I am "small" to new people :) (Share your stories too!)

mgpearce4

First of all, congrats!
I'm curious how you've kept it off? Thanks!

Zee48

I am so totally impressed with all of these positive stories and events you are telling about. I am a 65 year old 'fat kid' and loved the statement the gentlemen "headofphat" put that "It felt good to hear it but i shed a little tear because my credibility as a fat kid is gone."

I was that fat kid - 2nd fattest kid in 1st grade, 150# in 5th grade, 180# in 8th grade and 192# at graduation - 17 yr old! When I finally grasped the fact that although I'd never be a skinny, slinky, svelte knockout like my high school cheerleader friends and really didn't want to be I decided to get with it and be the best I could be. At age 26 yr, about 9 months after my first & only child was born, my OB/GYN helped me lose 42# the healthy way - basically 34 yr later I discovered it was basically the Weight Watchers healthy plan. I lost from 196# to 142# in a year and kept it within range for several years but over the next 30+ years I yo-yoed up & down hovering around 162# & up but never got above 186#. When life threw me a curve ball and hit me in the gut I consoled myself with food. In 2008, at 183#, a friend asked me if I would join with her because she needed a friend/confidant and needed to lose 90#. I had 40+ I could do without and said yes. In one year I lost 46.8# and made lifetime July 2009. Again life started kicking me around and I gained 25# back. Got back on track last year, got real serious and now am within 3# of my goal!

I know that wonderful, scary feeling when someone calls you skinny and tells you how wonderful you look. It is wonderful and I am so happy and proud of all of you young folk for getting into a healthy lifestyle and enjoying life. Going from 38 - 40" mens' jeans to size 4, 6, 8 ladies/girls jeans is a knockout feeling and still one hard to grasp. I've outgrown the 4s & 6s but still have them in my closet. Size 8s are getting a little loose again and it feels wonderful.

Take good care of yourselves and keep up the good work.

We don't know each other but that doesn't matter ~ I am so very proud of each and every one of you.

Bounce4

Congrats to each of you. That is real world stuff and so inspirational. It is hard to change or own self image so soak up the warm fuzzies.

My bones are way to big to ever be called small :sigh: One day I hope to be called strong and fit though - or really anything positive :P

DayByDayGetStronger

I lost 65lbs with the help of my Lapband and went for a body lift and brachioplasty last November to get rid of a lot of saggy skin. When I came back to work, my male coworkers called me "sexy" and it's an adjective I've never been called before. I was a little uneasy with that label, but now it's ok.
My female coworkers gasped at my skinny arms and very flat tummy and said they were so jealous. They kept asking what size I was and how much I weighed. I told them my surgeon only took off 15lbs of skin, but they didn't believe me. They said it looked like 40lbs gone. I had only dropped 1 size, from a 16 to a 14 and I was 185lbs post op. I never tell my coworkers my size or my exact weight, only that I am down 80lbs in total. When they keep insisting I tell them my size, I ask them "what size do I look?" They say "8". I say "thank you!" It's my own secret and I love it My goal is to be a 10-12 and when I have my thighs reduced, I'll be closer to my goal.

katznkt

I was out with a new guy and he was a little chubby, but barely compared to how overweight I used to be. He kept making remarks about being pudgy and practically apologizing for it. Little did he know that 6 months ago I was morbidly obese. Weird feeling to be thin enough that a guy who was just a tad overweight felt self conscious around me...

amy8400

I was at Walmart last night to pick up a receipt in the optical department when I thought I'd stop into the ladies clothing to look at workout tops. Well on my way there I found a rack of Lee's capri stretch jeans that I had bought three pairs of last year (loved the fit). Last summer, I could barely squeeze into a size 12 but I bought them anyway. When I looked at the same pants on the rack last night, I thought maybe-just maybe-I could be a 10. But looking at the pants on the hanger, I just couldn't mentally see myself in them. I mean, I haven't been a size 10 in 15 years.

I was really surprised when the fitting room was my friend for a change. The pants fit great, though a bit of muffin top made me wince That's okay, I'll fix that in the next two months and shapewear will smooth that out until then.

I still gravitate toward XL and L sizes. It's hard to wrap your head around being a "smaller person". Feels so foreign but maybe in a year or two I'll be able to drop the big girl mentality.

sphkhn

One of the girls at work was out on pregnancy leave so I have only seen her about three or four times since December and she asked if I got a haircut which I had and said "bangs make your face look so good" I didn't say anything but I am sure it is the disappearing double chin that made my "face look so good" I was happy for the rest of the day.

Amestris

I can remember going shopping with a friend about halfway through my current weight loss. She asked me what size dresses I wore and I told her a 14. So I picked out some things I liked and all of them ended being to big. Turns out I was about a size 10/12 at the time. She was so shocked that I didn't realize how much smaller I really was.

airangel59

Have been heavy over half my life so still fighting with having the fat mentality since I've now finally gotten to goal. I don't see myself (mentally) as being a healthy weight, but the face that looks back at me in the mirror is definitely a lot thinner than the one I had 661 days ago when I started here.

-I work from home so when I do see my co workers I'm now called Skinny Minnie.
-I am so totally lost going clothing shopping. I head for the women's section first. When I find the correct section I had to ask sales clerks what size they thought I should try on. Felt like an alien from another planet trying to shop. Was womens 24 pants now 10. 2-3x tees now large (need longer sleeves to cover the batwings, lol)
-Now I shop at thrift shops, much cheaper and now clothing is easier to find in my size (snagged a nice pr of size 10 Levi's 501 button fly jeans for $3.50 and they fit!!) Cannot recall ever being a size 10
-When eating out and asking calorie or cooking questions about the meal, I get odd looks and the occasional comment when I say I'm dieting...of 'what for'.
-I don't sign back of credit card so when I use it they usually ask for photo ID. I show my license and they do a double take cuz I'm way heavier in the photo than the gal standing in front of them (and the weight I lied about on license is way more than I actually now weigh)
-Talking to other people who never saw me before the loss, about weight loss/dieting...they tell me I don't need to diet, that I look too thin and should stop dieting, or don't believe I was ever heavy.

Great NSV's and I hope I never get used to hearing them.

PunkyRachel

The mirror keeps me in check. I've lost 80lbs thus far, gone from size 20-6 jeans, XXL -M shirts, and DDD-C bras. I still think like the fat me and I still think of myself as overweight. Then I see my reflection and I stare in disbelieve, and then smile big at the skinny me. Also pictures, every time anyone snaps a new picture of me I'm just in disbelieve and awe of myself.

A recent story, I work in a daycare and the other day I was on my knees picking up the toys and the co-teacher was all, "Wow! you have like no back fat. How did you get rid of it?" I was caught off guard and said, "It just kinda went away, cause the only exercise I do is Zumba and lots of walking."

Another, my brother got married in December and I had several family members who hadn't seen me in awhile commit on how small/tiny I was. I was thrilled until, it turned into "you need to stop losing weight because I'm scrawny looking now". that pissed me off. lol

JDubIsShrinking

While clothes shopping by myself I will often take selfies in the dressing room and text them to friends to get opinions. Two weeks ago, my friend's response to me sending a selfie in a prospective new dress was, "YOU SKINNY B*TCH!"
Now THAT is something I have never in my life been called. lol It was fantastic!

chelstakencharge

Still FREAKS me out when I hear someone call me tiny....I don't feel tiny. I guess though going from a size 20wp to a 4/6p in their eyes I really am tiny.

sola24

My co worker asked me why I am looking dull I replied by saying I have a stomach flu which happens kind of often with me due to heat and season change. He looked a me and teased.. "but you are so tiny, do you even have a stomach?" I was like nobody has called me tiny before in my life :P LOL!

Schlackity

Reading through all these, it's nice to know that I may not see myself as fat some day. I have a trip to Seattle coming up in a few weeks and I'm really (REALLY) worried about fitting in the 17 inch plane seat. I'm wider than 17 inches standing up, let alone sitting down when I get the dreaded butt spread. I'm down from a size 28 to a size 16......hopefully a size 16 fits in plane seats. It's a 6 hour flight.....gonna be mighty uncomfy if I'm wedged in there like a sardine.

Congrats to everyone who has heard those positive comments! It must feel amazing to hear a remark you can feel so proud about.

CTcutie

One of the girls at work was out on pregnancy leave so I have only seen her about three or four times since December and she asked if I got a haircut which I had and said "bangs make your face look so good" I didn't say anything but I am sure it is the disappearing double chin that made my "face look so good" I was happy for the rest of the day.

LOL- Same here! I git some bangs a couple months agp and now people at work are always telling me it must be my new haircut. Or perhaps that I lost a chin, half a belly, 3-4 sizes... and 50 pounds...But it's a fairly PC/conservative company, so if it's someone I don't know very well, I just say thanks! If its a friend or a woman whose sounds exasperated about her own weight and/or asks me about my weight loss, I will share the truth :happy: (Too bad no-one really wants to know the cold, hard truth re. deficits and exercise and stuff.)

annette_15

curlsintherack

nice work everyone. this is an inspirational thread for sure.

Amestris

So cute!

proudjmmom

I have a new coworker, who didn't know me before my weight loss. I was discussing with her warm clothes for the North (we live in Northern Canada), and I was telling her different clothing that I've found that worked. She said "yeah, you must be cold all the time you are like what? 100lbs?" She is a small woman who I seen myself as being bigger then her. I have another new colleague who I just met as well, and he said I must be 100 lbs soaking wet. I don't think I look that small, but I'm still adjusting to my new body. It definitely boasted my self image to know that other people see me as small, even tho, most days I don't.