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Inspiring Stories About The Most Tenacious Underdogs In Sports

Everybody loves an underdog, it's impossible not to right? Those are the kinds of stories professional sports are made for.

Here are 21 inspiring stories of players that picked themselves back up and teams that came from behind for the win. Enjoy! And make sure to check out the sources for more.



From second-string to the Super Bowl

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It's hard to think of Tom Brady as an underdog these days, but indeed there was a time when he only a lowly backup for Drew Bledscoe. No one thought hed have much of a career. Lightly regarded as the 199th overall pick for the NFL draft and hed only thrown three passes the previous season. However, he was finally forced into the game when the starting quarterback was targeted for a vicious hit by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis.

Despite the lack of confidence, when Brady took the field he played so well that coach Bill Belichick decided to have Bledscoe on the bench. That season, Brady would go on to lead the team through the playoffs into the Super Bowl against the St. Louis Rams. One of the best offensive teams in the league, the Rams were the easy favourite with an offense so powerful it was nicknamed "The Greatest Show on Turf. But the Patriots managed to pull off a stunning victory with Adam Vinatieris 48-yard game-winning field goal.

Not a blind side.

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Unlike some of the people on this list, Michael Oher wasn't an underdog by the time he hit the professional leagues. Instead, he spent his whole life leading up to the start of his career playing Offensive Line for Ole Miss. You might remember his story from the 2009 film, The Blind Side.

Oher grew up in a troubled home that was plagued with drug addiction and run ins with the law. He bounced from home to home until he was eventually fostered by the Tuohy family. With the help of their loving home, Oher progressed at school well enough to put his massive 64 frame to use as a guard and left tackle for the famous Mississippi Rebels.

A standout player, he was the 23rd pick for the 2009 NFL draft and began his professional career with the Baltimore Ravens. He won his first Super Bowl ring in 2010.

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Leicester strikes twice

Like what the Chicago Cubs famous losing streak was to the MLB, Leicester City had experienced 132 years of ineptitude in the English Premier League. The league notoriously has no salary caps, and as a result the title almost always goes to the team that can field the most cash.

Not a rich team, the Foxes football club entered the 2015-2016 season with 5000-1 odds to win the league crown stacked against them. For scale, the odds of being struck by lightening in your life is roughly 3000-1.

But it happened anyway. At a season record of 22-11-3, the Foxes just needed a loss or draw from the Tottenham Hotspurs to finally secure the EPL title. A 2-2 draw against Chelsea they received, and there was much rejoicing.

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Can't Holm me down

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Ronda "Rowdy" Rousey was coming into her 2015 match against Holly Holm on a hot streak. She had demolished her last three opponents, winning the fights in 34, 16 and 14 seconds each. She was the easy favourite to defend her UFC Bantamweight title.

But Holm wasn't concerned, because she knew that she had a secret weapon against Rousey. Rondas grapples were legendary, but Holm could sneakily beat her by using her boxing speciality to neutralize her grabs and deliver a brutal knock out kick in the second round.

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Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.

Tennis player Goran Ivanisevic was once ranked No. 2 in the world and a three time runner up at Wimbledon. However, he'd never once captured the title. Not only that, but a debilitating shoulder injury put him out for the 2000 season and dropped his rank down to No. 125. He was a wild card in 2001 for sure, but definitely not a favourite.

Ivanisevic battled his way through some of the of toughest opponents in the tennis world to claim the Slam, and now coaches fellow Croatian superstar Marin Cilic to greatness in the U.S. Open.

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The wild bunch.

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Wimbledon FC was more famous for their behaviour then their skill during the 1980s. Nicknamed The Crazy Gang, they had a reputation for being unsophisticated and unruly. Words that are usually reserved for soccer fans rather than players.

However, despite their reputation Wimbledon still played hard, and proved to the league they were worth the chance at the oldest football tournament in the world, the FA Cup. Facing off against the more classic Liverpool team in 1988, their outlandish behaviour didn't mean they couldn't outplay them on the field for the win.

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Watch the throne

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No king rules forever, and Mike Tyson was finally dethroned from his plethora of titles after his fight with Buster Douglas in 1990. With 42-1 odds against him, Douglas became a world-class champion and a household name when he delivered the knockout to Iron Mike.

It was the first fight Tyson had lost in a long series of consecutive matches and cost him his WBA/WBC/IBF and lineal heavyweight championship titles.

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Started from the bottom, now we're here

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In a feat that hasn't since been repeated, the massively favoured No. 1 seed in the 1998 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament was defeated by the lowly 16th seed. The Stanford Cardinals were on 59 game winning warpath when they faced off against the Harvard Crimson.

The game was coming down to the wire on free throws, and in the last seconds of the game an intense back and forth down both sides of the court resulted in a victory for Harvard. Co-captain Allison Feaster was responsible for some of the most memorable plays, including a record sprint and leap to shut down a potentially game losing lay-up.

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A miracle in the making

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The 1969 New York Mets weren't nicknamed the Miracle Mets without good reason. When they started the season, pretty much nobody expected them to do much never mind win the World Series. However, when the end of the season came around they had an astonishing 100-62 record and destroyed the massively favoured Baltimore Orioles in a 4-1 series.

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No bark, all bite

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The Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team entered the 2008 NCAA tournament with a relatively unimpressive 37-27 record. They were lucky to have made the tournament, only eligible because of their victory in the WAC Conference.

But sometimes a shot at the title is all you need, and the Bulldogs punched above their weight against teams like the Arizona State and North Carolina. The dogfight came to a head against the Georgia Bulldogs in the championship game. Fresno State became the first fourth seed ever to take him the title, outscoring Georgia 31-18.

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One for the glory

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The 1966 Texas Western Miners were underdogs many more ways that just the basketball court. They were the first team to use an all Black line-up, something that was unheard of at the time and earned the ire of management and fans.

But coach Don Haskins had faith in his players, and that season the Miners took the NCAA title from the Kentucky Wildcats. Finishing the season with a 28-1 record, they triumphed handily against their rivals and doubters. In 2007 the team was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as well as inspiring the book and film Glory Road.

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The devil is in the details.

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Despite their almost losing record of 22-18-8, the 1994-1995 New Jersey Devils managed to make the playoffs as the fifth seas. The road to the Stanley Cup would be an extremely difficult one, facing teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers who featured star players like lead scorer Jaromir Jagr and MVP Eric Lindros.

But the Devils made it to the final round against the dominating Red Wings anyway. The resulting 4-0 series sweep was totally unprecedented, and it was the first Stanley Cup for the Devils.

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The Greatest Show on Turf

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Quarterback Kurt Warner was the kind of player that just wasn't being given the shot he needed to prove himself. Playing football at Northern Iowa, Warner didn't get a chance to hit the field until his senior season. He quickly proved his talent, but it still wasn't enough to earn him a place in the 1994 NFL draft.

So instead he went to the Arena Football League, playing from 95-97. He was finally going to be given a chance in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams, but instead they shipped him off to NFL Europe to play for the Amsterdam Admirals. He was more than impressive overseas, and when Trent Green was knocked out during the 1999 preseason he went from backup to starting QB with St. Louis.

With Warner at the centre the Rams had a record breaking offence nicknamed The Greatest Show on Turf. Winning the Super Bowl in his first year, Warner threw for 4,353 yards and 41 touchdowns that season alone.

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No glass slipper

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James "Cinderella Man" Braddock has the kind of gumshoe rags to riches tale that only boxing can produce. He became a professional boxer early in his life, but struggled to win matches [despite his iron chin and wicked counterpunch]. Things took a turn for the worse when the Great Depression hit and Braddock was forced to and was forced to find a different way to support his family when the Great Depression hit.

But he loved boxing, and after a year away from the sport he was finally given another chance to fight. At that time, Braddock was seen as little more than a glorified punching bag, a stepping stone for the real contenders to move past. However he stood his ground and took on all comers, denying them the easy opportunity they thought they had in the bag.

Even when he got a shot at the heavyweight title, reigning champ Max Baer saw Braddock as little more than an easy chance to keep his title. It was probably that attitude that cost him the match. With his iron chin and wicked counterpunch, Braddock won the fight by unanimous decision and was crowned heavyweight champion of the world.

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No messing with the wolf pack

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Jimmy Valvano and his NC State Wolfpack etched themselves into NCAA history when they claimed the 1983 Mens title. Fighting in the final four, they were able to beat Georgia 67-60 before facing No. 1 seed Houston in the finals.

The extremely close game came down to a legendary dunk by Lorenzo Charles, just barely beating the buzzer.

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The road warriors.

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When the 2005-2006 Edmonton Oilers entered the Western Conference playoffs they were the worst seed with a record of 41-28-13. That meant they would have to go through some of the best teams in the conference, and do it all on the road without the hometown advantage. Something like that would spell death for most teams, but the Oilers actually had a much better road record than they did at home during the regular season.

In the first round against the currently No. 1 Red Wings, the Oilers surprised everyone by winning a 4-2 series. They continued the hot streak, winning four straight games against San Jose and going 4-1 against the Mighty Ducks.

They lost the Stanley Cup to the Carolina Hurricanes after an intense seven game series, but the story of their playoff comeback made them the most memorable part of that years NHL season.

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A beautiful moment in the beautiful game

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Despite the popularity and skill of football across Europe, Greece was always overshadowed by teams like Germany and Spain in the UEFA Euro Cup. So when they entered the cup in 2004 there wasn't much hope for them to be a contender.

In the qualifying stage they lost their first two matches, but kept hanging on anyway and came away with victory in their final six games. The group stage was even harder, but the team prevailed and earned themselves a spot in the quarterfinals facing off against reigning champion France.

Amazingly Greece was able to beat the favourite, and took that energy straight to the top against the Czech Republic and a final 1-0 shut out against Portugal to win the tournament.

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The Miracle on Ice

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The Miracle on Ice will always remain the top underdog story in the hearts and minds of sports fans. The 1980 USA Mens Olympic hockey team had been playing great so far, but it was made up of amateurs and college stars at best. Meanwhile the Soviet Union team had been playing together for years, one of the most developed teams in the word with luminaries among them like goalie Vladislav Tretiak. So yes, it was exactly like Rocky IV.

The first game in the medal round was settled at 2-2 by the end of the first period. The Soviet coach decided to give Tretiak a break and benched him, a move which is unanimously agreed as the turning point of the game to the Americans favour. They went on the offensive for a 4-3 lead, and with seconds left in the game the Soviets panicked and went wild for the tie. Only barely being stopped by the equally tenacious American offence.

Do you believe in miracles? YES! After the final buzzer rang coach Herb Brooks sprinted to the locker room and cried, joined shortly by his players as they broke out into a chorus of God Bless America. Was this the first event in the collapse of the Soviet Union? Probably.

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No one bites like a bulldog

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A tiny school from Indianapolis defeated the odds two years in a row when the appropriately named Butler Bulldogs went to the NCAA title game back to back. Despite losing to the Duke Blue Devils and UConn Huskies in 2010 and 2011, the tenacity of the Bulldogs proved to the league that the well-funded mega teams couldn't dominate without a fight from the little guy.

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The prodigal baller

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Jeremy Lin faced rejection through his entire career, starting with being denied a chance to play college basketball in his home state. He took his skills to Harvard Crimson instead, but continued to remain undrafted until he was reluctantly picked up by the Golden State Warriors. After spending his 2010-2011 season with them, Lin was dropped before the 2011-2012 season even began.

He had another failed shot with the Houston Rockets, but it wasn't until he found his way to the New York Knicks that his career became recognized. With star players injured and the team in despair, they had to look to the bench. Which is where they found Lin.

He took full advantage of his opportunity, outscoring heavyweights like Kobe Bryant in the process. He returned triumphantly to the Rockets to the tune of a multi-million dollar contract.

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Bouncing back with vengeance and a smile

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It's a prove yourself thing. Thats how outfielder Josh Hamilton describes the roller coaster of a career he's had in the MLB. It started with nothing but promise, the 1999 first pick for the Tampa Bay draft and USA Baseballs pick for amateur of the year. However, Hamilton didn't make his major league debut until 2007.

While he was in the Minor Leagues, he suffered debilitating injuries that kept him from playing the game he loved. Hamilton began hanging out at tattoo parlours and impulsively spent money on ink, later becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol as well. In 2005 he collapsed on his grandmothers doorstep and began the long, painful road to recovery. He got his second chance playing for the Cincinnati Reds, under the condition that he take three drug tests a week. Despite the pressure, Hamilton has developed a jovial attitude towards his past. When a St. Louis fan heckled him by yelling "My name is Josh Hamilton, and Im a drug addict!" Hamilton turned around, raised his palms to the sky and said, Tell me something I don't know, dude!

The entire section laughed and cheered for him for the rest of the game.

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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

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"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.