So my friend has been joining DH and I at the gym. She is pretty skinny, weighs around 135...and I run circles around her and DH! Neither of them push themselves nearly as hard as me, and she said she was just shocked at how hard I push myself at the gym. But I am the big one!! So I don't get it. On the one hand it felt great to feel like the strong one. But on the other hand it just left a question mark in my mind about why they stay thin, and I kill myself at the gym and watch what I eat (they don't) and I am still the big one...? It just doesn't seem to logically make sense....

Life rarely makes sense, and it's definitely not fair. You have PCOS, and that's going to make it a tougher journey for you than someone who isn't insulin resistant.

Every minute you push your self, the healthier you'll become. It's worth doing it for yourself.

I have known many previous and current obese women who rock it at the gym! I think we are very strong creatures, both physically and mentally. We have endurance! Think about it! Daily living has been a great big exercise in endurance! Remember all the times you've been out of breath going up the stairs one time? Bending over to tie your shoes or pick something up from the floor? Your legs have been lifting 200+ pounds for how many years now?

You have been doing all that around the clock every single day and your friend has been lifting 135 pounds every day. That's it.

So yeah, to me it's no surprise that you are the stronger one.

Wear it as a medal of honor! I do! I AM strong, and it only gets better.

Also to add this point: Being thin does not necessarily equal cardiovascular fitness! It is possible to be thin and not be in shape!

Keep up the good work and you WILL reach your goals!

Exactly what I was going to say
Being thin doesn't mean you're healthy. I can rock the elliptical longer then a few of my friends I go to the gym with, they huff and puff and almost fall over after 20 minutes but I'm going strong after 45.
On the flip, another can out distance me anyday when it comes to jogging but when it comes to weights, she really struggles.

Just different bodies, different abilities, different levels of fitness. It's all pretty interesting.

Keep on with your journey, you're doing amazing!

I agree, we've been lugging all this around, of course our muscles are stronger! Look at the calves of many people who have lost a lot of weight, they are still quite muscular once the fat has been removed. Good for you, keep it up!

I agree with the above posters, just because they're slimmer doesn't mean they're healthier. It's a common misconception that heavier people can't be "fit", but we can be more in shape than a slim person!

I've been meaning to ask you how your diet is, since we both have PCOS I was wondering if you could give me some pointers? We can private message or exchange e-mails/screennames.

Keep up the great work You're FABulous!!
-Stephy

Being a normal weight doesn't necessarily mean that you have muscles and can run for miles. And on the other hand, having muscles and the ability to run miles, doesn't mean you are healthy (but it's a good start) - because the very best thing you can do for you health is to be a healthy weight.

Yeah, when I have worked out with my BF, who is 5'9 and about 170lbs, I end up pushing myself so hard and he just gives up after awhile. He's very out of shape, even though he's thin, and he doesn't have the drive to do anything about it.

Unfortunately (and how frustrating!), there are all sorts of "Y" factors as I call them when your weightloss seems to be non-linear compared to everyone else's. Your thin friend has probably always been thin, regardless of fitness level. You are working to transform yourself... and you are! And you have the added bonus (ha) of PCOS. We are an experiment of one and I think you are doing pretty awesome thus far in overcoming the obstacles you have been faced with.

Oh man, am I seeing this one. Some pictures of me were taken last week while I was wearing a short skirt. I swear my calves and thighs looked the same size. The legs feel great, muscular and fit, but the visual was startling.

Research has indicated this is pretty much untrue except at the extremes of super morbid obesity. A sampling (I can get you links to the articles or you can follow the quote references) of research:

I left out the word necessarily - you are not necessarily healthy just because you have muscles and can run. Just like I used the word necessarily when I wrote "Being a normal weight doesn't necessarily mean that you have muscles and can run for miles". Should have included, doesn't mean you're necessarily healthy.

Many things are out of our hands. All we can do is give ourselves the best chance at avoiding some pretty debilitating and deadly diseases. The rest is up to a higher power.

I was responding mostly to "The very best thing you can do for your body is to be a healthy weight" in the second sentence. The best thing research shows you can do for your body is to become physically fit.

Can't locate the article just now, but there is recent research that says the number one thing you can do for yourself is be a healthy weight. The number two thing if you're a smoker - quit. It used to be reversed.

I'm sure we could go back and forth with research that shows this and research that shows that.

I'm not disputing that being physically fit is a huge boon to ones health.