. I know this is normal, and although I tell him how proud I am of him, I am secretly annoyed that it is so much easier for him than it is for me.

Oh boy, do I get it!! Just bear in mind that as women, our bodies are designed for the sole purpose of bearing children. Our hormones won't allow us to lose at the same rate as a man. Sucks, yes, but it's all for a good cause I suppose. Hang in there, don't kill him in his sleep...

Idle_Moon

When I was heavier people wouldn't dare to call me fat. Now I'm losing weight and people think it's OK to call me a "stick".

They also tend to think I care if they find my body goals "ugly". I'm not doing this to become your sexy coworker, I'm doing this for myself.

IILikeToMoveItMoveIt

That not everyone will look younger the more weight they loose...

driving_miss_crazy

AmusedToaster wrote: »

That when you are losing inches and weight it looks and feels like you are doing a lot better than you are even though you have a long ways to go yet. Then you as you are taking a progress pic you can see just how much you have to go yet and it is a little shocking and embarrassing to see.

This just happened to me

nathan_haveagoodday

That my scrawny 3 year old will be eating more calories in a day (crazy growth spurts lately) than I will.

HB4TUNING17

-That fitting in a airplane restroom would be such a wonderful experience. I looked left and right and wondered if they redesigned the restrooms.
- That you would inspire people with your own progress.
- Muscles you never knew you had will show up and they will be sore from time to time.
- New friends appear and some old friends disappear.

sadinplaid

I've lost 36 pounds and still have about 20 or so to lose, but I feel amazing. I feel confident and strong. I'm excited about clothes shopping, and I recently realized after a brief hiatus from working out due to a cold, that I sleep so much better when I'm working out!

kprimaverab

jessmessmfp wrote: »

Yep! Without fail, a week in to starting a calorie deficit diet, I have food dreams. And it always makes me freak out when I wake up. I have dreams actually eating them and enjoying the food. I wake up, scared, and then a feeling of relief and satisfaction. I "feel" like I ate them and gain pleasure from that feeling, but I didn't. So weird.

DaneanP wrote: »

So is anyone else having food dreams? I guess I would've thought that back in the day when I was eating whatever and whenever I would have dreamt about food more. But now because I need to plan more (a good thing) I find myself dreaming about food! Occasionally I wake up with a panicky feeling that I just ate something that blew my calories out for the week!! WTH?

I just think it is strange. I feel more IN control now but my dreams feel more out of control.

Yep. Ive had some pretty "terrifying" dreams where I ate a handful of doritos for breakfast and blew my carb intake for the day. Wake up with a sigh of relief

kprimaverab

The realisation that when you lose weight you don't magically have $$ to buy new bras / other clothes. Yay for baggy clothes !!(until I reach my goal)

GabinkaP

angelxsss wrote: »

GabinkaP wrote: »

That your success may NOT inspire any of your loved ones. Even though your success SHOWS you know how to do it, they don't even want to start on the process. Even though my husband just had to buy BIGGER shorts. It didn't click for him that he really needs to lose weight. Daughter is still in denial. Thinks a thigh gap (I have one) is gross and her thick thighs (shockingly thick but I don't tell her that. She's a teen and I don't want to completely body-shame her) are better. I dropped from 147 lbs to between 115 and 116 generally. I got back into all my size 6 clothes and then some. I put on formal dresses I could not zip before. But it has not inspired my family at all.

@GabinkaP My family comments on how good I look and how healthily I eat, as they order pizza from Dominos or whatever. For the past 6 months I've been making this effort, and nobody else has wanted to change. Just this weekend though, my parents bought fruit and cut it up and prepared it for the week, and everyone was interested in partaking. My dad tried to eat pretty clean when we went out this weekend (quietly, he didn;t say anything about it), and my mom has started going back to Weight Watchers, which I personally think is a waste of money, but if that's what she needs to do to get healthier, I'm all for it. And my brother has recently started running and has asked to join me at the 5k's I've signed up for. These are all very recent changes. So it may not seem like it, but people are noticing and it might just take a while for them to come around. But I know it's entirely possible that they just wont change at all.

I'm glad your family is coming around. My husband has gotten FATTER since I started losing in April 2014. So it's been a long while. I hit my goal last October. Been going further down since then. No evidence that he's starting to care. He's obese and fine with it at the present. I worry that I'll lose him earlier because of this.

As for my daughter, I did have a talk with her about her weight a couple weeks ago. Trying the "It's easier to keep it off than to take it off" route. But she still put away a pound of M&M's (all but 1/4 cup) in about 2 days after she got just a little bit of money to buy it. Even trying to keep either of them to portion control has not worked yet. She still gives me the "you're the one on the diet, not me" comments.

lujako

How much time it takes to prep all of your meals

IILikeToMoveItMoveIt

kprimaverab wrote: »

jessmessmfp wrote: »

Yep! Without fail, a week in to starting a calorie deficit diet, I have food dreams. And it always makes me freak out when I wake up. I have dreams actually eating them and enjoying the food. I wake up, scared, and then a feeling of relief and satisfaction. I "feel" like I ate them and gain pleasure from that feeling, but I didn't. So weird.

DaneanP wrote: »

So is anyone else having food dreams? I guess I would've thought that back in the day when I was eating whatever and whenever I would have dreamt about food more. But now because I need to plan more (a good thing) I find myself dreaming about food! Occasionally I wake up with a panicky feeling that I just ate something that blew my calories out for the week!! WTH?

I just think it is strange. I feel more IN control now but my dreams feel more out of control.

Yep. Ive had some pretty "terrifying" dreams where I ate a handful of doritos for breakfast and blew my carb intake for the day. Wake up with a sigh of relief

So much yes.
I once dreamed I overate my calories by 6000 and was freaking out trying to count and remember what the hell I ate, then I woke up stressed but relieved.

RainyDayBrunette

AmusedToaster wrote: »

That when you are losing inches and weight it looks and feels like you are doing a lot better than you are even though you have a long ways to go yet. Then you as you are taking a progress pic you can see just how much you have to go yet and it is a little shocking and embarrassing to see.

This is me. I feel smaller, but my photos still show a big girl...

jdhcm2006

That you will be able to tell the difference between hydrated and dehydrated. I can't stand the days I don't drink enough water. It's like my body physically hurts when it doesn't get enough water.

angelxsss

GabinkaP wrote: »

I'm glad your family is coming around. My husband has gotten FATTER since I started losing in April 2014. So it's been a long while. I hit my goal last October. Been going further down since then. No evidence that he's starting to care. He's obese and fine with it at the present. I worry that I'll lose him earlier because of this.

As for my daughter, I did have a talk with her about her weight a couple weeks ago. Trying the "It's easier to keep it off than to take it off" route. But she still put away a pound of M&M's (all but 1/4 cup) in about 2 days after she got just a little bit of money to buy it. Even trying to keep either of them to portion control has not worked yet. She still gives me the "you're the one on the diet, not me" comments.

I dont know how old your daughter is or what all you said to her, but maybe try emphasizing just being healthy first and foremost, and then the weight will just follow? But I do feel like a lot of starting out on this journey is really just a lightswitch moment, and I'm not sure that other people can trigger that- it might just have to start with oneself.

GabinkaP

angelxsss wrote: »

GabinkaP wrote: »

I'm glad your family is coming around. My husband has gotten FATTER since I started losing in April 2014. So it's been a long while. I hit my goal last October. Been going further down since then. No evidence that he's starting to care. He's obese and fine with it at the present. I worry that I'll lose him earlier because of this.

As for my daughter, I did have a talk with her about her weight a couple weeks ago. Trying the "It's easier to keep it off than to take it off" route. But she still put away a pound of M&M's (all but 1/4 cup) in about 2 days after she got just a little bit of money to buy it. Even trying to keep either of them to portion control has not worked yet. She still gives me the "you're the one on the diet, not me" comments.

I dont know how old your daughter is or what all you said to her, but maybe try emphasizing just being healthy first and foremost, and then the weight will just follow? But I do feel like a lot of starting out on this journey is really just a lightswitch moment, and I'm not sure that other people can trigger that- it might just have to start with oneself.

She's 15. She doesn't care about healthy. She cares about looking good before she goes to bed. She puts on makeup BEFORE she goes to bed. Sigh. Teenagers are ridiculous! Anyway, she thinks a thigh gap is gross and that I have no "booty." In fact, I get so many compliments when I dress up. I'm beautiful and while my stomach is not perfectly flat, I'm thinner than I've been in 10 years! (Was on a diet 10 years ago and got down to 110, now 115-116). Part of the issue with her though, may be beyond her control. She had a broken ankle this summer. Seriously curtailed her activity. Now she's back in school, gonna play volleyball. Maybe all that activity will bring her weight down while she's not looking.

As for my husband, I got him a Fitbit, hoping that would get him moving more. Now he manages to get 10k far before I do even when we're walking together and as I said before, he's going up, not down.