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Amish People Reveal How The Lack Of Technology Impacts Their Lives

Amish People Reveal How The Lack Of Technology Impacts Their Lives

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One reddit user asked: Amish of Reddit, how does not using technology affect your lives?

First of all, not a lot of Amish on Reddit - for obvious reasons. What we do find is a lot of people with experience working with, or communing with, and even DATING Amish people. We tend to think of them as isolated and disconnected, but that's not always the case. These stories show us that there may be a lack of modern technology, but there's no lack of modern interaction - or porn. No lack of porn at all.

Buckle up, we're gonna get Amish on it.

Pornhub On A Kyocera

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So. I work in a cell phone store, and probably 30% of my customers are Amish.

There is one group that does not allow smart phones, but does allow "battery phones." I sell a lot of "battery phones."

It's a cell phone. Samsung gusto 3. Samsung Convoy 4. Kyocera cadence. Apparently these aren't "cell phones," or "smart phones," but "battery phones."

And if your "English" neighbor has wifi, you have wifi.

A Kyocera cadence can get to tube sites on wifi.

"I Flushed and Nothing Happened"

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When I was like 16 my mom forced me to go on some church trip where we toured Amish country in Intercourse, PA. We ate dinner at some old lady's house and she talked to us about life there. The whole community used a public phone located next to the highway, they didn't use electricity at all in their houses and relied on pneumatic plumbing.

Whatever I ate did not sit well with me. The lady looked super uncomfortable when I asked to use her bathroom, but I had a major storm a brewin' and just did not care.

I excused myself from their table and completely annihilated their toilet. I flushed, thankful to be rid of my demons, washed my hands, and started to leave the little washroom when suddenly my gut gurgled and I knew it was time for round two. I basically sandblasted the porcelain. After shakily getting to my feet, I flushed and nothing happened. Slight panic rising in my throat, I flush again but like, more firmly as if i were trying to convince it to work. Instead of my mess disappearing, it rose toward me slowly and menacingly approaching the brim of the bowl. Luckily it didn't overflow but it was so close i couldn't even give it a plunge, had there even been one available.

I just quietly placed the cover over the seat, slipped out of the bathroom and rejoined everyone around the table, hoping no one would go in there til after we left. Well the pastor's wife who came with us as a chaperone went into the bathroom sometime later, and immediately came rushing back out all frantic and practically yells "who went in the bathroom?"

Everyone was silent for a second, but I just felt my face go blood red and felt all my nerves burning in shame, and then everyone simultaneously turned to look at me. I stammered about being sick and the food not sitting well (old Amish lady looks super offended, all her family are just bewildered) and excused myself again. I walked outside and got on the church bus and sat there until everyone piled in to leave. No one looked at me the whole 6 hour trip home.

Electric Amish

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To answer the question, there seemed to be a growing number of what's called the "electric Amish." Being Amish apparently isn't about rejecting technology, it's about rejecting the pace at which technology has advanced recently.

Basically, the Amish that I know use their phones to:

1. Call a ride from someone "English" (that's what the Amish call non-Amish) who is allowed to drive.

2. Conduct business such as bookkeeping and online payments.

Dating Amish

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I went on a couple dates with a guy who was raised Amish, and still retains a bunch of the habits from his youth.

He told me things were slower. Getting information, solving problems, etc. all took a lot longer. News travels from person to person and if you're not one of the first to hear, you usually get a slightly incorrect version due to it being retold so many times.

He was one of 13 children, so he always had people to play with. There was no one at school who he was not somehow related to, so until he moved out and got a smartphone as an adult, dating was a lot harder.

Their rejection of technology extended to the medical field. He has never been to a doctor, received a vaccine, or visited a dentist. When we were going out, he was pretty sure he had a broken foot but wasn't certain and had no plans to see a doctor.

He does not own a TV or a computer. He sees no reason to. His smartphone can do all of that.

Additionally, he's still more comfortable on a horse than in a car. He's never been on a plane because they scare him. I didn't ask about trains.

Not growing up with any technology has made him a very unique person. He cherishes conversation more than most people. He can build and fix more things than anyone I ever met. He keeps a garden for produce and has a better appreciation for nature than most.

Most of his family is still Amish. He hasn't been properly shunned, and they still communicate via handwritten snail mail. If he ever watches sports, he goes to the local sports bar to watch.

Uncle Amish

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My uncle decided to join an Amish community about 10 years ago. He was a catholic preist but questioned his faith when over half his immediate family died within a year (my dad is the only immediate left) He's found peace in the world and just got married a few years ago. He translates French to German and vice versa and really enjoys what he does. I'll drive out to his place and visit him (4 hour drive from my house) as the only real way to keep in touch.

Tractor Joyrides Are Frowned Upon

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communities vary greatly on the allowable tech. They actually have a council of local members that decides what is permissible in their community aesthetics.

It's kinda like a huge HOA.

Not uncommon, they can use power tools and electric lights in a shop, and diesel tractors. But not at home.

It gets odd at times. One decreed you could only have steel-rimmed tractors, no rubber tires. Because some members were taking tractors on outings a little too often. Steel wheels would be illegal on paved roads,

Some allow electricity at home but only for refrigeration and lights.

They often bum rides off their "english" outsider neighbors, or ask to use their phone. There is sometimes a phone booth just outside the community. It's just to keep it from being used for distracting casual chitchat.

The Amish Are Trendsetters

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I'm not Amish, but I'm very close to someone who is. The idea is about focus only on what's important to them. They live minimally so that they can devote all of their energy to doing what they want - like spent time with God and family. By minimizing material possessions, it keeps friends and neighbors the focus. I'm atheist, but I see some logic in their traditions. "Trendy" people call it downsizing, minimalism, etc. Like the whole tiny house thing. But the Amish have seen the benefits of that for a long time.

Summer Job

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I used to work summers on Amish farm. Some of my favorite parts.

  • Some of them love Amish Paradise by Weird Al.
  • They bought a 2016 truck with all the bells and whistles, then they hire non-Amish to drive them around.
  • They use flip phones.
  • They con each other constantly. Because they trust local Amish stores more than outsider stores, they'll pay up to like 400% for something.
  • The babies and toddlers just wear mini versions of the adult clothing.

Amish Basketball Court

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Where I live, Amish all have cell phones. Most have fax machines. Many have generators for LED lights in their houses and satellite dishes to watch college basketball. A lot of them are obsessed with college b ball.

Myself and a few of my buddies actually challenged some amish guys to a game of basketball once. We played at their place. They had a barn with an indoor full court with benches lining the side.

They were pretty damn good and ran a lot of pick and rolls. Of course they played in their normal Amish clothes, but wore basketball shoes. Most young amish here wear Nike hightops. They also love mountain dew and can be seen with cart loads at the local wallmart.

I've worked around them in construction for 20+ years. 99.9% of Amish are great people.

Electric Bike Kerfuffle

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Not Amish but work with a LOT of them. My company manufacturers electric bicycles. Our biggest customer is located in Amish country. Interestingly they have phones and love the electric bikes. Everyone once and awhile we get an email from them. Apparently there is a lot of kerfuffle over ebikes and if they should be accepted in Amish country or not. But sales indicate they're popular.

I won't pretend I know anything about them but I at least know they use "technology" to some degree.

Sense Of Community

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I listened to a Malcom Gladwell podcast. His family joined a Mennonite church when he was a kid. Mennonite's are like more liberal, less serious Amish. He said that the sense of community is unlike anything we are used to in the modern world.

The example he gave was that if someone's barn burned down, the next day everyone, and he meant everyone would come with whatever extra materials they had on hand to rebuild or food for everyone helping. When he said everyone he meant every single man woman and child of the community. They would do a barn raising and finish it in 2 days. One day for the framing and what not and the 2nd day to finish it.

It was a very interesting podcast and I suggest anyone interested give it a listen. It's Generous Orthodoxy - Revisionist History Season 1, Ep. 9.

Solar Power

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The Amish take advantage of solar technology all the time, yo. It's crazy to me because they have completely skipped the "bad for the earth electric" and jumped straight into clean energy. Almost all new houses being built here in Ohio Amish country are wired for solar and have big panels.

Amish Cool Whip

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One day our middle age neighbors, husband and wife, went out and came back with about 50 containers of Cool Whip. We could see them unloading all the Cool Whip from their black, of course, sedan. We don't normally spy on neighbors but, hey, Cool Whip is awesome and 50 containers does catch your eye.

We've spent the last 25 years wondering how all that Cool Whip was going to be used. Odd what stays burrows into the crevices of your mind.

Simple People

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I am of Amish descent and have been around them somewhat. They are just a simple people and I have recently decided through my own endeavors to limit my phone use. I imagine that the lack of technology can only help them become real people within their community. My lack of use of technology helps me recognize I am more than just a phone number/words on a screen. I can only believe that my distant cousins may be something more raw and similar.

H/T: Reddit

People Reveal The Weirdest Thing About Themselves

Reddit user Isitjustmedownhere asked: 'Give an example; how weird are you really?'

Let's get one thing straight: no one is normal. We're all weird in our own ways, and that is actually normal.

Of course, that doesn't mean we don't all have that one strange trait or quirk that outweighs all the other weirdness we possess.

For me, it's the fact that I'm almost 30 years old, and I still have an imaginary friend. Her name is Sarah, she has red hair and green eyes, and I strongly believe that, since I lived in India when I created her and there were no actual people with red hair around, she was based on Daphne Blake from Scooby-Doo.

I also didn't know the name Sarah when I created her, so that came later. I know she's not really there, hence the term 'imaginary friend,' but she's kind of always been around. We all have conversations in our heads; mine are with Sarah. She keeps me on task and efficient.

My mom thinks I'm crazy that I still have an imaginary friend, and writing about her like this makes me think I may actually be crazy, but I don't mind. As I said, we're all weird, and we all have that one trait that outweighs all the other weirdness.

Redditors know this all too well and are eager to share their weird traits.

It all started when Redditor Isitjustmedownhere asked:

"Give an example; how weird are you really?"

Monsters Under My Bed

"My bed doesn't touch any wall."

"Edit: I guess i should clarify im not rich."

– Practical_Eye_3600

"Gosh the monsters can get you from any angle then."

– bikergirlr7

"At first I thought this was a flex on how big your bedroom is, but then I realized you're just a psycho 😁"

– zenOFiniquity8

Can You See Why?

"I bought one of those super-powerful fans to dry a basement carpet. Afterwards, I realized that it can point straight up and that it would be amazing to use on myself post-shower. Now I squeegee my body with my hands, step out of the shower and get blasted by a wide jet of room-temp air. I barely use my towel at all. Wife thinks I'm weird."

– KingBooRadley

Remember

"In 1990 when I was 8 years old and bored on a field trip, I saw a black Oldsmobile Cutlass driving down the street on a hot day to where you could see that mirage like distortion from the heat on the road. I took a “snapshot” by blinking my eyes and told myself “I wonder how long I can remember this image” ….well."

– AquamarineCheetah

"Even before smartphones, I always take "snapshots" by blinking my eyes hoping I'll remember every detail so I can draw it when I get home. Unfortunately, I may have taken so much snapshots that I can no longer remember every detail I want to draw."

"Makes me think my "memory is full.""

– Reasonable-Pirate902

Same, Same

"I have eaten the same lunch every day for the past 4 years and I'm not bored yet."

– OhhGoood

"How f**king big was this lunch when you started?"

– notmyrealnam3

Not Sure Who Was Weirder

"Had a line cook that worked for us for 6 months never said much. My sous chef once told him with no context, "Baw wit da baw daw bang daw bang diggy diggy." The guy smiled, left, and never came back."

– Frostygrunt

Imagination

"I pace around my house for hours listening to music imagining that I have done all the things I simply lack the brain capacity to do, or in some really bizarre scenarios, I can really get immersed in these imaginations sometimes I don't know if this is some form of schizophrenia or what."

– RandomSharinganUser

"I do the same exact thing, sometimes for hours. When I was young it would be a ridiculous amount of time and many years later it’s sort of trickled off into almost nothing (almost). It’s weird but I just thought it’s how my brain processes sh*t."

– Kolkeia

If Only

"Even as an adult I still think that if you are in a car that goes over a cliff; and right as you are about to hit the ground if you jump up you can avoid the damage and will land safely. I know I'm wrong. You shut up. I'm not crying."

– ShotCompetition2593

Pet Food

"As a kid I would snack on my dog's Milkbones."

– drummerskillit

"Haha, I have a clear memory of myself doing this as well. I was around 3 y/o. Needless to say no one was supervising me."

– Isitjustmedownhere

"When I was younger, one of my responsibilities was to feed the pet fish every day. Instead, I would hide under the futon in the spare bedroom and eat the fish food."

– -GateKeep-

My Favorite Subject

"I'm autistic and have always had a thing for insects. My neurotypical best friend and I used to hang out at this local bar to talk to girls, back in the late 90s. One time he claimed that my tendency to circle conversations back to insects was hurting my game. The next time we went to that bar (with a few other friends), he turned and said sternly "No talking about bugs. Or space, or statistics or other bullsh*t but mainly no bugs." I felt like he was losing his mind over nothing."

"It was summer, the bar had its windows open. Our group hit it off with a group of young ladies, We were all chatting and having a good time. I was talking to one of these girls, my buddy was behind her facing away from me talking to a few other people."

"A cloudless sulphur flies in and lands on little thing that holds coasters."

"Cue Jordan Peele sweating gif."

"The girl notices my tension, and asks if I am looking at the leaf. "Actually, that's a lepidoptera called..." I looked at the back of my friend's head, he wasn't looking, "I mean a butterfly..." I poked it and it spread its wings the girl says "oh that's a BUG?!" and I still remember my friend turning around slowly to look at me with chastisement. The ONE thing he told me not to do."

"I was 21, and was completely not aware that I already had a rep for being an oddball. It got worse from there."

– Phormicidae

*Teeth Chatter*

"I bite ice cream sometimes."

RedditbOiiiiiiiiii

"That's how I am with popsicles. My wife shudders every single time."

monobarreller

Never Speak Of This

"I put ice in my milk."

– GTFOakaFOD

"You should keep that kind of thing to yourself. Even when asked."

– We-R-Doomed

"There's some disturbing sh*t in this thread, but this one takes the cake."

– RatonaMuffin

More Than Super Hearing

"I can hear the television while it's on mute."

– Tira13e

"What does it say to you, child?"

– Mama_Skip

Yikes!

"I put mustard on my omelettes."

– Deleted User

"Oh."

– NotCrustOr-filling

Evened Up

"Whenever I say a word and feel like I used a half of my mouth more than the other half, I have to even it out by saying the word again using the other half of my mouth more. If I don't do it correctly, that can go on forever until I feel it's ok."

"I do it silently so I don't creep people out."

– LesPaltaX

"That sounds like a symptom of OCD (I have it myself). Some people with OCD feel like certain actions have to be balanced (like counting or making sure physical movements are even). You should find a therapist who specializes in OCD, because they can help you."

– MoonlightKayla

I totally have the same need for things to be balanced! Guess I'm weird and a little OCD!

Close up face of a woman in bed, staring into the camera
Photo by Jen Theodore

Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.

Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?

But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.

It would be so great to be sure there is something else.

But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.

Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:

"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"

Sensations

Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy

"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."

PeachesnPain

Recovery

"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."

"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."

"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."

good_golly99

Take Me Back

"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."

"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."

rayrayrayray

Free

The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy

"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."

TooReDTooHigh

This is why I hate surgery.

You just never know.

Shocked

Giphy

"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."

Admirable_Buyer6528

The SOB

"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."

"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”

1-cupcake-at-a-time

Colors

"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"

Hannah_LL7

"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"

huntokarrr

The Fog

"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."

"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."

Fluffy-Hotel-5184

Through the Walls

"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."

"She's quite alive and well today."

Hot-Refrigerator6583

Well let's all be happy to be alive.

It seems to be all we have.

Man's waist line
Santhosh Vaithiyanathan/Unsplash

Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.

The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.

Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.

Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:

"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"

Redditors didn't see these coming.

Shiver Me Timbers

"I’m always cold now!"

– Telrom_1

"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."

– r7ndom

"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."

– mr_remy

Drawing Concern

"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."

– dee-fondy

"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"

"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."

– LizardofDeath

Unleashing Insults

"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”

"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."

– alanamablamaspama

Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight

"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."

– KeltarCentauri

"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."

– KatMagic1977

"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."

– Jaew96

These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.

Shopping

"I can buy clothes in any store I want."

– WaySavvyD

"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."

– ganache98012

No More Symptoms

"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."

– colleennicole93

Expanding Capabilities

"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."

– Ramblonius

People Change Their Tune

"How much nicer people are to you."

"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"

– LiZZygsu

"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"

"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"

– awholedamngarden

It's gonna take some getting used to.

Bones Everywhere

"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."

– Princess-Pancake-97

"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."

– bekastrange

Knee Pillow

"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."

– snic2030

"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."

– Strongbad23

More Mobility

"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."

"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."

– dma1965

People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.

But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.

That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.