Top Stories

People Explain Which Things They Always Loved Doing Until They Totally Lost Interest

People Explain Which Things They Always Loved Doing Until They Totally Lost Interest
Pixabay

If you love something it's supposed to be forever right?

Well, if you're one of my regular readers, then you know better by now.


One Reddit user asked:

What did you think you'd always enjoy doing, until the day came when you realized the spark was totally gone?

and the comments were honestly a little heartbreaking.

It's Reddit, so you're typically not looking for any real profound statement on the nature of mankind, depression, and capitalism.

Buuuuuuuuut that's exactly the hellscape we got. Come stroll with us through a graveyard of dead dreams and long-gone joy.

Gamer Growth

Video Games 80S GIFGiphy

Video games.

For most of the first 25 years of my life I loved games. And then one day I sort of just said "why?"

And have really touched any in the last 7 years and haven't had much of a desire to.

- thesheep_1

As much as I enjoy video games...I find as I get older...I have less time for it. Other priorities take place and before I know it...not much free time.

It also doesn't help that gaming companies that I grew up with...are now corporate asshats and not the 'revolutionary' icons they once were (looking at you Blizzard)...the constant 'made for multiplayer online'...f*ck that shit. (looking at you Rockstar).

All my gaming friends slowly move on with their respective paths (having kids, marriage, new job --> new hours, homeowner --> homeowner problems, school-related stuff with kids, maintenance, scheduling appointments with doctors for care of self, or a mechanic to fix your vehicle)

...by the time I get home, I'd almost rather catch up on a TV episode of a popular TV show, because 30-45 minutes is more doable then trying to play Red Dead Redemption 2.

Also, relationships.

I will never forget being a 25 year old and witnessing a former co-worker...a 40-year old single, white, bald, male...who spent his free time playing 'Call of Duty', smoking cigarettes, and drinking cases of shit beer...it made me think "I don't want to be 'that guy' when I get older"

- Supaspex

7 or 8 Other Things 

Playing guitar.

I've played for 20 years and for the first roughly 13 years I could sit and play pretty much all day every day. When I went back to college and started taking my education seriously I started losing interest.

I still pick it up and play but I haven't written any new music in well over a year and most of the time there are like 7 or 8 other things I prefer doing instead.

There were certain people that I collaborated with a lot and some of them still play music and some of them don't but I moved far away enough from them that collaboration wasn't as easy. They were all people I knew in Orange County, CA but then I moved to Los Angeles after college and now I live in Idaho.

There is this one guy in particular that I used to play music with the most. Him and I always kind of understood each others' visions for a piece of music pretty well and just generally really understood how the other approached writing music.

He still writes and records all of the time and he's considering moving out here. If he does I wouldn't be surprised if that ends up being the push to get me really into playing again.

- tim_to_tourach

Doodle Depression

Drawing. I loved to doodle and try and draw whatever popped into my head. Even tried learning new styles to try out but eventually that feeling just slowly died. Drew a few things from a tutorial video a few months back, but that's about it. Pretty depressing honestly.

- staying_golden1

I used to love drawing and painting too, and aced AP art...but now I look at a blank piece of paper and have zero inspiration. It's sad.

- 5leeplessinvancouver

Happier As A Hobby

Nervous Season 6 GIF by Paramount+Giphy

Sewing.

Loved it as a teen. Made my own grad dress, won an award and a scholarship for my skills. Tried it as a job and it just killed any and all desire for it.

It stopped being fun. It stopped being a creative outlet for me.

It's really sad, cuz I had skills. I've tried to pick it back up in recent years, but I just can't seem to care like I did back then.

- alabardios

Same with knitting for me, which I picked it up as a hobby. Parents realized that I could make useful stuff and tried to push me into selling it. I never want to turn this hobby into a job; it would kill off all the benefits of being a relaxing way to pass the time.

- ladyoffate13

Are you me? Working in the fashion industry is such a goddamn soul suck. I'll probably never go back. I hoped to get my creative inspo back after a sabbatical but it's been almost 4 years since I quit my job and I've barely touched my sewing machine (except to make a handful of masks for a few close friends and family last year).

I hate when people find out I sew and ask me if I can make them something...

- sxeoompaloompa

Reading Used To Be FUNdamental

I was an avid reader since kindergarden up till uni. After that life just got in the way and I never picked up any books for the past 10 years....?

Still reads to my kids tho. Just, I don't have the energy to read mine.

- shfaeman

As child, schoolboy, and student I used to absolutely devour books. I always had one in my pocket or bag.

From Dumas to Dickens I lived in those pages and had travels, adventure, and experiences that still remain clear and potent for me all this time later. When the demands of later adult life made this impossible I felt the loss keenly.

I found that an Audible account was the solution, I can fit books into the interstices of my day, and a good unabridged reading doesn't leave you feeling dissatisfied.

It'll never be the same as the the intense personal connection I had with books from my days as a true reader. But it suffices for these years until I can again.

- DrNecessiter

Reading.

In elementary and middle school I would burn through books like no tomorrow. I would read whenever I had free time. I would sit under the playground, in the library, at lunch, anywhere really. I would even read in secret when I was supposed to be paying attention in class.

I don’t have that passion for reading anymore and it genuinely makes me depressed. I’ve been trying to get back into it, but even with books I enjoy reading it takes much longer to get through it.

- ThatGamingKid45

Reading.

When I was younger you could not pull my head out of a book. I took such joy out of it, staying up till 3am just to finish a book (a much more impressive feat for a 11/12 year old). I could read for hours and hours, my favorite books were battered and stained because of how many times I read them. I've been trying to do the same now but I've had 3 books on the go for a few years now and they never seem to get finished.

I took a break to focus on my education and never got the drive back, I miss the joy I felt from a good book. Hope I can find one that'll bring that back.

- oohlalalllama

Obviously a huge chunk of people lamented things they lost in childhood - but childhood wasn't the only lost joy people wanted to talk about. We kind of expect to outgrow things we loved in our younger years anyway, right?

A lot of folks had something they were passionate for even as adults only to have that slip through the cracks as well.

Like Prostitution

Writing. I always thought it'd be a passion I'd have for life, but in the past year or two everything I've tried to write has been sh!t.

Slowly I've stopped even trying.

- Without_Mystery

"Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then for money. " -- Molière

- tamsui_tosspot

I have been writing since I was seven, got a BA in English, and thought for sure I'd be a famous writer someday.

I very gradually wrote less and less over the years and now I am almost fifty and can barely muster inspiration to to churn out so much as a short poem. Looking back I tend to wonder if it was passion or if it just happened to be something I was good at that earned me praise and that validation is what fueled my motivation.

Now I don't care what people think of me so much so I just watch Netflix instead.😃

- AmyKeeBee

All Of The Above

Everything here.

Playing guitar, writing, video games, I guess I just lost it all.

I'm not in my teens anymore when everything was so deep. I'm just going through the motions of life as a mid 30 year old. Working, and going home and repeat.

The friends have narrowed down to about 1, the job is tolerable at best. I'm drunk now so that's why I'm spilling. I can't find something that gives me that spark but I'm hopeful for the future.

- Omegawolf83

Dude aside from the drunk part and hopeful about the future. Are you me?!??!?!😲

Like for real, I lost interest in writing first, then gaming, have one good friend, work then home, mid 30's... duuuude. And to be honest, losing interest in so much stuff, has had me question if I'm secretly depressed, and just don't know it or what?

- LurkingAintEasy

It's been years since I legitimately looked forward to anything or enjoyed something for any decent period of time.

- Linchey1

Hostile Hostels

Staying in hostels.

I still love travelling and meeting people, but I just can't do the hostel life anymore. I'd much rather have a nice, private bedroom and my own bathroom.

Part of me still dreams about just saving up some money and doing it all over again, but I know I'd be switching to hotels in about 2 days lol

- ObjectivePassenger9

This. I loved it when I was 22 and could meet people and hang out with them, It was a great way to meet interesting people, make fun memories, and see a new city.

But now? F*ck no.

If I stay in a hostel now, I have to have a private room and bathroom because I am not f*cking around with other people.

- FreddieGregg

SCUBA Men

Under Water Swimming GIF by Outside TVGiphy

I fell out of love with SCUBA.

Firstly I live in England so the waters are somewhat different to the Red Sea.

But when I did do SCUBA, either in England or abroad, I realized a large part of SCUBA is spending time on boats with middle aged men with marital problems who still, nonetheless, need to keep reminding me that they are better than me.

Hence the marital problems, I'm sure.

I always thought it should be an easier and more pleasant experience.

I'm a casual, by the way. I really don't have the inclination to get up early on a Sunday and look at 4 non-descript fish in the English Channel (which I've done, by the way.)

Plus I'm not very good at bragging so this excludes me from 95% of on boat conversations.

I would, however, like to rock up to Jordan or the Caribbean and just say "Look I'm here for a week or so. Lets do 5 dives but I haven't done it for a while, so can we spend some time on the first dive working on my bouyancy?"

I've tried this a couple of times only to get to the dive shop to find out its being run by an English couple. And if there's one thing worse than a middle aged man with marital problems, its an expat middle aged man with marital problems.

- random_username_94

The worst thing about diving, especially in places where you need tonnes of gear, is the people. It just attracts a certain type of men - especially men who are "big strong men" in their own view but whiney b!tches with OCD to me.

These a**holes are sloshing around with fancy gear spending most time on the shore telling other people why they are doing it wrong.

I switched to free diving which I can do alone, and never looked back.

- ragefaze

Over Editing

Editing. Specifically videos.

I got a project freshmen year of high school where we had to read a book and then write an essay about it or make a short video commercial of the book. I chose the video and after filming some stuff with my friend in the backyard, my mom let me use her computer to edit it and I fell instantly in love.

I loved all the different combinations and things I could do. Throughout high school, whenever I could substitute a video for any project, I did it, just to edit.

I went to college for film with specifically wanting to be a professional editor and it all came crashing down a few years in.

I still liked to edit but was realizing that doing it professionally, I wasn’t gonna have much artistic freedom. And it was either be freelance editor, just relying on clients to hire me and do whatever they want, or go into the cut throat business with the studios.

I don't know, neither sounded appeasing, and while I edited a few student films for some festivals, I just wasn’t enjoying it anymore. More so the environment the the actual editing, but it’s soured me to the point I don’t feel any motivation to work any of my personal projects.

Currently taking a break from school. I wanna go back and finish my degree after the pandemic, but will probably change my major.

I have no idea what to change it too or what I wanna do though.

- KageNekem

No Criticism Please

I loved drawing up until I took an art class in college and I realized that everyone else was so much better than me.

I was almost embarrassed to share my work, even though the professor and my classmates were so supportive... I just felt like I didn't have the tough skin to handle any criticism, even if it was just meant to be helpful.

I finished the class with an A, but I haven't really drawn since.

- sad_gurl4

Bakery Blues

baking season 5 GIF by PBSGiphy

Baking.

I always wanted to be a pro-baker, do the custom cakes and have a blast. I finally became head baker at a custom cake bakery, and it wore me out.

Being chronically ill definitely didn't help the cause, but I quickly lost my passion for it.

Now I can't even remember the last time I've baked something. And I feel horrible now that I'm a mom.

I want to be the kind of mom that bakes with her daughter all the time, and teaches her everything as gets older, but I just don't feel it, and I don't want that rubbing off on her while she's still so young and impressionable.

- HonourOfGreyskull_

Baking.

I started when I was in my teens and made elaborate and insanely delicious desserts and pastries. After years of making all sorts of deliciousness I came to the realization on New Years Eve that I absolutely hated doing it.

For a family dinner I was asked to make the dessert. As I was deciding what to make it realized that it no longer brought me any joy.

So I went to the Bakery and bought something to take. Everyone was disappointed that I didn't make anything. They had been hinting at a Samoan bundt cake and pecan pie cheesecake.

- messicanamerican

Well that was kind of a bummer. Sorry about that. But hey lets leave you on a happy note - lots of people don't find the thing they really love until much later in life.

We guess it sort of depends. As who you are shifts, what you love should shift too, right? That's what growth and evolution are about.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

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.