It's strange not seeing a childhood friend after many years. You both would've gone through lots of changes, marriages, kids, heartaches, and celebrations. Now, imagine your friend starred in a box-office smashing movie or was the creator of a popular syndicated comedy show? That'd probably be a little weirder when you play catch up, right?
Reddit user, u/finnowenn2, wanted to hear the details of days gone by when they asked:
50. Practicing For Future Success
I went to high school with Pink. I was kind of shy but a lot of my friends were better friends with her. She was alright. I remember her singing to herself a lot.
49. He ALWAYS Behaved
GiphyMike Myers went to a high school down the street from mine. We hung out with the same people.
Charmingly funny and very humble. I haven't seen him for a very long time, but I do watch his interviews and he seems to be the same guy he was. I always loved it when he came on the TV wearing a Toronto Maple Leaf Jersey.
Happy he has done so well. He was a jokester and always good to people.
Hasn't forgotten where he came from. That's endearing and rare.
48. What A...Gentleman?
My grandma was neighbors with Al Capone. She casually told me that he would come over for coffee some mornings.
House was on 72nd and Prairie.
She tells me that on Grandma's wedding day they went to a speakeasy. After a dance back at the table was an expensive bottle of champagne with a note attached from Al.
47. Snoop Saved A Life
My Aunt knew Snoop during highschool, and at the time everyone there were getting into colors. She decided to join in, tied a bandana to her arm. Later in the day he took it from her, without a word. Turns out that people wearing her color were being hunted down.
Overall, pretty cool dude. I hear he hasn't changed much.
46. Strider Was Always The Best
Not me but my father went to high school with Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn from LOTR). He said he was a really nice guy from the couple times he met him, and that he totally understands how he went on to save Middle Earth.
My dad is a huge LOTR fan if you can't tell.
45. Best Brother, In Fantasy And Real Life
GiphyI went to the same jr high and high school as Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester in Supernatural). All the teachers would talk about how nice he was and how he was going to make it big (think he was already a regular on a soap opera by then).
I finally saw him when I was in tech theatre, he had come to see his sister in a high school play. He stayed to the end and looked so proud of her.
44. She Laid In Wait, Until It Was Her Time
I went to school with Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark). She was a couple of years below me, but I was in a few plays with her. She was just an average girl tbh, in every way. Really normal, didn't really stand out, but wasn't quiet or shy either.
She never got the big parts in plays and wasn't even considered to be one of the 'good' actors at our school, was always just a part of the chorus. Was quite surprised to hear she got a major part in a TV drama, seemed to come out of nowhere.
43. Started From A VERY Different Place
I was best friends with Post Malone in high school, and he's pretty much the same person he was then in high school that he is now, just some more wild adventures, but his personality has been that same, and it's nice to see, with the fame and money he stayed who he is.
Fun fact; he use to be an indie music guy in high school, wore Hawaiian V necks, high water tight black jeans, and toms. Coolest, chilliest, and funniest dude you could of hung out with.
42. Elvis In Combat
My great grandfather was in the army with Elvis Presley during the Korean War. I honestly didn't believe my Mom when she told me, but everyone from my uncles to even my grandma's ex husband say it's true.
41. Perfectly Normal First Daughters
Well, this is going to get buried, but here it goes. I went to all girl's summer camp with both of the Obama girls for several years. One was a year above me and one a year below, so I never was in a bunk with them, but I did go zip-lining and sailing in the same "class" as Sasha one year, so I've definitely at least spoken to her. Sasha was a super normal girl for that camp (very into One Direction, dressed stylishly, great dancer, etc.) and Malia was more sporty, ridiculously good at track and tennis. Both of them were nice, cool, and very normal.
Also, they had Secret Service guys there to protect them. They'd hang out around the camp wearing earpieces and sunglasses, leaning intimidatingly against golf carts. It was an interesting time.
40. Iron Man? Never.
Not me, but my dad was childhood friends with Robert Downey Jr.
He hasn't changed.
39. Everyone's Gotta Go
Really odd one but dj khaled came to my 9th birthday party as he was my brothers best friend and he used to go to the bathroom very often
My brother is still great friends with him (FYI my brother is 4 years older than me and khaled was too)
38. Good To Hear Khal Was A Cool Dude
GiphyI grew up in Des Moines playing roller hockey with Jason Mamoa. Roller hockey was big all over in the 90s and both Jason and I were really involved as it grew and played on travel teams and what not.
He was a "cool guy" kind of kid and always taller then everyone else and pretty distinctive looking but not at all buff like he is now, even in high school. Just tall and lean. He liked to joke around, enjoyed being the center of attention and the guy other kids would want to be like. His mom was always there, took him to all his games and practices and was really involved...
...It's been fun to see his success and see him transform into a literal superhero. We never hung out outside hockey so I haven't stayed in touch at all, but he goes back to Iowa on a regular basis to see his mom I know. What is still the strangest and most interesting thing to me is that he's married to Denise Huxtable.
37. *cries over Glen
I grew up going to a church youth group with Steven Yeun(Glenn from Walking Dead).
I was a few years older than him so not direct peers, but I remember playing backyard football with him and saw him every week for years until I graduated high school. He was a nice kid. But very unassuming and just kind of your avg kid. Never would've guessed he'd grow up to be a star.
36. Thinking Out Loud
Ed Sheeran was in my circle of friends, went to a couple of parties with him.
Hes funnier than you would probably give him credit for and had a lot of time for people.
fishgutzzz35. When The Vine Was A Branch
I was friends with Shawn Mendes in elementary school. He was one of my sister's best friends, and he sometimes came over.
He was a really solid dude, I knew him right as he started getting famous on Vine, which was pretty nice. I didn't really know him that much, since I was only ten or 11 at the time, but for real, solid dude
34. Always Need To Have The Top Spot
My dad grew up in Massapequa (town on Long Island) and was best friends in elementary through High School with Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry would often jokingly call my dad the "second funniest kid in school" (of course referring to himself as the funniest).
33. He's America's Dad
GiphyMy dad interned with Tom Hanks when he first started out at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. He was always very kind and charismatic with everyone, and just a constant ball of energy. When his son Colin was born, he proudly showed him off to everybody. He was probably just days old.
About 3 years ago, there was a reunion of all the Great Lakes interns. My dad went, not knowing if he was going to show up and if he did, if he'd remember him. But not only did he show up, he approached my dad and remembered him by his full name. He is honestly just a really great man.
32. Hey Michelle....
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Saw them mostly at Thanksgivings with both of our families or occasionally met up with them and their family if we visited LA. They're really good girls that dealt with a lot of stuff for trying to grow up and live a normal life while also being well recognized and chased around everywhere they went.
And by extension, I also know their sister Lizzie, who is getting close to the same attention as the twins got, but is able to handle it better since she's obviously an adult now and can process things better than if she were much younger. jackmolotov
31. Dookie Kids.
Late to the party, but I knew Billie Joe Armstrong and the Green Day guys (and the Rancid guys) in their early times from my punk rock days. I did not know them well, but they were the nicest guys ever.
I was standing in line with some friends at one of their sold out shows, and Billie Joe darted out, ran up to us and said, "What are you guys doing standing in line when there's equipment to be brought in? Don't be silly." He then brought us back to their van and gave us each a cymbal, a bass drum pedal, etc. something little we could each carry in and jump the line as "roadies," since we were old pals from early on.
I ran into him backstage years later at a Weezer show. Again, I hadn't known them well, but knew them a bit before they were famous. Billie Joe came up to me, addresses me by name, and we had a nice chat.
Success couldn't have come to a group of more deserving guys. Hey_Laaady
30. We Love Steve.
GiphyMy dad went to the next high school over from Steve Carell and they hung out in the same friend group. Said he was goofy and funny but not exceptionally so. They actually ran into one another at my great-uncle's funeral a few years back and chatted a bit, said he seemed like he was still a pretty decent, normal guy. 1michaelfurey
29. J No!
My mother went to elementary school with Jennifer Lopez and said that both her and her mother were complete snobs. Not cool. purple_vans
28. Benny.
Benedict Cumberbatch (in the year below me) inherited my prep school blazer from the hand-me-down cupboard, my mum tells me. Not surprising, since iirc the only place you could buy them new was Harrods. Extremely pleasant fellow at 11, he was. iktw
"Extremely pleasant fellow" is my new favorite complimentary term. GrandmasterJoke
27. So Hedey....
I went to high school with Jon Heder, was a friendly guy, kinda goofy. When Napoleon Dynamite came out and became a craze, I couldn't believe it was him. anovaremnant
Came to comment but then saw this. My brother went to high school with him too! I believe Jon's mom was a teacher there too. drainsink
26. Hoop Days.
Not me, but my dad used to be friends and play basketball with Shaquille O'Neal when they were around 13. They lived a couple houses away from each other at one point. My dad always resorted to clinging to his leg to keep him from scoring. He was a tank compared to my dad even back then. CrystalShaman
25. All Hail.
GiphyMy husband grew up with Rami Malek. Probably comes at no surprise but he and his twin are just as cool and down to earth as you'd expect. carmino505
24. Before Winter.
I went to secondary school with Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran from GOT). He's always been a nice guy and glad to see he's doing well. Hasn't changed at all from what I've seen. alexfishboy
My brother went to university with him but he dropped out pretty early in the first year because he couldn't handle the constant attention. It makes me pretty sad that he's missing out on that. leahcar83
23. In the Twilight.
Taylor Lautner would get mad when people called him Sharkboy in high school.
Can't say I blame him
Edit: some SCV natives here! brendaishere
I used to work at a restaurant/entertainment place, and Taylor Lautner came in with some friends maybe a year ago. I ran his food, He ordered 2 kids chicken strips meals for himself lmao. Shigs__
22. The Night Fever.
My siblings and I found some pictures the other day of our mom with John Travolta and Peter Horton hanging out on the beach and with his private jet when they were younger. Our grandma was and still is best friends with Ellen Travolta, John's older sister. :) amoleby
My uncle is actually John's current pilot. He talks about him a lot but has to be very secretive. I've never met him but my uncle has had dinner with his family a few times. Heard he was a cool guy. ikissedthedevil
21. Jurassic Past.
GiphyI went to school with Chris Pratt - and he was a nice guy. Was able to bounce between all the different circles or cliques. Got along with everyone. I wasn't surprised when he became famous. ezbakeme
20. Oh Boys....
Went to high school with Neil Patrick Harris. He wasn't a bad dude, but wasn't humble in the least. He was still working on Doogie Howser. When he was at school, he wasn't allowed to be himself, surrounded by fans and others. He had the nickname of Drama Dork by some of the other cliques. He hasn't gone to one of the reunions.
Also went with Freddie Prinze Jr. He was a cool dude. But hung out with guys that stroked his ego and bullied others. I was an unfortunate victim to that. He hasn't made it to a reunion yet either. tossitawaycuzreasons
Hello from Albuquerque! My brother worked at Fool's Paradise (a magic store at Winrock) in the late 80's/early 90's and said Neil Patrick Harris would come in frequently, usually right as they were closing and had them stay open a couple more hours while he looked around/bought stuff. He wasn't unkind but perhaps a bit arrogant. HUGE magic geek. My ex-husband went to school with Freddie Prinze Jr. -didn't know him well though. Gottagettagoat
19. Old Blue Eyes...
My grandmother was Frank Sinatra's high school sweetheart. He asked her to marry him and she told him that he had no future and to get a job. He left town and became Frank Sinatra. We have all their letters. pizzaorpasta
18. A Galaxy Far, Far Away...
My dad went to high school with George Lucas.
George was the same age as my aunt, and had a huge crush on her. She was already dating my uncle at the time, and was super popular, so that never would have happened anyway.
My dad was a few years younger. He was on the tennis team with George and would get rides to practice from him from time to time.
My dad said George was nice and also pretty nerdy (no surprises there, and my dad was too so they got along fine). I don't think he was bullied necessarily, but it definitely wasn't popular.
He had big ears. They weren't friends, but they were friendly. At least as much as a senior would be to a scrawny freshman on the tennis team. He also talked about the car accident. It was a really huge deal in the town.
I like to think George Lucas would remember my family, but who knows. Catsdrinkingbeer
17. A Funny Dude.
My dad went to college with Stephen Fry. Said he was one of the funniest dudes he ever met
Also my granddad went to art college with John Lennon. I unfortunately don't know if they knew each other well or not since my granddad passed away when I was 6. I learned that they went to college together through my mother. Reddit
16. The Rock.
GiphyMy mom used the go to the same gym as Dwayne Johnson(she had just started going again at this point and she hadn't been to a gym in 10+ years due to an incident where someone had a heart attack in her spin class). This was before he was famous and everything she just saw he knew what he was doing.
She walked up to him and said "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you I just don't really know where to start with all this." He immediately stopped in the middle of his workout and helped design an entire workout plan for her including showing her what machines/how to use them. Over the next several months every time he was there and he saw my mom he would ask her how her workout was going.
Just genuinely a nice guy. Sadly she moved and couldn't go back to the same gym but she has kept using the workout he designed for her and she kept a six pack well into her 50's. I know it's not really being childhood friends with them but it was still when he was super young and he had a profound impact on my moms life so I thought I would share. ticktickXXkinch
15. Scully....
My father-in-law went to high school with and briefly (like one date briefly) dated Gillian Anderson. He says she was really wild, your typical bad girl, but she was super sweet and genuinely a good person so she got away with it. funtime_snack
14. Before Clark.
I knew Henry Cavill when he was a kid. He was sweet and reliable and generally a very nice person. Haven't seen him since around the era when he was taking roles in films like Hellraiser VIII because working as an actor isn't easy.
Can't really imagine what it must be like to be the subject of the intense media gaze that goes with being a global celebrity. fiveupfront
13. Shroomed.
My mom went to college with Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul guy). They were in the radio department together and apparently he was super funny. They also took shrooms together and I've been jealous of my mom ever since I heard that story. arizonacardsftw
He was also a very successful writer on Saturday Night Live, and co-hosted one of the best sketch comedy shows ever called Mr Show. Bob wrote the famous "I live in a van down by the river!" sketch with Chris Farley. yougotthesilver
12. Playing Dress Up.
The kid who wrote the Eragon series (Christopher Paulini) went to school a ways from here. I can't say I knew him, but its rural Montana so I ran into him a few times since nobody lives out here. He used to show up at our school promoting his book dressed in renaissance fair style clothing. We all thought he was kind of a geek.
He's worth like 30 mil now because of a book he wrote when the rest of us were still trying to figure out who to take to prom.
What's funny is that I actually recognize a few characters and places in his books as being partly based on locals and the surrounding area.
Edit: meant to say worth 30 mil but accidentally added an extra zero, its been fixed. Vict0r117
11. The Jokester.
I went to junior and senior high school with Matthew Lillard. He was a class clown type, and also smart. I did a lot of theater with him, and he overacted. He was perfectly cast as Shaggy. Seachica
10. The Sweet Girl.
GiphyMy aunt was Zendaya's teacher in 4th grade. She says that she was a sweet girl.
They saw each other at a meet and greet a while back, pretty nice. RivenTheAhamkara
She's one of those Disney stars that I really hoped would make it. She was great in Spider-Man and I'm excited for Euphoria and Dune! _helloalien
9. Waterboy.
Knew Ryan Lochte. Not much changed since he was a kid. Swims fast, thinks slow. I view him now as a teenager's mind in a middle-aged man's body, still doing things that don't make much sense: https://time.com/4458405/ryan-lochte-rio-robbery-olympics/ThisUsernameIsTakend
8. Swim Baby!
I knew Michael Phelps - he was a little famous when I met him (2003), but not uber famous yet. Great guy, friendly & funny. We played poker off & on - he loved to play but loved to win more and often would not fold. Felted him a few times for $100 - $300.
He was super ADHD and had trouble saying no to anything. He did best when he was not distracted by other people and had a lot of structure - swimming was perfect for him. falco_iii
7. School Daze....
Not friends really, but I went to high school with Cody Rhodes (real name Runnels). He was a nice enough guy. Only interacted with him a few times. He was on the wrestling team and in the drama club, so everyone knew what his post-graduation plans were. I also used to work at Toys 'R Us, and I can't tell you how weird it is to stock a shelf with an action figure of a guy you knew in high school. Paronine
6. Bad Biebs!
My younger brother was friends with Justin Bieber. I didn't know him super well saw him here and there but always stood out even before he was famous as he was the type of kid who would very loudly make fun of and bully others.
I remember him being kicked off the city busses a few times for yelling at and being rude to mentally/physically disabled people along with just old people in general as well. All around my memory of him was that he was a fool. Dirty_Gurdy
5. God Bless....
GiphyMy mom went to a Christian high school with Marilyn Manson (yes ironic I know). They were pretty good friends and he used to draw her weird but cool drawings. My mom was extremely outgoing and was friends with everyone though. He eventually dropped out or transferred I believe. Rainbow_trout97
4. The Boss Lady.
Not me, but my mom went to junior high with Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook. She says that both were sort of overachievers, and so there was always a rivalry between them. My mom considers her to have been a 'frenemy.' TriumphantHog
Thats pretty cool! I actually just recently DJ'd an event for Sheryl Sandberg a few months or so ago. She didn't show up but everyone talked super highly of her. NotZachA
3. The Royals.
Went to school with several people in various royal families, European and African. They could never show in team sports photos or things like that for security reasons but surprisingly there were no actual bodyguards required (at least not that I saw). They seemed pretty down to earth compared to all the other rich fools there. woody36
2. Love you Emma!
Emma Stone! She was very bright, intelligent, and naturally charismatic. She often got the lead in all of the school plays. I remember one year, in our 3rd grade play, the main role was something she really wanted, and I ended up getting it! Even though she was disappointed, she still told me Congratulations and that she thought I would do a good job.
We used to play gymnastics at her house all the time and pretend we were Kerri Strug, her parents got us both USA leotards! She was a sweet girl, we kind of split up later in elementary school and don't talk anymore but she was a great friend! Also wanted to add that I called her by her real name, Emily, haha shanksta3
1. Hi Ms. Granger...
GiphyI went to the same school as Emma Watson and we shared many of the same teachers though she graduated the year before I started. From what the teachers say, she was very studious and serious about her work and wanting to achieve.
She was really good at art and English (and is still really good friends with the old English department) and even contributed a hand drawn postcard to our school's centenary celebration (we all had to do postcards for an exhibit). She was really nice but you couldn't talk to her or fangirl over her if you didn't know otherwise the teachers would penalize you (this was during the Harry Potter years). unicorn_corpse
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.
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.