Living the Lifestyle - Friday - 02/02/2018
jasper60103
Posts: 222 Member
We meet here to explore, share, celebrate, and (sometimes) agonize over how we do (or don't) incorporate weight loss guidelines into our daily lives. "It's a lifestyle, not a diet" is easily and often said, but sometimes not so simply put into practice.
This is a thread for everyone. If you're new to GoaD, or to weight loss, your questions and comments are always welcome. If you're maintaining, or a long-term loser, your thoughts on the topic may be just what someone else needs to hear. If you're reading this, join in the discussion!
Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion. Thread starters for February are:
Monday - whathapnd (Emmie)
Tuesday - 88olds (George)
Wednesday - minimyzeme (Kim)
Thursday - misterhub (Greg)
Friday - jasper60103 (Jasper)
Today's Topic:
Revealing the new you.
One of the joys of loosing a lot of weight is seeing the look of shock and amazement on peoples faces.
Did you ever have this type of experience? Even if not that big of a transformation.
Would you mind sharing?
How did it make you feel?
This is a thread for everyone. If you're new to GoaD, or to weight loss, your questions and comments are always welcome. If you're maintaining, or a long-term loser, your thoughts on the topic may be just what someone else needs to hear. If you're reading this, join in the discussion!
Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion. Thread starters for February are:
Monday - whathapnd (Emmie)
Tuesday - 88olds (George)
Wednesday - minimyzeme (Kim)
Thursday - misterhub (Greg)
Friday - jasper60103 (Jasper)
Today's Topic:
Revealing the new you.
One of the joys of loosing a lot of weight is seeing the look of shock and amazement on peoples faces.
Did you ever have this type of experience? Even if not that big of a transformation.
Would you mind sharing?
How did it make you feel?
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Replies
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One of my favorite stories I like to share is when I came to visit
my father during my weight loss journey.
He was aware I had been doing WW, but I hadn't seen him in quite some
time.
After my flight arrived, he was waiting for me in the baggage claim area.
I spotted him talking on the phone before he saw me.
When I walked up to him he had to do a double-take. The
look on his face was priceless! He immediately told my sister (on the phone)
I just walked up and he hardly recognized me.
I wasn't at my goal weight yet, but this experience felt great.
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2012 was when I had my dramatic weight loss drop, so it's been a long time since I saw the shock and amazement (this recent round is just vanity pounds). I still get surprised when people describe me as "small". That still just doesn't feel right!1
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Having lost 50% of my body weight over the past five years I have enjoyed many moments of non recognition! I was a regular at our dog park. In the last year I got a smaller jacket and several times I was not recognized until I got up close.
The one comment from a guy I knew was “You’ve lost a LOT of weight! Is it on purpose?” I guess he thought I must be sick in order to lose that much weight!
When I walk into my bathroom and look in the mirror sometimes I don’t recognize myself!!! Who is THAT guy? LoL3 -
Where I work now, people never knew me as the 300+ pound person. The looks of shock and amazement are when they learn that I was once morbidly obese. They just assume that I have never had issues with my weight since I'm so active.3
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My brother was picking me up at the airport. I told him exactly where I was standing and He drove right by. He thought it was some teenager. I was in my 50's at the time.
I had a circle of friends that joined me on MFP once they saw my "cute figure".
I lost weight just as I was getting ready to retire but hadn't announced it yet so I didn't want to buy new work pants. My friend said it looked like I had on clown pants.
It was fun remembering this. Some more incentive to lose the 10 lbs I've put on.3 -
The one that stands out the most for me was my mom's reaction. My mom had been "riding" me (nice way of saying "on my butt") to lose weight for years. Every time I saw here, at some point during my visit she would say, "You really need to get some of that weight off." My mom was never one to hold back LOL The older I get, the more like her I'm becoming
But I digress.
I saw my mom at Thanksgiving of 2002 and, as usual, she made the same comment. I didn't tell her that I had just joined WW the week before. I saw her again at Christmas and, as usual, she made the same comment. I didn't see her again until her birthday in March of 2003. As soon as I walked in the door, she said, "Well it looks like you're FINALLY doing something about your weight, but you still need to lose more" I had only lost about 15 pounds at that time so had a long way to go.
The BEST comment though was Thanksgiving of 2004 (after I had reached goal in September). When I walked in the door, she said, "Okay you've lost enough weight. Now don't gain it back." I realized that there was just no pleasing her! LOL3 -
gadgetgirlIL wrote: »Where I work now, people never knew me as the 300+ pound person. The looks of shock and amazement are when they learn that I was once morbidly obese. They just assume that I have never had issues with my weight since I'm so active.
I had the same reaction from people who came to my workplace who had never seen me at over 200 pounds. I remember being in the breakroom one day where there were lots of pastries left over from a meeting earlier in the day. I went in to refill my coffee and cut a danish in half to have with my coffee. One of the women there (a newer person) said she wished she was like me. I laughed and asked her why. "Because you can eat whatever you want and never gain weight". I asked her to come back to my cubicle with me -- that I had something I wanted to show her. We went back to my cubicle and I pulled my "before" picture out of my WW weigh-in book. Her mouth dropped open.
The old GOAD board had a long discussion one day about "naturally thin people" and how they didn't need to do the things we needed to do to keep weight off. Talk to some of your "naturally thin" people. You'll probably be surprised to learn that they are very cognizant of what they eat.2 -
I actually hated the comments about how good I looked and how I was getting too-skinny. Given all of the defense mechanisms I had in place, I think I took those as backhanded complements...as in "wow, you really were a fat guy before!" I'm not saying it's rational, but it is what it is (or was what it was).
I did like becoming one of the "skinny guys" when I met people who didn't know me as a fat guy. I liked it when doctors, for example, would talk about what great shape I'm in!2 -
I had several really positive comments over a period of time. I had lost that first 100 lbs and I really felt good and did appreciate the comments but hit that dreaded plateau and kept fighting it to the present. Eventually will whip it.
SW 400.8
CW 320.6
Next GW 300.0
Final GW 185.0
80.2 bs Total lost1 -
Good topic @jasper60103 ; hadn't ever thought about it as part of the lifestyle!
I think I've had everything from being pulled aside and asked in a hush tone if I was sick (which I was not in any way offended by), to a few who walked right by me without recognizing me. In those instances, it took me a minute to realize what was going on and I remember thinking maybe I had offended them at some point before realizing it was just that they didn't know who I was!
I'm pretty much in the realm now of those who know me knowing me as I am today so I don't have many of the surprises I used to. That said, what does still surprise me is me. I really feel the benefits of and appreciate living life in a smaller body. @88olds is right; life got bigger as I get smaller! Even on a bad day, I still appreciate being able to move easier, be healthier and dream bigger than I did packing around an extra 80 pounds.0 -
Hadn’t seen my fishing buddy Herbie for a couple of years. He didn’t know me. Called me “sir.”0
