After losing 78 lbs:
- I've had a personality shift. I now more actively pursue my goals, and am much less intimated by the obstacles which tend to get in the way. I'm more outgoing, much more confident in social situations, and am sure of my abilities. I used to second guess myself whenever I made a decision, even trivial ones.
- I'm treated differently by friends and strangers. People are much more willing to start conversations with me even if they don't know me. Men open doors for me and it's much easier to cross on a crosswalk; I hadn't been aware of the differing treatments people get until I'd lost a substantial amount of weight.
- I'm able to do things physically which I never would have thought possible. I'm a jogger, and that in itself is amazing to me. I'm constantly looking for ways to increase the exercise in my life, such as riding my bike to work instead of driving, rather than spending my time trying to avoid any form of exercise.
- I'm much more willing to try new activities, because I'm not as worried that I won't be able to do it because of my size (i.e. anything that might require safety equipment, or physical exertion).
All of this has made me realize how very much I've missed out on, while I sat at home by myself determined not to go out and do anything new for fear of embarassing myself in some way or drawing attention to my weight.
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