What nobody tells you about losing weight

heavensshadow

• How much WILLPOWER it actually takes some days to stay on track.
• How much of a rollercoaster it really is, because your brain takes so long to accept the weightloss. I'm 40 lbs lighter and I STILL have trouble with looking in a mirror and not seeing a slug.
• The happy/annoying struggle of being in between sizes. Shopping is more enjoyable though!
• Support often comes from the unlikeliest of places instead of your normal family/close relationships. I am more motivated by my friends here than I am nearly anywhere else!
• Less money spent on drinking, since you're more of a lightweight!
• Having energy all day! I crash way less during the day compared to previously.

birgitkwood

That I'd find all these veins and arteries close to the surface that I never knew existed. I keep finding new spots that weirdly throb, lol

Wolfger

You will feel cold.

Aarjono

That you need to have your glasses adjusted because you've lost weight in your face and they keep sliding off.

Madwife2009

Wolfger wrote: »

You will feel cold.

. . . all of the time.

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year (an impressive 25 degrees where I am, quite high for England) and I didn't feel it at all. We went out for a walk and my children and DH were sweating and complaining about how hot they were. I was there, thinking "Uh? You're HOT?" I keep forgetting that I've lost my most of my huge layer of fat.

jaroby

MichaelRow wrote: »

LauraInTheWater wrote: »

Also, feeling insecure about eating healthy when everyone else is eating unhealthy around you.

Plus I don't feel right without the lunch salad.

This is exactly how I feel now. I've started eating my giant salads for lunch on the weekends. I'll even pack it with when my husband and I take the kids to a park because when I don't have it something just feels...off. It's a huge portion of my veggies that I totally count on and crave!

And this is doubly funny for me right now because I grew up with 2 parents who worked out at home daily and who ate a salad every day for lunch. They still do! And it's still the same salad! 30yrs of the same lunch!! I used to really dislike salads and I would make fun of them for being so boring to eat the same thing for lunch for all of my (their) life. And here I am doing the same thing! Hahahaha I just needed a different type of lettuce and different toppings to make it work. And now the day feels off without it. Ridiculous. It's ridiculous.

gymprincess1234

That it's going to be like a full time job, all you think, read, prep for, all the laundry, workouts, extra stretching in mornings and evenings, browsing Pinterest for new exercices and motivational quotes, all the progress photo taking, tracking measurements, etc.

I feel like 'mind on a mission, body under construction'

MissMaggieMuffin

How picky I would get when eating out - and how disappointed I would be when the item I order turns out to not be worth the calories.

First of all, I have become very selective in terms of whether I consider an item worth the calories. Always looking for something unique that I wouldn't make at home. Soooo disappointing when the flavour of my choice isn't all that great and I realize that I could have made it (better) at home.

Penthesilea514

MissMaggieMuffin wrote: »

How picky I would get when eating out - and how disappointed I would be when the item I order turns out to not be worth the calories.

First of all, I have become very selective in terms of whether I consider an item worth the calories. Always looking for something unique that I wouldn't make at home. Soooo disappointing when the flavour of my choice isn't all that great and I realize that I could have made it (better) at home.

So much this! I had a co-worker who I thought was a little too picky about food until I realized that there are times those store-bought cookies/cake/whatever are not usually worth the calories for the taste.

jaroby

MissMaggieMuffin wrote: »

How picky I would get when eating out - and how disappointed I would be when the item I order turns out to not be worth the calories.

First of all, I have become very selective in terms of whether I consider an item worth the calories. Always looking for something unique that I wouldn't make at home. Soooo disappointing when the flavour of my choice isn't all that great and I realize that I could have made it (better) at home.

YES!!!

Haha last weekend we went out for donuts as a family with some friends. I had prepared and set myself up to have the necessary calories for the family experience. I was prepared to throughly enjoy the donut.

And then I got (mentally) flustered when they didn't have any donut flavors that I actually wanted to spend my calories on! Haha so I went with one I though would do the trick. Bummer. It so wasn't worth it.

The good news? I didn't finish it. I also didn't buy a 2nd one to redeem the experience I had set myself up for.

Would have never envisioned that happening before this journey! I would have totally suffered through the not so great donut and then bought another and ate it too just to have the experience I had set myself up for. win.

HDBKLM

One thing I really like about this thread is how long it is! I lose motivation easily, and this is like a never-ending wellspring of fresh motivation. I started reading from Page 1, and very time I'm flagging I come back and read a few more pages. Thanks for this!

I'll add to the list that while I've only been doing this about a week and a half so far, It's been interesting to realise that the direction the scale (or the measurements) is moving makes a mental difference, regardless of if you are near your goal or not. For example, I've probably just lost like 2 pounds so far—which technically is probably the same weight I was just a couple of months ago, before I decided I needed to take action. Two months ago when I was this same weight I thought I looked terrible; now that I'm 'down to' this weight I think I look great, hahaha!

amtyrell

In December I was in a bad accident and had a big swelling/ bruise/bump on my leg the doctor told me the discoloration would go away but the bump might be permanent. With fat loss and exercise it is almost gone.

hthrm3

KatieLK14 wrote: »

- how excited I get when my muscles feel like they've been well worked/sore
- how some people will get REALLY WEIRD about your dedication to eating well/ working out
- actually starting to like myself is sweeeeeeeeet

I have heard "are you going to freak out and not eat what I cooked?!" People don't understand and it's like they are annoyed by your dedication. They don't get that I DONT WANT TO DEVIATE from my plan. It's kind of heartbreaking bc you're just looking for support.

LauraInTheWater

amtyrell wrote: »

In December I was in a bad accident and had a big swelling/ bruise/bump on my leg the doctor told me the discoloration would go away but the bump might be permanent. With fat loss and exercise it is almost gone.

Omg the opposite thing is happening to me. I was in a bad accident a few years ago that made a big dent in the fat in my thigh and while the bruise went away, the dent has become more prominent again now that the weight has come off.

If this was a hashtag I would label it #skinnyprobs

trixieberry17

hthrm3 wrote: »

KatieLK14 wrote: »

- how excited I get when my muscles feel like they've been well worked/sore
- how some people will get REALLY WEIRD about your dedication to eating well/ working out
- actually starting to like myself is sweeeeeeeeet

I have heard "are you going to freak out and not eat what I cooked?!" People don't understand and it's like they are annoyed by your dedication. They don't get that I DONT WANT TO DEVIATE from my plan. It's kind of heartbreaking bc you're just looking for support.

They really really don't understand. They don't realize that your doing good and got everything planned out already and then there like oh try this bbq. They don't realize what an impact it can have on you.

smantha32

jenilla1 wrote: »

BoomyBabe wrote: »

The disgusting skin sag...

I think that if more people knew about this, and that it can be permanent damage, there would be a lot more people stopping themselves from getting as large as they do in the first place. They might just get to be a little overweight or even borderline obese and then stop themselves before they reach the skin-stretching-sagging level of obesity. Some people bounce back better than others. The problem is, that point is different for everyone so you might not know your limit until you've already done the damage.

Seems like most people don't think about or even know about the excess sagging skin aspect. They start putting on some weight and think they have plenty of time to turn it around - they just think they can put it off and lose it later and everything will just bounce right back like they'd always been fit. It doesn't work that way for most people, though.

I only gained about 40-50 pounds for the most part.. when I was younger I would lose and the skin snapped back. Not anymore. I need to lose about 30 pounds this time and there's gross loose skin everywhere.

youdoyou2016

Here is a weird one: when I was heavier, I would set the shower head to "power spray" -- think, fire hose. I preferred it that way and thought it felt good. The last several months it has been set at a "normal" spray, and I just haven't bothered to change it.

Today, when I stepped in the shower it was back to fire-hose power, and it hurt. A lot. So unbelievably uncomfortable hitting my bones. Like, how could anyone stand this?!

I never thought this would be a weight loss thing ...

tealtortoise

When on a boat, I don't get as anxious with the whole balance issue...

carrieoffen

How much more difference there is with you "am belly" and "pm belly".

Diana_GettingFit

carrieoffen wrote: »

How much more difference there is with you "am belly" and "pm belly".

I have the same issue! In the morning my stomach looks almost flat. After I eat though my stomach bloats out, especially at the sides! It's annoying because then I don't look like I've lost as much weight as I know I have!