Big Weight Loss Crew: What Surprised You Most?

[diplomat]

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Wow, that alone is plenty!

 

[FartfulCodger]

Getting off the floor turned out to be way simpler than I expected.

Another thing that caught me off guard: those 34-36 waist pants I'd kept in storage for 10 years fit me for just 2 weeks in March. For a decade they'd been too tight, and now they're too baggy.

 

[Smiter]

SeaGypsy said:

Smiter said:

Sasquatch said:

Going down stairs the way a regular person does — no more backing down step by step.

Sitting with one leg crossed over the other, just like a regular person.

Getting socks on the way a regular person would. (Assuming I wear socks at all)

Yeah, pimping crossed my mind as a career path, but I passed because I couldn't be bothered with all the drama that comes with women. Obviously! So you're telling me socks could do the trick instead? Is there really enough demand for that? I've heard about guys putting their junk in a sock while jerking off, but I had no idea anyone would actually shell out cash for it.

Right, back to the question — I'm the type who gets a kick out of one-upping others. Fitness nuts would brag about their 6-pack abs, and I always wanted to beat that. Post weight loss surgery, I ended up with a 12-pack, except the location was all wrong. It landed on my rear. six folds of skin on each side.

Oh, but the edema in my feet disappeared — the tradeoff is that lying on my side with one leg stacked on the other now hurts, because my ankles and knees grind together with barely any padding between the bones.

Also, winters used to be my favorite, summers my least. These days I still can't stand the heat, but the cold has ditched me as well. Zero tolerance left. If I was Mr. Freeze before, these days I'm just the Shiver man.

What else — oh right, at my twenty year college reunion, I was the youngest looking guy in the whole group.

On a more serious note, though: the muscle and strength I'd accumulated across 28 years of on-and-off training are gone, and when I signed up for an armwrestling contest, I had to swallow enough humble pie to feed China.

Happy to help.

 

[domin8brix]

diplomat said:

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Wow, that alone is plenty!

Seriously! He said I'd regain a bit of height, but this went beyond what I thought!

 

[Smiter]

domin8brix said:

diplomat said:

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Wow, that alone is plenty!

Seriously! He said I'd regain a bit of height, but this went beyond what I thought!

I'd trade a lot to experience that kind of result. At 13, a negligent doctor treated my fever with cortisone, which stunted my growth. I stopped growing taller at 6"3, yet my feet continued to expand. My shoe size is 16.

 

[Smiter]

professorpeppy said:

The upsides of dropping weight (close to 70 lbs for me) are so numerous I hardly know where to begin.

My clothes actually fit again, I've gone back to how I used to dress, and as a woman I've noticed men treat me far better and are quick to offer assistance (unfortunately it's real — guys practically swarm to help me now, whereas back when I was heavy I might as well have been invisible. Not that I'm trying to boast, but I was always reasonably attractive even then!). I can get on roller coasters without any anxiety (I was never actually refused, but it was dangerously close), I fit into seats properly, simply moving around is less of a strain, and my self-assurance has grown (strange as it sounds, I'm actually harder on myself these days and dislike what I see in the mirror more than I did at 240 lbs, yet seeing photos of myself genuinely stuns me in a positive way). Intimacy has improved too, having my picture taken no longer sends me into a panic, and there's plenty more beyond that....

Nah, that's not strange at all. While carrying a lot of extra weight, we tend to feel sluggish and resigned, as if our situation can't be changed. Once the pounds come off, though, we start judging those previously 'small' flaws much more harshly, since the huge obesity hurdle is no longer there to serve as a "shelter" excuse. The thinking goes: if we managed to beat THAT, then surely these other things are within reach.

 

[mamallama]

domin8brix said:

Smiter said:

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Huh, I never realized that could be an issue. I have

a few ideas about the cause. Hmmmm.... Normally I'm not the type to see the glass as half full, but here, I guess I'd file it under good problems to have.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Damn! Nope, that problem is all yours.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

I've heard Brazil, Turkey, India, South Korea mentioned as excellent destinations... Benjamin Franklin carries a lot of weight there, though even George Washington has some value.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Yeah, that makes sense. Women and their hypergamy also bring in their built-in pre-screening and social validation. It's because of the extra X chromosome. It comes naturally. It's instinctual. Why resist evolutionary psychology? It's as instinctual as dressing like you're hunting for a husband who's about to kick the bucket.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Yeah, my problem is the reverse. Stick me in the Grand Canyon, and it'll become a riverbank. I mean, there's hyperhidrosis, and then there's the level beyond it—me.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

When you're up against catties, you bring a laser. It drives them crazy, every single time. Yeah, politeness is overrated AF. Only the mission matters: No mercy. Let those futhercuckers head to North Korea.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Exactly. "Hands open doorknobs, legs break down doors"—Thunderlegs. Kick away.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Yeah, see, it's hardwired in us. You might deadlift more than us, but our Y chromosome doesn't have eyes.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

I want this. Right now. Give.

-}-Oh yes, and personally, I still have no clue why, but losing around 80lbs suddenly caused patches of "chicken skin" on my body.

-}-On top of that, my skin dries out fast, nearly as quickly as something else does when The View comes on TV.

-}-That same appendage, allergic to The View, is now dealing with a delusion typically found in those lacking a Y chromosome. It believes it's Forever 21.

Not long ago I figured I was dealing with hyper-hydrosis, but nope — hot flashes. That's 1 thing you're welcome to hang onto.

So I've begun looking into going overseas for plastics, though it still feels pretty intimidating. For face work, South Korea stands out; for the body, I've been told Mexico, Brazil and above all Turkey are strong options. Even so, I can't get myself to commit to doing it in another country. I know a few people who had tummy tucks done nearby — ranging from straightforward panniculectomies all the way to full fleur de lis 360s — and every one of them had a brutal recovery, the bigger procedures especially, given that it's essentially abdominal wall repair. Boarding a plane just days afterward, facing all those hours and layovers, doesn't appeal to me at all. Still, I've got to dress for the dying husband I'm after, so maybe it's worth it Or perhaps the move is to marry him first and let him foot the bill.





View attachment 11050

A friend of mine went to the Dominican Republic for a mommy makeover, and a Brazilian butt lift was part of it. Getting back home afterward was really tough, no question. But the outcome looked amazing! Once you add up the flight, the place to stay, a private driver, the surgeon and a private clinic, the price was way lower. Over there, the whole trip is set up as a surgical vacation. There are even recovery houses that handle your post op care. As an RN, I came away impressed.

 

[Grogu]

As of this morning I'm 113lbs lighter, which I figure earns me a spot in the "big weight loss crew"

What's been best:

• Flying is less of a hassle
  
• Getting a new wardrobe
  
• Getting around is easier

What's been worst:

- That massive stack of clothing sitting around waiting to be donated, which I just can't deal with, neither physically nor in my head. It's dawned on me that alongside a food addiction I've clearly got a clothes addiction too. I had no idea. My closets are packed with things that no longer fit, and sometimes finding something to wear that doesn't make me look silly is a real fight.

About 5 months back I donated 3x and 4x tops plus shorts and pants in 42-56 waist sizes. That came to roughly 5 big garbage bags of stuff. That round was really simple though, since every piece was enormous. Now it's time to clear out 38-42 shorts/pants and 2X tops. The 1X tops could probably go as well, but letting those go is going to be a hard sell.

 

[professorpeppy]

Smiter said:

professorpeppy said:

The upsides of dropping weight (close to 70 lbs for me) are so numerous I hardly know where to begin.

My clothes actually fit again, I've gone back to how I used to dress, and as a woman I've noticed men treat me far better and are quick to offer assistance (unfortunately it's real — guys practically swarm to help me now, whereas back when I was heavy I might as well have been invisible. Not that I'm trying to boast, but I was always reasonably attractive even then!). I can get on roller coasters without any anxiety (I was never actually refused, but it was dangerously close), I fit into seats properly, simply moving around is less of a strain, and my self-assurance has grown (strange as it sounds, I'm actually harder on myself these days and dislike what I see in the mirror more than I did at 240 lbs, yet seeing photos of myself genuinely stuns me in a positive way). Intimacy has improved too, having my picture taken no longer sends me into a panic, and there's plenty more beyond that....

Look, the proof is right there. People claim we're all about appearance, yet this shows inner qualities matter to us as well. No doubt about it. We do pay attention to whether it's a C or D rather than an H or I.

Cheeky bugger, you!

Smiter said:

professorpeppy said:

The upsides of dropping weight (close to 70 lbs for me) are so numerous I hardly know where to begin.

My clothes actually fit again, I've gone back to how I used to dress, and as a woman I've noticed men treat me far better and are quick to offer assistance (unfortunately it's real — guys practically swarm to help me now, whereas back when I was heavy I might as well have been invisible. Not that I'm trying to boast, but I was always reasonably attractive even then!). I can get on roller coasters without any anxiety (I was never actually refused, but it was dangerously close), I fit into seats properly, simply moving around is less of a strain, and my self-assurance has grown (strange as it sounds, I'm actually harder on myself these days and dislike what I see in the mirror more than I did at 240 lbs, yet seeing photos of myself genuinely stuns me in a positive way). Intimacy has improved too, having my picture taken no longer sends me into a panic, and there's plenty more beyond that....

Nah, that's not strange at all. While carrying a lot of extra weight, we tend to feel sluggish and resigned, as if our situation can't be changed. Once the pounds come off, though, we start judging those previously 'small' flaws much more harshly, since the huge obesity hurdle is no longer there to serve as a "shelter" excuse. The thinking goes: if we managed to beat THAT, then surely these other things are within reach.

Honestly, that rings true.. getting my head back into that frame of mind is tough, but I really do believe that's what's happening with me. It's definitely a dangerous path — before, I couldn't have cared less (back when I was heavy I dressed really alternatively: tons of piercings, bleached and coloured hair, all of it), and now I've reverted to how I was earlier (every piercing gone, blonde as nature intended, dressing 'plain') — it's as if I'm running after a standard I'll never reach. These days I've shifted focus to my face, working out which procedures to have once the remaining weight is off.. only 30 ibs left until my goal, which is mad when I think where I began; if I hit it, that'll be a 100ib loss overall. It's wild how I've slid into pursuing a version of me that isn't real and likely never will be, now that the weight is gone. Growing up I was never fat — it was only the last 2ish years that I put on 100+ ibs because life did its thing, so being her was genuinely difficult for me. Now that I feel like I'm back, it's like, damn, I've uncovered a whole layer of insecurity that would never have existed had I not put on so much weight, maybe? I wish I'd never gained it at all, but damn, it's taught me so many valuable lessons

 

[Smiter]

professorpeppy said:

Smiter said:

professorpeppy said:

The upsides of dropping weight (close to 70 lbs for me) are so numerous I hardly know where to begin.

My clothes actually fit again, I've gone back to how I used to dress, and as a woman I've noticed men treat me far better and are quick to offer assistance (unfortunately it's real — guys practically swarm to help me now, whereas back when I was heavy I might as well have been invisible. Not that I'm trying to boast, but I was always reasonably attractive even then!). I can get on roller coasters without any anxiety (I was never actually refused, but it was dangerously close), I fit into seats properly, simply moving around is less of a strain, and my self-assurance has grown (strange as it sounds, I'm actually harder on myself these days and dislike what I see in the mirror more than I did at 240 lbs, yet seeing photos of myself genuinely stuns me in a positive way). Intimacy has improved too, having my picture taken no longer sends me into a panic, and there's plenty more beyond that....

Look, the proof is right there. People claim we're all about appearance, yet this shows inner qualities matter to us as well. No doubt about it. We do pay attention to whether it's a C or D rather than an H or I.

Cheeky bugger, you!

Smiter said:

professorpeppy said:

The upsides of dropping weight (close to 70 lbs for me) are so numerous I hardly know where to begin.

My clothes actually fit again, I've gone back to how I used to dress, and as a woman I've noticed men treat me far better and are quick to offer assistance (unfortunately it's real — guys practically swarm to help me now, whereas back when I was heavy I might as well have been invisible. Not that I'm trying to boast, but I was always reasonably attractive even then!). I can get on roller coasters without any anxiety (I was never actually refused, but it was dangerously close), I fit into seats properly, simply moving around is less of a strain, and my self-assurance has grown (strange as it sounds, I'm actually harder on myself these days and dislike what I see in the mirror more than I did at 240 lbs, yet seeing photos of myself genuinely stuns me in a positive way). Intimacy has improved too, having my picture taken no longer sends me into a panic, and there's plenty more beyond that....

Nah, that's not strange at all. While carrying a lot of extra weight, we tend to feel sluggish and resigned, as if our situation can't be changed. Once the pounds come off, though, we start judging those previously 'small' flaws much more harshly, since the huge obesity hurdle is no longer there to serve as a "shelter" excuse. The thinking goes: if we managed to beat THAT, then surely these other things are within reach.

Honestly, that rings true.. getting my head back into that frame of mind is tough, but I really do believe that's what's happening with me. It's definitely a dangerous path — before, I couldn't have cared less (back when I was heavy I dressed really alternatively: tons of piercings, bleached and coloured hair, all of it), and now I've reverted to how I was earlier (every piercing gone, blonde as nature intended, dressing 'plain') — it's as if I'm running after a standard I'll never reach. These days I've shifted focus to my face, working out which procedures to have once the remaining weight is off.. only 30 ibs left until my goal, which is mad when I think where I began; if I hit it, that'll be a 100ib loss overall. It's wild how I've slid into pursuing a version of me that isn't real and likely never will be, now that the weight is gone. Growing up I was never fat — it was only the last 2ish years that I put on 100+ ibs because life did its thing, so being her was genuinely difficult for me. Now that I feel like I'm back, it's like, damn, I've uncovered a whole layer of insecurity that would never have existed had I not put on so much weight, maybe? I wish I'd never gained it at all, but damn, it's taught me so many valuable lessons

Yep, that's me.

professorpeppy said:

Smiter said:

professorpeppy said:

The upsides of dropping weight (close to 70 lbs for me) are so numerous I hardly know where to begin.

My clothes actually fit again, I've gone back to how I used to dress, and as a woman I've noticed men treat me far better and are quick to offer assistance (unfortunately it's real — guys practically swarm to help me now, whereas back when I was heavy I might as well have been invisible. Not that I'm trying to boast, but I was always reasonably attractive even then!). I can get on roller coasters without any anxiety (I was never actually refused, but it was dangerously close), I fit into seats properly, simply moving around is less of a strain, and my self-assurance has grown (strange as it sounds, I'm actually harder on myself these days and dislike what I see in the mirror more than I did at 240 lbs, yet seeing photos of myself genuinely stuns me in a positive way). Intimacy has improved too, having my picture taken no longer sends me into a panic, and there's plenty more beyond that....

Look, the proof is right there. People claim we're all about appearance, yet this shows inner qualities matter to us as well. No doubt about it. We do pay attention to whether it's a C or D rather than an H or I.

Cheeky bugger, you!

Smiter said:

professorpeppy said:

The upsides of dropping weight (close to 70 lbs for me) are so numerous I hardly know where to begin.

My clothes actually fit again, I've gone back to how I used to dress, and as a woman I've noticed men treat me far better and are quick to offer assistance (unfortunately it's real — guys practically swarm to help me now, whereas back when I was heavy I might as well have been invisible. Not that I'm trying to boast, but I was always reasonably attractive even then!). I can get on roller coasters without any anxiety (I was never actually refused, but it was dangerously close), I fit into seats properly, simply moving around is less of a strain, and my self-assurance has grown (strange as it sounds, I'm actually harder on myself these days and dislike what I see in the mirror more than I did at 240 lbs, yet seeing photos of myself genuinely stuns me in a positive way). Intimacy has improved too, having my picture taken no longer sends me into a panic, and there's plenty more beyond that....

Nah, that's not strange at all. While carrying a lot of extra weight, we tend to feel sluggish and resigned, as if our situation can't be changed. Once the pounds come off, though, we start judging those previously 'small' flaws much more harshly, since the huge obesity hurdle is no longer there to serve as a "shelter" excuse. The thinking goes: if we managed to beat THAT, then surely these other things are within reach.

Honestly, that rings true.. getting my head back into that frame of mind is tough, but I really do believe that's what's happening with me. It's definitely a dangerous path — before, I couldn't have cared less (back when I was heavy I dressed really alternatively: tons of piercings, bleached and coloured hair, all of it), and now I've reverted to how I was earlier (every piercing gone, blonde as nature intended, dressing 'plain') — it's as if I'm running after a standard I'll never reach. These days I've shifted focus to my face, working out which procedures to have once the remaining weight is off.. only 30 ibs left until my goal, which is mad when I think where I began; if I hit it, that'll be a 100ib loss overall. It's wild how I've slid into pursuing a version of me that isn't real and likely never will be, now that the weight is gone. Growing up I was never fat — it was only the last 2ish years that I put on 100+ ibs because life did its thing, so being her was genuinely difficult for me. Now that I feel like I'm back, it's like, damn, I've uncovered a whole layer of insecurity that would never have existed had I not put on so much weight, maybe? I wish I'd never gained it at all, but damn, it's taught me so many valuable lessons

That makes sense as well. It's a bit like resigning yourself to it. Along the lines of, alright, I don't fit the standard picture of attractiveness, so why not 'try things out'? What would it change anyway? That kind of thinking.

professorpeppy said:

Smiter said:

professorpeppy said:

The upsides of dropping weight (close to 70 lbs for me) are so numerous I hardly know where to begin.

My clothes actually fit again, I've gone back to how I used to dress, and as a woman I've noticed men treat me far better and are quick to offer assistance (unfortunately it's real — guys practically swarm to help me now, whereas back when I was heavy I might as well have been invisible. Not that I'm trying to boast, but I was always reasonably attractive even then!). I can get on roller coasters without any anxiety (I was never actually refused, but it was dangerously close), I fit into seats properly, simply moving around is less of a strain, and my self-assurance has grown (strange as it sounds, I'm actually harder on myself these days and dislike what I see in the mirror more than I did at 240 lbs, yet seeing photos of myself genuinely stuns me in a positive way). Intimacy has improved too, having my picture taken no longer sends me into a panic, and there's plenty more beyond that....

Look, the proof is right there. People claim we're all about appearance, yet this shows inner qualities matter to us as well. No doubt about it. We do pay attention to whether it's a C or D rather than an H or I.

Cheeky bugger, you!

Smiter said:

professorpeppy said:

The upsides of dropping weight (close to 70 lbs for me) are so numerous I hardly know where to begin.

My clothes actually fit again, I've gone back to how I used to dress, and as a woman I've noticed men treat me far better and are quick to offer assistance (unfortunately it's real — guys practically swarm to help me now, whereas back when I was heavy I might as well have been invisible. Not that I'm trying to boast, but I was always reasonably attractive even then!). I can get on roller coasters without any anxiety (I was never actually refused, but it was dangerously close), I fit into seats properly, simply moving around is less of a strain, and my self-assurance has grown (strange as it sounds, I'm actually harder on myself these days and dislike what I see in the mirror more than I did at 240 lbs, yet seeing photos of myself genuinely stuns me in a positive way). Intimacy has improved too, having my picture taken no longer sends me into a panic, and there's plenty more beyond that....

Nah, that's not strange at all. While carrying a lot of extra weight, we tend to feel sluggish and resigned, as if our situation can't be changed. Once the pounds come off, though, we start judging those previously 'small' flaws much more harshly, since the huge obesity hurdle is no longer there to serve as a "shelter" excuse. The thinking goes: if we managed to beat THAT, then surely these other things are within reach.

Honestly, that rings true.. getting my head back into that frame of mind is tough, but I really do believe that's what's happening with me. It's definitely a dangerous path — before, I couldn't have cared less (back when I was heavy I dressed really alternatively: tons of piercings, bleached and coloured hair, all of it), and now I've reverted to how I was earlier (every piercing gone, blonde as nature intended, dressing 'plain') — it's as if I'm running after a standard I'll never reach. These days I've shifted focus to my face, working out which procedures to have once the remaining weight is off.. only 30 ibs left until my goal, which is mad when I think where I began; if I hit it, that'll be a 100ib loss overall. It's wild how I've slid into pursuing a version of me that isn't real and likely never will be, now that the weight is gone. Growing up I was never fat — it was only the last 2ish years that I put on 100+ ibs because life did its thing, so being her was genuinely difficult for me. Now that I feel like I'm back, it's like, damn, I've uncovered a whole layer of insecurity that would never have existed had I not put on so much weight, maybe? I wish I'd never gained it at all, but damn, it's taught me so many valuable lessons

That part didn't happen for me. I assumed that as the weight came off, that idealized version of yourself would feel closer to reach. I suspect that being nearer to that ideal can actually make the self-imposed pressure feel more concrete and louder. People tend to explain away their situation to themselves with excuses. But the nearer someone gets to the goal, the less tolerable the excuse becomes. If the goal isn't realistic, it can turn into a sunk-cost fallacy. With you, though, I doubt that's the case. Recognizing that there are no good excuses left can breed uncertainty about whether you're capable of reaching that goal, and that can show up as anxiety, self-doubt, and insecurity at times.

I'm somewhat lucky on that front. My usual approach to these things is a mix of "Fvck it" and "Sod off". Though I'll admit that may have something to do with the Y chromosome in my nuclei.

 

[Smiter]

Grogu said:

As of this morning I'm 113lbs lighter, which I figure earns me a spot in the "big weight loss crew"

What's been best:

• Flying is less of a hassle
  
• Getting a new wardrobe
  
• Getting around is easier

What's been worst:

- That massive stack of clothing sitting around waiting to be donated, which I just can't deal with, neither physically nor in my head. It's dawned on me that alongside a food addiction I've clearly got a clothes addiction too. I had no idea. My closets are packed with things that no longer fit, and sometimes finding something to wear that doesn't make me look silly is a real fight.

About 5 months back I donated 3x and 4x tops plus shorts and pants in 42-56 waist sizes. That came to roughly 5 big garbage bags of stuff. That round was really simple though, since every piece was enormous. Now it's time to clear out 38-42 shorts/pants and 2X tops. The 1X tops could probably go as well, but letting those go is going to be a hard sell.

Depends on how you look at it. Clothes aren't something I'm hooked on—unless it's getting out of them. I haven't purchased any clothing for myself in years. Still, out in my yard there's a storage shed packed with suitcases full of old clothes I'll never wear. Thinking about them sitting there alone, pointless, makes me miserable—and I didn't even buy them. The women in my life did. The pounds I lost include the 80 from my body and the infinite amount from my wallet.

 

[Smiter]

mamallama said:

domin8brix said:

Smiter said:

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Huh, I never realized that could be an issue. I have

a few ideas about the cause. Hmmmm.... Normally I'm not the type to see the glass as half full, but here, I guess I'd file it under good problems to have.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Damn! Nope, that problem is all yours.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

I've heard Brazil, Turkey, India, South Korea mentioned as excellent destinations... Benjamin Franklin carries a lot of weight there, though even George Washington has some value.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Yeah, that makes sense. Women and their hypergamy also bring in their built-in pre-screening and social validation. It's because of the extra X chromosome. It comes naturally. It's instinctual. Why resist evolutionary psychology? It's as instinctual as dressing like you're hunting for a husband who's about to kick the bucket.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Yeah, my problem is the reverse. Stick me in the Grand Canyon, and it'll become a riverbank. I mean, there's hyperhidrosis, and then there's the level beyond it—me.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

When you're up against catties, you bring a laser. It drives them crazy, every single time. Yeah, politeness is overrated AF. Only the mission matters: No mercy. Let those futhercuckers head to North Korea.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Exactly. "Hands open doorknobs, legs break down doors"—Thunderlegs. Kick away.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Yeah, see, it's hardwired in us. You might deadlift more than us, but our Y chromosome doesn't have eyes.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

I want this. Right now. Give.

-}-Oh yes, and personally, I still have no clue why, but losing around 80lbs suddenly caused patches of "chicken skin" on my body.

-}-On top of that, my skin dries out fast, nearly as quickly as something else does when The View comes on TV.

-}-That same appendage, allergic to The View, is now dealing with a delusion typically found in those lacking a Y chromosome. It believes it's Forever 21.

Not long ago I figured I was dealing with hyper-hydrosis, but nope — hot flashes. That's 1 thing you're welcome to hang onto.

So I've begun looking into going overseas for plastics, though it still feels pretty intimidating. For face work, South Korea stands out; for the body, I've been told Mexico, Brazil and above all Turkey are strong options. Even so, I can't get myself to commit to doing it in another country. I know a few people who had tummy tucks done nearby — ranging from straightforward panniculectomies all the way to full fleur de lis 360s — and every one of them had a brutal recovery, the bigger procedures especially, given that it's essentially abdominal wall repair. Boarding a plane just days afterward, facing all those hours and layovers, doesn't appeal to me at all. Still, I've got to dress for the dying husband I'm after, so maybe it's worth it Or perhaps the move is to marry him first and let him foot the bill.





View attachment 11050

A friend of mine went to the Dominican Republic for a mommy makeover, and a Brazilian butt lift was part of it. Getting back home afterward was really tough, no question. But the outcome looked amazing! Once you add up the flight, the place to stay, a private driver, the surgeon and a private clinic, the price was way lower. Over there, the whole trip is set up as a surgical vacation. There are even recovery houses that handle your post op care. As an RN, I came away impressed.

Certain assertions are hard to believe. Proof needed.

mamallama said:

domin8brix said:

Smiter said:

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Huh, I never realized that could be an issue. I have

a few ideas about the cause. Hmmmm.... Normally I'm not the type to see the glass as half full, but here, I guess I'd file it under good problems to have.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Damn! Nope, that problem is all yours.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

I've heard Brazil, Turkey, India, South Korea mentioned as excellent destinations... Benjamin Franklin carries a lot of weight there, though even George Washington has some value.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Yeah, that makes sense. Women and their hypergamy also bring in their built-in pre-screening and social validation. It's because of the extra X chromosome. It comes naturally. It's instinctual. Why resist evolutionary psychology? It's as instinctual as dressing like you're hunting for a husband who's about to kick the bucket.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Yeah, my problem is the reverse. Stick me in the Grand Canyon, and it'll become a riverbank. I mean, there's hyperhidrosis, and then there's the level beyond it—me.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

When you're up against catties, you bring a laser. It drives them crazy, every single time. Yeah, politeness is overrated AF. Only the mission matters: No mercy. Let those futhercuckers head to North Korea.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Exactly. "Hands open doorknobs, legs break down doors"—Thunderlegs. Kick away.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

Yeah, see, it's hardwired in us. You might deadlift more than us, but our Y chromosome doesn't have eyes.

domin8brix said:

Pros:

-135lbs gone for me. That's wild. Basically the size of another human being. Seeing those scale numbers is genuinely wild.

-No more looking pregnant, which means no more strangers wandering up asking my due date or rubbing my belly expecting a baby kick (something is going to kick them, guaranteed.)

-My overall health improved dramatically: sleep apnea gone, asthma treatment no longer needed, and a whole list of prescriptions either reduced or dropped entirely.

-These days doctors ALMOST actually treat me like a real patient, instead of telling me "if you'd lose weight, you wouldn't have whatever ailment that has nothing to do with weight."

-My back got repaired, which meant avoiding paralysis, and I got 2 1/2 inches of height back.

-Running is something I can do now, and I do a lot of it. Lifting heavy too. I'm strong AF.

-Pretty much any outfit works for me. A good chunk of my wardrobe is kids sizes now, which is a total flip from never finding anything big enough.

-Strangers treat me better these days, like I've suddenly earned worth and permission to exist, at least when they aren't throwing shade or dismissing how hard I worked.

-Summer heat no longer destroys me.

-Being unrecognizable means I don't have to talk to people lol (seriously such a massive perk!)

-Nearly every nice dinner out stretches into 3-4 meals for me.

Cons:

-Loose skin on my belly hides the progress I've made, and getting it removed costs more than a car. The turkey neck situation can be partially handled with Botox, but that's another hefty bill.

-I can't perceive my actual appearance--the mirror still shows that fat person, and I still call myself fata**.

-Keeping this up is pricey...Botox runs more, GLPs, protein products, meat, all of it. And replacing my wardrobe wasn't cheap either. (Kids clothes cost way less though, so that's a win!)

-The time commitment for maintenance is huge--rebuilding muscle lost to rapid weight loss plus recovery from major surgeries has been a long, hard road. Meal prep, keeping GLPs stocked, way more Botox than before, all of it.

-Scale fluctuations set off my OCD badly. Tirz helps with that, but sometimes it turns into a full compulsion spiral.

-People can be nasty, and while I'm perfectly capable of handling it impolitely, it's still irritating. Also bizarre: despite being visibly ripped, folks assume I'm some fragile weakling.

-Men still don't approach me (mostly fine with that ), and sadly the only ones who return "interest" when I make a move are married, which I won't tolerate.

-Dehydration hits me SUPER fast, so I'm constantly pounding electrolytes because water passes through me quicker than most people (bariatric surgery related). Tournament weekends mean hauling a ton of water just to stay hydrated.

-This ties more to the bariatric side, but spontaneous meals out aren't possible. Timing and planning are always involved.

cheaperseeker said:

83 lbs gone, and I'm holding steady.

Flying, without a doubt! Beyond just having more room in the seat, these days I'm typically pulling the belt tighter than the previous passenger left it, instead of letting it out nearly all the way.

Strangers treat me better when I'm out and about. Unfortunate, yet accurate.

Friends of my husband and kids say I'm hot.

No more perspiring from the tiniest bit of warmth or effort.

Needing a whole new wardrobe.

Loose skin hanging on my belly and beneath my chin.

And yes, hard chairs.

Absolutely yes about the sweating. I can spend all day at a summer baseball tournament or go for a lunchtime run in jeans when it's 95 degrees, and yeah I sweat, but I'm not dying of heat exhaustion! That's huge.

That extra skin though...ugh. I busted my ass to get ripped, and I know my abs are probably solid underneath, but the skin hides everything. If removal didn't cost a fortune, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

m100568 said:

The thing that caught me off guard the most has been how everyone else responded. I've dropped 112 lbs — that works out to 46% of my starting body weight, and my BMI went from 39 down to 21. My spouse was going through some old pictures from before the weight loss. Looking at them hurt, though I get why people react the way they do. When I see myself, I don't see the same person. Everything has changed. After so many decades of seeing the heavy version of me, I'm still having a hard time believing this newer me is actually who I am.

THAT. That's a big one. I don't see myself in the mirror at all. Side-by-side before and after photos have always been the only way I can kind of see it, and even then, I don't.

My therapist follows my instagram (my surgeon does too), and part of my therapy was posting a selfie or full body shot every single day so I could see what everyone else sees -- so any workout or progress post had to include one. I absolutely HATE it, I still hate it every damn day I post, and I always apologize to anyone who follows me because it's basically a vanity nightmare for me. Like my face is this whole sea for yeeears. I hate it.

I want this. Right now. Give.

-}-Oh yes, and personally, I still have no clue why, but losing around 80lbs suddenly caused patches of "chicken skin" on my body.

-}-On top of that, my skin dries out fast, nearly as quickly as something else does when The View comes on TV.

-}-That same appendage, allergic to The View, is now dealing with a delusion typically found in those lacking a Y chromosome. It believes it's Forever 21.

Not long ago I figured I was dealing with hyper-hydrosis, but nope — hot flashes. That's 1 thing you're welcome to hang onto.

So I've begun looking into going overseas for plastics, though it still feels pretty intimidating. For face work, South Korea stands out; for the body, I've been told Mexico, Brazil and above all Turkey are strong options. Even so, I can't get myself to commit to doing it in another country. I know a few people who had tummy tucks done nearby — ranging from straightforward panniculectomies all the way to full fleur de lis 360s — and every one of them had a brutal recovery, the bigger procedures especially, given that it's essentially abdominal wall repair. Boarding a plane just days afterward, facing all those hours and layovers, doesn't appeal to me at all. Still, I've got to dress for the dying husband I'm after, so maybe it's worth it Or perhaps the move is to marry him first and let him foot the bill.





View attachment 11050

A friend of mine went to the Dominican Republic for a mommy makeover, and a Brazilian butt lift was part of it. Getting back home afterward was really tough, no question. But the outcome looked amazing! Once you add up the flight, the place to stay, a private driver, the surgeon and a private clinic, the price was way lower. Over there, the whole trip is set up as a surgical vacation. There are even recovery houses that handle your post op care. As an RN, I came away impressed.

Indeed, going abroad for medical care is great, provided you don't hate traveling. Sigh!

 

[deleted.user.26]

I'm probably not "qualified" for this group just yet lol. My starting point was 328, and after 5 weeks with a slow dose titration I'm down more than 21lbs. Even so, my snoring and sleep apnea are already gone entirely. I keep jolting awake at 4am like I've been hit with adrenaline!! My whole outlook has shifted in a big way...I'm genuinely glad to be alive! Plus lab work, a1c, and so on, etc. Everything's looking good.

 

[GroundBison]

-Way more choices when it comes to clothes now

-No longer feeling shame or like I need to cover up how heavy I am with a jacket or something.

-Going to a doctor about a problem and having them not automatically blame it on my weight or treat it as weight-related.

As for the worst part, I'm with you on hard surfaces! Even at my heaviest I never had much of a butt, but now there's clearly not enough padding lol. Plus loose skin.

 

[bayardtrustin]

deleted.user.26 said:

I'm probably not "qualified" for this group just yet lol. My starting point was 328, and after 5 weeks with a slow dose titration I'm down more than 21lbs. Even so, my snoring and sleep apnea are already gone entirely. I keep jolting awake at 4am like I've been hit with adrenaline!! My whole outlook has shifted in a big way...I'm genuinely glad to be alive! Plus lab work, a1c, and so on, etc. Everything's looking good.

Absolutely, glad you're part of this group! Everything begins with feeling improved and living improved!

 

[bayardtrustin]

Grogu said:

As of this morning I'm 113lbs lighter, which I figure earns me a spot in the "big weight loss crew"

What's been best:

• Flying is less of a hassle
  
• Getting a new wardrobe
  
• Getting around is easier

What's been worst:

- That massive stack of clothing sitting around waiting to be donated, which I just can't deal with, neither physically nor in my head. It's dawned on me that alongside a food addiction I've clearly got a clothes addiction too. I had no idea. My closets are packed with things that no longer fit, and sometimes finding something to wear that doesn't make me look silly is a real fight.

About 5 months back I donated 3x and 4x tops plus shorts and pants in 42-56 waist sizes. That came to roughly 5 big garbage bags of stuff. That round was really simple though, since every piece was enormous. Now it's time to clear out 38-42 shorts/pants and 2X tops. The 1X tops could probably go as well, but letting those go is going to be a hard sell.

I could have written this myself. I've got sack after sack stuffed with shirts ranging from XL all the way up to 4XL, and these days I'm wearing S and M tops plus 32 waist pants.

 

[deleted.user.16]

GroundBison said:

-Way more choices when it comes to clothes now

-No longer feeling shame or like I need to cover up how heavy I am with a jacket or something.

-Going to a doctor about a problem and having them not automatically blame it on my weight or treat it as weight-related.

As for the worst part, I'm with you on hard surfaces! Even at my heaviest I never had much of a butt, but now there's clearly not enough padding lol. Plus loose skin.

Clothes, no question — 1000%. I'm not sure I've reached the point where I can really weigh in, since there's still weight left for me to lose. Even so, dropping from 190 to 160 opened up so many more options for what I can wear. For the first time in my life, having anything resembling "style" even felt possible. Before that, picking out clothes went more like this:

Is this making me look fat?

- Yes

Is this making me look fat?

- Yes

Is this making me look fat?

- Yes, but at least whoever's behind me in line won't have my back rolls to count while they wait. Fine, I'll take this shirt.

 

[bbbilly]

I've dropped 131lbs overall, and honestly the thing that caught me off guard the most is that my wiener looks huge now lol.

seriously

 

[banditchewy]

Oddly enough, with less padding (fat) on my body, massages have become quite painful. Then again, maybe I never truly liked getting them in the first place.

 

[GroundBison]

banditchewy said:

Oddly enough, with less padding (fat) on my body, massages have become quite painful. Then again, maybe I never truly liked getting them in the first place.

Wow, I hadn't considered that angle—I was actually planning to book a massage in the near future! Since dropping the weight, I haven't gotten one, and now I'm second-guessing whether it would even feel good.