Someone actually pulled me aside and asked me that question today. They were very excited for me and my weight loss, which was great. I told them, "It's hard to tell sometimes," which must have sounded really weird to that person. I thought about the question afterward, and my answer is basically, "I don't know."
I'm in my body every second of every day. It's hard to tell a difference sometimes. YES, I do feel different than my high weight (back rolls rubbing, middle rolls jutting out, thighs rubbing more, double chin resting on my chest fat when I slept...yeah, it's different now for SURE). But after I passed into "overweight" from "obese," I just don't know. I think so, maybe.
I'm almost passing into "normal" from "overweight" now and I think my body is starting to change more again. Yesterday I wore a shirt that touched all of my front, back, and sides. No rolls were visible. I was stunned.
I feel more comfortable in my skin, definitely. I can slip behind people and between them with ease when walking. I can feel bones and tendons in my body. I move easier, and I like to move more. I have more energy.
But I still feel like me. It's just...easier to be me now. I don't feel like I'm wrapped in a blanket of flesh so much anymore. And that makes me much more comfortable.
I don't know if that makes sense. But I think if I could hop back into my high weight body and then back to this one, I'd DEFINITELY feel a difference.
So, I'm asking all of you: Do you feel different in your body?
100%. Thank you for this post! It really hit home for me.
On my run this morning, I realized how different it feels just to move. The way my feet strike the ground, the pressure on my knees. The way my workout clothes fit as I move. No more awkwardly readjusting shirts or sweatshirts along the way, no more leggings that ride up or chafing in unmentionable areas. These small changes make for a much more enjoyable experience.
Your recollection about your shirt also made me smile! What a great feeling. I remember seeing pictures of myself taken from behind and feeling mortified-- where the bra met the backfat was never an aesthetically pleasing partnership. Oy. Now I can wear shirts with much less noticeable bulging, and feel more comfortable in my clothes as a result.
I also move more easily--- and feel less entrapped, though perhaps the only downside to this is that I am ALWAYS cold. This never used to be an issue --- have you noticed changes in body temperature as well?
Congratulations on all the progress you have achieved thus far!
YES! I get cold so much easier now! I don't like it much, but it's an acceptable part of losing weight, I think. I've been freezing as the weather starts to get colder. I've been wearing sweaters AND coats, when in earlier years a t-shirt and jeans were fine. I used to always be too warm, though, so this isn't too bad of a change.
The getting cold so much easier/faster is a big one for me!
I've only lost 30 or so pounds and man! It is crazy the difference I feel. BUT like you said, it's not that I feel different, I just feel like ME again! I can see my face, see my toes and yes I still have major guttage but it's gotta go at some point as the weight goes. But overall I just feel like I'm getting MYSELF back.
I like how you said you don't feel cloaked in the weight anymore. That about sums it up.
The one thing I constantly feel different about however is not caring what others perceive me as. I don't worry as much about it. Which I used to CONSTANTLY think people were saying "Why is HE with HER"? Because my boyfriend is so tall and SO fit and so handsome. It is so nice to go out with him and not think everyone is looking at us as an odd couple.
The other thing I like is NOT panting for breath after a few stairs and the way my body is shaping due to working out. I don't think I've EVER been as fit as I am now ...like EVER. Even when I did weigh 130. So that feels GOOD!
It's weird, but in many ways, I don't feel different when I know that I should. One thing I noticed is that what I see in the mirror and what I see when I photograph myself have basically synced up. I'm still a little fatter in photos than in the mirror, but for the most part they're together. Many years ago I saw a fat girl in the mirror and was surprised to look at pictures and realize I wasn't as far as I'd thought. At my heighest weights I looked the same in the mirror, and saw pictures and was shocked at how enormous I was, how wide and bulging and gross. So it's possible that in 30 pounds I'll still look the same to myself in the mirror, but I hope not. My body shape hasn't really changed. My waist has moved down a bit and my boobs have gotten smaller proportionally and my thighs are evening out, but I have the same blobs and bulges, they're just smaller.
Where I DO notice it, though: when I walk past a window or computer screen or mirror and see my reflection out of the corner of my eye, I look--well, almost normal. I don't get out of breath going up several flights of stairs. I went to NYC last weekend and I only once complained that people were walking too fast (and they actually were) and I didn't feel exhausted from walking. In fact, I kind of enjoyed it!
As for temperature, YES, I am so much colder! I used to be known for wearing t-shirts and PJ pants in the winter and just a sweatshirt when it was freezing outside. It was always too hot in the car and I started sweating every time I went inside. Now, I bundle up when it's chilly and I can wear a sweatshirt inside and feel comfortably warm. While it's a slight pain to put on layers, I really don't mind and being cold is LOADS better than being sweaty.
I am most self-conscious about my spare tire/love handles, which, based on the rate at which I am losing inches, will be the very last thing to go, sigh. I feel like my body image won't change until that's gone. Until that's gone, I have a terrible body shape no matter what actual size I am. :[
One additional thought: swimming. Wow! what a difference in the water. I used to float so easily --- recently I hopped in a pool and sunk like a stone! I can't imagine what the process will be like if I hit my goal. The good news is I feel like it takes so much more energy just to swim a lap these days, which must be burning more calories, but its almost like learning to swim all over again in many ways. Combine that with feeling cold and the pool may not be the place for me much longer!
Yes! When I do ballet now, I love to look at myself in the mirror. I'm so surprised how high my legs can go up, how much control over them when they come down, and how muscular they are. It's just a peculiar feeling.
I feel different when I exercise. I still find it really surprising to be able to go running and not get winded after the first block and a half, or how much easier it is to vinyasa when I do yoga.
Other than that, I feel the same, which seems stange give the amount of weight that's no longer on my body. The other day I was carrying a 30lb bag of dog food, and it just blew my mind that that much weight used to be attached to me.
I don't feel like I get cold easier, but I've always been cold pretty much all the time.
I catch glimpse of myself in the mirror, and I still think "Who's that girl?" and am amazed at how tiny I look. I carry my weight really well, and people usually think I weigh 160 or so.....
I feel a little different. My legs have shrunken a whole lot and are toned and hard to the touch all over. My middle is flabby as ever but it's a lot smaller, and I've got muscle in my back and shoulders now from pushups. None of my clothes fit - when I replace them with ones that are fitted and fit properly, I think I'll really feel different.
A big thing for me is that trying on clothes in Japan is no longer torturous. Fitting rooms are fun and often I put things back because they're too loose-fitting in the midsection. I don't wear the biggest size any more. This is very weird.
i haven't really noticed a change yet... i guess i still need to lose more. i mean clothes are loose and stuff but i don't feel a change in myself.
it really cheers me up to hear all you guys talking about getting colder though because one of the things that always annoyed me in the summer (nevermind japanese summer! eww) was that my face always got hot so easily... and i always wondered if it would stop if i lost the weight.... i really hope it will! it would be amazing not to be pouring buckets next summer!!!
"Do You Feel Different In Your Body?"
