What is the biggest change other than 'the obvious'...?
Hanfordrose
Posts: 688 Member
Today, one of my MFP sisters asked me a good question, "Aside from the obvious physical changes, what is the biggest change you have noticed?"
This was my response:
I no longer live my days in a wheelchair. Though my knees are still painful at times, I can WALK around my house and only use a cane or my walker, when outside of our home. That freedom is like a miracle.
My doctors see the medical changes first. I am no longer borderline diabetic with an infection in my left ankle that nearly cost me my foot. I have great lab values now and a weight that is almost 'normal' BMI for a woman my height. I was over 49+ BMI (Morbidly Obese - Super Obese); and now, I am only 27.5 which is the low end of Overweight on the BMI scale.
The biggest change is probably my attitude toward food. I won't lie. The focus of my life is still on FOOD, but in a different way than in the past. In the old days, I never stopped eating and consumed more calories than I could even calculate. Snacks would be 8 to 10 candy bars at a time. A pint of Ben and Jerry's was a small snack; and I could eat any man under the table. I made sure that I had food everywhere in the house, from my office to my bedroom, because I got up in the middle of the night to eat.
Now, I am constantly aware of what I am 'going to eat' each day. I carefully plan my food for each day, before I begin to eat. I don't just buy everything in the store that looks good. I read labels and care about the nutritional values and calories, because my food is purposely limited to no more than 1200 calories per day. I try to limit sodium and increase protein.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CHANGE...other than 'the obvious' loss of pounds?
This was my response:
I no longer live my days in a wheelchair. Though my knees are still painful at times, I can WALK around my house and only use a cane or my walker, when outside of our home. That freedom is like a miracle.
My doctors see the medical changes first. I am no longer borderline diabetic with an infection in my left ankle that nearly cost me my foot. I have great lab values now and a weight that is almost 'normal' BMI for a woman my height. I was over 49+ BMI (Morbidly Obese - Super Obese); and now, I am only 27.5 which is the low end of Overweight on the BMI scale.
The biggest change is probably my attitude toward food. I won't lie. The focus of my life is still on FOOD, but in a different way than in the past. In the old days, I never stopped eating and consumed more calories than I could even calculate. Snacks would be 8 to 10 candy bars at a time. A pint of Ben and Jerry's was a small snack; and I could eat any man under the table. I made sure that I had food everywhere in the house, from my office to my bedroom, because I got up in the middle of the night to eat.
Now, I am constantly aware of what I am 'going to eat' each day. I carefully plan my food for each day, before I begin to eat. I don't just buy everything in the store that looks good. I read labels and care about the nutritional values and calories, because my food is purposely limited to no more than 1200 calories per day. I try to limit sodium and increase protein.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CHANGE...other than 'the obvious' loss of pounds?
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Replies
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You have really changed your life. I'm so happy for you. My biggest change is similar to one of yours. I pay attention to what I eat . It comes pretty naturally for me since I've been eating better for a good while now. I still have cravings sometimes and try to work it into my diet. I measure out my portions and stay within 1200 daily calories. I haven't lost as much as I would have liked but will continue eating within my calorie range because I know eventually I will reach my goal weight.0
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Congrats on your weight loss and life style change Handfordrose! I have many changes and one of the most exciting is that I feel good and I feel 10 yrs. younger. I have so much I could share with you.... long story short...I had a heart attack in January. Looking back I am glad it happened. Prior to the heart attack I felt 10 yrs older and felt like crap. I knew something was wrong but never imagined I was that ill. Since then I have quit smoking, changed my eating habits and most of all started walking. I live with chronic pain as a result of two back surgeries with titanium fused my spine. I could hardly walk a mile 5 months ago and now I am walking 5-6 miles daily. I feel healthy, strong and confident for the first time in many, many years. My chronic pain is now tolerable. I never imagined I could feel good once again. :happy: :happy:0
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My doctor is no longer talking knee replacement, which is great since I am only 45. (I know the knee is mush inside and will be have to be replaced eventually, but later is better.)
I'm able to complete a 5k in a decent time.
I have started weightlifting and I am able to keep up with my teen boys at the gym.
the 17 yo can do more with arms/chest, but I have him beaten at legs/abs/back. I'm currently stronger than the 14 yo. 0 -
I actually feel pretty now. It sounds superficial, but before I was obese I was still chunky, and I never looked good in sleeveless clothes or photos. Now, I do. My arms are only a little flabby, but it isn't noticeable to anybody but me.0
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I'm just a hell of a lot happier. This is a FANTASTIC thread.0
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WORD!!!! I feel the same way!0
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I cook almost everything now and eat vegetables that I previously thought I didn't like. Food choices are more thought out and considered. I no longer eat something just because it's there and I am very aware of serving sizes and paying attention to nutrition to make sure I am eating a balanced diet
My doctors give me my lab and test results in amazement as everything that was previously an issue for me - diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, sleep apnea - all gone/improved -- I was starting to show some eye damage due to the diabetes and that improved as well.
And who can't love the obvious ones, tiny clothes and smaller shoes, smaller everything 0 -
Oh my gosh -great thread! I cannot believe how strong I am both physically and aerobically. Yesterday, my husband and I climbed a mountain in the Adirondacks of New York and when we got up a particularly steep incline he said, " You are so annoying! Do you realize you are not even breathing hard and here I am panting like a dog!!!" I am the one who used to stay home and cook for the hikers in my family because I was too out of shape to hike myself!!! When we got home from our hike, my husband woke up the next day so stiff he could not even walk up the road to our mailbox .. so I did it!!!!! Woo Hoo!!!! I LOVE being able to walk without sweating like crazy, having my lungs feel like they are going to burst from my chest and having my heart beat so fast that I am afraid of having a heart attack!!!! Being light and fit at 61 is more than I could have ever dreamed of 2 years ago!! I LOVE it and I am not going back!!!!0
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Great thread
For me,no more acid reflux...what an absolute relief...0 -
My doctor is no longer talking knee replacement, which is great since I am only 45. (I know the knee is mush inside and will be have to be replaced eventually, but later is better.)
I will pray that you NEVER have to have that surgery. It is not easy. Recovery is long and painful.
My double knee replacement surgeries were in December, and my knees still hurt. I can get up and walk without fear of fracture; but when I am up for too long, both knees really fuss at me.0 -
I think mine is my attitude towards food. I LOVE food, and I always will. I'm a southern girl, and our culture is very much centered around food (unfortunately lol). But I'm able to mediate how much food I eat now. Before I wasn't aware of portion sizes, and I always felt hungry. I ate every time I watched tv. I ate when I was bored. I ate when I was sad. I ate while I worked. I ate while I played video games. I'd eat whole bags of chips or cookies in one sitting. Now I know the consequences of eating so much all the time. I know how I feel when I eat too much, and I know I don't EVER want to gain so much weight again.0
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Love reading anything you post Sue. You are such an inspiration!
My biggest changes I've noticed besides the physical stuff is pretty much on par with the others who have posted.
I am way more aware of anything and everything that passes my lips. I am also way more in tune with my body.... what hunger really feels like vs bored/craving stuff.
I also feel so much younger. I think I look so much better now than I did before. I no longer despise mirrors and probably check myself out more than my fiance! lol
Along with feeling better about my appearance, all my clothing choices have changed, Before I was all Baggy t shirts with jeans and now I have no problem wearing a tight fitting shirt with shorts.
I read an article or post or whatever earlier today and it was an interview with a man who had lost over 100 pounds. He said "If an obese person could feel what healthy and normal weight feels like for just a couple minutes, I think we would have way more people working towards a healthy lifestyle. " I couldn't agree with this statement more! If I had known it would feel this great, I would have done this so much longer ago!0 -
I still have a long way to go and I do look forward to all the good changes coming my way. But for right now I would say that the biggest change is my relationship with food and how I look at it. I no longer look at veggies as a punishment or as something I must eat. I also read every label now and if it's not healthy I don't want it. I know I can have anything in moderation but right now I just want to give my body the nutrition that it has needed for way too long. Thanks Sue for another great post and helping us to remember why we're here. God Bless!!! :flowerforyou:0
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I can actually maybe see a way out of this dead end my life has become, and I have some of my fighting spirit back (thought that was gone for good). Now I just have to decide on a path and get my boogie shoes planted on it.0
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My doctor is no longer talking knee replacement, which is great since I am only 45. (I know the knee is mush inside and will be have to be replaced eventually, but later is better.)
I will pray that you NEVER have to have that surgery. It is not easy. Recovery is long and painful.
My double knee replacement surgeries were in December, and my knees still hurt. I can get up and walk without fear of fracture; but when I am up for too long, both knees really fuss at me.
Thank you. I appreciate the prayers. I believe they matter more than anything else I do. I will be praying for continued improvement for you.
But I am doing my part to cooperate with grace. I am in the gym doing weights to strengthen around it three days a week and flexibility/balance classes twice weekly trying to avoid it. It's just that I've seen the MRIs and there is a lot of damage.
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I think I feel more confident about my looks. I'm not super confident yet, and I have a lot left to lose, but now when I'm walking down the street and I see a guy, i might smile at him or give a flirty glance. Or if a guy looks at me I don't automatically assume he was looking at someone else or not "looking" at me. I just feel better about myself and can think more positively about the way I look. It's great!0
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I haven't been back at this long enough to SEE much results, or even FEEL much different (don't worry, I am patient) but I feel this incredible sense of serenity just because I am trying. I expected to be irritated and hungry, but I am not. Maybe my hormones were out of whack and the good food is making me "normal." I don't know. All I know is that I have never felt better, and I haven't even lost any weight yet.0
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I have two. One: I don't get sore from doing things like painting a bedroom. It used to be that I would be in pain for days after painting a room, getting up/down on a ladder, etc. Two: For some reason, my carpal tunnel has gotten MUCH better!0
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I think for me at this point is that I can pass up the bad stuff, like a chocolate cake today at Costco, and not feel deprived. My relationship with food has changed, I control it instead of it controlling me.
Thanks for the great thread.0 -
I have boney bits that poke out now (knees rub together when I lay on my side, hip bones poke out too). I likely have enough spare skin to cover another human.0
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Everything feels like....less work.0
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I have boney bits that poke out now (knees rub together when I lay on my side, hip bones poke out too). I likely have enough spare skin to cover another human.
Boney bits...Love it! I so was excited, when I discovered that I could FEEL my rib cage and my hip bones after so many years. Thanks for reminding me of those great moments. :happy:0 -
I feel more successful. Instead of just wishing I was skinnier, I lost the weight.
I feel more confident.
I realized that no matter what weight I am, I'm still the same person.0 -
I can't believe the energy i have. I used to spend my weekends doing nothing but laying around the house thinking this was normal to be tired from work but it had nothing to do with that. Being so out of shape really sucked the fun out of me but not any more.0
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Today, one of my MFP sisters asked me a good question, "Aside from the obvious physical changes, what is the biggest change you have noticed?"
This was my response:
I no longer live my days in a wheelchair. Though my knees are still painful at times, I can WALK around my house and only use a cane or my walker, when outside of our home. That freedom is like a miracle.
My doctors see the medical changes first. I am no longer borderline diabetic with an infection in my left ankle that nearly cost me my foot. I have great lab values now and a weight that is almost 'normal' BMI for a woman my height. I was over 49+ BMI (Morbidly Obese - Super Obese); and now, I am only 27.5 which is the low end of Overweight on the BMI scale.
The biggest change is probably my attitude toward food. I won't lie. The focus of my life is still on FOOD, but in a different way than in the past. In the old days, I never stopped eating and consumed more calories than I could even calculate. Snacks would be 8 to 10 candy bars at a time. A pint of Ben and Jerry's was a small snack; and I could eat any man under the table. I made sure that I had food everywhere in the house, from my office to my bedroom, because I got up in the middle of the night to eat.
Now, I am constantly aware of what I am 'going to eat' each day. I carefully plan my food for each day, before I begin to eat. I don't just buy everything in the store that looks good. I read labels and care about the nutritional values and calories, because my food is purposely limited to no more than 1200 calories per day. I try to limit sodium and increase protein.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CHANGE...other than 'the obvious' loss of pounds?
You are an inspiration for everyone!!!!!! I'm sorry about your knees but glad you are out of a wheelchair! The biggest change is see is: My attitude towards food also: I've been in maintenance for about 5 months but been on MFP for about 3 years! I realize that portion control AND exercise has change my life! I went from a size 18 to 6 pants with LOTS of hard work! I get morning runs in instead of laying on the couch all day!
Planning my menu also helps me stay focus, like yourself limit my sodium helps! My target food I just don't buy, ice cream! If I have some it's JUST at a restaurant! That way I don't eat the whole gallon! My energy has also came back became a runner about 1 1/2 ago! I will be doing my first half in Oct, yes!!!
Congrats to everyone successful journey on. MFP!
Jackie0 -
I feel fluid. This was a huge goal of mine. I move about in this world now so much more comfortably. In and out of my vehicle. Using public restrooms. Not worrying if I will break any chair I am unfamiliar with when I sit down.
I am open to exploring and learning new things. I no longer feel the need to hide away so I am finally beginning to explore and experience things that I want to do for me.0 -
No more clothes-related fussing and fidgeting.
I used to CONSTANTLY mess with my clothes, to the point that I would cringe at and embarrass myself on a daily basis. If I stood up from being seated I had to make sure my top wasn't clinging to fat rolls. If I walked across a room I'd adjust my pants/jeans or skirt. When standing up talking to a friend I would fidget with my shirt. When seated I would arrange my clothes for maximum fat camouflage (pointless anyway) and hope for a pillow or other prop to send their eye looking elsewhere. Forget walking past my own reflection in glass or a mirror...panicky clothing adjustment time, every time...
I'm still technically overweight and I still have some bulges at my belly and flab on my upper arms. But it is a HUGE change for me to honestly feel comfortable enough in my own skin that I don't do any of that stuff. Of course it helps that my clothes fit better and are less likely to be so baggy and layered like they used to be. But the victory of it for me is that it's no longer my annoying "habit"...It happens maybe once or twice out of what used to be 100 occasions a day of clothes-related adjustments and nervousness. A few times now, I've caught myself walking around with my top halfway tucked into my skirt or pants and I didn't even notice at first...that's huge for me!!0 -
when we hike or bike, my friends don't have to wait for me. I can actually lead the way now!0
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