What nobody tells you about losing weight

@AussieDragonfly and @subjectmaychange, I lost my dad recently too. I just wanted to express my sympathy. It is so hard and I miss him so much. I watched his decline and decided I want to avoid some parts he had to deal with, so that means getting healthier now. But mostly, I just feel sad that I will never hug him or hear his voice again. Hugs to both of you.

That your tailbone, a body part you seldom if EVER gave a moment's thought about when you were 'fluffy', will remind you nearly Every. Moment. Of. Every. Day. of its existence.

I will always have a squished looking belly button, lol. I thought it would round out eventually but I forgot that loose skin is a thing and my upper stomach was definitely a place I carried weight.

That you may start cutting tags outta your shirts, because they can sometime irritate/scratch you/your skin--whereas they NEVER bothered you when you were obese or overweight.

That you will no longer be "bound" to big/oversize clothes like you did when you were bigger. You'll be wearing clothes that FIT and look/feel/fit nicely. Not too tight, not too loose.

Invest in ring guards...it's a must!

The most excellent feeling of being full/satisfied without "fully cleaning your plate", not because you don't want too...but there is just no more room in your "smaller" stomach--because your stomach is so much smaller than it was when you were obese and overweight and you'll get SUPER fuller faster--at least I do! It is utterly amazing how FULL I get and sometimes am not able to finish all of my food/drink because I'm STUFFED to the GOURDS!

Just found this post and it's given me the motivation I need THANKYOU. I haven't read all 498 pages but the majority!

Mine are:

I'm working over-time this weekend from 06:30 to 14:30 both days. I brought a small breakfast in and a banana to have as a snack with a coffee and thought, I'll go and get something for breakfast from the canteen. Was going to have 2 slices of cheese on toast but then changed my mind as I realised how many carbs that would be and how many calories. Instead I've stuck to my breakfast and banana and treated myself to a filter coffee.

So what I'm trying to say is that as I'm getting back into weight loss again after not losing any for about 18 months is that I'm making myself aware of my choices and re-programming my brain to make healthy choices.

You have to be ready for weight loss. There's so many times I've tried and failed to lose anything. However, a kick up the *kitten* by my nurse the other day and I'm now in that mindset of "I'm ready to do this now". This isn't for an event in my life, this is for my health and me living a longer, healthier life.

Back on the wagon for 2 weeks and I'm already noticing that I'm feeling more energised having re-started my work outs at home. If you miss out your day for working out, don't just write off the week, make a plan for the rest of the week to keep you on track.

Do some exercise that you enjoy. If you find it boring, it'll turn you off wanting to work out and before you know it, you'll be back at square one. e.g. my husband bought a static rower machine the other year and I started out by trying that BUT I found even sitting there going backwards and forwards for 10 minutes seemed like an eternity! SO I switched. I do x2 Zumba work outs for abut 20 minutes a week on YouTube and x2 Body Balance work outs. I love doing these and probably put more input into these workouts than I did rowing!

It takes a lot of control and effort to not eat that treat that someone brought into work. It's a battle of wills with your mind. Keep your goal written down somewhere at work to keep you on track....I do this and look at my goal everytime I find myself thinking "I'll just have one...." because I know where just one will lead to!

Take eating healthier day by day and don't just write off the week because you had that one bad day on Tuesday. Use the next day to get back on track.

Couple of other things come to mind, and I've seen other people touch on this as well--

You've worked out your specific "program" based on trial and error and research. You've stuck it out and made significant gains (or losses, to state it better), like 50, 60, 70 lbs or more. You absolutely look different and people take notice. And then there are THOSE people-- friends, acquaintances, etc.-- who give you "advice". You know, "You should really cut down on fats." Or "You should do crossfit." Or "That much protein isn't good for you."

Ooookay, I mean, CLEARLY what I'm doing isn't working, right? I know they mean well, but it can get irritating sometimes.

Also, for those of you who have been overweight most or all of your life, do you ever find yourself still mentally fat? Like it's hard to resolve the fact that you've just lost a lot of weight, and you find yourself still thinking like a fat person?

The skin on my neck is more prominent. Gobble gobble

Giving blood impacted me more than it used to. Didn’t feel super great after giving blood today. Not lightheaded, but just extra sluggish and a bit ill. Also extra hungry. I think I just pushed too much to do stuff afterward. Went thrift shopping twice and also went grocery shopping after driving out to my parents’ house. I feel much better now that I’m in bed. Before, giving blood wasn’t even a minor impact, probably because I had more blood volume in general due to having more mass.

Will still give as long as I’m able to. Haven’t in a while and glad to get back into it. They love my oneg, lol. Just have to take it easy afterward.

That it won't only make you sexier, if you lose weight naturally (without taking pills or having fad diet) you will be healthier too😉.. You'll have more confidence