Most Uncomfortable / Hardest Part Of Being Overweight

Options
245

Replies

  • trackmyday1973
    trackmyday1973 Posts: 393 Member
    Options
    -being teased and humiliated most of my life
    -feeling like everyone is staring or making fun of me
    -feeling like I would break a chair
    -not knowing if I would fit in booth at restaurant
    -not seeing my penis :sad: :laugh:




    I haven't even dated in 7 years because of my weight.

    Same here... Glad its over

    WOW great job on the weight loss :)
  • bbbgamer
    bbbgamer Posts: 582 Member
    Options
    you all can do it!
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
    Options
    For me the hardest has always been photographs of myself.

    I am going to be totally honest and it might sound like I'm in denial or something. I am currently in the high 220s and have ranged from 240-300 most of my adult life. I've always - even at my heaviest weight - had VERY high energy, a great love life, an easy time getting jobs, excellent or at least decent medical test results, have not felt that different from my average weight peers and colleagues.

    But photos. Oh my goodness. When I'd see a photo of myself, if it was anything other than a flattering selfie of my face, or a pic of me half-way hiding behind my much larger ex husband...I would want to cry. I have never actually felt suicidal in my life but the closest, most horrible self-loathing moments I've had were after looking at photographs taken of me when I thought I looked good, and actually looked horrible. As a result, I'd hide from cameras for years.

    Just today my fiance and I did a little "mock" wedding at my mom's house, just tried on our outfits to see how they looked in photos she snapped of us. I looked pretty decent, and I can tell I have lost a lot of the weight so that's a good feeling. But I still feel like I'm smaller and more attractive than I am in the full body shots. It's just one of those things. Ugh.
  • oceansablue
    oceansablue Posts: 53
    Options
    you all can do it!

    This is what I love about MFP, someone's always there to be supportive.:smile:
  • jdm_taco
    jdm_taco Posts: 999 Member
    Options
    -being teased and humiliated most of my life
    -feeling like everyone is staring or making fun of me
    -feeling like I would break a chair
    -not knowing if I would fit in booth at restaurant
    -not seeing my penis :sad: :laugh:




    I haven't even dated in 7 years because of my weight.

    Same here... Glad its over

    WOW great job on the weight loss :)

    Thanks!
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Options
    Well for me it made me home bound.. 4 years ago I was literally trapped in my own home... I could barely stand at 560 lbs. let alone walk from room to room.... Severe social phobia had kept me out of major dept. stores for over 7 years leading up to that time... So everything came to a head in 2009.... I hit rock bottom and stop saying no to everything and started saying yes... I crawled and pulled myself out of that pit I was in and am standing here today a new man.... You just have to be willing to put one foot in front of the other and always keep pushing forward...... Best of Luck
  • Christinebell65
    Christinebell65 Posts: 10
    Options
    Congratulations!
  • gracielynn1011
    gracielynn1011 Posts: 726 Member
    Options
    I agree about shopping for clothing. When I was a size 16, everyone said a size 10 is average, a size 10 never has problems finding cute clothes. Now I am a size 10, and every place is saying a 6-8 is average, you'll never have trouble finding a 6-8. I find lots of outfits that I love, but still can't find them in my size, or if I do, they are not flattering.
  • oceansablue
    oceansablue Posts: 53
    Options
    For me the hardest has always been photographs of myself.

    I am going to be totally honest and it might sound like I'm in denial or something. I am currently in the high 220s and have ranged from 240-300 most of my adult life. I've always - even at my heaviest weight - had VERY high energy, a great love life, an easy time getting jobs, excellent or at least decent medical test results, have not felt that different from my average weight peers and colleagues.

    But photos. Oh my goodness. When I'd see a photo of myself, if it was anything other than a flattering selfie of my face, or a pic of me half-way hiding behind my much larger ex husband...I would want to cry. I have never actually felt suicidal in my life but the closest, most horrible self-loathing moments I've had were after looking at photographs taken of me when I thought I looked good, and actually looked horrible. As a result, I'd hide from cameras for years.

    Just today my fiance and I did a little "mock" wedding at my mom's house, just tried on our outfits to see how they looked in photos she snapped of us. I looked pretty decent, and I can tell I have lost a lot of the weight so that's a good feeling. But I still feel like I'm smaller and more attractive than I am in the full body shots. It's just one of those things. Ugh.

    Yeah, I know what you mean, it can be hard sometimes to look at photos of myself too. However, as cheesy as this sounds, I find the ones where I'm actually smiling and not smiling for the camera my best photos. It's important to be comfortable with yourself as hard as that may seem. You've already lost so much weight and that takes a lot of perseverance to do. Hang in there, it's only going to get better.
  • digitaljdr
    digitaljdr Posts: 50 Member
    Options
    Associate yourself with positive influences, find people to be around who are in the same mindset as you who want to lose weight. Gain that self confidence and say F*you to anyone who tells you different, Say I'm doing this for me, not for anyone else.

    I was 519 pounds heavy, recent graduate at 22 and decided enough was enough. I started to eat smarter and by just diet changes alone dropped nearly 70 lbs. I had bariatric surgery and have lost over 250lbs, it is a life changing event, more so a life style change.

    I couldn't do all the things that I saw my friends doing, walk or running 5k's, bicycling, flying on airplanes. I look back when I used to just go out and eat and eat, snack all the time, sit and play computer games.

    "Today is the tomorrow that you were worried about yesterday" Whats your excuse now?
  • suziepoo1984
    suziepoo1984 Posts: 915 Member
    Options
    I let myself go after the birth of my daughter... Because of course i was breastfeeding and could eat up the whole world! Anyway, i felt huge when I went shopping.. The salesmen/women just looking at me and showing plus sized clothes.. But eye opener was when i joined dance class.. I have always loved dancing and i found myself so aware of myself and embarrassed to look at myself dance in studio mirrors.. That's when I decided to get myself in shape to be more self confident
  • faith_76
    faith_76 Posts: 199 Member
    Options
    Clothes shopping
    Photos
    My glass front door has a reflective tint so when I walk up to it I see myself walking. Wow! Could hardly believe that was me and I was that big!
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
    Options
    I've had a hard time finding a job since I gained weight. it was never a problem before... I feel like if I want to be employed i need to be skinny.
  • jeb192
    jeb192 Posts: 2
    Options
    I am 28 and have a lot of slim 24 year old friends. The hardest and stupidest thing for me is the embarrassment of getting out of breath walking up hills or the three flights of stairs at my local train station.
  • hatersgonahate
    hatersgonahate Posts: 52 Member
    Options
    Not feeling human, or worth anything
  • lovetotravel04
    lovetotravel04 Posts: 29 Member
    Options
    -Going to Paris and London and having foot pain, hip pain, and knee pain from walking. Not being able to do more things because of the sheer exhaustion.
    -Feeling like I was letting my family down
    -Needing a seat belt extender on the plane
    -Being embarassed that I was the largest person in the Zumba class and it hurt to do some of the moves
    -Going to the Tetons and being out of breath at higher elevations
    -Tight undergarments
    -Feeling like everyone was looking at me
    -Feeling like people were analyzing what I ate
    -Feeling bad about photos of me, feeling like I wasted my 20s and 30s with food and weight battles
    -Upset that I haven't been able to conquer or manage this food/eating problem
  • trackmyday1973
    trackmyday1973 Posts: 393 Member
    Options
    Well for me it made me home bound.. 4 years ago I was literally trapped in my own home... I could barely stand at 560 lbs. let alone walk from room to room.... Severe social phobia had kept me out of major dept. stores for over 7 years leading up to that time... So everything came to a head in 2009.... I hit rock bottom and stop saying no to everything and started saying yes... I crawled and pulled myself out of that pit I was in and am standing here today a new man.... You just have to be willing to put one foot in front of the other and always keep pushing forward...... Best of Luck

    AMAZING weight loss :) did you lose it all on MFP?
  • jezama77
    jezama77 Posts: 138 Member
    Options
    In my experience the hardest part about being overweight is that even tough I am no longer technically overweight, I still feel that way...

    That is I still feel fat...

    I also feel as if I need a million dollars worth of plastic surgery just so that women would find me attractive at all...

    I find that I still feel fat a lot too. I know that we are not alone. A lot of people do. It is really funny because it took me a long time to feel fat when I gained a bunch of weight in college (although I 'felt' fat like so many girls in high school, but I was never more than a size 8). Finally I got to the point that I realized that I was really quite heavy (about 225 pounds). My mom convinced me that I was unhealthy, and I am so glad that she did!

    Now I am 136 pounds and wearing mostly size 4 and 6 depending on the store and size small shirts. I am feeling more comfortable in my skin as time passes though. It took me forever to get the right size at first though! Now I can gauge pretty well.

    As far as being attractive to women...I think that it works both ways. I read several women in this thread post about feeling unattractive. I think that for every body type that there is someone out there that digs it and then also a bunch more people that care more about personality than appearance. My husband is one of them. I married him when I was over 200 pounds. I quite a bit when I was heavy too.

    As for surgery, well, honestly, sometimes I wish I could afford it. I am at almost an ideal weight for me, and I am not 'too' old (IMO LOL), but the parts of me in the mid-section that are covered by a bathing suit are not cool. Too much skin! :( I have been working out a lot to tone and have been trying to remember to use the 'toning' lotion, but I am so busy with two kids and work...in fact, the loose skin has derailed my maintenance before because I have said, "Screw it, I look horrible naked! I am going to eat what I want!" Boy did I regret it! Having to re-lose 30 pounds sucks! Thankfully I am too poor to buy a whole new wardrobe, but once my clothes became embarrassingly tight, then I got serious again!

    So, I just want to encourage you (and all of you!) by saying that you CAN find a special person and be found attractive. :) At ANY weight/size/build, etc. But it is important to love yourself first. :)

    Best of luck to everyone in your weight loss journey!

    Oh, and p.s. the hardest part of being overweight was feeling out of control with food. And sometimes I still feel that way, but it is MUCH better! :)
  • kzakian
    kzakian Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    For me the hardest has always been photographs of myself.

    I am going to be totally honest and it might sound like I'm in denial or something. I am currently in the high 220s and have ranged from 240-300 most of my adult life. I've always - even at my heaviest weight - had VERY high energy, a great love life, an easy time getting jobs, excellent or at least decent medical test results, have not felt that different from my average weight peers and colleagues.

    But photos. Oh my goodness. When I'd see a photo of myself, if it was anything other than a flattering selfie of my face, or a pic of me half-way hiding behind my much larger ex husband...I would want to cry. I have never actually felt suicidal in my life but the closest, most horrible self-loathing moments I've had were after looking at photographs taken of me when I thought I looked good, and actually looked horrible. As a result, I'd hide from cameras for years.

    Just today my fiance and I did a little "mock" wedding at my mom's house, just tried on our outfits to see how they looked in photos she snapped of us. I looked pretty decent, and I can tell I have lost a lot of the weight so that's a good feeling. But I still feel like I'm smaller and more attractive than I am in the full body shots. It's just one of those things. Ugh.

    This is EXACTLY how I feel.
  • rugbybaby
    rugbybaby Posts: 4
    Options
    I completely agree with all the people who said the pictures. I absolutely hate taking pictures, which is sad, since they are usually reminders of such great memories. I usually just can't see past my weight. I've also been big for most of my life, and the stigma associated with being overweight/obese is draining and overwhelming. I'm in a position to hear a lot of student speeches, and when I hear the "it's easy to get into shape! Here's how to avoid/solve obesity" I want to snap back that even most of the research agrees that it's far from easy.

    Good thoughts to everyone.

Categories