What nobody tells you about losing weight
Replies
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bobshuckleberry wrote: »Your boobs become half their previous size...just saying
Well, unfortunately, your boobs did. Proportionally, mine got bigger (i.e. my cups size grew as my band size decreased), as I hold my stubborn weight in my upper torso.6 -
bobshuckleberry wrote: »Your boobs become half their previous size...just saying
I'm actually kind of hoping for this......Not to hate on my boobs but a size F makes life complicated.11 -
No one ever told me that, if you're insanely neurotic (sort of like me... sort of...) the more weight you lose, the WORSE you will feel about yourself. I know this isn't following the positivity of the OP, but gotdayamn that's got to be the most frustrating part for me.10
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In the shower this morning I noticed my arms and legs look thinner. Significantly thinner11
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I have not yet gotten over the fact that you suddenly become visible. People hold the doors open, sropat crossings and talk to me a lot more often. I thought that I had lost this with age. Nope, I was just fat...21
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Sunshinelinzee wrote: »bobshuckleberry wrote: »Your boobs become half their previous size...just saying
I'm actually kind of hoping for this......Not to hate on my boobs but a size F makes life complicated.
Mine stayed proportionally the same (went down in both cup and band, still proportionally large) until I lost the most recent ~5lbs. I got very close to my ultimate goal and lost the last bit really slowly. It came all from my boobs I swear.6 -
long_for_me wrote: »I have not yet gotten over the fact that you suddenly become visible. People hold the doors open, sropat crossings and talk to me a lot more often. I thought that I had lost this with age. Nope, I was just fat...
This one makes me sad, because people still measure someones worth predominately on their looks. I have it now happening to me; and it happened the first time when I lost a significant amount of weight. This time around, I'm trying to not let it get to me because you can become extremely bitter towards people very quickly.
I also consciously make sure I include the "invisible" people too. No one should be silenced and ignored just because they're overweight or obese. It has happened to me too many times; I won't let it happen to others.24 -
long_for_me wrote: »I have not yet gotten over the fact that you suddenly become visible. People hold the doors open, sropat crossings and talk to me a lot more often. I thought that I had lost this with age. Nope, I was just fat...
I confess to a certain amount of Schadenfreude there - as someone who has been fat and ignored for my entire life, now that I'm normal weight and the some of the pretty ones among my friends have gone the other way, I am taking an entirely mean-spirited satisfaction from their shock and confusion at the way the world has suddenly stopped being friendly towards them.
I try not to, but it has been painful experiencing how much better I am treated now and therefore how much our different lives have been defined by our different appearances. And I'm only human.34 -
garystrickland357 wrote: »I know that maintenance requires continued vigilance. What nobody tells you is that other people think that once you've lost weight you somehow don't need to worry about exercise and healthy eating. Your "diet" is over in their mind. It's frustrating because the same people that were understanding about diet and exercise habits while I was losing weight now think I'm "obsessive" by having the same habits during maintenance. I realize it's taking them time to adjust to the new me.
So True!!!3 -
Mexicangreensalsa wrote: »Husband accidentally put away daughters panties and pants in my closet, lol. She is a 000
The most amazing thing about this is your husband puts your laundry away
My hubby is a gem and really pulls his weight at home but laundry folding and putting away would defeat him! 10 -
1.) That as your lying down, going to sleep, you will feel and "empty" spot with just bones on your side stomach very little to NO fat, where there used to be only fat and a lot of it. It's strange but so wonderful at the same time.
2.) That you may even forget what you looked like being obese/overweight. I've been down to size (from a 22w max/for at least 20 years or more to size 8's and mediums) for more than 6 or 7+ months now. When I look in the mirror, I see "me" and it's almost HARD to remember me being obese for so many years. I don't have many pics of me being obese, but the few that I have are amazing to believe that was once me, and me for a LONG TIME. It's strange and wonderful and I love that I can hardly remember me being obese/weight. WOW...12 -
I had maintained a ~50lb loss for about 2 years. Then, going totally (and purposefully) ham wild over December meant I gained 8lbs that I've been struggling to lose since.
I've been so bummed about those 8lbs for most of this year that it hardly even registered when I got a medica checkup done that my glucose levels were, as the Dr put it, "great".
Last time I had them checked, 5 years ago, I was pre-diabetic. Now I'm not.
It was a good reminder that weight-loss is worth it for more than fitting into smaller jeans and cuter tops. I have lots to be grateful for!26 -
How much more stuff I would drop on the floor.
Because now, when I drop something and close my knees to catch it in my lap, it disappears through the gap between my thighs.7 -
- Trying to find pants that fit your butt and also your waist at the same time. Yeah, forget it. My pants will forever be too big, just so they can fit the butt I've gained since I started lifting.
- I used to hate running, now I crave it and I become depressed if I go too long without it
- How comfortable I am with myself now. I used to cross my arms over my belly when standing, now I don't even think about it.
- I used to get angry when people took pictures of me. Now I try to be in every picture I can.
- I'm happier and more approachable. I've become a more positive, bubbly person just in general.14 -
fireheart5 wrote: »-how bad you actually felt before. You get used to not feelin good but when you lose weight your realize what it actually means to feel good.
This!! If I eat greasy food now, I feel sick. Not guilty, just ill. And I wonder to myself if maybe I always felt like this, and I just didn't know how good healthy feels so it was normal to me. And now that I'm healthy, that old normal feels terrible.12 -
GemimaFitzTed wrote: »long_for_me wrote: »I have not yet gotten over the fact that you suddenly become visible. People hold the doors open, sropat crossings and talk to me a lot more often. I thought that I had lost this with age. Nope, I was just fat...
This one makes me sad, because people still measure someones worth predominately on their looks. I have it now happening to me; and it happened the first time when I lost a significant amount of weight. This time around, I'm trying to not let it get to me because you can become extremely bitter towards people very quickly.
I also consciously make sure I include the "invisible" people too. No one should be silenced and ignored just because they're overweight or obese. It has happened to me too many times; I won't let it happen to others.
As someone who has been thin all her life and only ever overweight (never obese), I am now horrified by the thought that I might have at some point acted like this. My goal, starting immediately, is to make sure I never make people feel invisible again.
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long_for_me wrote: »I have not yet gotten over the fact that you suddenly become visible. People hold the doors open, sropat crossings and talk to me a lot more often. I thought that I had lost this with age. Nope, I was just fat...
I confess to a certain amount of Schadenfreude there - as someone who has been fat and ignored for my entire life, now that I'm normal weight and the some of the pretty ones among my friends have gone the other way, I am taking an entirely mean-spirited satisfaction from their shock and confusion at the way the world has suddenly stopped being friendly towards them.
I try not to, but it has been painful experiencing how much better I am treated now and therefore how much our different lives have been defined by our different appearances. And I'm only human.
"People will treat you better, and you’ll think less of them for it" - one of my biggest takeaways from all this23 -
long_for_me wrote: »I have not yet gotten over the fact that you suddenly become visible. People hold the doors open, sropat crossings and talk to me a lot more often. I thought that I had lost this with age. Nope, I was just fat...
I confess to a certain amount of Schadenfreude there - as someone who has been fat and ignored for my entire life, now that I'm normal weight and the some of the pretty ones among my friends have gone the other way, I am taking an entirely mean-spirited satisfaction from their shock and confusion at the way the world has suddenly stopped being friendly towards them.
I try not to, but it has been painful experiencing how much better I am treated now and therefore how much our different lives have been defined by our different appearances. And I'm only human.
"People will treat you better, and you’ll think less of them for it" - one of my biggest takeaways from all this
It's very true. A few months ago I had a puncture and was changing a tyre. As a driver this had happened many times before, and only once did anyone ever stop to help. This time 5 people all stopped to ask if I needed help. I now have people open doors for me, I don't have to work as hard to get service in shops or a bar, and even the treatment I get from the medical establishment is much better. It's been a real eye opener.13 -
long_for_me wrote: »I have not yet gotten over the fact that you suddenly become visible. People hold the doors open, sropat crossings and talk to me a lot more often. I thought that I had lost this with age. Nope, I was just fat...
I confess to a certain amount of Schadenfreude there - as someone who has been fat and ignored for my entire life, now that I'm normal weight and the some of the pretty ones among my friends have gone the other way, I am taking an entirely mean-spirited satisfaction from their shock and confusion at the way the world has suddenly stopped being friendly towards them.
I try not to, but it has been painful experiencing how much better I am treated now and therefore how much our different lives have been defined by our different appearances. And I'm only human.
"People will treat you better, and you’ll think less of them for it" - one of my biggest takeaways from all this
It's very true. A few months ago I had a puncture and was changing a tyre. As a driver this had happened many times before, and only once did anyone ever stop to help. This time 5 people all stopped to ask if I needed help. I now have people open doors for me, I don't have to work as hard to get service in shops or a bar, and even the treatment I get from the medical establishment is much better. It's been a real eye opener.
I didn't notice this difference with weight loss, but I notice it if I dress nicely. If I put makeup on and do my hair, I am treated COMPLETELY differently than if I go out with my hair up, no makeup and in a frumpy outfit. Complete night and day difference with how I am treated.11 -
I’ve noticed my walk has changed—it’s a bit more of a swagger/strut maybe? I suppose it’s due to better posture—my shoulders are down and back (and a bit wider, if I do say so myself). I feel my last, glutes & hamstrings, and perhaps the extra posterior work has altered my pelvic tilt at rest a bit.
I just in general feel more confident taking up more space, instead of always trying to make myself smaller. Some book about lifting said something to the effect of “stop trying to make yourself less and concentrate on making yourself more”—guess it’s working!11 -
Okay, weird thing. I only weigh once a month, so I tend to lose a decent chunk with each weigh-in. Whenever I weigh in, my brain has this weird expectation that I should suddenly look thinner the day I weighed in. Like, "okay, it's official now, that weight's gone, you can be skinnier now." I'm like "but I don't look any different, brain!" and I tried to tell myself that I've lost the weight over the month, it's already gone, so nothing about today has changed. I still want to think that something has changed about today, though, because I weighed in. SMH at my brain.
On a better note, this is my second time losing weight, but I feel so much lazier about it this time than I did the last time, and that's wonderful. I walk some, but I don't exercise nearly as much, I eat a lot more frozen and "junk" food, I do a lot less prep, and I sleep in a lot more. I'm actually struggling less with slower-than-expected loss now than I did back then! I think a big part of it is a refocus on things outside of weight loss that keep me on track purely because I'm distracted by something else, haha. I just, don't have to think about it nearly as much, to the point where it's much more second nature.19 -
Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »long_for_me wrote: »I have not yet gotten over the fact that you suddenly become visible. People hold the doors open, sropat crossings and talk to me a lot more often. I thought that I had lost this with age. Nope, I was just fat...
I confess to a certain amount of Schadenfreude there - as someone who has been fat and ignored for my entire life, now that I'm normal weight and the some of the pretty ones among my friends have gone the other way, I am taking an entirely mean-spirited satisfaction from their shock and confusion at the way the world has suddenly stopped being friendly towards them.
I try not to, but it has been painful experiencing how much better I am treated now and therefore how much our different lives have been defined by our different appearances. And I'm only human.
"People will treat you better, and you’ll think less of them for it" - one of my biggest takeaways from all this
It's very true. A few months ago I had a puncture and was changing a tyre. As a driver this had happened many times before, and only once did anyone ever stop to help. This time 5 people all stopped to ask if I needed help. I now have people open doors for me, I don't have to work as hard to get service in shops or a bar, and even the treatment I get from the medical establishment is much better. It's been a real eye opener.
I didn't notice this difference with weight loss, but I notice it if I dress nicely. If I put makeup on and do my hair, I am treated COMPLETELY differently than if I go out with my hair up, no makeup and in a frumpy outfit. Complete night and day difference with how I am treated.
I was discussing this with.a really good, and always slim, friend. And she remarked that I seemed much more outgoing, confident and positive these days. While she did not deny people do treat you better if you're not obese, there's also the confidence factor. Having said that, l know people, especially men, are more courteous and helpful.11 -
NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) helped/helps you lose more weight, keep it off, and make your house look so much tidier, yet you feel conflicted about being annoyed at your overweight partner when they don't pick up after themselves, even though you used to be like that and found it hard to drag your weight around.
I think it's mainly when you're tired this happens.
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Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »long_for_me wrote: »I have not yet gotten over the fact that you suddenly become visible. People hold the doors open, sropat crossings and talk to me a lot more often. I thought that I had lost this with age. Nope, I was just fat...
I confess to a certain amount of Schadenfreude there - as someone who has been fat and ignored for my entire life, now that I'm normal weight and the some of the pretty ones among my friends have gone the other way, I am taking an entirely mean-spirited satisfaction from their shock and confusion at the way the world has suddenly stopped being friendly towards them.
I try not to, but it has been painful experiencing how much better I am treated now and therefore how much our different lives have been defined by our different appearances. And I'm only human.
"People will treat you better, and you’ll think less of them for it" - one of my biggest takeaways from all this
It's very true. A few months ago I had a puncture and was changing a tyre. As a driver this had happened many times before, and only once did anyone ever stop to help. This time 5 people all stopped to ask if I needed help. I now have people open doors for me, I don't have to work as hard to get service in shops or a bar, and even the treatment I get from the medical establishment is much better. It's been a real eye opener.
I didn't notice this difference with weight loss, but I notice it if I dress nicely. If I put makeup on and do my hair, I am treated COMPLETELY differently than if I go out with my hair up, no makeup and in a frumpy outfit. Complete night and day difference with how I am treated.
I was discussing this with.a really good, and always slim, friend. And she remarked that I seemed much more outgoing, confident and positive these days. While she did not deny people do treat you better if you're not obese, there's also the confidence factor. Having said that, l know people, especially men, are more courteous and helpful.
I think that for a lot of people, myself included, this might have more to do with our attitudes toward ourselves than it does others.
When I was overweight, I was constantly judging myself and comparing myself to others. I thought less of myself. I was usually cranky, unapproachable, and downright miserable. Always had a scowl on my face.
This journey of losing weight? It has been so much more than that. I lost many pounds, yes. But I have gained so much, too. I gained confidence, I have learned what I am capable of, I have come to appreciate my body and yes, even love myself. As a result I am a happier person, not just on the inside, but on the outside. I am more pleasant to be around. I am empathetic, bubbly, and talkative, and I smile a lot and greet strangers. Positive energy is contagious. If you greet the world with a kind and happy heart, you'll typically see a similar response in other people. Negative energy is the same way. If you're sour all the time, people are going to avoid you.
To be honest, I think that people treated me differently when I was fatter because I was a different person then. I have changed, and so has my perspective. Perhaps nobody even treated me differently, I only saw it that way because I was so negative. My overall attitude and energy is better now and it shows.20 -
brittanystebbins95 wrote: »Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »long_for_me wrote: »I have not yet gotten over the fact that you suddenly become visible. People hold the doors open, sropat crossings and talk to me a lot more often. I thought that I had lost this with age. Nope, I was just fat...
I confess to a certain amount of Schadenfreude there - as someone who has been fat and ignored for my entire life, now that I'm normal weight and the some of the pretty ones among my friends have gone the other way, I am taking an entirely mean-spirited satisfaction from their shock and confusion at the way the world has suddenly stopped being friendly towards them.
I try not to, but it has been painful experiencing how much better I am treated now and therefore how much our different lives have been defined by our different appearances. And I'm only human.
"People will treat you better, and you’ll think less of them for it" - one of my biggest takeaways from all this
It's very true. A few months ago I had a puncture and was changing a tyre. As a driver this had happened many times before, and only once did anyone ever stop to help. This time 5 people all stopped to ask if I needed help. I now have people open doors for me, I don't have to work as hard to get service in shops or a bar, and even the treatment I get from the medical establishment is much better. It's been a real eye opener.
I didn't notice this difference with weight loss, but I notice it if I dress nicely. If I put makeup on and do my hair, I am treated COMPLETELY differently than if I go out with my hair up, no makeup and in a frumpy outfit. Complete night and day difference with how I am treated.
I was discussing this with.a really good, and always slim, friend. And she remarked that I seemed much more outgoing, confident and positive these days. While she did not deny people do treat you better if you're not obese, there's also the confidence factor. Having said that, l know people, especially men, are more courteous and helpful.
I think that for a lot of people, myself included, this might have more to do with our attitudes toward ourselves than it does others.
When I was overweight, I was constantly judging myself and comparing myself to others. I thought less of myself. I was usually cranky, unapproachable, and downright miserable. Always had a scowl on my face.
This journey of losing weight? It has been so much more than that. I lost many pounds, yes. But I have gained so much, too. I gained confidence, I have learned what I am capable of, I have come to appreciate my body and yes, even love myself. As a result I am a happier person, not just on the inside, but on the outside. I am more pleasant to be around. I am empathetic, bubbly, and talkative, and I smile a lot and greet strangers. Positive energy is contagious. If you greet the world with a kind and happy heart, you'll typically see a similar response in other people. Negative energy is the same way. If you're sour all the time, people are going to avoid you.
To be honest, I think that people treated me differently when I was fatter because I was a different person then. I have changed, and so has my perspective. Perhaps nobody even treated me differently, I only saw it that way because I was so negative. My overall attitude and energy is better now and it shows.
That may be true for you.
I, however, was just as friendly and approachable as a fat person as I am now.
Actually, I was nicer as a fat person. I felt I owed it to people to be helpful and agreeable as a sort of apology for being fat. I am a lot less nice now as I feel I have the 'right' to complain or to ask for things. And yet, people are still nicer to me...28 -
brittanystebbins95 wrote: »Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »long_for_me wrote: »I have not yet gotten over the fact that you suddenly become visible. People hold the doors open, sropat crossings and talk to me a lot more often. I thought that I had lost this with age. Nope, I was just fat...
I confess to a certain amount of Schadenfreude there - as someone who has been fat and ignored for my entire life, now that I'm normal weight and the some of the pretty ones among my friends have gone the other way, I am taking an entirely mean-spirited satisfaction from their shock and confusion at the way the world has suddenly stopped being friendly towards them.
I try not to, but it has been painful experiencing how much better I am treated now and therefore how much our different lives have been defined by our different appearances. And I'm only human.
"People will treat you better, and you’ll think less of them for it" - one of my biggest takeaways from all this
It's very true. A few months ago I had a puncture and was changing a tyre. As a driver this had happened many times before, and only once did anyone ever stop to help. This time 5 people all stopped to ask if I needed help. I now have people open doors for me, I don't have to work as hard to get service in shops or a bar, and even the treatment I get from the medical establishment is much better. It's been a real eye opener.
I didn't notice this difference with weight loss, but I notice it if I dress nicely. If I put makeup on and do my hair, I am treated COMPLETELY differently than if I go out with my hair up, no makeup and in a frumpy outfit. Complete night and day difference with how I am treated.
I was discussing this with.a really good, and always slim, friend. And she remarked that I seemed much more outgoing, confident and positive these days. While she did not deny people do treat you better if you're not obese, there's also the confidence factor. Having said that, l know people, especially men, are more courteous and helpful.
I think that for a lot of people, myself included, this might have more to do with our attitudes toward ourselves than it does others.
When I was overweight, I was constantly judging myself and comparing myself to others. I thought less of myself. I was usually cranky, unapproachable, and downright miserable. Always had a scowl on my face.
This journey of losing weight? It has been so much more than that. I lost many pounds, yes. But I have gained so much, too. I gained confidence, I have learned what I am capable of, I have come to appreciate my body and yes, even love myself. As a result I am a happier person, not just on the inside, but on the outside. I am more pleasant to be around. I am empathetic, bubbly, and talkative, and I smile a lot and greet strangers. Positive energy is contagious. If you greet the world with a kind and happy heart, you'll typically see a similar response in other people. Negative energy is the same way. If you're sour all the time, people are going to avoid you.
To be honest, I think that people treated me differently when I was fatter because I was a different person then. I have changed, and so has my perspective. Perhaps nobody even treated me differently, I only saw it that way because I was so negative. My overall attitude and energy is better now and it shows.
That may be true for you.
I, however, was just as friendly and approachable as a fat person as I am now.
Actually, I was nicer as a fat person. I felt I owed it to people to be helpful and agreeable as a sort of apology for being fat. I am a lot less nice now as I feel I have the 'right' to complain or to ask for things. And yet, people are still nicer to me...
I think people are nicer because they realize they can't push you around. You're probably still nice, but you have firmly set boundaries, and people actually appreciate that more, and therefore are nicer. I used to be too agreeable as well, but as I've been gaining more confidence, I've come to realize that people who are like that can actually be tiring to be around. It almost feels like you have to manage them, whereas with a person with more boundaries, you feel like you can be yourself more without worrying about it affecting them.13 -
RelCanonical wrote: »brittanystebbins95 wrote: »Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »long_for_me wrote: »I have not yet gotten over the fact that you suddenly become visible. People hold the doors open, sropat crossings and talk to me a lot more often. I thought that I had lost this with age. Nope, I was just fat...
I confess to a certain amount of Schadenfreude there - as someone who has been fat and ignored for my entire life, now that I'm normal weight and the some of the pretty ones among my friends have gone the other way, I am taking an entirely mean-spirited satisfaction from their shock and confusion at the way the world has suddenly stopped being friendly towards them.
I try not to, but it has been painful experiencing how much better I am treated now and therefore how much our different lives have been defined by our different appearances. And I'm only human.
"People will treat you better, and you’ll think less of them for it" - one of my biggest takeaways from all this
It's very true. A few months ago I had a puncture and was changing a tyre. As a driver this had happened many times before, and only once did anyone ever stop to help. This time 5 people all stopped to ask if I needed help. I now have people open doors for me, I don't have to work as hard to get service in shops or a bar, and even the treatment I get from the medical establishment is much better. It's been a real eye opener.
I didn't notice this difference with weight loss, but I notice it if I dress nicely. If I put makeup on and do my hair, I am treated COMPLETELY differently than if I go out with my hair up, no makeup and in a frumpy outfit. Complete night and day difference with how I am treated.
I was discussing this with.a really good, and always slim, friend. And she remarked that I seemed much more outgoing, confident and positive these days. While she did not deny people do treat you better if you're not obese, there's also the confidence factor. Having said that, l know people, especially men, are more courteous and helpful.
I think that for a lot of people, myself included, this might have more to do with our attitudes toward ourselves than it does others.
When I was overweight, I was constantly judging myself and comparing myself to others. I thought less of myself. I was usually cranky, unapproachable, and downright miserable. Always had a scowl on my face.
This journey of losing weight? It has been so much more than that. I lost many pounds, yes. But I have gained so much, too. I gained confidence, I have learned what I am capable of, I have come to appreciate my body and yes, even love myself. As a result I am a happier person, not just on the inside, but on the outside. I am more pleasant to be around. I am empathetic, bubbly, and talkative, and I smile a lot and greet strangers. Positive energy is contagious. If you greet the world with a kind and happy heart, you'll typically see a similar response in other people. Negative energy is the same way. If you're sour all the time, people are going to avoid you.
To be honest, I think that people treated me differently when I was fatter because I was a different person then. I have changed, and so has my perspective. Perhaps nobody even treated me differently, I only saw it that way because I was so negative. My overall attitude and energy is better now and it shows.
That may be true for you.
I, however, was just as friendly and approachable as a fat person as I am now.
Actually, I was nicer as a fat person. I felt I owed it to people to be helpful and agreeable as a sort of apology for being fat. I am a lot less nice now as I feel I have the 'right' to complain or to ask for things. And yet, people are still nicer to me...
I think people are nicer because they realize they can't push you around. You're probably still nice, but you have firmly set boundaries, and people actually appreciate that more, and therefore are nicer. I used to be too agreeable as well, but as I've been gaining more confidence, I've come to realize that people who are like that can actually be tiring to be around. It almost feels like you have to manage them, whereas with a person with more boundaries, you feel like you can be yourself more without worrying about it affecting them.
Oh I wish that it wasn't just because people are mean to overweight people - but honestly people often just are. It's just awful.8 -
kenyonhaff wrote: »RelCanonical wrote: »brittanystebbins95 wrote: »Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »long_for_me wrote: »I have not yet gotten over the fact that you suddenly become visible. People hold the doors open, sropat crossings and talk to me a lot more often. I thought that I had lost this with age. Nope, I was just fat...
I confess to a certain amount of Schadenfreude there - as someone who has been fat and ignored for my entire life, now that I'm normal weight and the some of the pretty ones among my friends have gone the other way, I am taking an entirely mean-spirited satisfaction from their shock and confusion at the way the world has suddenly stopped being friendly towards them.
I try not to, but it has been painful experiencing how much better I am treated now and therefore how much our different lives have been defined by our different appearances. And I'm only human.
"People will treat you better, and you’ll think less of them for it" - one of my biggest takeaways from all this
It's very true. A few months ago I had a puncture and was changing a tyre. As a driver this had happened many times before, and only once did anyone ever stop to help. This time 5 people all stopped to ask if I needed help. I now have people open doors for me, I don't have to work as hard to get service in shops or a bar, and even the treatment I get from the medical establishment is much better. It's been a real eye opener.
I didn't notice this difference with weight loss, but I notice it if I dress nicely. If I put makeup on and do my hair, I am treated COMPLETELY differently than if I go out with my hair up, no makeup and in a frumpy outfit. Complete night and day difference with how I am treated.
I was discussing this with.a really good, and always slim, friend. And she remarked that I seemed much more outgoing, confident and positive these days. While she did not deny people do treat you better if you're not obese, there's also the confidence factor. Having said that, l know people, especially men, are more courteous and helpful.
I think that for a lot of people, myself included, this might have more to do with our attitudes toward ourselves than it does others.
When I was overweight, I was constantly judging myself and comparing myself to others. I thought less of myself. I was usually cranky, unapproachable, and downright miserable. Always had a scowl on my face.
This journey of losing weight? It has been so much more than that. I lost many pounds, yes. But I have gained so much, too. I gained confidence, I have learned what I am capable of, I have come to appreciate my body and yes, even love myself. As a result I am a happier person, not just on the inside, but on the outside. I am more pleasant to be around. I am empathetic, bubbly, and talkative, and I smile a lot and greet strangers. Positive energy is contagious. If you greet the world with a kind and happy heart, you'll typically see a similar response in other people. Negative energy is the same way. If you're sour all the time, people are going to avoid you.
To be honest, I think that people treated me differently when I was fatter because I was a different person then. I have changed, and so has my perspective. Perhaps nobody even treated me differently, I only saw it that way because I was so negative. My overall attitude and energy is better now and it shows.
That may be true for you.
I, however, was just as friendly and approachable as a fat person as I am now.
Actually, I was nicer as a fat person. I felt I owed it to people to be helpful and agreeable as a sort of apology for being fat. I am a lot less nice now as I feel I have the 'right' to complain or to ask for things. And yet, people are still nicer to me...
I think people are nicer because they realize they can't push you around. You're probably still nice, but you have firmly set boundaries, and people actually appreciate that more, and therefore are nicer. I used to be too agreeable as well, but as I've been gaining more confidence, I've come to realize that people who are like that can actually be tiring to be around. It almost feels like you have to manage them, whereas with a person with more boundaries, you feel like you can be yourself more without worrying about it affecting them.
Oh I wish that it wasn't just because people are mean to overweight people - but honestly people often just are. It's just awful.
I agree, but I think it's a little of both rather than one or the other. Appearing more authoritative will often make people treat you nicer, and they'll treat you noticeably nicer if you're authoritative and have lost weight. That combo deal.4
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