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Married People Reveal Just How Different Their Spouse Is Than Their Exes

Love at first sight is not very practical, but when you meet that special someone it just feels right. These people reveal how they knew that they found the person they married.


u/Kynsade asks:

Married Redditors: How was your spouse different from any of your exes when you were dating? How did you know they were "it"?

When the love keeps you sticking around

Giphy

I never got sick of being around her. 16 years and I haven't yet. I can remember dating other women and just wishing I could be anywhere else.

anghus

When the conversation flows

Giphy

I didn't have to try coming up with things to talk about. I didn't pretend like I was really cool, I wasn't shy about my honest opinion, I was able to be fully myself with this person, and it was so easy.

I also felt no social energy being drained from hanging out with him, and still don't. Both of us just knew. Still better than ever 8 years later. 😊

pikachuichoosesalad

A clean track record

Giphy

I can always assume that she means the best in everything she says or does. It's been over 10 years and she hasn't let me down yet.

Carl_Corey

When the typically annoying things bring comfort

Giphy

When your biggest relationship worry is that the snoring has always pushed others away, but she said on the first night, "Your snoring is like a comfort blanket to me. I slept like a baby knowing you were there with me."

Taurius

When loyalty is priority

Giphy

I had a pretty bad accident, was hospitalized for over a month and we didn't know if I was going to live, or ever walk again. He stayed when sh*t really hit the fan. He bathed me, dressed me, wiped my butt. The whole nine.

madd_maddz

Communication is key

Giphy

She wasn't playing games. She didn't insult or attack me just because she was angry. When she does get upset with me, she is able to communicate with me and doesn't just passive-aggressively assume I should know what's wrong.

Bazilthestoner

A trip away tells all

Giphy

I knew he was the one when we went away for the weekend together for the first time and I realized I actually enjoyed being with him and didn't want to kill him by the end of the weekend...

lenachristina

When they go above and beyond

Giphy

My father passed away very unexpectedly and we had been dating for only 6 months at the time. He flew across country to be with me and my family (whom he hadn't met yet), bought meals for us, mowed the lawn, replaced my sister's worn down tires, did laundry, picked up family members from the airport. All the little details that needed attention were the things he took care of so me and my family could greive. I couldn't imagine anyone else I had dated before doing something like that.

stephanieb5260

Home is where the heart is

Giphy

I could be completely myself, felt completely at ease and at home with him and wasn't at all worried about what to talk about and what I needed to do to keep him interested in me. I felt like I was in an equal, healthy, respectful and loving partnership and knew he would always be super loyal, committed and there for me.

tengolacamisanegra

When you can't get enough

Giphy

Honestly? I didn't get sick of him.

I know that sounds random, but in all of my previous relationships, there came a point where they became grating, or things I'd previously found normal became insufferable over time, or I'd realize that things I'd overlooked early on really shouldn't have been overlooked (e.g. my one ex who happened to have a love of drinking beer while driving his truck).

When I started dating my hubs, I was pretty sure I'd eventually tire of some aspect of him, or begin to find a flaw or three that would grow and become unbearable over time. But I never did. He has flaws, but they're just... part of him, you know?

Theriskyclick

Sometimes you just know

Giphy

This is such a great question that I always wondered as a single person. "How would I know if this person was the one?" I guess I can answer that now. I know it's probably different for everyone. My SIL and BIL dated for two years as a trial run and then said if they were together for two years they'd get married. Seems kinda strange to many, but 20+ years later it seems to work well for them. For me and my now husband, we just knew almost right away. I can't describe the feeling well—I knew he was different the first date. I had a real connection with him on the "I find him attractive but honestly I just love talking to him" level. I just knew if we were to actually be in a relationship we would get married. A couple weeks in we were in love and I knew this was it. And it was. It's a mixed bag of influences; the attraction of course, the way he was so solid in everything—his kindness in every way, the way he made me laugh, his intelligence, our deep talks, everything about him just fit into me. I could tell his feelings and words and actions were genuine, this wasn't a game, and this was real for him like it was for me. Ah, I love that man. I'm gonna go tell him again

WingardiumLexiosa

When a mix tape does the trick

Giphy

He made me a mix tape. I listened to nothing else for weeks. Twenty years later I still perceive the opening to Operation Mindcrime as a love song. :D

SuzQP

Reliability can seal the deal

Giphy

The biggest difference in my SO was his consistency. Texted and called consistently. Showed up for plans. He's reliable and he was always all in. To him, we were always a team and he refused to walk away from that.

Crolleen

Independence and support

Giphy

It became clear early on that he thought of me as a complete person with my own independent path and not a girlfriend-shaped presence in his life who only existed to fit into it on his terms. He supported me without first thinking about what it meant for him, and took me for what I was without making it about him. We started dating at 21, and that was depressingly rare in other guys I had dated up until that point.

KikiCanuck

Nice guys get the girl

Giphy

He was never mean to me. He never said things to hurt my self-esteem, when he was feeling low or we were in a fight. I felt emotionally safe with him. And, he is incredibly smart. I always did (and still do) love talking to him. He says things that change my mind, make me think, puts things in a new light. That was probably the thing that made me want to marry him, I knew I'd never be bored.

Anywhichway_

Let her be!

Giphy

He just let me BE. It sounds really simple, but it isn't.

Being a woman you don't realize how much criticism you get from male partners until it's gone. In every other relationship I had ever had I was constantly told things like "you should grow your hair out" "I like it when you wear X". I was also expected to take care of all domestic duties even though I generally worked more then my partners. And at the time it genuinely didn't bother me. I thought that was just the way of things.

Metalmorphosis

Listening makes all the difference

Giphy

He actually listened to me when I talked, and if we had any sort of disagreements we'd talk it out. In the almost 8 years together we have never raised our voice or cussed each other out. We've had some "major" disagreements but we never had a fight -- we had a talk.

Femineesta

When you are telepathic

Giphy

I didn't have an "idea" of us that I tried to make us fit into. We pretty much shared and still share a brain. We lived almost 2 hours away from each other but would often text each other the same thing at the same time. We'd be in the car together and one of us would say something and it would be the same thing the other was thinking. I had never had that with anyone. And when we fought we were always able to resolve it easily because our communication and honesty was always really open and easy.

howwhyno

A deep understanding is a clear sign

Giphy

I asked my supervisor about this. She looked at me for a moment, then dipped her head back down with a smile and said, "I thought about it, and there's really no one else I would rather spend my life with. We broke up once and we still found our way back. We were long-distance for two years and we survived that. He knows me. Like, he really knows me. He's romantic without being provoked. He just wants to treat me right. We just really understand each other."

matte_personality

Bingo!

Giphy

They didn't ask me to change a thing about me.

SausageMcWonderpants

When they make you a better version of yourself

Giphy

It was apparent right away that she made me a better person. I had always been a good person and always employed, but being with her made me want to do more.

Odd_craving

When you respect their respect

Giphy

Lots of things, but the one that I've been able to note through the years is her self-respect which consequently leads me to respect her as well, which is crucial during those certain moments in a relationship.

gigglemygaggle

When you come from two diffferent worlds

Giphy

We've been married 49 years, August 2. On our first date I knew she might be the one. Any girl that could eat a hamburger faster than I did was a keeper. She was everything I wasn't, danced in college plays, played an instrument, knew the classics, cultured. I was just a dumb farm boy that didn't even know when to walk in a crosswalk. She was a Spanish education major and I was an animal science major. She had a great sense of humor and very intelligent. I'm sure her folks thought I was the biggest hick ever. It apparently turned out ok after 4 kids and 49 years later.

larry4bunny

When you want them with or without an arm

Giphy

She fell off a balcony and shattered most of the bones in her arm. I didn't know if she'd lose it or not until they wheeled her out of surgery and I saw she got to keep it. But while I was waiting I realised none of it mattered.

iceposeidonsarmthing

When they help you grow

Giphy

The first couple of times we hung out, we sat and talked for hours. We had a ton in common, and he was really easy to talk to. But I think the main thing that set him apart from others that I dated was that I felt comfortable just being myself with him. I was jaded in many ways from a lot of previous experiences in my life, and he allowed me the comfort to confront some of my own issues, to grow beyond things I had held myself back from.

Kadris_Locke

Sometimes it takes a little push

Giphy

She demanded respect from me. She wouldn't tolerate any games or non commitment because she knew she was worth it. She did not put up with my bulls***. I fell in line, and I fell in love.

yelloworchid

When she has your crotch covered

Giphy

I got a new dog that had a bad habit of jumping paws first directly on my crotch whenever I was sitting on the couch. I'd kind of developed a reflex to cover said crotch whenever the dog would start to lunge my way. One day, I was sitting next to my girlfriend (now wife) on the couch and had a drink in one hand and the remote control in the other. When the dog jumped towards me, my girlfriend covered my crotch for me. That was it. I knew.

randallstevens65

When they show you real love

Giphy

I know this sounds lame but being with him made me realize I was never actually in love before. What I have with him is real love. He's patient. He's giving. He's gentle. He's selfless. He's honest. He treats everyone with respect and nobody has a bad word to say about him. I love him more than I've ever loved anything. :)

HamsturJelli

When they take everything as is

Giphy

Well, first of all, just to get to the premise of your question - that somehow when I met (or came to know my husband) I saw he had what all the others lacked and saw he was "it" or "the one." I don't believe in this concept, I think there are lots of "ones" and nobody is perfect or perfect for you - like Dan Savage says there is not settling down without settling for.

That said. The big things he had different than all my other exes is that he had no hang ups, no neuroses, no preconceived notions about relationships, what women should be like or what they should look like.

academiclady

Vulnerability is key

Giphy

He REALLY LIKED me. I have an anxious attachment style, and with others, I was always wondering where I stood with them. With him, he never shied away from telling me how much he liked me. It took me a few months to believe that was for real, but the willingness to be so vulnerable about feelings was a big deal to me.

sensitiveinfomax

When she accepts your herpes

Giphy

We were long distance before and during dating. We had a visit scheduled. She was coming to see me for the first time since we met and we were pretty close to starting to date officially. From wrestling in high school, I contracted mat herpes and get an outbreak on my forehead about once a year. A couple days before she came to visit I got an especially bad outbreak. Nasty looking stuff on my forehead a little bigger than a silver dollar. Not only is it unsightly, but it has an especially negative connotation since most people associate the herpes virus with genital herpes, plus it's highly contagious via skin to skin contact. I was anxious for days about how I was going to tell her and hoping she wouldn't be too freaked out. I called her and tried to lay everything out, preparing for her to be really uncomfortable and put off.

Her response was "Oh that's it? Can I still cuddle you?"

Just the first of dozens of personal things that she blew me away with her acceptance of.

bacloldrum

When you can fart loud and proud

Giphy

On our second date, we where in his bed and having a good time. It was late night, we were talking like we'd known eachother for years, eventhough we had only just met for the first time a few days prior. All of a sudden he mentioned that he had a wild urge to fart. I said, "fire away". He farted like there was no tomorrow. I laughed so hard and a few seconds later let out my own gassy adventure. From that moment I knew, if both of us can be that relaxed and comfortable around eachother, it must be "it".

MightyMille

When it's really chill

Giphy

My now husband and I started off as a sort of friends with benefits relationship, where we really liked each other too, however I was sure I was moving away as soon as possible, and he was in the midst of a divorce. Because of this, everything was super low key. I remember thinking to myself "I can't get mad at him for X issue because we're just really casual."

Well, that created an environment where we were just super straightforward with everything. There were no games or jealousy or expectations at all, we just hung out.

Dioxycyclone

When the fun never ends

Giphy

First date story: we met up at a bar and sat on the back patio and just talked to each other the whole night. Not a single moment of awkwardness and no small talk. Once the bar closed, we didn't want to say bye yet so we went to his house down the street. We stayed up all night baking cookies, watched Donnie Darko, and playing guitar. We never slept and I didn't leave until I had to go to class the next day. Staying up all night became a pretty regular thing for us because we were having too much fun just hanging out.

space_elf_


All it takes is some food and magic

Giphy

When we were first dating I went over to her place, we had sex, smoked a joint then fell asleep. We both woke up around 2am and she brought be leftover chicken and fries in bed before we fell asleep again.

I knew she was the one that point. Happily married for 5 years now.

whoisthisguyyy


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.