Looking back is crushing. Being the fat friend

I know how you feel, hun, most of my friends are gorgeous and tiny, but I think everyone feels that way sometimes. If not the the 'fat' one, then the ugly one, the unsuccessful one - whatever it is in life that they're insecure about. There might be things about you, personal qualities you have that make your friends feel inadequate! Just because they're skinny, doesn't mean they have perfect lives or don't wish they could be different too.

Well done on your weight loss and taking control of the situation. Try and feel proud of what you've achieved and how far you've come when you look back at those old photos and don'the forget, there's more to you than weight or how you look. You are worth much more than a number on the scale or a dress size. X

I was the "fat friend" too in HS, although admittedly, that was amongst a group of guys, which probably created a different dynamic. My two best guy friends were so skinny, that they had to buy the smallest size pants they could find, fold over the waists, and then belt them that way so they would stay on their hips.

Now, one of those friends exercises like crazy to keep the weight off. The other one has completely let himself go and probably weighs 250-300 lbs.

My point is that time changes everything. One can either change for the better, or change for the worse. It sounds like you've opted for the former. Now it's time to take the past and make a lesson out of it, but not live by it. I keep a picture of myself from HS next to those two super-skinny guys. Although I still feel slightly disgusted by it, I know I am not that person anymore. I've grown (figuratively, not literally, thank goodness), I've had life experience, and I've achieved my own successes. I have nothing in common with that girl.

Just remember that they all had their own struggles too. Those of us with weight problems just have more visible struggles than many other people.

Ugh, please ignore the idiot pizza troll above this comment, commenting on a post in the MOTIVATION AND SUPPORT forum.

LAME

We don't tend to have a time limit on our pain. It ceases to hurt once we've found a way to make peace with our pasts. I will never forget how uncomfortable I felt in high school -- I just kept growing every year. It really sucked I can tell you though, after having dropped 45pds, my old high school friends didn't treat me any differently

It was really wonderful, because they saw me as the same person, no matter what I looked like. I also had an equal amount of male and female friends in school, so it was nice to know that my personality was what they were interested in being friends with.

I say that even if you are feeling a bit bummed, remember that you are choosing to make a great change for your Life And, when you start having pictures taken of you now, you'll have a great timeline of before and after. I absolutely love it when people gasp when they see how different I looked 10 years ago (yes, I still remember times back then). One might think the typical response would be, "Look at how fat you were!" What I tend to get instead is, "Look at how much you've changed! You've worked really hard for this transformation! That is so awesome!!!"

Those are the kind of comments that I'm after, because that's exactly what I did, and how I'm still happy with everything that I've gone through. I never would have learned to feel like my self-worth was important if I didn't question it from time to time. Now I don't wonder. I know I'm worth it And, so are you!!!

Remember you did say you were happy. Don't let the weight rob you of that. You are in a different place now but that doesn't mean that there was nothing good about the past. And there may be those looking back thinking "I wish I was as happy as she was".

"Comparison is the thief of joy".

I guess if there's one thing to like about being over 40, it's lack of Facebook pics when I was at my heaviest. I do have one picture that I have kept of me and two friends, and I am standing behind them hiding myself as best as possible to avoid showing up in the picture. You see two girls smiling and me just from the double chin up with an uncomfortable look on my face.