Body Image and Issues after Weight Loss Including discussions about excess skin and reconstructive surgery

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Old 01-16-2013, 09:40 PM   #1  
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Default Do you walk/move differently as you lose?

Apologies if this has been covered, I couldn't find it in the search.

Lately I've been paying a great deal of attention to my gait. I've been used to very carefully going down steps, one foot at a time stopping on each step; I waddled when I walked and adjusted for sore feet.

Since I've lightened my load, I've been making a conscious effort to move more gracefully. One foot in front of the other, folding my arms more because the seem to still swing out as far as my hips used to. Generally, I'm trying to move like a smaller person

Am I over thinking this? Will my body adjust naturally or should I be a little more aware? Any one else change up their walk?
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Old 01-16-2013, 09:51 PM   #2  
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Your body will adjust with the weight loss. I haven't lost as much as you, but I do notice the last time I did this when I went from 194 to 146 I walked much lighter and swifter. My arms could swing freely and my thighs didn't rub as much.
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Old 01-16-2013, 10:23 PM   #3  
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I used to walk differently as a "smaller" person.
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Old 01-16-2013, 10:39 PM   #4  
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Oh, yes. You will move so much easier as you continue to lose! I flit around all over the place without a problem now!
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Old 01-18-2013, 11:09 AM   #5  
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I do think that your style of walking may change too .. I've noticed this iwth other people who lose weight. When you are big, certain things you do - where you put your hands, your gate, etc are sort of dictated by your body. Once smaller, there are more options. Also your center of gravity is totally different - there was another post a while back about people hitting things and hurting themselves cause they werent sure how to move their smaller body or putting too much force into a step forward from when they were used to having more weight to move.
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Old 01-18-2013, 12:30 PM   #6  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Radiojane View Post
Apologies if this has been covered, I couldn't find it in the search.

Lately I've been paying a great deal of attention to my gait. I've been used to very carefully going down steps, one foot at a time stopping on each step; I waddled when I walked and adjusted for sore feet.

Since I've lightened my load, I've been making a conscious effort to move more gracefully. One foot in front of the other, folding my arms more because the seem to still swing out as far as my hips used to. Generally, I'm trying to move like a smaller person

Am I over thinking this? Will my body adjust naturally or should I be a little more aware? Any one else change up their walk?
for as long as i can remember i have come downstairs on step at a time, moving both feet to one step before going to the next one...slow, but sure and steady and easy on my knees.

i didn't even notice when it changed....but dh said to me one day, LOOK AT YOU...and i said.... what??? he said, you are coming down the stairs "normally" alternating your steps instead of both feet to one step at a time. i don't even know when i changed, but at some point, it happened!!

back in may of 2012, i had been using a walking cane to get around but now i no longer need that assistance. i went from barely being able to walk to the mailbox and up and down stairs to walking and finishing a 5K even with a "few" jogs in there as well!!

losing weight definitely changes your gait!

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Old 01-24-2013, 02:16 PM   #7  
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Yes, but not like you meant, and I didn't realize it til someone pointed it out to me.

I was on vacation with a group of people in November. Some of them hadn't seen me since before I started losing weight, and others I hadn't seen in several months. I was talking with one of them, and they said not only did I look great, but that I even walked differently. She said I had a confidence and a strut to my walk that I didn't have 1 1/2 years ago. One of many compliments on that vacation that made me grin.

I do think I walk faster, too.
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Old 02-11-2013, 04:01 AM   #8  
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How aware you are of your body, your movements and your posture definitely makes a difference in how you walk, regardless of weight. I started learning ballet at 300 lbs, and the better I got, the more 'normal' and graceful my walk became. That was before I lost any weight. I appeared much lighter walking like this (balanced on one leg, no need to compensate with swinging arms or rocking upper body) than I actually was. People often said they thought I was much lighter than I was because of my posture and walk. This can be practiced! Earlier, well-bred girls had to practice walking and moving gracefully as part of their education. I'm sure everybody is familiar with the 'book on the head' thing.

But definitely, the lighter you are, the easier it gets.
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Old 05-26-2013, 08:20 PM   #9  
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I also find I walk differently now than I did pre weight loss. I lost weight originally because I was having pain in the arch of my foot and now I don't and I believe among other things, I do not place the majority of my weight on the arch because my legs are now in a different position and the weight falls more evenly in the center.

In fact, I have come to the conclusion I am much more agile. The other day I tripped going down the stairs on the train (not the agile part) but I spun around and somehow caught myself as graceful as a deer and didn't go down. This guy who saw my trip later said for sure he thought I was going down and the way I pulled it out amazed him. This has happened to me many times lately. I suspect that it is just easier to recover from a trip without the weight.
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Old 05-26-2013, 10:32 PM   #10  
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I haven't made conscious changes, but various family members have commented that my walk has changed. Losing my balance and fallung used to be a regular occurrence, especially in snow or on wet grass. I don't even remember the last time I fell - I know it's been well over a year, and I think it may be more than two. The last fall might gave been SIL's wedding on wet grass in sandals.

Hubby used to make waah waah penguin noises to tease me because of my winter waddle in my huge coat made me look like a giant penguin, and I'd waah waah back. I'm still Not sure-footed on snow and ice, but the waddle is gone unless my back is hurting - but that's more a hobble tan a waddle.
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Old 05-26-2013, 10:56 PM   #11  
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Yes, I think there is a difference and I think you will adjust. I have always been very uncoordinated and would fall very easily. Today, for example, I did an outdoor walk. There was a lot of traffic and cars turning on the side streets, etc. I was watching very carefully for the traffic, but one vehicle came out of no where. They didn't use their turn signal and I needed to get across the street very quickly. I broke into a jog/run without even thinking about it. In high school I was picked on constantly. My nick name was "there's the girl that fell in the hole". I was walking across the school lawn one day. I stepped in a hole and fell. I have always been uncoordinated, clumsy, and do not like walking in front of people for that reason. I haven't fallen since I've lost weight. Geesh, I shouldn't have said that.

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Old 05-27-2013, 06:59 AM   #12  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kaplods View Post
Losing my balance and fallung used to be a regular occurrence, especially in snow or on wet grass. .
Actually also, this winter we had several dastardly ice days. One day was simply a sheet of ice and I just could not stop from going down. I went down hard... and thought for sure it was going to be bad.. but it wasn't. In fact, I didn't even get much of a bruise. That was really amazing.

This is one of the things I keep in the back of my head when a cake is calling me.
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Old 05-27-2013, 08:39 AM   #13  
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My feet, ankles and right knee are really messed up. Even so, my gait has changed. I can walk faster now and I hobble less, even though I still limp. I have purposefully worked on improving my posture and I think that has helped. I noticed this last winter that even though me feet and ankles were giving me ****, I was much more stable on the snow and ice.
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Old 05-27-2013, 10:30 AM   #14  
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I think for me it just has more to do with confidence. I have always had extremely bad posture. I could be wrong but when I think about this confidence is definately what comes to mind.
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Old 05-27-2013, 10:43 AM   #15  
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As everyone else has said, Jane, I've noticed a change in my gait and can't imagine what it will be like when I'm at the hundred pound lost point. Plus, you may be noticing some changes from doing the Yoga. The weight loss plus the increased flexibility are wonderful.

I was glad to know I'm not the only one stepper (sounds like a rehabilitation program!) here. I've always told myself it's because of the arthritis. That may be part of it, but obviously, it's also because of the weight. Another goal to add to the list!
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