Goodbye Fat Blanket...Hello Ribs!!!
Hanfordrose
Posts: 688 Member
I was laying in bed, just enjoying the warmth of my covers on a chilly morning. I knew that it was time to get up, but I have the pleasure of being a retired person with no demand to punch a time clock or meet some deadline. So, my dog Bailey and I were cuddled up for a few warm minutes of peace and contemplation, before we put our paws on the cold floor and began our day.
I pulled the covers up to my chin and slids my hands down to my chest. That when I felt something strange...very strange. There was a depression in my chest, just below my now deflated breasts. (Note: My double D breasts have flattened out with my 84 pounds of weight loss.)
I began feeling the edge of the depression at the base of my chest. That's when I realized. That was the bottom edge of MY RIBS!!! Oh my goodness! I have RIBS again!!!
I can truly say that I don't remember the last time that I could feel my ribs. It had to be more than 30 years ago...maybe longer. My ample spare tire had completly obscured my rib cage for so long in its thick roll of fat.
Then, my curiosity got the best of me. "If I can feel my rib cage, could I also be able to feel my pelvic bones? Would that be too much to hope for...to feel those bones which had been covered by my huge belly for most of my life?
I reach down. Yep. The belly fat was still there, but it had shrunk...A LOT. Probing my fingers into the fat at the base of my belly, I felt something thick and hard. Yes, there it was...the ridges of my pelvic bones. The space between the bones was narrower than I thought it would be. I guess, I was presuming that it would be much wider, because I had been so much wide across that area, when it was heavily padded in fat. This was something to really contemplate. There was a shape under the fat, a narrower framework of bones.
I was a young woman, when my weight was this low in the past. I can't remember what size clothes I wore or even what my body felt like back then. I am 68 years old now and just getting used to the changes in my physical body. I am trying to get my head around the idea that I might be a normal size woman in near future. I am still a good 50 pounds away from what I define as a 'normal size' for this old lady.
Losing weight wasn't normal or easy for me, but it was definitely necessary. Getting comfortable with a smaller body isn't normal or easy for me either, but it is also necessary. If I don't get comfortable with this body and the life style that is required to keep those pounds of fat off of me, this old girl will go right back to weighing 280+ pounds. That weight is what put me into a wheelchair.
Today, I wrapped myself in the thick covers of my bed for warmth. In the past, I wore a blanket of fat over my body everywhere I went. I was enveloped in that 84 pound 'fat blanket' day and night, winter and summer and had to stuff it into my clothing as well. Today, I have shred most of the weight of the heavy 'fat blanket', and I am discovering the body that was buried beneath the fat.
My body is not that of a youthful girl, but it is certainly becoming the body of a slimmer, healthier woman. I am not trying to become a bikini clad model in my 70's; but I am certainly hoping to become an active senior who is no longer forced to live in a wheelchair, because her knees can not bear the weight of her body.
Today, I can feel my ribs and my hip bones...and more. I am moving into a new life with a new body that is no longer crippled by the weight of excess fat. Today, I am shreding the 'fat blanket' in favor of that new life.
Have you had some surprising discoveries, since you shred your 'fat blanket'? How much does/did that blanket weigh you down and take from your life?
I pulled the covers up to my chin and slids my hands down to my chest. That when I felt something strange...very strange. There was a depression in my chest, just below my now deflated breasts. (Note: My double D breasts have flattened out with my 84 pounds of weight loss.)
I began feeling the edge of the depression at the base of my chest. That's when I realized. That was the bottom edge of MY RIBS!!! Oh my goodness! I have RIBS again!!!
I can truly say that I don't remember the last time that I could feel my ribs. It had to be more than 30 years ago...maybe longer. My ample spare tire had completly obscured my rib cage for so long in its thick roll of fat.
Then, my curiosity got the best of me. "If I can feel my rib cage, could I also be able to feel my pelvic bones? Would that be too much to hope for...to feel those bones which had been covered by my huge belly for most of my life?
I reach down. Yep. The belly fat was still there, but it had shrunk...A LOT. Probing my fingers into the fat at the base of my belly, I felt something thick and hard. Yes, there it was...the ridges of my pelvic bones. The space between the bones was narrower than I thought it would be. I guess, I was presuming that it would be much wider, because I had been so much wide across that area, when it was heavily padded in fat. This was something to really contemplate. There was a shape under the fat, a narrower framework of bones.
I was a young woman, when my weight was this low in the past. I can't remember what size clothes I wore or even what my body felt like back then. I am 68 years old now and just getting used to the changes in my physical body. I am trying to get my head around the idea that I might be a normal size woman in near future. I am still a good 50 pounds away from what I define as a 'normal size' for this old lady.
Losing weight wasn't normal or easy for me, but it was definitely necessary. Getting comfortable with a smaller body isn't normal or easy for me either, but it is also necessary. If I don't get comfortable with this body and the life style that is required to keep those pounds of fat off of me, this old girl will go right back to weighing 280+ pounds. That weight is what put me into a wheelchair.
Today, I wrapped myself in the thick covers of my bed for warmth. In the past, I wore a blanket of fat over my body everywhere I went. I was enveloped in that 84 pound 'fat blanket' day and night, winter and summer and had to stuff it into my clothing as well. Today, I have shred most of the weight of the heavy 'fat blanket', and I am discovering the body that was buried beneath the fat.
My body is not that of a youthful girl, but it is certainly becoming the body of a slimmer, healthier woman. I am not trying to become a bikini clad model in my 70's; but I am certainly hoping to become an active senior who is no longer forced to live in a wheelchair, because her knees can not bear the weight of her body.
Today, I can feel my ribs and my hip bones...and more. I am moving into a new life with a new body that is no longer crippled by the weight of excess fat. Today, I am shreding the 'fat blanket' in favor of that new life.
Have you had some surprising discoveries, since you shred your 'fat blanket'? How much does/did that blanket weigh you down and take from your life?
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Replies
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I had fun reading this post! I think you are amazing for wanting to be that active senior you mentioned. My best friend and I do zumba on Wed. nights and there are 2 ladies in there around your age. We always joke that that is what we want to be when we grow up. Nothing is more motivating than seeing that there is life after youth, kids, jobs, retirement, etc.0
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I was laying in bed, just enjoying the warmth of my covers on a chilly morning. I knew that it was time to get up, but I have the pleasure of being a retired person with no demand to punch a time clock or meet some deadline. So, my dog Bailey and I were cuddled up for a few warm minutes of peace and contemplation, before we put our paws on the cold floor and began our day.
I pulled the covers up to my chin and slids my hands down to my chest. That when I felt something strange...very strange. There was a depression in my chest, just below my now deflated breasts. (Note: My double D breasts have flattened out with my 84 pounds of weight loss.)
I began feeling the edge of the depression at the base of my chest. That's when I realized. That was the bottom edge of MY RIBS!!! Oh my goodness! I have RIBS again!!!
I truly can truly say that I don't remember the last time that I could feel my ribs. It had to be more than 30 years ago...maybe longer. My ample spare tire had completed obscured my rib cage for so long in its thick roll of fat.
Then, my curiosity got the best of me. "If I can feel my rib cage, could I also be able to feel my pelvic bones? Would that be too much to hope for...to feel those bones which had been covered by my huge belly for most of my life?
I reach down. Yep. The belly fat was still there, but it had shrunk A LOT. Probing my fingers into the fat at the base of my belly, I felt something thick and hard. Yes, there it was...the ridges of my pelvic bones. The space between the bones was narrower than I though it would be. I guess, I was presuming that it would be much wider, because I had been so much wide across that area, when it was heavily padded in fat. This was something to really contemplate. There was a shape under the fat, a narrower framework of bones.
I was a young woman, when my weight was this low in the past. I can't remember what size clothes I wore or even what my body felt like back then. I am 68 years old now and just getting used to the changes in my physical body. I am trying to get my head around the idea that I might be a normal size woman in near future. I am still a good 50 pounds away from what I define as a 'normal size' for this old lady.
Losing weight wasn't normal or easy for me, but it was definitely necessary. Getting comfortable with a smaller body isn't normal or easy for me either, but it is also necessary. If I don't get comfortable with this body and the life style that is required to keep those pounds of fat off of me, this old girl will go right back to weighing 280+ pounds. That weight is what put me into a wheelchair.
Today, I wrapped myself in the thick covers of my bed for warmth. In the past, I wore a blanket of fat over my body everywhere I went. I was enveloped in that 84 pound 'fat blanket' day and night, winter and summer and had to stuff it into my clothing as well. Today, I have shred most of the weight of the heavy 'fat blanket', and I am discovering the body that was buried beneath the fat.
My body is not that of a youthful girl, but it is certainly becoming the body of a slimmer, healthier woman. I am not trying to become a bikini clad model in my 70's; but I am certainly hoping to become an active senior who is no longer forced to live in a wheelchair, because her knees can not bear the weight of her body.
Today, I can feel my ribs and hip bones...and more. I am moving into a new life with a new body that is no longer cripple by weight. Today, I am shreding the 'fat blanket' in favor of that new life.
Have you had some surprising discoveries, since you shred your 'fat blanket'? How much does/did that blanket weigh you down and take from your life?
My stomach, when I am on my back, raising my head, I had a lot of fat in the middle that would come together, also the fat below my navel. Now it is pleasure to lay on my back without seeing all that fat bulging up in the middle. I am working on completely losing all of it. Right now it feels good that I walk around my bedroom without seeing all that fat hanging down below my navel and my bottom rolling like there is not tomorrow, my legs have 95% stopped rubbing together and that is a wonderful feeling. My pants are so comfortable, and I have the luxury of pulling them all the way up, instead of them being stopped through the fat on the top of my inner thighs. I wore a skirt for the first time in years last month, another 10 pounds and I will be back to dresses and skirts, instead of pants all the time. Congratulations to you.0 -
Congrats on your weight loss! Such a wonderful testimony. What I've noticed the most since losing my blanket of fat is how i stay cold 24/7. Does our new slimmer bodies ever become acclimated? Oh well, I can always throw on a sweater.0
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I am 56 and also retired and had the nice comfy 205 pound blanket for a year spell after my hub died, when I was on meds. Still, I ate and ate. I love the fact that you still care and I do also, you make me look forward to getting older. I started lying about my age to strangers and that is not like me. My mother never mentioned her age, yet she never denied it either.
You seem good with your outer and inner self. I am trying to get there. Thanks for being a wonderful role model. You are NOT old.0 -
Wonderful post Sue. You really captured the feelings and thoughts I had when I first shed 85 lbs. Being in a place of having to re-lose some weigh,t it is good to remember how it was and to reconnect with those goals and those victories. I have readjusted to a thinner me on the outside but I think a lot of my weight now is on the inside. Time to let those mental conversations go and really move into my place even if I've got 10-15 to go to my goal.0
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I am a bit younger, but by no means young at 53. I am surprised at how often I hear you speak my thoughts. I do and feel the same things you speak of and it really feels wonderful. I was feeling the bones in my ribs between my breasts, while i was laying on my back. I don't think they show when I am sitting up but laying on my back they do. It is a nice feeling and one I welcome. I too have found my hip bones and rib cage. It is a new feeling and so welcome. I look forward to each change. I still have a long way to go. I carry my weight evenly distributed all over my body, not just in one pronounced area. Yesterday I made a circle of my thumb and first finger and placed them around the wrist of my other arm and the fingers touched. Yeah!0
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Great story and good for you!
I have noticed that my stomach sinks in quite a bit when I am laying down. I have to be careful because I haven't "rebought" pants since I dropped to a 34" waist even though I am more like a 32" now, so they are all a little big. If I lay on my back and am not careful, you can see right down them to the private area...lol. I guess it's a good problem to have.0 -
Awesome post!! Made me smile. 0
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Congrats on your weight loss! Such a wonderful testimony. What I've noticed the most since losing my blanket of fat is how i stay cold 24/7. Does our new slimmer bodies ever become acclimated? Oh well, I can always throw on a sweater.
Stock up on sweaters! Or start lifting heavy. I was never warmer than when I had serious muscles, even though my body fat was 3% lower than it is currently!0 -
Sue,
I just love your writings. You are such an inspiration and really hit things on the mark that are in my life and feelings.
Thank you
Sheri0 -
That is so awesome !
Hugs (arms going around further now lol).
Even us guys relate to this. Seeing and feeling the changes (especially since I was obese as long as I can remember) makes you feel happy with the progress.
Cheers
Gary0 -
Great story and good for you!
I have noticed that my stomach sinks in quite a bit when I am laying down. I have to be careful because I haven't "rebought" pants since I dropped to a 34" waist even though I am more like a 32" now, so they are all a little big. If I lay on my back and am not careful, you can see right down them to the private area...lol. I guess it's a good problem to have.
My hubbie lost about 50 pounds this year. He was overjoyed on the morning that he went to the bathroom and discovered that he had lost so much weight around his middle that he could "see Mr. Baldy again". When he made that comment about Mr. Baldy, I totally cracked up. I didn't realize how much that meant to him. :laugh:0 -
I can't say that I have shed my fat blanket yet. But shedding of 42 powders does feel much much better. I feel lighter on my feet; my knees don't hurt as much; I fit in some chair much more comfortably; I can do more of the house work, so John doesn't have too; I don't feel so sluggish and tired; I don't nap everyday; I can take 2 miles walks; I can exercise without getting out of breath; I can climb stairs, even steep ones much easier; I can look in the mirror and like what I'm seeing.
I know there is much more I can add to that list if I think long enough but you get my drift.0 -
Sue,
Congrats, on finding a new part of YOU!!! The YOU, that will be emerging, when all is said and done! Girl, you're remarkable, and I love you and the real life experiences you blog about!!!
Namaste,
- Nancy Jean -0 -
I think I have a good feeling that I know exactly about what you are talking here. At my highest, I weighed 235lbs. I'm only a smidgen taller than 5', 3", and although mine is a large frame, it wasn't large enough to pretend I wasn't fat. I wasn't just fat, but morbidly obese for my height, and grew to be that way over the years of my adulthood. That is, until things "clicked" for me, mentally and physically, when I was introduced to MFP back in April of 2012.
Fast forward a calendar year, and I found myself weighing in the low 150s. I had begun MPF at a still whopping (for me) weight of 207lbs. In April, I began to notice something when looking in the mirror. It was hard and just below the top of my shoulders. I had collarbones!!!!! While my "fat blanket," as you so succinctly call it, was shuffling around, due to my body's adjustment to its new weight, soon enough I could feel ribs, and now when I lay on my back I can not only feel but see my hip bones! Oh joy!!!
The biggest adjustment hasn't been the amazing revelation of my collar bones, ribs and hip bones, though. The biggest adjustment (well, make that two, actually!) has been learning to walk without a belly sticking out in front of me, and now, learning to stay warm. I'm always cold now, but that's a small price to pay for being in the best health and having the most energy I've had in years.
You will certainly enjoy being able to walk again, Sue. I imagine you will be surprised at how different it feels with a much reduced tummy. Your whole center of balance shifts! Keep working your routine. It's doing so well for you!!0 -
It is so great for you Sue to be finding parts of your body that have been hidden for a while. After the knees are done you will be able to build more muscle that will keep you warm. Also the act of walking will help with bringing that warmth.0
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Stock up on sweaters! Or start lifting heavy. I was never warmer than when I had serious muscles, even though my body fat was 3% lower than it is currently!
Thanks!! I thought I was just going to be cold from now on! Now I have a new reason to get into lifting 0 -
Great story and good for you!
I have noticed that my stomach sinks in quite a bit when I am laying down. I have to be careful because I haven't "rebought" pants since I dropped to a 34" waist even though I am more like a 32" now, so they are all a little big. If I lay on my back and am not careful, you can see right down them to the private area...lol. I guess it's a good problem to have.
My hubbie lost about 50 pounds this year. He was overjoyed on the morning that he went to the bathroom and discovered that he had lost so much weight around his middle that he could "see Mr. Baldy again". When he made that comment about Mr. Baldy, I totally cracked up. I didn't realize how much that meant to him. :laugh:
This is too funny!!! Congratulations finding your ribs and Ed to finding "Mr. Baldy" again!! LOL!!!0
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