What nobody tells you about losing weight

I was definitely not prepared for the weird backlash I got from a lot of people for losing weight. Apparently some people take it as a personal insult when you try to improve your own health. Huh. Go figure.

crazygooselady wrote: »

They don't tell you that it starts to feel good to be a little hungry, and that eating amounts of what you used to eat will make you feel I'll.

Sooo true. Was actually thinking about that the other day... I forgot what being hungry felt like! I used to be a grazer, so there was always something going down the hatch, and there would be days I would kind of long for that feeling. I see it as a sign of improvement now instead of something negative!

I had to buy a new belt. Not just because my other one was too big but because it looked terrible. Before I wouldn't notice how terrible I looked because my gut was hanging over it anyway

To be able to buy clothes from the high street rather than specialist shops that seem to only cater for geography teachers

I lost 30lbs a few years ago before my wedding. I remember:
- needing to buy practically all new shoes because my feet shrank a whole size
- Men flirting with me everywhere
- Being treated nicer by EVERYONE (which I kind of resented because I was the same person I always was inside)... Lots more attention and compliments
- Clothes looking flattering on me again
- Going back to my skinnier clothes and feeling like I had a whole new wardrobe
- Sweating right away
- My husband couldn't keep his hands off me
- being thought of as anti-social at pot lucks because I just stayed away as I knew I couldn't resist the spread of yummy fatty foods
- Dreading going out to eat because I didn't meal prep it myself and really know what went into it
- Not cringing when it was photo time
- Seeing my cheekbones again

minties82 wrote: »

I've only lost 46lbs so not much, but so far:

You should give yourself more credit! Losing 46lbs is a great accomplishment, no matter what your end goal weight might be. Congrats!

AngeBee18 wrote: »

I struggle with an irrational fear that if I miss a workout if I'm too tired or had to work late or something like that it will completely undo all the progress I have made and I will slip back into bad habits. the rational part of my brain knows it's nonsense and that sometimes you need an extra rest day, but it's still something that is lurking in the back of my mind and makes me anxious. I have lost over 25% of my starting bodyweight and I'm terrified to fail and go back to where I was...

+1 on this. Around 30% of my body weight gone and I still panic on one less than ideal food day or missed exercise session.

Hope one day soon my brain will catch up with the weight loss.

Awesome thread! It's fun hearing what everyone else is going through.

I've lost 50 pounds so far (216 to 166 on 5'6" frame) and here is what I've noticed:


- My knees, arches of my feet, and low back don't hurt anymore. I get sore from workouts, but I used to be sore just from sitting.

- My hands get cold easily.

- I get less headaches. Probably due to drinking more water

- Less sweaty.

- A few friends have been negative. It can really hurt to hear passive aggressive comments like "are you sure you can eat that" or "if you aren't too busy working out". Those people are in the vast minority though, with 90% of people being really supportive and happy for me.

- Junk food makes me sick half the time now. If I go out on the weekend and have 2 unhealthy meals in a row, even if its within my calorie range, I WILL have a tummy ache.

- I dropped 2 sizes in 4 months and under my belly button I noticed my skin was softer. I could grab it and pinch a section of looser skin. When I sucked in my stomach little wrinkles would form that made me look deflated. But just 3 months later it's already bouncing back a little and I'm still losing weight consistently. The wrinkles are gone, it's still soft, but it makes me really hopeful that it won't be as big of an issue as I thought it might.

- My stretch marks are less noticeable. The red ones have turned white, and the white ones have decreased in size and can only be seen in certain lights.

- My husband says I don't snore anymore.

- I spend less money on food now than I was before, but we're eating more meals with better quality ingredients. We spend between $45- $60 a week on groceries. We cook once a week and package lunches/dinners for 5 days. We eat out or make small meals on the weekends. This has been working for us for 8 months and is a big reason why we both lost weight. I waste less food, it's easier to track, cheaper to shop, and lazier on a day to day basis. Having the weekends free for variety, and the fact that we make different meals every week, keeps it from getting boring.

- I feel lighter emotionally. I can't really think of very many ways I put effort into myself in the last 5 years. But putting effort into getting healthy has shown me that I can be successful if I commit to something. I'm not stuck with how things are. I can let go of bad habits and just because I've been a certain way up till now doesn't mean I'll be that way forever. It makes me want to do other things I've been too scared/uncomfortable to do.