The Things No One Tells You About Weight Loss

That it was actually pretty easy when I didn't over complicate the process.

this is probably the only thing that i didnt anticipate about it

My tattoos would shrink or become deformed. My midnight tattoo (my pet cat for 16 years, I call her my 1st born child RIP) doesn't look like a cat anymore, just a black blob :-(

Nooooo! I am hoping my tattoos are in places that won't be too affected by weight loss (upper arms and upper legs). Well, I shouldn't get ahead of myself.

Unfortunately, unless your tattoo is on your nose, substantial weight loss WILL cause changes

My tattoo looks exactly the same, but it is on my back

Weight loss and maintenance are easy and straightforward. It just takes patience, consistency, and perseverance. :drinker:

Lol...in general all generalizations are crap.

That you could lose 70lbs and still be able to wear the same clothes you wore when you started...

^THIS...it's terrible!

The scale doesn't matter as much as how you feel or how the clothes feel

Diet changes + Yoga = lots of farts. For me at least. Maybe I'm just a gassy girl.

Also squatting.

Also lifting in general.

You're going to fart in public is what I'm saying here.

This. All through heavy lifting.

This is the best post ever. :-)

People not recognizing me. Having to buy underwear because the old ones fell to ground. People asking me if I have had work done. Drinking more water than any other time in my life. Reading GQ and Esquire for clothing options. Felt the best I have in years. The Gym staff knows you by name.

Eating "healthy" food will become very enjoyable.
Eating "unhealthy" food will remain very enjoyable (at least until about two hours later).
Exercise will become a habit that you enjoy and count on.
People will notice your weight loss but not say anything to you.
That even if you have "earned" the calories by exercise, you can still overeat on the greatest exercise day.
That it is so easy to slip a few pounds back on if you aren't careful.

That tough love from your MFP friends who are going through the same things helps more than anyone you closely know IRL.

That using what you have learned to motivate others pulls me out of a funk faster than just about anything else.

That I actually have learned things, despite still being significantly overweight.

That at between 85-100 pounds weight gone, I feel like a different person. I can't sink into that mindset again at all...foreign!

That I don't FEEL the larger weight loss - just the portion since I started again, this time for the right reasons in the right ways. (21 pounds, not 87...)

That putting yourself on blast is helpful for some, detrimental for others - that all of this is so different for different folks - and even different for yourself at different stages...

That certain goals that seemed so big at some point can actually hold you back if they affect what you allow yourself to do at different times.

That focusing on overall health for me is the key....

That losing a clothing size and having nothing to wear is far more annoying that flattering most days...


(I'll add more as I think of them!!)

That I would notice a marked increase (like, three months rather than three weeks.) in the lifespan of a pack of toilet paper while eating less.

That my belt would become my best friend, and I hate belts

-That I still don't know how to accept compliments.

-That the people at the gym will have your member number on your key tag memorized because you're there so regularly.

-That many sizes of clothing will fit you. A size 8 dress, size 12 jeans, size 10 pants, medium shirts, XL shirts. It makes no sense to me. They all fit.

-That support can come in many ways, but I've found I've been the most successful once I had some friends on here that were active every day and that interacted with me. Before I found the awesome people on my FL, I would skip logging entire days last year, not measure anything, stuff like that. Once I figured out how to add people on here, my consistency improved.

-- It takes your brain way longer to catch up with your body (i.e., you still feel you are/look heavier than you really are).

-- Nobody tells you to forget all the cr*p you tried/heard about in the past, open your mind, listen to people who have had success before you and learn before you leap.

-- Achieving results you never thought possible might make you reflect on many parts of your life and make the entire process more emotional than you expected.

-- Not losing weight on the scale doesn't mean you aren't making progress; you are fitter/stronger/healthier than before.

^^^This

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Losing weight won't change your personality.