What does weight loss help you with vs. what it doesn't
 

Hello wonderful chicks!

People are often under the impression that weight loss will solve a lot of their problems. Are there any problems that you thought weight loss would solve, but it hasn't. This isn't meant to be a negative thread. I actually think it's more of a reality check. So what has weight loss helped you with and what has it not helped, but you thought it would?

For me, weight loss has helped me with increased confidence.

I'm much more excited to get dressed in the morning.

I feel much more (I hate to admit) sensual. :o

I look forward to social gatherings and just general interaction with others.

I'm much more excited about simple foods because in the past, I'd need food that was full of intense flavor to get a similar reaction.

I can probably think of more things later, but it's still a bit too early in the morning. ;)

What has surprised me:

I still don't have as much confidence with people as I thought I would. In fact, I now worry about what I'm saying more...do I sound stupid? Am I boring them? :p It seems like people are paying more attention to me, so I'm more self conscious, I suppose. I'm used to being more in the periphery and am a bit uncomfortable with the attention.

When I go shopping for clothes, I still don't feel like I can buy much...not sure why...perhaps I worry about regaining, or I'm too self-critical.

I don't have as much energy as I thought I would. I find myself dragging and I've had myself checked by a physician (my thyroid is borderline low, but still at normal). Did I just forget how it feels to be heavier? :?:

Please share your experience. Thank you!

Great thread!
Same goes for me almost everything above. I think the lack of interest in exercise, now that I can do it more easily, is a surprise. But then I realize I'm considerably older since the last time I was slender & the wear and tear has added up. So I would say that weight loss has not turned back the clock as much I probably assumed it would.

What it's helped with....a quiet sense of joy that I wake up with each day. Everyday tasks are more fun. Things I used to dread, even taking out the trash because movement was just so uncomfortable, is now a breeze. The more I realize this, the more I am able to nudge myself to get out and about. A then I find I actually do have more energy.

Another huge thing, about which i have mixed feelings, is the way i am treated by strangers. Mind you, I'm 61! Yet men open doors for me, offer to help me load groceries, merchants are nicer and more helpful, people are friendlier in general. Just a year ago, it was an entirely different story, and I'm fairly sure it isn't that I'm more outgoing. But I enjoy this attention a lot.

Hmm. Interesting and thought-provoking!

I too thought weight loss would give me more energy. So far it hasn't, really. I also thought it would help with my sex drive. It has a little bit, but not much.

What I didn't expect? Weight loss (or my diet) has gotten rid of my IBS and heartburn! My skin is clearer! Also, I sleep so much better (my limbs don't fall asleep nearly as much).

Very interesting topic!

Surprisingly helpful things include:

Clothes shopping is so much easier. Like so so so much easier. I can pull off many more style. Before I thought my body type would never allow me to wear certain styles no matter how thin I got.

Has made me more confident when it comes to dealing with people, but I think this is because people are so much more kind of helpful. I think people being more kind and helpful has in turned made me feel more confident with dealing with people and I'm much more outgoing now. It does make life much easier, but also its sad that people are like :/

Because of the above mentioned part about being more confident about dealing with people and people being much more helpful and attentive means my life has gotten easier. They always say losing weight won't make your life better or easier but for me it has and it truly was only the weight loss that triggered it.

Things I thought would change but didn't:

My over all self esteem, especially about my appearance has decreased. I really thought I would have more self love but I actually have much less now. Although in every other aspect of my life(school, work, relationships etc) I have become happier since losing weight, when it comes to my appearance and self esteem, I'm very very insecure.

Unexpected negative changes:

My sex drive has decreased dramatically as my self esteem has decreased. This is probably the worst one for me because before I was so confident about my body and adventurous :o But now....I do not feel sexy.

Those are the ones I can think of right now :)

What a great thread! I am so interested to hear the answers. Do any of you know why you have had the negative changes?

My main goals was to lower my blood pressure, have control over basic hygiene and be more mobile without aches and pains of carrying this weight in day to day routines. All three have been met and loving it.

Sometimes i wake up thinking it was just a dream then i realized its not and it feels great. Can only imagine what it will be like when the next 50lbs is gone.

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences! I'm very grateful to have lost all this weight but I realize it's not a magic bullet that will solve everything.

My experiences, not so much with my current weightloss, but a few years back when I first went from overweight to average...

1. Don't hang your hat on people noticing your loss and saying "WOW!" Most of my weight loss, although I can see and feel a difference, very few people around me noticed.

2. In some ways, it made it harder to find clothes. When I wore a 12, I almost always wore a 12 no matter what store, and I was usually able to find what I wanted in my size. When you get in the 6/8 range, especially if you shop sales, a lot of things have been picked over. There's also more vanity sizing issues, so instead of a closet full of 12s I had a closet of 4's, 6's, and 8's, and every once in a while I'd still put on an 8 somewhere that was too small.

3. Losing weight does not automatically give you magic abs. You can be 30 lbs lighter and still not look like that girl at the beach. If you want smaller thighs and a flatter stomach, you have to build muscle and burn fat, not just lose pounds.

I'm about 40 lbs down from my highest weight, so that's not a huge change in several areas. But there are some benefits I've noticed.

--I can sleep on my back easier. I used to have the fat from my throat, chest and my boobs pressing on my neck, which made me breath more shallowly (and caused a bit of a rasping noise. That one is AWESOME to not have now!

--I don't get sore from where my back fat rubs together. I still have too much back fat, and it isn't super comfy, but it was much worse before. I'd have to put something between the rolls to stop the chaffing.

--I feel a bit lighter. It's a bit easier to move around, move in and out of crowded areas, etc. Not a ton better, but a bit.

--My self-confidence has risen a bit in some areas. For example, I used to (and still kind of do) have this idea at the back of my mind that I shouldn't make people look at me for too long. And if they do have to look at me, I shouldn't be too noticeable. It's a completely ridiculous notion. But I used to do that all the time. I do it much less now, though I do catch myself at it sometimes.

Things that didn't change:

--My overall self-esteem and sense of self-worth. This has never been a major issue for me in most areas of my life, so that it didn't change isn't a bad thing at all. I normally think positively about myself and feel content with who I am.

--How I look in clothes. This hasn't changed at all, really. I'm not obese anymore, but I'm still pretty darn overweight. So shopping isn't that fun for me still.

Great thread!

I still have a long way to go, but some positive changes so far are:
- I can walk without felling tired and that has made loooooove taking long walks. I'll ditch the car and walk a lot. I used to drive everywhere because walking made me incredibly tired and caused me to haveback pain.
- I dont have heatburn anymore and don't feel sick all the time.
- I'm sleeping much better and i can sit or stand in many positions (it was very uncomfortable moving around and finding a good position to sit or sleep).
- I feel a bit more confident

Hasn't changed and i tought it would have:
- Sex drive remains the same
- Still kinda hard to shop for clothes. Although i lost weight, I'm still obese and it is so frustating sometimes...

What is worse:
-Nosy envious people seem to observe my eating habits all the time, specially at work