I have a job in which I sometimes have to make media appearances. It has been HUGELY PROBLEMATIC for me being obese. People don't expect it and I tend to avoid opportunites because I'm so worried about my weight.

Whenever I go into public settings, it's always a huge pain-- I don't have enough nice outfits, and I spend a lot of time feeling awkward and worrying about how I look.

So this weekend, I had to go meet some really important contacts for the first time. First, getting packed was a snap. I have several outfits that I'm really confident about. I used to often have to over-dress because I looked so lousy in casual clothes, but not this time. I packed some mix and match stuff and I knew it looked fine.

Everything was SO DIFFERENT than it was six months ago when I weighed so much more! I constantly worried about where I was going to sit, how I looked, what I should eat in public.

This time I was relaxed and confident. I didn't need to worry about my clothes at all. And I ate on plan. No big deal.

My life is SO MUCH BETTER NOW. It never ceases to amaze me!

Congratulations Ubergirl! I'm so glad things are going well for you.

Awesome; you must feel so good!

Cheers,

J

Congrats... you are working hard and are feeling the benefits!

This is why when people who have lost weight say that the hard of losing that weight isn't nearly as hard as being obese. THAT'S truly, truly hard. There is no comparison. My stomach is getting all knotted up just thinking about how truly difficult life was being morbidly obese.

I'm so very happy for you. I love what you're doing with your life!!

This is just so, so, so true!!! And mind-boggling that I never realized it.

I did not have to get to goal to reap HUGE benefits from my weight loss.

I can't imagine that it's going to be even better than this, but I guess it will.

I'm not at goal, either, and already the clothing aspect is so much easier. We've talked about it before here, but now I feel like I can buy clothes based on whether or not I like them, not based on whether or not I can tolerate them and they (kinda) fit. The result of that is that instead of staring at my closet and selecting the items I hate the least, I can just pick one of the many things that I LIKE to wear to work. It's much, much easier.

I am so happy for you, ubergirl. It's just going to get better and better from here!

I have used these exact words in many a post. Exact. We start reaping those rewards waaay before hitting goal. Which is another reason I've often said that the actual losing portion of my journey was fascinating, exciting, thrilling, life-altering and FUN!

Not to take away from the wonderful things you've already accomplished, but let me tell you - you ain't seen nothin' yet. It gets better and better and better still. Better then I ever could have imagined, better then I can possibly explain to you. But you'll know. You'll see. You'll experience it.

I feel ya sister!!!

That's really neat and put a smile on my face

Good for you!!

I am totally back on plan now and already my clothes fit better and the smaller things in my closet fit. I can't wait to pack for my next trip and be able to pack things I WANT to wear.

Angie

That is exactly what's going on with me and it just makes my life so much less stressful and awful!

I realize now that when I was at my heaviest, and even twenty pounds below that, the MAJORITY of clothes in my closet didn't really fit. I mean, yes, they fit, in that I could buckle/zip/button them, but I think there was at least a ten year period where I never tucked in my shirt. NEVER. Not once.

Most people I know love to have face-to-face contact with people to cement relationships-- me, I avoided them and worried that if people met me face to face they'd like me less.

That is no way to live.

I am so happy for you that things are easier and that you have more confidence now. You've worked hard for it and deserve to enjoy the benefits.

I too know the feeling and was just thinking about it the last few days. I went to visit family in July and I didn't have very many clothes that fit me because I hated the idea of buying clothes in that size. I worried when I was packing and I wore pants that were entirely too warm for July in Florida just because they fit. I worried that my father and brothers would think my hubby was not taking good enough care of me because I didn't have enough clothes. That was especially worrisome since we had been married less than 2 years and they don't know him very well yet since I met him overseas. We are going to visit in December and I already know that I have tons of clothes that fit because I am in what for me is my skinny size for my adult life and I already had bunches boxed away and I don't mind getting more and it is much easier to find 14s than it is to find 18s, 20s, and 22s, especially when shopping in thrift stores since I don't want to spend much money on clothes that I don't plan on fitting into for long. I won't have to wear anything that is seasonally inappropriate, I am not worried what my family will think, it feels great.

I hope that anyone who is feeling bad or depressed about their weight is reading this thread. Seriously, a year ago was like a lifetime ago for me. I cried a lot; nearly every day. I hated every article of clothing that I owned; each piece was wrong in some way (hated the color, made my butt look big, icky cheap material, jeans busting open at the seams). I'm still not a small girl by any means and have "only" lost 55 pounds, but it has made a world of difference. A world. So lurkers, please know that this CAN change, and in a relatively short time. It really, really can.

Before I lost weight I had to shop at the "fat ladies shop" my criteria for buying anything was...
Does it fit ?
Can I afford it ?
It was a bonus if I actually like it ( that rarely happened).