People Who've Lost Weight Break Down What Surprised Them Most
Reddit user apprenti8455 asked: 'People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?'
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.
People's Hypothetical Reactions If Their Partner Said 'I'll Marry You If You Lose Weight'
It's 2022, and fortunately, finally, more people have gotten on the proper body positivity train.
But there are still those who believe that thinner is better, and Reddit's ready to call them out on it.
One Redditor addressed this by asking:
"What would your reaction be if your partner told you, 'I'll marry you if you lose weight'?"
Concern or Love?
"My girl told me to lose some weight, but in my case, I believe she had the right to it."
"I am getting older. She told me she doesn't want to build a life to have me die because of something I have complete control over."
"I think there are legitimate reasons for someone to have that as a condition to spend their lives together. But if their reasons are 'no fatties,' then run away. They don't care about you."
- Gotd4mit
A Healthy Ultimatum
"I can actually chime in as someone who gave something of a sort-of ultimatum like in the question!"
"My partner is obese (approx 250 at 5'9 / ~115 at 175). He's always been overweight but had recently gained more when I met him. It wasn't something that happened over the course of the relationship."
"The issue I have with it has nothing to do with being attracted to him or anything like that (definitely plenty attracted to him), it's health and function."
"He has an injury to his knee that already makes it challenging for him to climb stairs multiple times or run, but the extra weight exacerbates it. He has sleep apnoea which we believe is caused by his weight (CPAP hasn't worked, not interested in surgical interventions at this time and they'd ask him to lose weight first)."
"The impact this has on us now is that we sleep in separate bedrooms and can't do some activities together."
"We're going to have kids, so the future impact might be he'll genuinely struggle to look after or play with said kids (if he can't run around the yard with them, or just do all the physical things young kids require, for example)."
"He has healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, etc., for now, but being obese puts him at an elevated risk for a bunch of entirely preventable conditions."
"SO, fairly early on, I gave an 'ultimatum' that was basically 'by the time we get married, I want to share a bedroom, and I want you to be able to enjoy our kids' youth.'"
"To move from obese to overweight, he'd need to lose approx 55lbs/25kg which is a lot, and there's no real way of knowing how much weight he'd have to lose for the sleep apnoea to get better or his knee to work."
"I mean. I'm going to marry him anyway, and he knows that. But at least it's out there how seriously I take it."
"I try to support him even though it's kind of completely outside my realm of expertise because I don't think just saying, 'do this or I'll leave' is fair, kind, or going to get any of the results you're looking for."
- kitsunevremya
A Brutal Look in the Mirror
"I wouldn’t blame her, I’ve gotten fat as f**k."
- SergeStorms_offmeds
Something to Look Forward To
"I'd say, 'cool beans!'"
"I'm plodding away on my journey at 289lbs today... I'm down from 460 at my worst (somehow I seem to be getting away with it without any loose skin so far, which is a welcome bonus)."
"I am under extremely few illusions about the fact I still look like a fat sack of crap and my own relative attractiveness as a prospect, though. I mean, the mental image of a blubber-mountain jiggling and wheezing away over someone gives me the ick!"
"While I'm doing it entirely for my own sake, and I think it's essential to do so, someone willing to look beyond my current condition to who I am as a person and decide they'd potentially like to spend the rest of their life with me, isn't without value."
"As such, far from seeing it as a cruel ultimatum, it seems more like accepting the reality that I'm still just not there yet, but... when I drop another 50-75lbs and more importantly add some tone, I should start scrubbing up quite nicely."
- volster
The Reason Matters
"I think the reason they want this really matters."
"I had a morbidly obese mom who most likely died from being obese. It was very hard on her and me. I grew up with her crying about being overweight and the pain she was in."
"It got to the point where she first had to use a walker and then a wheelchair. She had a lap band surgery but managed to stay obese."
"I'm currently obese myself and have health problems related to it. I'm working on losing weight and have lost 50 pounds so far. I plan to lose more before considering dating again."
"Considering how hard it was for me to lose my mom and all her suffering, I don't want to date someone who isn't at a healthy weight or at least working on losing weight. I wouldn't fault someone feeling the same about me."
- brokenjasper
Self-Respect Has Entered the Chat
"If they word it in a way that they simply only want to be with me if my appearance changes, I'll tell them to f**k off."
"But if they're worried about my health and my weight is a part of that, then I'll be a little more understanding."
- CyberWolfWrites
A Tough Reality
"A person who won't marry you unless you look a certain way is a person who will divorce you if you don't look a certain way."
- Superman246o1
So This Is Love
"If I was super obese and my partner was trying to push me to be better, then I would take it to heart and work on myself. If I'm not obese and they are just doing it to attack me, then I would tell them to f**k off."
"I'd hope if someone actually cares about me and I let myself go that they would call me out on it. Being obese is nothing to glorify."
"A lot of comments are trying to justify in sickness and in health and that they would leave just because of the ultimatum but as a comparison, if your partner was a non-abusive alcoholic and wanted to get married, would you ask them to quit drinking before you marry them? Would you be offended if your partner asked you to quit drinking if you wanted to get married?"
"Both are self-destructive tendencies. I sure as hell would not be marrying a heavy alcoholic or someone obese but if I love that person I'd speak my mind and give them the opportunity to change."
- COYFC
Uno Reverse
"I'd say, 'Same goes for you. Let's hit the gym now since we're both fat.'"
- CommanderPringles
Addicted to Love Food
"My ex had a food addiction and I couldn't hack it. I did love her for her but I didn't fancy her in the end."
"I tried to help with diets and exercise since it had rubbed off on me also. I was over 20kg heavier than I was before I met her. Our whole relationship by the end of it evolved around this problem."
"We split up years ago, but straight away, I got back down to a healthy size."
"She tried to demonize me over it but in my mind, it's the same as a drug or alcohol addiction. It's not good for your health."
- LowerPick7038
The Importance of Attraction
"I literally just saw a thing about how boundaries aren't an expectation to be pushed on others, they're a defined plan of action for yourself. So this kind of scenario should play out differently:"
"A judgment, not a boundary: I'll marry you if you lose weight."
"A boundary: I cannot be in a permanent partnership with someone I don't find attractive, and I don't find you attractive at your current size."
- SickSigmaBlackBelt
Their Own Conditions
"I'm foreign. If I ever gained weight my entire family would be very blunt about it, in a non-mean way. Just, it is what it is. And if I don't like it. Well then stop whining and eat less."
"Anyway, If I thought I was an appropriate weight and my SO (significant other) demanded an even better physique... Maybe, but I'm getting something out of this deal. Probably sex stuff. And snacks."
"If you demand a king, I will demand a queen."
- FailosoRaptor
Relationship Practicalities
"In my most recent relationship, we had an issue where we were just different people. I like hiking, skating, and swimming. She didn't. Not because those activities weren't fun to her, but because she was physically unable to do those things due to an excess of weight."
"She wasn't immobile by any means, and in fact, I thought she looked pretty great physically, but the fact remained that if she had lost some weight and been more physically active we would have been able to do so much more together."
"Weight isn't just about looks. She was more than just okay in my eyes, she was beautiful. But her weight was an issue nonetheless, and I don't think I could start a relationship with someone of a similar weight to her again."
"It feels bad, but at the end of the day, there were certain things we just couldn't do, and no amount of positivity could change the fact that she couldn't go bouldering with me, or go on a long walk through a forest."
-Replyance
Immediate Weight Loss
"I can lose 200lbs right now... by dumping them."
- duhduhduhdummi_thicc
Healthy Boundaries
"I guess it depends on whether I felt I needed to lose the weight, and if they were nice about it."
"My ex-husband wanted me to lose weight when I was only 130 pounds at 5'5. He wanted me to go back to my 19-year-old anorexic weight of 95-100 pounds which wasn't healthy at all. And he was perfectly willing for me to become anorexic again to do so."
"The real kicker was that he was 330 pounds and wasn't willing to diet at all. So instead of losing the 30 pounds, he wanted me to lose, I got rid of him. Best 330 pounds I ever lost."
- foxylady315
While the question on its own sounds terrible, the subReddit understood that it depended on the delivery and reason behind the question.
Relationships sometimes require tough conversations, started out of love, and weight loss can be part of that.
But if someone is purely looking for aesthetics, they can go look for that somewhere else.
Formerly Overweight Teen Decided To Walk To School Every Day To Lose Weight—Now He's Down 115 lbs
With a little determination, anything is possible.
Case in point?
18 year old Michael Watson had struggled with his weight most of his life.
He was teased by other kids and overall just didn't feel like himself. At 300 pounds, he was ready to make a big change.
How?
Simply by walking.
The Canton, Ohio teen made the effort to, instead of taking the bus, walk to and from school every day, rain or shine.
Watson told ABC News:
"When I looked in the mirror I was really ready to get it done and thought, 'I can't just fail anymore on my diet.' I need to actually do this."
Now, he's down 115 pounds.
It wasn't just the walking that helped him lose so much weight. He also changed his diet, cutting down on fast food and learning to count calories.
This was no easy feat, seeing as Watson worked at the local Kentucky Fried Chicken.
"It was extremely hard, especially at first. What motivated me was stepping on the scale. I'd see that I was 290 [pounds] and say, 'Let's get to 280, come on Michael, you got this'.
Regular working out was also a big factor in Watson's weight loss. In his free time, he would lift weights in his garage, which he turned into a makeshift gym.
His alma mater, McKinley Senior High School, showed their pride for Michael in a recent Facebook post.
McKinley Family Support Specialist Terrance Jones nominated Watson for the "Senior Limelight" recognition, after being inspired by the teen's story.
Good Morning America picked it up from there and did a feature on Watson. They also shared video of the story on their YouTube channel.
High school senior loses 115 pounds by walking to school, changing dietyoutu.be
"His story stuck with me," Jones said to ABC News.
"Michael is a young man who aspired to be able to be a better person for himself. We're not talking about athletic accomplishments or academic accomplishments, this is a personal development success. We need to pay more attention to personal development successes with students."
So@proud of this McKinley senior Michael Watson! Making national news for his perseverance! https://t.co/Hi8TjiFATp— Canton City Schools (@Canton City Schools) 1557876158
Wow, #MichaelWatson #Canton #Ohio tremendous heart to make such a profound change! https://t.co/iZFjBeAvmc— Kirk Harris (@Kirk Harris) 1557903183
Watson has already made plans for after graduation, and hopes to get a full-time job when he gets out of high school.
His goal? The food industry.
Taking culinary classes and making healthier food choices sparked a love of cooking. He hopes to possibly pursue it as an adult.
"I lost a lot of my insecurities when I lost all that weight."
Watson added:
"You work for it and you get it, so it feels amazing for sure."
You go, Michael!
Woman Documents Her Incredible 141-Pound Weight Loss Journey On Social Media, And She Doesn't Sugarcoat Anything
The road to a healthier life style wasn't an easy journey for New Zealander Ariana Omipi, but after a number of challenges and set backs, her determination finally paid off and her staggering transformation photos show just how far she has come.
After years of struggling with her size, weight loss blogger Ariana Omipi says she remembers the moment she knew she had to make a change.
"My boyfriend and I were eating dinner, a healthy dinner we'd prepared together, and I had already served myself twice as much as him, and finished it. Meanwhile, he was struggling to finish his plate."
"When I asked him what was for dessert, he said, 'Are you serious? I can't figure out if you're joking.' But I was seriously hungry. That's when I realized something was wrong."
Since then Ariana has been documenting her progress, as well as her setbacks in trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle.
Omipri's weight loss journey began back in 2012 with a keto diet, but after shedding the pounds, the nagging feeling of hunger was still there and by 2016 she had gained back the weight.
"That wasn't something that was sustainable for me as I had a constant feeling of hunger. So, I found other solutions to eliminate the root cause and have a sustainable weight loss and healthy eating regime."
For years Ariana fluctuated between weight loss and gain
Because Ariana was sharing her story publicly she also often had to deal with harassment on top of everything else.
While many on social media prefer to put their best face forward, Ariana shared her story unfiltered, but that also made her a target for unfiltered criticism.
"Online criticism and sharing my weight loss journey publicly was definitely difficult at times. There's a lot of jealousy or misjudgment that was directed towards me and people are often cruel with their words so I took that tough."
According to Ariana a big part of her current success though involves listening to herself more than her critics.
"I have spent YEARS listening to others tell me how to live my life and this year I've finally had the power to take control of my own life and recognise the responsibility I have for my future and it has been so empowering."
After deciding to take control of her life Ariana's next step was undergoing Gastric Sleeve Surgery in March 2018.
As always, Ariana didn't sugarcoat the reality of surgery as she cautioned others not to consider it a quick fix for weight-related issues.
"This was me, […] unposed, raw and vulnerable in my hospital bed moments after surgery."
"I wanted to share this side of my journey because Gastric Sleeve Surgery is not glamorous nor is it a decision that is made lightly. Those who choose this path are in serious need of change."
Although Ariana doesn't hide how difficult the process can be, she offers herself as proof that it can be done and reminds everyone that even the longest journeys begin with the first day.
And that message is already inspiring others.
Jameela Jamil Calls Out Hollywood And The Media For Fat-Shaming Khloé Kardashian Following Troubling Instagram Post
Jameela Jamil, star of NBC's The Good Place and advocate for body positivity, recently responded to an Instagram story from Khloé Kardashian on Twitter. Though Kardashian was likely only posting the meme to get a few relatable laughs, Jamil believed it was propping up a harmful mindset women are pressured into having.
On her Instagram story, Khloe posted a meme which read:
"2 Things a girl wants: 1) Lose Weight 2) Eat"
Jamil responded, saying:
"This makes me sad. I hope my daughter grows up wanting more than this. I want more than this. Sending love to this poor woman. This industry did this to her. The media did it to her. They fat shamed her into a prison of self critique. Dear girls, WANT MORE THAN THIS."
This makes me sad. I hope my daughter grows up wanting more than this. I want more than this. Sending love to this… https://t.co/nyXD9yz3CT— Jameela Jamil (@Jameela Jamil) 1547092607.0
Twitter was loving Jameela's perspective:
@jameelajamil Things this girl wants: 1. To not be judged for how I look 2. To not be judged for what I eat 3. Ackn… https://t.co/4i4cp31nkb— Kate (@Kate) 1547099665.0
@jameelajamil 1. To not walk with my keys between my fingers at night, or check my back seat. 2. To not worry abou… https://t.co/bMNLPSqd57— Sarah Casey (@Sarah Casey) 1547093964.0
@jameelajamil In a world full of Kardashians be a @jameelajamil ❤️❤️❤️— Narciso🌸 (@Narciso🌸) 1547094738.0
@jameelajamil Fixed it https://t.co/9Nnxc2gHm3— Becca (@Becca) 1547094172.0
@jameelajamil I want: 1) books 2) biryani— Bern Bright (@Bern Bright) 1547136660.0
Some people, however, thought that Jamil was taking what was meant to be a joke a bit too seriously:
@jameelajamil This was probably meant to be a tongue in cheek joke— Gemma (@Gemma) 1547112677.0
@vanne_nh @jameelajamil No thank you. Especially if she takes meme this seriously just because a Kardashian said it— Martin Louis The King Jr. (@Martin Louis The King Jr.) 1547125623.0
Jamil is known for standing up for body positivity whenever she can. She's clapped back at celebrities like Iggy Azalea, Cardi B., and Amber Rose for selling "shady diet products," once going so far as to tweet:
"When will these women who are covered in plastic surgery stop telling their followers to drink a laxative to look like them? It's so embarrassing and it's so encouraging of eating disordered behavior. BE BETTER ALLIES!"
Another double agent for the patriarchy bites the dust... When will these women who are covered in plastic surgery… https://t.co/gOdR2Kw0pt— Jameela Jamil (@Jameela Jamil) 1543251199.0
They got Cardi B on the laxative nonsense “detox” tea. GOD I hope all these celebrities all shit their pants in pub… https://t.co/gRRLvULRuF— Jameela Jamil (@Jameela Jamil) 1543075705.0
Jamil has a history with the products many of her fellow celebrities endorse, and she doesn't want to see any young girls fall into the same path she did.
I was the teenager who starved herself for years, who spent all her money on these miracle cures and laxatives and… https://t.co/pg2yaBusVs— Jameela Jamil (@Jameela Jamil) 1543251640.0
I am not going to stop coming after all the people, men and women, who perpetuate this gross culture of forcing wom… https://t.co/XWgWp4ldhu— Jameela Jamil (@Jameela Jamil) 1543251640.0
Give us the discount codes to your nutritionists, personal chefs, personal trainers, airbrushers and plastic surgeo… https://t.co/NrlvwJJQ8S— Jameela Jamil (@Jameela Jamil) 1543252646.0
At one point, Cardi B tried to respond to Jamil, writing in a comment:
"I will never sh*t my pants cause there's public restrooms everywhere… oooo and bushes."
Jamil did not let the joke slide.
Regarding her response: she will never shit her pants, not because of bushes, but because she probably doesn’t ever… https://t.co/chgyCfPVOL— Jameela Jamil (@Jameela Jamil) 1543272693.0
When some online began accusing Jamil of wanting to "cancel" women, she responded thoughtfully:
Woah! I appreciate you’re being supportive but I definitely don’t want to cancel anyone! I just want them to cancel… https://t.co/oGU9g1egfS— Jameela Jamil (@Jameela Jamil) 1543341087.0
All you have to do is read, listen, learn and grow. Have empathy for those who are younger and more vulnerable, acc… https://t.co/N5uhSfzQLg— Jameela Jamil (@Jameela Jamil) 1543341495.0
When all is said and done, Jamil seems to have the right take.
If celebs and influencers were actually honest with us about some of these diet/detox products... https://t.co/OQsJobGOQN— Jameela Jamil (@Jameela Jamil) 1543366336.0
@jameelajamil I am still amazed people buy into these adverts on their social media accounts because these celebrit… https://t.co/UWpUQbyECb— Searchingapples 👑🦢 (@Searchingapples 👑🦢) 1543252843.0
@jameelajamil https://t.co/P0coLlXMRI— Cricket 🏳️🌈 (@Cricket 🏳️🌈) 1543252910.0
@jameelajamil THIS TEA— Daniel Preda (@Daniel Preda) 1543294869.0