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People Who've Stumbled Upon A Dead Body Share Their Story

That's not a treasure....

People Who've Stumbled Upon A Dead Body Share Their Story
Photo by Richard Bell on Unsplash

Even for those who work in careers where co-mingling with the deceased is a regular thing, seeing the dead is never normal. And the more gruesome the ending, the more unforgettable in the worst way. I often tend to skip going up to an open casket at funerals, so I can't imagine stumbling across the dead randomly. I close my eyes when I kill spiders.

Redditor u/ideologistpool wanted to know who has made some grisly discoveries they felt like chatting about by asking....

People who stumbled on a dead body, what's your story?

After the Shower

I arrived at work early one morning and went into the men's locker room.

Lying dead on the floor was a man I didn't recognize at first because his head was so swollen from where it hit the ceramic tile floor (in a pool of blood, as well).

Apparently, though only in his 40s, he had suffered a massive heart attack and collapsed to the floor after just having taken a shower in the adjoining shower room.

Looking at him more, I realized who it was: a long-time employee who was very well liked and admired. When the realization set in, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Back2Bach

The Woodrats

Was working as part of a forensics recovery team many years back, and we were sent to an area that an individual was suspected of dumping a couple bodies, but previous searches by the Sheriff's dept. turned up empty. Our team gets there and begins searching in the ravine (think trees and heavy underbrush), and we don't see any skeletal remains lying about (it had been over a year since they were dumped). That is when I noticed the numerous woodrat nests under some of the trees and brush, like LOTS of woodrat nests. In case you've never seen one, this is what they look like.

So, here is where it is important to know something about rodents...they love to chew on bones, and woodrats are hoarders. You see where this is going. So, I told the lead detective my hunch, and we proceeded to dismantle two of the woodrat nests. Lo and behold, we found human remains interspersed in the mound of twigs. Needless to say, we then tore down all of the dozen or so piles, and found many of the missing bones from the two individuals, all heavily gnawed on by rodents.

firdahoe

Foul Play

I've seen a few dead bodies and witnessed a few deaths, but truly discovered two. First one was when I was about eleven. My dad, my friend, our labrador retriever and I were duck hunting and camping out for the weekend near a large bay of water. We were walking on the beach the second night when we stumbled upon a male's body, fully clad in a winter coat, pants, and one Reebok Pump shoe. It was obvious he had been dead for some time, so it was hard to tell exactly how old.

After we trekked and boated back to the mainland, we called the police from a tiny gas station and they came out and had us take them out to where he was discovered. Turns out he had been missing for over two weeks, which explains why his eyes were pretty much gone and his skin looked... melted. They were later able to determine his identity and that he had disappeared while on a walk with his wife one night, about 10 miles from where he was discovered. Foul play was suspected by many, but as far as I know, no arrests were ever made.

Tank_Hill

The Battle

I was walking my gf to one of her favorite restaurants for her birthday. We walked through a big memorial park in my city on the way and we passed a man slumped over in a very uncomfortable looking way against a big limestone structure. I asked if he was alright and he didn't respond. I got down on my haunches to look at his face (he was slumped over with his hood up, contorted and face pointing at the ground). His eyes were open slightly and he was clearly dead.

We called 911 and waited until the paramedics arrived. They told us he had likely been dead for hours, suspected overdose.

Super sad. I think about that a lot recently as the number of people sleeping rough or are clearly suffering from addiction in my city has risen significantly since March.

ecosystems

At 13

I was 13, doing my paper round before school. Cut through an alleyway and heard a car engine. I looked round expecting to see a car pulling out into the alleyway but it was just sitting there with the engine idling with the guy at the wheel looking asleep. My legs sort of just kept going for a few seconds until I realized what the hosepipe going from the back of the car in through the window meant.

Afinkawan

looking green....

When I was a kid, 5 or 6 maybe, a sort of friend of mine, neighborhood kid, vanished. Just went away. He was gone for about a week or so. It was summer and we lived near a kind of run down secluded beach only folk in our neighborhood used so one day a week or so after kid is gone my mom and I walk down to the beach. I follow a crab running on the beach and around this little hill I come across the kid's body.

No cell phones in those days so my mom grabbed me up, we ran home and she called 911, cops came, it was a whole thing.

I really remember much except thinking he looked... green. It was probably seaweed or something but in my memory he was all that color.

They never did find the guy. There was a local guy they suspected but it was never proven.

WilliamMcCarty

After the Storm

It was my first winter in Colorado after moving away from the desert. My apartment's back area is where I took my dog out to pee in the early mornings before work. The apartment building back there sat atop a fairly steep hill that led down to a wooded area. It was pretty steep that if I wasn't paying attention I could easily slip and slide down the hill.

The back apartments that faced this area was occupied by an older dude who was always out on his little porch area enjoying a beer. I've spoken to him a few times just saying hi and whatever trying to be neighborly.

Well, one morning after a huge snow storm hit the area, I bundled up to take my dog out for his morning business. We get to the back area and my dog starts running towards a mound jutting from the bottom of the hill near the woods. I slide down the hill to get my dog and notice the mound had the shape of a foot sticking out of the snow and could make out some colors (it was 5AM-ish, so dark), from clothing. Get closer and a better look and its my old dude neighbor, frozen solid. A broken drinking glass lay next to him so I assume he got a bit tipsy during the snowstorm, went outside on his patio, fell down the hill and just died or something.

Felt more bad than shocked as the dude was hella friendly and always gave my dog some scratches (I think my dog wanted some scratches from the poor guy but wasn't getting them). Called 911 and let them know what I found and just stayed out there with him getting pelted with snow. The police and firefighters were out in minutes. Didn't ask them much about it and since I was freezing my balls off, went back in and carried on with my day.

moose702

So Much Blood

Went to my friend's house. We smoked cigs, and we talked about how his roommate Jeff hadn't been around lately. I remember asking my buddy if he farted because the house had a smell. I went to pee in the bathroom and noticed it was much stronger. Jeff's door was next to the bathroom, so I knocked and opened it. Jeff was kneeling on the floor covered in blood. Like he had frozen.

He apparently OD'ed and blood poured out of his nose? I dunno if that's a thing that happens but there was three day old blood everywhere. It was screwed up. We talked to the cops and a detective, like 90 minutes after finding out friend dead from the drugs. Been clean 16 months now though.

FatPoser

The House Manager

I was the House Manager at my University's Student Union and that involved doing a sweep of the building at closing time. Normal night, finding everything empty and in good order until I get to the dining area's rest room. I see a guy's feet under the door in one of the stalls and knock and tell him it's time to go.

He doesn't respond so I give him a few more minutes and will check again on my way back. Sure enough - he's still there. This time I sensed it wasn't right and went and got a custodian. Turns out that the poor guy was having a heart attack and thought he had to go to the bathroom. He passed right there in that toilet stall.

Mike-ipedia

That's my Story

Was about 15. Was with friends in an abandoned building in Redhook in the 80s looking to see if we could find any copper (or anything else) to sell.

Saw what we thought was a pile of old clothes and shoes. It wasn't.

What we had thought from a distance was old shoes sticking out of the pile was the guys skin, which had shriveled up and turned black.

We got the hell out and called 911 from a payphone, then left the area before any cops showed up. We were raised never to talk with cops. Boring, i guess. But thats my story.

mlpr34clopper

The Water

When I was a child my family went holidays to Tunisia. On our last day we went for one final swim in the pool. I remember remarking to my older sister how great the young boy at the bottom of the pool was at holding his breath... she took no notice of me and we continued playing. The pool was packed full of people playing actually... Suddenly a mother comes screaming out of the hotel and straight into the pool. Pulled him out of the water like a sack of rocks. Half hour of CPR but no luck.

It was suspected that in the early morning a group of older youths thought it was funny to get him really drunk, then they pushed him into the pool and walked away laughing. Turns out the boy couldn't swim and drowned. Still have no idea how he went unnoticed at the bottom of the pool for hours.

ImReellySmart

Injuries

Does seeing a body and not realizing they are dead count?

About 15 years ago a young man (early 20's) was out to a bar, drank, got on his snowmobile to go home in winter in Wisconsin, (all the snowmobile trails lead from bar to bar anyway.) Missed a turn on the trail and hit some trees. got himself up. got his sled righted and back on the trail. then he got back on his sled.

He was sitting on the sled normally with his hands on the handlebars and his head down. We went past about 3 am and thought he was just consulting his map. A friend went by about 10 am and saw him again. then checked on him and found he was dead. then he called the authorities. he had died of internal injuries.

79Binder

After a Blunt

Walking home from high school one day, main avenue by myself.... saw an old lady sitting motionless in a weird little position against the wall next to a store on the step in the alleyway. Eye remember it as if it was yesterday. It was winter and chilly, she had a pink long sleeve on and a black jacket halfway zipped up. Called out to her once, twice, and she didn't respond. A third time and nothing.

Thought she was sleeping maybe, didn't want to spook her. Touched her left arm lightly and then her face, she was cold like chilly cold. Got instant creeps and went inside to the store and told the store owner. Cops got called. Told the cops what i just told you guys.

Won't ever forget that, it didn't impact me too negatively but just reminded me at that age that life is temporary and can go at any time. Everyone dies eventually and nobody knows when or how but we do know it is inevitable. Thanks for reading if you did read, one love. ✊

K-O_FLOW

My Miracle

Got overtaken by a speeding car on my bike. Heard a loud crash maybe 20 seconds later. The dude didn't make the next bend in the road, hit a tree and died on the spot.

Miraculously, in the minute or so it took me to get there, a neighbor already got there first and stopped me (12 years old at that time) from taking a good look, but I still saw.... enough.

Arfman2

Off to School

Walking to school one day at a new and busy intersection. Lights weren't in yet. Lady pulls out in front of a fast moving SUV while she's in a tiny two door car. I had my first aid exam that day so I went to check on everyone. Only one other person stopped he took the SUV and I took the car. Young boy had a seizure and passed.

I waited for fire and police told then what happened and went on my way to school. Wasn't till I got to school that I realized what happened and broke down.

_Noble_One_

On Set

Scouting for filming locations. This guy was sitting in a chair on his porch.

By his skin tone, I could see from some distance that he was dead. The neighbors had all ignored him for nearly 24 hours (apparently he sat out there often, but I don't know how anyone could have mistaken that sallow appearance).

Alan_Smithee_

In the Swamp

I used to own a road construction company and one time we were looking at a site, looking for utility markings and what not. I had a survey crew and the project manager out there.

There was a bridge over the river (this is in the middle of San Antonio, TX) and one of the guys on the survey team says "hey, boss, look...) there was a body hung up on a rock just under the water is was like the dead faces in the swamp in LoTR. We were pretty high up from the river so we couldn't see it in great detail but it was unmistakable. So, of course, we called the police.

Well, the cops and EMS, etc attracted a crowd of locals and all the emergency services people were down under the bridge looking at the body, discussing how to retrieve it. The crowd on the bridge stared throwing rocks at the body and someone hit it and it kinda, I dunno if it exploded but the water was all cloudy and obscured.... the cops went crazy yelling at people, running back up the hill.

So yeah, that happened.

Thunderhorse74

If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

REDDIT

People Reveal The Weirdest Thing About Themselves

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It all started when Redditor Isitjustmedownhere asked:

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

Monsters Under My Bed

"My bed doesn't touch any wall."

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

– Practical_Eye_3600

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

– bikergirlr7

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

– zenOFiniquity8

Can You See Why?

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

– KingBooRadley

Remember

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

– AquamarineCheetah

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

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

– Reasonable-Pirate902

Same, Same

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

– OhhGoood

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

– notmyrealnam3

Not Sure Who Was Weirder

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

– Frostygrunt

Imagination

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

– RandomSharinganUser

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

– Kolkeia

If Only

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

– ShotCompetition2593

Pet Food

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

– drummerskillit

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

– Isitjustmedownhere

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

– -GateKeep-

My Favorite Subject

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

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

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

"Cue Jordan Peele sweating gif."

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

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

– Phormicidae

*Teeth Chatter*

"I bite ice cream sometimes."

RedditbOiiiiiiiiii

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

monobarreller

Never Speak Of This

"I put ice in my milk."

– GTFOakaFOD

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

– We-R-Doomed

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

– RatonaMuffin

More Than Super Hearing

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

– Tira13e

"What does it say to you, child?"

– Mama_Skip

Yikes!

"I put mustard on my omelettes."

– Deleted User

"Oh."

– NotCrustOr-filling

Evened Up

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

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

– LesPaltaX

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

– MoonlightKayla

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

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

Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sensations

Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy

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

PeachesnPain

Recovery

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

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

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

good_golly99

Take Me Back

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

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

rayrayrayray

Free

The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy

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

TooReDTooHigh

This is why I hate surgery.

You just never know.

Shocked

Giphy

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

Admirable_Buyer6528

The SOB

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

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

1-cupcake-at-a-time

Colors

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

Hannah_LL7

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

huntokarrr

The Fog

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

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

Fluffy-Hotel-5184

Through the Walls

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

"She's quite alive and well today."

Hot-Refrigerator6583

Well let's all be happy to be alive.

It seems to be all we have.

Man's waist line
Santhosh Vaithiyanathan/Unsplash

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

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

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

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

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

Redditors didn't see these coming.

Shiver Me Timbers

"I’m always cold now!"

– Telrom_1

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

– r7ndom

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

– mr_remy

Drawing Concern

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

– dee-fondy

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

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

– LizardofDeath

Unleashing Insults

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

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

– alanamablamaspama

Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight

"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."

– KeltarCentauri

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

– KatMagic1977

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

– Jaew96

These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.

Shopping

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

– WaySavvyD

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

– ganache98012

No More Symptoms

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

– colleennicole93

Expanding Capabilities

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

– Ramblonius

People Change Their Tune

"How much nicer people are to you."

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

– LiZZygsu

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

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

– awholedamngarden

It's gonna take some getting used to.

Bones Everywhere

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

– Princess-Pancake-97

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

– bekastrange

Knee Pillow

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

– snic2030

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

– Strongbad23

More Mobility

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

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

– dma1965

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

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

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