Share your unexpected advantages of weight loss
 

There's a lot of obvious advantages of weight loss, but what are some of your unexpected ones?


Some of mine:

My shoe size has gone down! I thought my feet were just permanently bigger from pregnancies (you hear that a lot, I'm sure it's true for some). But I have gone from a 9 to a 7.5/8 which was my original size! I'm having so much fun wearing high shoes and not waddling or having super sore feet.

I had forgotten how fun it is to wear cute underwear.

Libido! :carrot:

OMG! I just went shoe shopping and found out the same thing :) I actually bought a size 7 1/2, I couldn't believe it!

btw, the first strange and unexpected NSV when I lost a significant amount of weight was the fact that I no longer floated to the top of my jacuzzi. I could sit comfortably being less fat and buoyant and (partially) full of muscle ;) it's fun now!

My feet got smaller, too, but the down side of that is my favorite sandals - cute leather flip flops with the leather flowers on them - don't fit anymore.

I guess the best thing about losing weight - other than the health aspect - is how much easier it is to buy any article of clothing. When I was drifting along at over 250 without a real care in the world, it was always in the back of my mind that I'd have to buy a fat lady dress if my DD ever got married. When she got engaged in March of this year, my first thought (after being ecstatic for them) was that I wouldn't have any trouble finding something to wear. And I didn't - I bought a dress the first day I went looking. And it isn't a fat lady dress. And it fits perfectly so I have to maintain until the wedding or it won't fit. That will keep me in line for a while!

Lin

The shoe thing is pretty amazing... some of my favorite pairs were getting really tight and uncomfortable... and I just refused to believe it.... I insisted that there was no possible way that my feet were getting fat too! Thank God that's no longer the case....

But now here is something that was really unexpected... I am being taken more seriously at work! And if you're wondering how I know this... several people have come right out and said it to me... The jist of the conversations were basically this "I really didn't want to say anything, BUT you were really letting yourself go..." and "It was hard to take you seriously because...."

It kind of caught me off guard, because I didn't think that things were that bad (and in reality they weren't) but then when I started to think about it, I was being treated differently... Now granted I work with a lot of women who take their looks VERY SERIOUSLY... constant dieting, punishing workouts, killer wardrobes, not to mention the Botox and plastic surgery too...

So I'm still not sure how I feel about this... on the one hand, I'm enjoying the new found respect that I'm receiving from these people (even if it is coming from what I perceive to be a superficial place on their part) but on the other if I'm enjoying it so much isn't that just as superficial?

I haven't lost a shoe size (I'm only a 7 so that's ok!) but I have noticed that my feet are fitting in my shoes much more comfortably. I attended a wedding last weekend and found that my heels weren't killing me...at least not immediately like they did in the past!

A handful of people in my office have also been losing weight, including my boss. She and I have really bonded over our shared experience and that has been really nice, not to mention totally unexpected. It has come during a super stressful, transitional time at work so that has made it even better :)

It's weird to think there was weight to lose in our feet!!! I also have this idea in my head that the extra weight pressed down on my feet and made them longer. I don't know if that's possible, but that's what I picture in my head.

I would have mixed feelings about that as well. Although I don't think, at all, that you enjoying it is superficial.

SacredKestrel, I've experienced something similar at my office. The partner who did my review told me that the partner group thought I was "happier" this past year. My unspoken response was "F*** you, I'm just as bitter and angry as ever!" I think they're just reading something into my weight loss. I know they meant it as a positive comment, but it bothered me. If it had resulted in a decent raise, though, I would have considered it an unexpected advantage!

Having a lap!! I love that one. Right now I have a decent lap, but it was even better when I was 160lbs.

Kind of related: being able to sit in different ways. I catch myself from time to time sitting in a strange position and noting that I wouldn't have been able to contort myself like that before because my stomach would have been in the way.

I also like the feeling of being able to cross my legs more firmly and comfortably.

And not having to strategize how I'm going to hide my fat rolls when I sit down.

Unrelated to sitting: Its nice to be flirted with more often.:o

And shopping is exponentially more fun! As is getting dressed in the morning.

And I love strutting in front of the mirror before I take a shower. What can I say, I've got my swagger back!

And I love noticing muscle that are visible now that used to be totally buried.

And its nice to not have that voice in the back of my head telling me I can't do something because I'm too fat.

I love having to do a double take at my own reflection sometimes because my body already looks so dramatically different that I don't always initially recognize myself.

Choosing an outfit for the day based on what suits my fancy- not what makes me look the least fat. :D

Also, my skin has cleared up since I started my weight loss journey from drinking so much more water!

i noticed that i can feel the tendons(?) on the tops of my feet now, which i couldnt ever before and that my sandals are looser now, which i had just attributed to the puppy chewing on the straps LOL

also can curl up more while sitting against a wall...u know, knees to my chest, like that

unfortunately though my boobs have really shrunk :( and i hate that...not that i ever liked having huge ones, but now they just seem like little deflated bags of loose skin :(....i can fit a 34 band now but today when i went to buy a new bra, i still chose a 36 because they didnt have any in 34s that i wanted to wear...i also sadly fit a B cup when i've always been a C cup or larger my whole life...i knew my C bra was way too big but still... :( totally sucked....in comparison, when i weighed 240 after my son was born, i was wearing a 40-42DD bra

Someone (an acquaintance, not a close friend) told me I seemed happier, too, so Steph7409's comment made me laugh. I am just as happy, depending on the situation, as I was all my life. I really consider myself to be a "glass half full" person. I know that hasn't changed. I wonder if people project their feeling on you? The person who said that to me is about my age and our paths cross occasionally because of work. She is very thin and always has been thin. I wonder if she just assumes I MUST be happier since I'm not obese any more? And, I guess the same could be said if the other person was also overweight - knowing they'd be happier (inside) if they were thinner. Maybe we need a separate thread.

Lin

my preferences have changed.

remember starting your weight loss, and thinking "i miss eating out" "i miss that deep fried twinkie", " I MISS GOING OUT FOR FOOD", "I WANT A LATTEE" "I CAN'T GO OUT WITH MY FRIENDS BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO EAT 38729483 MILLION CALORIES".

well guess what?
i would rather go out and do something active.
i have going out to eat.
i hate going drinking to sit around at a bar. i want to be constantly in motion, which lets me get away with shiety food choices more often!

Absolutely the shoe thing. I started out a 13W - virtually impossible to find - and now I wear an 11 in sandals and a 12 in closed-toe shoes. Joy!

Another unexpected nsv for me is that I have become a watch hog. When I was 370 lbs I couldn't wear women's watches because my wrists were too big around. Now I loooooove buying watches. I have over a dozen. :)

I have always hated clutter, but I now find that I am much neater.
If I have an urge to clean or fix something, I spring into action and get it done. possibly because I have more energy now, but I don't procrastinate as much.

I'm thrilled to read that people did have smaller feet after weight loss. I have not been able to fit into any of my pre-pregnancy shoes for almost 4 years. I have bought back some of my favorites in larger sizes. But I would still like to get back into my old shoes.

Thanks for this thread. It's inspirational!

I am just beginning the journey (finally), but I am so looking forward to smaller feet!
GardenBurglar, I can relate to every item. I cannot wait to be where you are!

My Looking Forward To feeling is the ability to go back to my used-to-be-favorite mediterranean cafe. The lock on their unisex bathroom didn't work so well and once a fellow who works there barged in on me. I have to lose enough weight to be UNrecognizable before I step back into that place!

I haven't been doing this long, but I love my new energy and the positive spin this has put on me in general. I had really let my needs get lost in the shuffle of family, and losing weight has forced me to put at least a few things back on my front page. I find I'm more inclined to dress nicer, take myself more seriously, and generally feel more confident as I've been remembering what it's like to be in charge of myself rather than letting myself saunter off with a big pile of junk food unchallenged.

Hi everyone. Well only in the last 15 pounds (from about 225#s until presently) I have noticed:

~ My wedding rings are too big, I need to wear cheapo placeholders until I finish losing weight to get them resized.

~My face pretty much all of it but especially my jawline. My reaction was I looked like I had a facelift! My mom said I look like myself from highschool. The neat thing there is I'm 42! I still have more to lose so I hope this gets better too.

~ The calves, I wear boots so zipping a regular boot up over jeans is a cinch now.

Those are the biggest changes thus far .. Otherwise I can walk stairs (a flight at a time) w/o huffing/puffing. That is an acomplishment too. :)

I've noticed that I'm losing my pear shape. I've also been doing a lot of excercise, including some weight training and body balance, and my shoulders have gotten a more angular look. My hips have also shunk more than I thought they would, and my boobs (which are small) have only shrunk a little. I thought that I was losing a lot of weight from them actually, but they don't look any smaller cause I've been losing more everywhere else.

Not only am I losing weight, but my husband is losing weight too! We are also becoming more conscious of our health and our choices together. A definite plus for both of us.

I don't know if these were entirely unexpected, but:

-I am much more comfortable sitting. I can cross my legs for a lot longer without my legs going to sleep, but I also don't mind sitting with my legs regular in front of me, where before I was only comfortable crossing my legs because if how my legs looked.

-Running and jumping is noticeably easier, especially the spontaneous kind! I find myself hopping up steps or sprinting to go get something needing hardly any energy, whereas before if I were tired I wouldn't feel able to very easily. Now taking off running feels a lot closer to effortless, regardless of how much energy I have. I love it.

-Sweating less!!

-Probably more precisely due to better nutrition and exercise habits than just we weight loss, but I find I don't need as much sleep. I used to feel I always needed nine or ten hours, but now I can feel great after seven or even the occasional six! That was very surprising.

My weight loss has inspired my friends and family. My whole immediate family is eating healthy and exercising, and some close family friends are also eating healthy.

It's the best thing that I never expected to happen :) I'm so glad that they're all making changes for the better.

Warning....TMI!

My fiancé commented that during....intimacy....he's noticed I wrap my legs around his waist sometimes, something my thighs were previously too flabby to accomplish! Also, he says I'm generally more flexible in bed.

Huzzah?!

When flying in coach, I can now reach under the seat in front of me easily to get to my bag or to get my shoes that I've kicked off. In the past my belly got in the way and I always had to make sure I looped the strap of my bag into the seatback pocket so I could reach it, and I'd keep my shoes on. I was in denial so I thought it was just because I lacked flexibility in my back. Also, I fit much better into the airline seats and I'm a lot more comfortable. I fly about twice a month, usually coast to coast, so this has been a huge unexpected bonus for me.

My feet shrunk too. I went from a size 12 to a ten wide. I'm not wearing out a cheap bra every six weeks any more either because I can buy them off the rack in the right size!

Same here with my feet. Went from 10's to 9 1/2 now I headed for 9's.
I also don't crave fast foods like I use too or just eating out at restaurants. In fact now when my family is having a get together at a restaurant I just go to be with family and would rather we just got together at someone's house instead. But than again we'll still be eating so I guess in the long run it doesn't matter. lol
With talking about eating bad foods I'm not tempted by unhealthy foods in general. I'll have a dessert here and there but offer me a donut and majority of the time I will say "no." I'll let myself have one once a month or so now.
Also noticed my skin is a lot better and looks healthier too!

Funny, I've lost 130 pounds now and my shoe size is still a ten. :lol: I understand how a lot of people gain weight in even their feet, but I find it funny that even at my highest weight my feet and ankles were downright bony. Maybe because I'm an apple and most of my excess weight is around my middle? I've definitely lost in my fingers and wrists though; I'm guessing my ring size is either a 7 or a 7½ (my current 8's are pretty loose on me) when it used to be a 10! And I can wear bracelets easily now when in the past I'd be lucky to get them to wrap around my wrist.

Speaking of rings, it seems whenever I'd browse them at stores like Claire's back in the day, the most common size was 7. Now I'm seeing 8's all over the place, and lots of 9's and 10's. Back when I wore a 10 I couldn't find them anywhere at all!

I've noticed recently that I'm just a lot more flexible in general, basically because I've got less of a belly to get in my way. Getting in and out of the car, while not difficult in ages, has been notably easier than it was a few months ago. I can also bend over easier to clean up the yard, when it used to be a huge strain I'd have to hold my breath over. It's exciting to know that this will get even easier over time! :)

The last time I rode a roller coaster that has one of those pull-down harnesses that strap you in (not the bar) was about 10 years ago when I was 330 pounds. I remember that I just BARELY fit into the seat that had the larger harness. Since then I my weight has gone up, and I have never even tried to go on a roller coaster at a theme park. Well, I just got below 330 again for the first time in 10 years. It just occurred to me the other day that was sortofa milestone / NSV.

OMG, so glad someone hasn't lost weight in their feet. When I read this thread I was heartbroken. My feet are large and I have carefully cultivated an extensive and drool worthy collection of size 11 high heels that I ADORE. I can't imagine suddenly not fitting them!! It took me years and years to get a good selection. I don't know how it is in the States but in Canada 11's aren't super easy to find...especially in smaller towns. Every store stops at 10!

Thank you for chiming in. You have set me at ease. I can't imagine losing weight in my feet anyway since they are quite svelte and boney to begin with and I've lost 60 lbs, no change. Also, I'm an hourglass so I don't think body shape as anything to do with it. Probably bone size? I dunno...human bodies are weird.

This... I can do way more positions because, well, my thighs aren't in the way anymore!

Also, I can sit on my kitchen counter without any real effort. I've never been able to do that. I always thought it was cause I was too short. XD

Oh, and something else I thought of . . . jeans fit me better now. No, not because I'm getting into smaller sizes, but because my overall shape is changing. It seems most companies believe that all women are hourglass-shaped. If only! My waist is significantly larger than my hips, and nearly every pair of jeans I've tried on assume my waist is smaller than my hips. Which makes fitting into anything properly extremely difficult. If they were big enough to button, my thighs and butt were swimming in them! If they fit my hips and butt ok, there was no way I'd be able to button them up. So frustrating! But that's beginning to change now as my body seems to be reaching more "normal" proportions. :) I still have the issue, but it's not so noticeably extreme.

Oh, I totally get what your'e saying. I've got a friend that often complained that all the "cute" shoes stopped at 10's and she's in an 11 (she's very tall). I've felt lucky that I've had decent luck with shoes and although I've seen 11's in most stores, the selection is incredibly small compared to the other sizes.

I'm not sure if it's true, but I read somewhere that the number of fat cells we have on our body never changes, but the size of them do. Which is supposed to be why everyone has their own problem areas; the are already more cells in certain areas on some people, but it's likely unnoticeable unless there's excess weight! Like I said I'm not sure if it's true, but if neither you nor I have that many fat cells in our feet, that would explain things. :lol:

If your feet already feel svelte and bony, I imagine your size isn't going to change. :) I mean, I'm already quite sure my size won't get any smaller because the bones in my feet are simply too long from heel to toe to fit in a 9 or less.

-I love how I no longer feel like if I can't do something, it's automatically because I'm overweight. Now, if I can't run a few miles, it is because I am not fit enough yet. If I can't surf, it's because I have terrible balance on boards. If I can't do that hip swivel in zumba, well, I'm just a little too white to dance like that.
-I love wearing white t shirts and jeans. I'm surprised just how much I love this casual outfit.
-I was also surprised at the feet change! only about 1 size, but it sure is nice to be in 9's instead of 10's.
-I'm actually surprised at how little my pant size changed. I went from a 16/18 to a 10/12 with a 40 lb weight loss. But I stopped looking at the numbers and just look at my figure.
-More than anything, my most unexpected advantage has been my new career. You would NEVER have seen me as a personal trainer at 200 lbs! Now that I'm 160 (and a fit 160 at that; I just want to get down another 10 lbs and tone up!), I have a completely new career!
-

The explanation I read on the shoe size thing is that it affects people with naturally higher arches more. When you're heavier, the flexible arch is flattened more, so your foot is longer. When you lose weight, it starts to spring back up. I have lost a full shoe size.

But to the poster with the shoe collection - I hope yours stays the same!!

I have to jump in about shoe size too :lol: My feet haven't changed either. I can maybe get a half size smaller, but I'm still in the same shoe sizes most of the time.

Pointy shoulders/more angular upper body. More definition in my abs (which isn't subject to fluctuation quite as much as before) and just feeling 'tighter' all over.

Just feeling stronger in general from doing Chalean Extreme weight/strength training.

I also think being physically stronger has improved my mental outlook on life/work and helped me stay more focused and balanced.

Also, I don't feel as though my life is ruled by a weight loss mindset anymore, maintenance has just become a regular part of my routine: track what I eat in myfitnesspal, and work out. Treats are OKAY and nothing to be afraid of, but food is NOT the centre of my universe now.

Plus, I am much more sensible about resting my body when necessary (this week I took a break from any workouts because I was exhausted/run down) and not beating myself up over it.

:woohoo:

Noticed this one today: don't feel my gut resting mid thigh when I sit! Still resting, but much farther away from my knees!

I don't want to lose weight in my feet. I'm only a UK 3 and a half (US 4?)! I'm about to go on a spree of buying new shoes at Christmas :p I'll be so upset if they don't fit me in a couple of months.

Advantages I have noticed:
- I'm feel so much better about myself and I untag a lot less pictures on facebook now. :p
- I can cross my legs a lot easier.