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People Break Down The Clear Signs That Someone Is Attracted To You

People Break Down The Clear Signs That Someone Is Attracted To You
Priscilla Du Preez/Unsplash

Clueless in love?

Grab a pen and get ready to get a clue because we're breaking it down today.

Firstly, don't feel bad.

Lots of us are completely and totally oblivious. You're among friends here.


Reddit user IsellKidneys2356 asked:

"What screams 'I'm attracted to you?' "

If you're reading this article with a particular someone in mind, hoping this article will help you figure out if they're into you or not, keep reading til the end and we'll give you a sure-fire way to know.

You're Not That Funny

"Laughing at your worst jokes."

- scrimmybingus3

"I told my friend when he was nervous on his first date 'if she laughs, you got a shot' to which he replied 'why?' ”

"I said 'cause you ain’t f*cking funny and she’s catering to your frail ego just like all girls do when they like a guy' he said it was great advice lol 😂"

- thelastride23

"My girlfriend was so giggly when we first met and it was so precious."

"I have a good sense of humor but I know I’m not THAT funny. It gave me peace of mind early on knowing she probably had the same butterfly feeling in her stomach as me."

- lanman33

Marvel Studios Reaction GIF by Disney+Giphy

​Terrified Silence

"I worked alongside this guy for several months, and he never said a word to me."

"For the longest time, I thought he hated me, as he would actively go out of his way to avoid speaking to me at all, or even make any kind of eye contact."

"I thought he was super cute, but I'm also pretty shy and introverted, which is why I just let it go for several months."

"It eventually got to the point where it was just uncomfortable, and I asked him what the deal was, and what I could have possibly done to make him dislike me so much."

"It took him a minute or so to respond, and then he said 'I'm really sorry. I'm incredibly shy, and have been since I was a kid. But I think you are the most flawlessly beautiful woman I've ever seen, and I am terrified to talk to you.' "

"We've been together for over three years, and married for four months."

- littletinylotus

Big Hints

"Apparently my fiancee dropped a whole lot of hints before we got together."

"A big standout was complaining that she didn't have any plans for our Junior prom, and then asking me what my plans for that night were."

"My dumb@ss responded with something to the effect of 'F*ck prom, I'll be home playing Mario.' "

- uwu-lmao-xD

"My girlfriend did the same thing, to the point she kissed me and I managed to convince myself that she wasn't interested."

"I ignored it for another month before I got told by multiple people that she was into me and I asked her out. In conclusion, I am a f*cking idiot."

- original__pickles

"When my son was about 16 he went off on a camping weekend with a heap of friends. There was one girl who’d he’d been getting kind of close with for ages, and I had a fair idea that something would happen while they were away."

"So when I picked him up, I asked him how it had gone."

"He said it was so weird, they’d had a great night, it was almost bedtime and she hasn’t set up her tent yet. He asked her about it and she said she didn’t know how to put it up so she was just going to have to sleep on the ground by the fire."

"Ever the gentleman, he sprung to his feet and recruited a friend to help set it up for her in the dark and the cold. Damsel saved."

"Fast forward an hour or so and everyone’s asleep. He hears a rustle at his tent door and there she is, complaining that she’s so cold all on her own in her big scary tent."

"Bless that sweet ignorant boy, he said 'oh. Well here you go, take my sleeping bag' and held it out to her. He remembers she looked sad and confused and he didn’t understand; he’d done a nice thing and now she wouldn’t be cold. Damsel saved."

"He shivered and froze all night and ended up climbing into another tent and going top to toe with his buddy."

"I said to him 'Mate, do you reckon maybe she wanted to sleep in your tent with you?' and the look on that poor kid’s face when the penny dropped…"

- Kristyyyyyyy

The Looks

"When you're in a group and the person consistently looks at you whenever something funny or interesting happens."

- take-a-ride

"I had a meeting yesterday afternoon. It was the first time for most of us meeting in person."

"The last person to arrive was this stunning girl and when we looked at each other I swear to God there might as well have been lightning shooting out both our eyes."

"At first I thought 'nah I imagined that.' As she sat down close to me we looked at each other for a solid second and smiled at the same time for no particular reason other than it just feeling right."

"She started making conversation with me specifically. We had to split up into groups to interview people, and she and I were paired by the supervisor (best supervisor ever)."

"For the next two hours, we just joked and talked with each other and every time something funny happened we just looked at each other automatically."

"I've been with a lot of people but never had this sort of easy chemistry happen before, certainly not so quickly. I'm excited to talk to her some more, regardless of where it leads. I asked her out to lunch sometime and she said yes!"

"It might be a bit because we're noth busy but it's a good development :)"

- RomanRodriBR

Full Of Excuses

"Excuses to be near them. 'Lets study together - we'll get more work done ; 'Oh, you're going that way? me too, lets walk together.' "

- pronouns-r-they-them

"My sophomore year of college a friend of mine said we should skip a formal to get more studying done."

"These formals were a big deal campus-wide and everyone went. Also, we didn’t take a single class together."

"She showed up at my dorm wearing knee-high stockings and a men’s dress shirt that was unbuttoned to her cleavage. She was not wearing a bra."

"I…studied. Hurts to think about to this day."

- m4gnum_89

"I’m guilty of that second one lol."

"There was a girl in one of my college classes that I got to know really well that I started to get a huge crush on her. We would always walk out of class together and I had always said that her spot was on the way to my spot when in reality it was way off."

"But I just enjoyed those walks every day. I looked forward to that."

- yeezyfan23

Distraction

"Losing their train of thought when you walk by, while they are talking to someone else."

- buck-status-BROKEN

"Yup."

"I work with my spouse. We've been married 14 years. I still lose my train of thought when he walks by."

- take-a-ride

"This happened to me once."

"It was absurd how I trailed off when she went by in a summer dress. Good lord, 100% embarrassing."

- mynameisbp

"Omg this is true."

"I was giving a mock presentation to my group mate and that guy suddenly joined and spectated. I tripped up so many time in that presentation."

- andrew_hihi

Surprised Pixar GIF by DisneyGiphy

This Classic Move

"Finding any reason to touch each other."

"Whether is play fighting, feeling up muscles, poking someone's bruise, comparing hand sizes of they actively try to find a reason to touch you, they probably like you."

- biggaylikewoman

"Comparing hand sizes is a CLASSIC move."

- WinterBird01

"Comparing hand sizes is like my go to :/ I’m ashamed."

- Aldroe

Food = Love

"If they know you like a certain food and buy it for you."

"The guy I liked loved this one dumpling place near uni. He’d constantly stop and get some on the way home."

"One day when we where walking together, beforehand he said he felt like some but didn’t have his card so no money. So even though I knew he wanted some, when I asked if he wanted me to buy it for him he politely declined."

"So I pretended to buy some for myself (since I sometimes would). Then I ate like 3 to make it believable and said I was suddenly full and he could have the rest."

"I just wanted him to be happy with his dumplings."

- JackSparrowscompass

Absentmindedly

"When you catch them absentmindedly looking at you."

"Even if they’re doing something/talking to someone else but they’re still in tune with you and mindful of where you are in the room. Because, even subconsciously, they’re thinking about you."

"Also, going out of their way to make you smile/laugh is a good one. Same with keeping notes on your interests."

- NinjaCakies

"Most of the girls that I knew were interested in me were girls who I kept catching staring at me."

"Initially I never made any effort go further, but then I did and found out they were actually interested in me. I have figured out the 'I like you' gaze now and it's easy to know who likes me."

- garlic_bread_thief

"Finding reasons to touch you, wanting to see you, hear your voice and most important - their gaze."

"You can just tell by the way someone looks at you. When you’re in a group or a party, you look at them and find them already looking at you from across the room."

- Skinnylicious3

"Its in the way they watch you from across the room when they think you are not noticing."

"The easy smile when you are talking to them. They really listen to what you have to say without talking too. much because they are cataloging and filing it into their brain for future reference."

"But it starts with the look..."

- Melesa-rdwudforst

Third Person

"A tendency to end sentences by looking at each other even if there's other people around."

"Also, making frequent side comments to each other in group settings. They just want to talk to each other more."

"It can be hard to notice if it's happening to you, but is super obvious from a third person view when people are into each other."

- Nightthunder

make up lol GIF by LifetimeGiphy

Talk Talk Talk

"Always trying to find ways to talk to you."

- rottingrodents

"Walking up to you and finding an excuse to start a conversation with you is usually a good sign, in my experience."

- in_the_comatorium

The Reflex

"This might come off as egotistical, but it's something I noticed and haven't been able to tell anyone ..."

"At the gym I have a 'friendly acquaintance' who I see all the time. We generally just exchange pleasantries, but in December I ruptured the triceps tendon in my right arm."

"She happens to be a physical therapist, so there has been a lot more chit-chat since then."

"A few days ago I entered the gym, and went to stow my jacket in a cubby. She was nearby, so I said 'Good morning' and when she turned I saw her pupils dilate to like 11."

"Since then I've seen the same thing twice."

"Ocular reflexes don't lie."

- SurlyJason

This List

"Men to women:"

"Driving. He takes you home or picks you up without being asked."

"Killing things. He drops whatever he is doing when you need him to help you smash a bug or trap a mouse."

"Paying attention. He notices changes in your grooming and dress and remembers things you say."

"Ponying up. He pays for meals, coffee, movie tickets, etc. even if you aren't dating."

"Showing off. He subtly or not so subtly mentions how much he can bench press or how much his last client paid him."

"Spending time. He seems not to mind hanging around you for no apparent reason."

"Telling you in so many words. He voluntarily admits that he did all these things because he was attracted to you."

- Loud_Ad_5518

Some people aren't just oblivious - they're almost impossible to convince.

Even if you tell them flat-out that you're attracted to them.

Even if you have sex with them.

Even if you marry them!

Yeah ... there may be no hope for these folks.

I Do. For Real.

"It took a while of being literally married for me to be convinced my husband was into me."

"I’m not always the smartest lol, no matter how much he told me or kissed me or did sweet, thoughtful gestures, my own insecurity fought me every step of the way."

"I do understand now that I’m truly loved just as much as I love him."

- carsandtelephones37

"For me it’s the intrusive thought that my wife believes she loves me but doesn’t realize she’s actually just tolerating me and when someone better comes around she’ll be like 'oh damn I was wrong.' ”

- A_Doormat

"Married 5 years, that's how it feels to me."

"I'm slowly realizing that she didn't just marry me because I was the best option at the time."

"She has a hard time expressing love because she grew up in a very suppressed household. Her parents never kissed, showed much affection in front of the kids beyond saying I love you."

"Most of the extent of her showing love is just flat out telling me."

"She's brutally honest with her words and words mean a lot to her so, that's good, but I'm just not a words guy, I need physical touch, quality time, etc."

"But over the past 5 years, I've slowly been noticing the subconscious things she does that tell me she loves me. Some of the signs that people have posted here are actually what she does and it shows that even though she has a hard time expressing it, that adorable heart of hers yearns after me."

"A year ago, we were in a really rough spot, mostly fueled by me not feeling loved by her, so the fact that I can acknowledge this is huge for us."

- [Reddit]

Living Single Kiss GIFGiphy

Sis Dropped The Ball

"A girl that had a locker beside mine in high school asked if I was going to prom and who I was going with."

"I replied, 'Nah, I’m not going I don’t want to pay for that sh*t.' Even more, one of her friends also pushed even further by asserting that we should go to prom together and I held my ground by, once again, stating that I wouldn’t even be going."

"I later found out that this girl had asked my sister if I had someone to go to prom with and made it clear that she wanted to go with me."

"Why my sister didn’t let me know of this information I will never know."

"I was definitely very attracted to this girl but my dumbass couldn’t comprehend that she would actually want to go with me."

"Oops."

- Mironium

I Cringe

"Close contact, especially the unconventional ones."

"Went out with workmates and a colleague (slightly tipsy) started rubbing my leg with her foot while at table."

"Never been flirted with like that and didn't know how to respond appropriately, so I panicked and just gently pushed her away. I cringe at how I handled the situation to this day."

- someguywithdiabetes

Cherry Stem Saga

"What screams 'I'm attacted to you?' I wouldn't know because I'm an idiot."

"My wife tied a cherry stem in her mouth for me the night we started dating. Tied a cherry stem - it's such a cliche but I still missed it."

"She had to 'scream louder' and hold my hand and press into me hard later on because I was f*cking hopeless taking the hint."

- Threndsa

Don't worry, we didn't forget out promise - you're here for that sure-fire way to find out if someone is attracted to you.

You ready?

ASK THEM.

Yes, it's awkward - but it really is the only way to know for sure. Sorry. Thems the breaks, fam.

You're gonna have to just ask.

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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.