Top Stories

Seasoned Parents Share Their Most 'Pro Parent Tip' That You Can't Find In A Book

Parenthood is hard. Thankfully, these wise parents are here to make it easier with their pro parenting tips. Enjoy!

Giphy

1. Raise them to survive

An ancient old lady who had 6 awesome kids told me "Don't ever forget your child is going to be an adult. Raise them to survive". A similar, but kind of guarded version of that, told to me by an older Jamaican woman was "let a puppy nip you, you get a dog that bite you.

Ibenthinkin2much / maldio

2. Reading together is key

Read to your kid before they go to bed. It could literally be anything. Doesn't have to be a kids book. This will help them spend more time with you and improve their reading skills, and I'm sure they'll remember it when they're older.

scentofwater

3. We ALWAYS love you

A great piece of advice I got from a long time friend, that helped when my son was 5, or 6, etc. was to make sure that he knows we ALWAYS love him. Even when we get mad. I taught him this regularly when there was no conflict. And when he'd get angry or in trouble and his mom and I seemed angry at his misbehavior, I would remind him and test him. I'd say, "Right now you're in trouble and mom and I are mad. But even though we're mad right now" and he'd reply, "You still love me." Kids need to know that their parents always love them. Even when they're in trouble. Parents need to know that discipline can be enforced to teach life lessons and can still be loving. My son has grown up with confidence and a respect for right and wrong.

ManInFlorida

4. No baby ever died from crying.

There will be times when you're at your wits end and they just. Won't. Stop. Crying.

It's ok to put the baby down, step out of the room, and take a moment to breathe/calm down/recenter yourself.

The worst night of being a parent was the night I came home from work at midnight. My wife, in tears, told me it was my turn. Our son had been crying non stop for the last six hours. The only way for someone to calm him was to walk with him. I took over and had to walk all night after working two jobs. I couldn't even sit in the rocking chair. Finally around 6 am he exhausted himself. I was supposed to be at work at 10 that morning but called and said I couldn't do it. I really needed the money too. I am glad it just happened that one time.

BillieRubenCamGirl / weedful_things

5. Screw your pride

Let them make mistakes. Let them win arguments if they're right. Screw your pride.

If they break something they don't need, don't (Continue)


Continue reading on the next page!

replace it right away (when they're toddlers and up) let them realize the consequences of their actions.

Listen to them. Even if they sound ridiculous. If they're saying it with enthusiasm, indulge them. Teach them that what they have to say is important and that you care.

Party_Shark_

6. Having kids is a fitness bootcamp

Get in shape before having kids.

They are giant balls of energy that you will constantly have to chase after. Also, your energy levels are going to be taxed so much after having kids.

KMApok

7. Don't beat yourself up if you don't stick to the plan

Do what works for you, until it doesn't. For example, you might go into it expecting to be an attachment parent, and find out that you and your kid both hate that. Or maybe it works for awhile, and then randomly it doesn't anymore. So I would say being willing to change and go with the flow is really important and something I wish I better understood at the beginning.

peacelovinhippy

8. If you take care of yourself, you will be able to take care of others

Make sure your own needs are met first. You can't do a good job parenting if you're totally frazzled from being on-call 24/7. Take breaks when you need them.

This past weekend, my wife and I and both kids were ill. The 1.5 year old was super-cranky and completely unreasonable. So we broke our TV limit rule, and basically used the TV as a babysitter while we rested.

i6uuaq

9. Sometimes love means doing the hard thing

They aren't stupid, they're inexperienced.

Be honest.

No matter what, love them. But sometimes love means doing the hard thing.

Your job is to raise them, not be their best friend.

It's easy to forget your partner or just get stuck in a rut. Don't. You are still people with needs. Make time for each other. Doesn't have to be fancy, but it needs to be there.

People will want to help and you won't want them to. Then you'll want help but people won't want to. Take presents, let people baby sit, eat their food, etc.

Enjoy it because it's the most wonderful thing you'll ever do, and once you get there you'll realize all the anxiety beforehand was pointless, you'll know what to do, and it'll be great.

Throwaway_Politics_

10. Accept help from others

Accept help when someone offers it... watching the baby so you could sleep or shower.. bringing you some cooked food. Say yes. You can't do it alone.

Also, tell your significant other that (Continued)


Continue reading on the next page!

that they are doing a great job, they need to hear it.

StupendousMan1995

11. Have a good cry

If you find yourself at wits end because he/she won't stop crying and you're crying and they're upset and you're upset and now it's a vicious cycle, take a moment. Or a few moments.

Put your baby in their cot/bassinet, walk out of the room and sit down and just take a breather. Have a good cry if that's what you need or just close your eyes and meditate. They'll probably keep crying, but they were going to do that with or without you. And you'll hear if something changes because baby crying is so darn piercing.

When you feel ready and calmer, go back to your baby. You might just find that once you're calm, they might calm down too.

Good luck, you got this, and congratulations on being a parent!!

bzzzybea

12. Let's get practical!

On a practical note, put several layers of mattress pads/sheets on the crib. When you need to change them in the middle of the night, you just take off the top layers.

We got great parenting advice from a dog trainer, "You don't train a dog by telling them what they are doing wrong. You train them by telling them when they do something right."

vosfacemusbardi

13. Some parents say they're perfect... those people are liars

Not every day is going to be a proud parenting day. Sometimes you're going to lose your wits, everyone does. Any parent who's like "I've never lost patience with my children and acted differently than how I wanted to" is a liar and shouldn't be trusted haha.

When that happens, calm down, reset, and start again. The best thing my parents did for me growing up was to explain why they lost patience and talk to me until we were all good again. I now do the same for my daughter, and did this even before she could understand what I was saying.

As a parent it's easy to slip into a role of complete control over your kids, but you have to remember that they're people too with their own ideas and they deserve your respect just as much as you deserve theirs. So if you talk to them in a way you're not proud of, or yell at them, or whatever it is, just talk to them. Apologize. Make expectations clear going forward and move on.

schlondpoofa_

14. A most powerful lesson

Remember that your kids will learn far more from (Continued)


Continue reading on the next page!

what they see you do than from what you tell them to do. Your example is the most powerful lesson.

APIPAMinusOneHundred

15. Better yet, children are like the CIA and NSA all rolled into one

They're always watching.

You are their frame of reference. On how to act in a situation, on how to express themselves, what's good to do, what's bad to do. They depend on you, and will be in a position where they will follow everything you do partly because they don't yet understand what you say.

Wariosmustache

16. Give them a chance to fail

Also, let them learn the hard way with natural consequences. I'm a fairly hands off parent in that if my kid gets stuck on top of the dishwasher, they need to figure out for themselves how to get down. I give them the freedom to explore and climb and go on adventures and get dirty and make art projects and I see these things pay off when it comes to problem solving and creative thinking. None of my kids are afraid to fail because I give them the chance to try.

Deathbycheddar

17. Your spouse comes first

Raise your child to someday be an adult. Set the example of a rock solid marriage. YOUR SPOUSE COMES FIRST. Your marriage is the foundation of your family. Build it strong and continue to work on it. Unless there's serious abuse, infidelity, and safety issues, work on it. This is not to say single parents can't raise children.

Slezak64

18. Comparing, pictures, and thrift stores

Don't compare your kid's milestones to ANY OTHER KID. Even your own other kids. They will never be the same, on anything. If they are, you'll worry they're average. If they're not, you'll worry they're "behind".

You know your kid better than someone who interacts with them intermittently. If you have a concern about ability level, development, or anything" - talk to a professional if you can. "Friends" will try calm your fears and tell you everything is fine even if it's not, and other people will insist anything wrong is caused by your "parenting".

You will constantly be surprised by what your kid doesn't know. Try to get over that. They have had zero experience with the world you live in. Don't make a big deal out of it.

Be open and honest about your own emotions and thought processes. You can talk to them like adults much faster than you think, and it's never too early to give kids language to articulate their emotions and feelings.

When you're mad, hug them. Take a billion pictures of them, every day - not just when they're little. Take pictures of yourself, with them. Get family pictures.

Learn to love thrift stores. You're going to go through 3 different clothing sizes in one summer and they won't even have a chance to wear half their clothing before they grow out of it. This goes triple for shoes. YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY KIDS SHOES OR SOCKS.

If you're buying them rain boots and umbrellas, make sure you (Continued)


Continue reading on the next page!

have those things for yourself. Jumping in puddles in the rain with your kid is awesome fun.

Find what they excel at and use it to help them navigate the world. Kids process things differently and if you can figure out their processes, you can make learning new things so much easier on them.

Let them make their own mistakes, and help them fix them. They need to learn making mistakes is part of learning and growing.

Dollar Store art supply sections are your friend. Hell, the Dollar Store in general is your main ally as a parent.

Let them own their own emotions. It's okay to be sad. It's okay to be mad. It's okay to cry. They'll take longer to process certain emotions than you do, and they'll process other emotions so fast your head will spin. Don't yell at them for being upset, that never makes it better. No one ever learned how to deal with anger, grief, sadness, or anxiety, from being screamed at to "do it faster".

OurHonestLife

19. Your baby will probably look gross

Often the baby comes out blue and gross and quiet. Don't worry, it isn't dead. In a couple seconds it'll pink up and cry. Also, the placenta can be really big. Like the size of a dinner plate.

jetpackchicken

20. Be a "good enough" parent

Be more aware of the behavior you are modelling and less strict with the rules you are directly enforcing. Kids learn a lot more than you think by what they see you do, and a lot less from all the intricate instructional rules you've set up. If you love junk food, are a chronic procrastinator, easily get defensive, or have a quick temper, don't be surprised if your kids are the same way.

Don't have a lot of rules, decide on a few important ones and really stick to it. Having too many rules means you will often have to bend them or suspend them for different situations and will mean lots of whining and negotiating, which is beyond exhausting.

If you get exhausted by the: "Why?" "Why?" "Why?" "Why?" Stage. You can end the cycle of "whys" by responding: (Continued)


Continue reading on the next page!

That's a very good question, why do you think?" or, "Let's go look up the answer."

Almost every book is written and published not with the goal to help you or your child, but to make money. Keep this in mind. As a result, most of what you read in books really is crap.

Follow what Donald Winnacott said about parenting -- the best kind of parent is not the "perfect" one, but the "good-enough" one. The good-enough parent remains sensitive and aware of a child's basic needs (warmth, food, emotional security) and responds to them directly. Everything else really isn't that important and being stressed about it with your kid does more damage than good.

survivalothefittest

21. Many aspects of parenting will not bring you joy or happiness

Your children do not belong to you. They are not your possessions and their accomplishments, achievements, failures and everything in between belongs to them. Your children were born as complete human beings, and there is nothing more damaging and hurtful than to deny someone's humanity. For some bizarre reason children are forced to endure this as a matter of course by a lot of people who ought to know better.

Children don't ask to be born, and they do not owe you for parenting them-- you owe them because you brought them here. "I was a good parent" is not a thing you get to brag about, it's the bare minimum that the vulnerable little people in your care deserve.

Your job as a parent is not to make your children happy. Your job is to give them the skills and tools they will need to function and make themselves happy going forth in the world. That means there will be many times you will have to do things that makes them unhappy and in turn that makes you unhappy. A lot of aspects of parenting will not bring you joy or happiness. Remember it's better for your child to experience hard lessons with the soft comfort of a supportive and safe home to lean on, rather than putting it off so the first time they experience hard things is when you're dead and not able to help support them through it.

Don't lose your identity. As a parent you are the first example of an adult that your child will look too- it's healthy and good that they see you are not just their parent but a person with passions and a life beyond being mom or dad. Dating your spouse and cultivating a life together as lovers rather than just parents is not detracting from your children.

You will mess up. You will mess up repeatedly because there is no manual for how to do this. It's ok that you mess up, in fact. But your child is watching, so when you mess up, apologize sincerely to them without precondition or excuses, and actively work to not repeat the mistake. Your child will forgive you if you are sincere and loving.

The more people who love and care for your child, the better off they are. Don't hoard your child's love or be possessive of it. Multiply love in their life.

It's easy to write off the feelings of children, especially small children.. but when you diminish and mock the "little" things when those children grow older and have "big" things, they don't trust you or come to you. If it matters and feels big to your child, you need to treat it appropriately. If you don't consistently demonstrate that even the little things are treated with dignity, don't be shocked that the trust you eroded and destroyed means they don't come to you with anything.

Oh and when they're a newborn and you can't figure out why they are screaming their little head off in the baby swing - put that swing on full blast. I've yet to meet a newborn who doesn't love the swing, they just like it going full blast. Strap em in and let it rip.

Shesthewooorst

22. Moisturize.

You're gonna be washing a lot of bottles.

opus_4_vp

23. Pretty sure that's not in any book.

Find time for your friends who don't have kids.

permanent_staff



Article: Source

External image: Shutterstock / juninatt

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.