What is the biggest unexpected surprise after losing weight?

naterciarodrigues58

Only half way through my goal but... I feel my collarbones... whaaaaat? It's just weird to feel them!

kaydeedoubleu1

I noticed that since losing weight and toning up, its harder to shave my legs, particularly my calves because of the ripples, giving me lots of shaving cuts. and also not having to buy clothes from the plus size section makes me feel like im not abnormal and obese anymore. and seeing a sun spot on my navel line that i hadnt seen for years due to stomach overhang. the list could go on...

ThatOperaGirl

I was in Italy during northern hemisphere winter and am now back in Australia for southern hemisphere winter, but with 30lbs gone ... and I'm SO much colder here in Australian winter, even though it's actually *much* warmer here than it was six months ago in Italy. I compared the weather reports and everything because although I'd heard that feeling colder could happen with weight loss, I couldn't believe that it would affect me this much! Good thing I love layering up with scarves and jackets

Peni_Davidson

Although I am only nearly halfway through There have been a few surprises some good, one bad. I tried on a suit for work which I thought was a certain size, feeling chuffed that it fit. Only to discover it was actually a size smaller than I thought, made me feel even better.
I know longer feel out of breath when I walk and have discovered that I actually like walking.
On a down side, I I have found a lump in my breast, but on a positive note, if I hadn't lost the weight I might never have found it, or found it too late.
But when all is said and done, losing weight has given me a positive outlook. It has made me determined to keep focused, carry on and what will be will be. It's no use worrying over things I have no control over.

OllyReeves

I know this will probably sound ridiculous, but after losing all this weight off my tummy, my dinkle seemed bigger

Wasn't expecting that!

annakow

LOL well done!

jollyjoe321

@olly - Now that's definitely a bonus!

heatherlee33

Biggest surprise for me? My clothes all fit..until they were too big, and then was surprising, so I bought more...and then those were too big too, and that was surprising. Also, the first time I had to say, I'm sorry this 9/10 is too big, can I get this in a 7/8. That was surprising. Another surprising thing...What the he11 are people staring at? boogers? Something on my dress? Is there something wrong with me? No? Oh, I guess they are just staring at me. Huh.

blibby33

bump for reading later

jkay123

Peni, sorry that you found the lump, but you're right, better to find it now and get it taken care of. (hug)

cityjaneLondon

Peni - I had breast cancer 6 years ago. Found it when I lost some weight that time. Great to have found it early. I am clear now.

mollywhippet

I'm down 54 pounds or so, and still don't see a lot of difference. I am wearing clothes from last summer that had been too tight but now they fit. I thought it would make more difference, but it was really only a third of the total I need to lose. My husband says he can see the difference, but he's really sweet and supportive, so I can't tell if its really true. I have noticed that the skin on my upper arms is a lot looser and makes my elbows disappear.

A couple of little good things I've noticed...
I can reach my feet to trim toenails and tie my shoes.
I can reach the emergency brake release under the dash of my car.

Both those things used to give me what I called "fat cramps". Where it felt like my fat rolled over on itself. I haven't had that feeling in a while now, and don't miss it one bit.

Oh, and this morning I climbed a tall flight of stairs TWICE without being out of breath.

dsims_nc

If I lie on my left side I can feel my heart beating (I don't really like it!)

acstansell

The extra skin is a negative. The fact that I'm struggling to stay motivated is a negative...

Positives?
- I have a waistline again
- My legs look good in a dress/skirt
- I can wear said dress skirt w/out spanx
- my face is slim enough to wear short hair again.
- I've lost 50 or so lbs, 4 pants sizes, and 3 shirt sizes.
- I can walk 3 miles w/out pain in about 45 minutes.
- I can see and feel my collarbones
- I can put my hands around my neck, wrists, and ankles.

paulperryman

Dunno about unexpected but things that i thought were a lost cause at the end of last year
Several things Half way through my journey in around 5 months
1) and major one, 20Kgs in less then 5 months, ive done weight loss b4 and it took years, this time it's alot easier for the most part the previous times i had to cut out all red meat, in addition to eaten strictly veggie and fruit 3 days a week and i was alot more exercise including Karate related activities 10 hours a week + endless bushwalks and walking in general and i still only lost a fraction in several years that i've lost this time in just 5 months.

- I fit into jeans 10cm's smaller then i started.
- i have much more stamina
- i my tummy has shrunken in considerably
- sleeping better (ensomniac and sleep apnea b4)
- blood pressure is in safe limits, b4 i started losing i was any day away from a disaster
- people complimenting on obvious body change that i don't see.
- willpower to just give up junk food, ice coffee, soda and cordial cold turkey and haven't been tempted once

seniorbug2003

Realizing that eating 2000 calories a day is really enough food and finding days that I am actually eating less than that. For me that is a big improvement. Also realizing that healthy food actually taste good and chocolate no longer has the appeal it once did.

ericnealdavis

A lot of these are repeats of others but I figured I'd throw in too!

I get cold now, something that NEVER happened to me before. The most annoying thing about that is my nose gets cold and it bugs the hell out of me.

I don't sweat like a hog anymore and the heat doesn't bother me (which is good since I live in Florida).

My wedding band doesn't fit. I have stored it and will get it resized when I reach my goal weight.

My butt hurts when I sit on hard chairs.

I have way more energy and I don't get sleepy in the afternoon anymore.

If I don't exercise I have a hard time getting to sleep and I feel antsy all day.

But when I do sleep, I sleep better.

I can feel my ribs and I'm obsessed with the bump of my xiphoid process (I can never ever remember feeling it before).

I'm obsessed with food and my calorie intake and I can't really enjoy a "cheat" day for worrying about how I'm sabotaging my weight loss.

And finally, I expected to go down in clothes sizes but what I wasn't expecting was that my waist would end up being higher on my body. So, i bought new jeans with the correct waist size for me only to find out that I now need pants with a longer inseam!

pendii

This summer I am 54 pounds lighter than I was last summer. I have been really surprised at how much less the heat bothers me. In the past I always felt like I was melting outside. Now the heat's not so bad. I mean... I still sunburn. haha. But I don't feel like I'm suffocating. Also I have soooo much more energy. Things like climbing stairs and hiking mountains are becoming easy.

I have approached my weight loss as a life style change. I really have changed the way I eat and improved my exercise habits. I think one of the big surprises I have had is that a year later, the foods I crave have completely changed. Super sweet stuff rarely sounds good to me. Instead of brownies, I crave things like kale salad or blackberries.

It might be a negative, it might be positive, not sure - my own perception of what healthy looks like has changed. Before this weight loss, my lowest weight in adulthood was when I got married 7 years ago. And at that time I was about 15-20 pounds overweight. After gaining 50+ over the years, I would always think I would be so happy just to be at my wedding weight my whole life. I am currently a few pounds under my wedding weight now, and I don't think I could be happy here. I am still about 13-14 pounds above the highest healthy weight for my height... not that BMIs are all that reliable. But I do think I can/should lose at least another 20-25 pounds. I don't want to be scary skinny. I just want to be safely inside that healthy weight range. And I wanna get there the healthy way. I guess once you see what is possible, you gain hope and determination to reach goals that you used to think were off limits for you.

wlaura88

I didn't realize how big I really looked until I saw how shocked people looked who hadn't seen me in a while. Also, I am starting to annoy my boyfriend and family because I constantly talk about food lol.

OMG YES. I'm always obsessing over food.

I too am guilty of this! I am obsessed with food.

What's worse is that I'm becoming obnoxious at home. I am on a modified South Beach diet, so when I see people eating sugar and carbs I can be a little... preachy.

I am noticing increased energy, ease of movement, and that I can really RUN again. But my absolute favorite thing to notice is when I put on a pair of "new" pants that have never been worn, only to realize I bought them two years ago and couldn't fit into them then. That is when it's all worth it!

Yes I can get a little preachy too, especially when my mom says she wishes she could lose weight too because she doesn't want to do the work, just whine about it.

lucyholdcroft

For me, being a previous anorexic, it is a huge, huge positive that I am finally realising that I CAN lose weight healthily, and that I can eat 2000 calories without putting on the pounds, sometimes even less, but within moderation! It's wonderful seeing the results over time, and being HAPPY with my body image now

DancesWithBirds

I didn't read through all 8 pages, so I don't know if anyone else has said this, but I was just noticing the other day that my center of gravity has changed a lot. I'm a lot more balanced and comfortable in all kinds of movements. A couple of years ago we went to the Grand Canyon and my [skinny] friends were getting their photos taken in all sorts of precarious positions, and I couldn't fathom how they could feel safe and comfortable. Now I know.

I'm also able to climb around, under and over things much more easily than I could before, which is nice.

Sometimes, though, I still feel like I can't do things. That sucks, because it's hard to get out of that mindset.

annakow

Looking at some big people and thinking- omg it's so easy to lose! but telling them is insulting them, pitty because there is nothing better then healthy critic....

KoolKiwi69

I have had many goes at losing my weight! ..... failed miserably everytime. But always get back to I need to do this. my usual pattern of behaviour is do it for 7 - 10 days and then that is it. get discouraged and then QUIT!

recipe of insanity! - keep repeating the same pattern over and over and expect a different outcome!

This time I have taken on a completely different strategy..... and have now wittled down 7KG and nearly got my waist down below 100cm. (started at 118CM)

I was shocked out much stronger I have become and how fast I recover from my insane workouts. And I am doing a 6-8Km walk every day as well to work out the *****s after my hard out insane workout (25 mins of full on exertion with 30- 45secs per excercise (No WEIGHTS- just a training towel) and 15sec recoveries in between.

My stamina have improved massive amounts also. I have now done 3 x 9 day cycles on my program and it feels fantastic!

KikiODonoghue

My surprises are mainly positive. Since I was never overweight, just unfit, I never thought I'd get as much strength to jog, cause I always hated running, now I find it fun. I was surprised at how ripped my lower abs can get by just eating right. Never thought food was even more important than exercise: I used to work out like crazy, but continued eating rubbish, only smaller portions, and never had any results! (dumb me)

jackiemoore44

there are essential oils that you can blend to tighten skin naturally.

mamadon

Lets see.....
1 . I can roll over in bed without having to sit up. (or sometimes had to get out of bed completely just to change sides.)
2. I can wear 2 bracelets that were gift that never fit
3. I walk every where faster
4 . I was in the shower, and wondered what was sticking out under my boobs. ( my ribs)
5. I can cross my legs
6. I can jump up and sit on the kitchen counter.

mochicakes92

Mainly, the way people (particularly men) treat me now! When I started school last August it was as though I was invisible. Now, almost a year later and 20 lbs lost, men who didn't or would have never looked at me before just ogle me at school. Same when I go to other festivals with lots of people and everything. I haven't really been used to this attention since I was a thinner teen, but I definitely notice it more today than I did back then because it is so weird and new to me now! I'm a sociology student so it's kind of a good sociological experiment on my part
On the other hand, it's nice not feeling invisible or just being "That chubby chick" but at the same time I almost feel as resentful as I feel proud. Mainly because I wasn't good enough back then for them, I guess? So I guess that's another unexpected surprise, the fact that I don't appreciate the improved way people treat me as much as I thought I would!!
Regardless though, I am gonna keep losing for myself because I LOVE the way I look now!! That's another thing, how much my own self confidence has gone up so quickly, didn't expect that!

jdm_taco

how fast I sink to bottom of pool lol


I used to just bob under and then right back to surface


People are much nicer to me and strangers smile, which is nice now but sad that heavy people get treated differently.

Dhathri

I love the responses, need to read all of them stil

dunnodunno

Bump!