Fears About Losing Weight

As for me, I worry that my attitude will change, and not in a positive way. I lost 60 lbs several years ago and was back down to my high school weight (I was overweight back then, though, too) and my husband called me out numerous times on how judgmental of other people I'd become. When I gained it back over a couple years, I quit. In a way I feel like I got what was coming to me with my judgmental attitude, because I went into my weight loss thinking there was no way I would ever gain it back, because I didn't want to be like "THOSE PEOPLE" again. I think some of the attitude came from my Weight Watchers leader at the time, though, but experiencing personal success does not give me (or anyone) a license to slam others. And as a result, I'm way more careful about saying "I'll never be THAT weight again," because I prefer my humble pie to be fresh rather than months- or years-old.

I also worry about people treating me differently. It's something I hate about the process of losing weight. When people say, "You look so beautiful now!" and so forth, it can feel like a backhanded compliment. Like, thanks for saying I look beautiful, but the insinuations in the "now" is what gives me pause. I don't like how I look when I'm heavier, but I also don't like feeling like my worthiness is tied to my physical appearance. I find myself feeling like I have to work harder to earn the praise (that's not tied to my appearance) that I get now, and therefore it's somehow more deserved.

SOOoooo true! My sis keeps saying "Nikki, I am so proud of you, you are going to look so hot." I keep telling her I have always been hot. lol. (Don't know if I truly believe this but I need to say it so that I feel better about who I have always been.) You know the comment I HATE the most is when someone says "You have such a pretty face." It's like umm geez thanks.... I know I am big and all.... Heck in some countries bigger is more beautiful, guess I just happen to be in the wrong country lol.

YES, that is exactly it! I'm already hot, my husband tells me so all the time and always has. :P Sometimes it matters more what's up there [points to head] than what's on the outside.

My therapist has always told me my face is beautiful, and compliments me when he thinks I've lost a few pounds. I know he's trying to be supportive, but it's also sort of frustrating. He's very thin, and from what I gather, always has been.

When I was in college (at a very small Methodist school in the Midwest), I was the RA on a floor of girls who were primarily from Chicago, and most of them knew each other from high school. I learned a lot about body image that semester. Many of them prized "thick" bodies, and I heard one of the girls get enthusiastic compliments from her neighbors about how "thick" she'd gotten over Thanksgiving break. Her reply was, "I swear I ate mac & cheese from the moment I got on the train until I got back here!" I found myself wishing I could do that! And I actually got several compliments on my own butt, to the point where one night, one of the girls told me to turn around so some guy she was hanging out with in the lounge could see my booty. I was doing the nightly rounds in my sweatpants... I guess they were flattering to my figure?

To the women who are afraid of undoing what they have done once they get pregnant... I know it is a fear now, but it is such a true miracle to carry that little life inside of you. Those stretch marks will be like beauty marks because it will be a gentle reminder that you were blessed to carry that baby inside of you, to feel him/her kick, to know you helped create a life. You were that baby's home for 9 months in a warm, safe enviroment. That the baby grew from a tiny cell into who you now hold in your arms. It is worth every stretch mark and there is an expression which goes "If you don't believe in miracles, perhaps you have not held a baby in your arms." I promise you, it is worth it :-)

AMEN!!! With my first child I ate right, exercised daily (walked 3 miles and did stretches, etc) drank lots of water... when I gave birth I not only lost ALL the weight I gained during pregnancy, but also ANOTHER 20 POUNDS!!! ... Now I havent been able to duplicate that with my last 2 children... but still... pregnancy doesnt mean that you have to get fat.. Just remember you arent eating for 2 people (the baby isnt even a full person!) and if you stay active and eat right anything is possible!!

I haven't lost a lot of weight but due to my little weight loss i know it is possible to shed the pounds. Since this revelation i have developed a fear of losing weight. It may sound dumb to fear a goal but it's real. I'm scared that losing the weight may not be all i have made it out to be in my head. A little background. I was a really skinny child; in fact, it was so bad that my grandma had an irrational fear that i may die during those periods. I was this way up on till grade three when i started to gain weight rapidly. As a child your metabolism is supposed to be working for you but mine was working against me. As a guess i started to gain the weight due to stress and depression (yes, you can have these things at such a young age). By grade four i had an obscene amount of stretch marks along my sides. By grade nine these stretch marks were now on my arms, stomach, thighs and on the back of my calves. I hated myself for a while got depressed for a while and only once i started college did i make a conscientious effort to do something about it. I am trying to lose weight the healthy way but now i fear the body images to come if i achieve my goals. I have seen when pregnant women gain the weight and lose it all; they get that extra skin in that pouch area that never goes away. Will i get that? I have stretch marks that mostly, only women with twins or triplets get. Will my stretch marks ever fade, if not completely disappear? I am 19 and i feel like i am too young to be having this many body issues.I just want somebody to say when you lose the weight you will be the person you envisioned and more, without it being a lie.