If you have lost a great deal of weight, how has it changed your life?

Question

I just saw a guy on The Today Show who was a contestant on The Biggest Loser. He had lost over a hundred pounds and looked like a different person. He is now quite handsome. I would be interested in hearing from people who have lost a lot of weight about how it has affected their lives. How do you handle being treated differently? How has it changed your relationships? Do you now judge overweight people the way you were once judged? I've heard that friends are not supportive when someone loses a great deal of weight because it changes the dynamics of the relationship (where maybe they once looked down on you, now they have to deal with the hot new you). Have you found this to be true?

Answer 1

I lost approx. 80lb. which I consider a significant amount of weight. I have kept it off for almost 8 years now.

It changed my life in almost every possible way:

I got out of a bad relationship once I started losing weight, because I started to value myself much more. I didn't struggle with my self-esteem anymore - this improved my confidence. I have moved up the corporate ladder at lightening speed due to the confidence boost. I have married a wonderful man who values and loves me dearly.

My ex could not relate to me once I started feeling better about myself, because I had always been his emotional crutch.

Other things started to fall into place as well.... I used to have hormonal problems, and a bad back. These were sorted out once I lost weight, so overall I am much happier in myself. I have calmness about me that I had never known before.

I probably do judge people who are overweight - but only because I know that they are making excuses for not losing weight (like I used to) and I hate that. I know that anyone can lose weight who want to lose weight, and if you are overweight either do something about it or don't moan about it. It's not like you're doing a favour for anyone but yourself - so why should I care whether a person is overweight or not? If they wanna lose it?--- just do it but I don't want to hear them talking about why they 'can't'.

Another reason I get annoyed is that people develop body disfunctions (ie. diabetes) due to being overweight / eating too much rubbish..... in return this puts a strain on the health care systems and the rest of us have to pay for their laziness. A woman I work with is borderline diabetic, she drinks (alcohol) like a fish (5 nights a week), she eats all kinds of junk food all day, and is well over weight - so in stead of shaping up her lifestyle she just talks about how bad it would be to become diabetic. Then without batting an eye muches down a 'Twix' bar. I mean - COME ON!

Lastly, in retrospect, if people DID judge me for being overweight when I was overweight, I don't resent them at all. I can understand it all now.

Do I sound angry? I'm not - it just winds me up...:-)

Answer 2

You've asked a very good question, and I completely agree with what quay_grl said. I also lost lots of weight, and not only do I look and feel better, but suddenly my guy friends see me as a potential date instead of just a buddy. I know people keep saying that inner beauty will make you beautiful on the outside as well, but I don't believe that all the way anymore. There are many people really do judge you only by the way you look. When I shed all the extra weight, suddenly my life was improving because people were treating me better.

And I can understand that as well. I also tend to be angry with people who make excuses for not losing weight and whining about it all the time. Either do something about it or shut up. I know that it's possible, and yes, it's hard work. There is no diet where you can eat anything you want and still lose weight. There is no way around exercise and nutritional modification, if you want to keep the weight. I often get annoyed when I read the questions posted under Diet&Fitness, because every other question seems to be "How can i lose weight really fast". Crash diets and starving yourself doesn't work. Sorry, but there's no way around exercise.

Some of my friends had problems accepting that I lost the weight and stuck to it. They would feel inferior to me now and would make crude remarks that I looked like a bag of bones and that I looked unhealthy. However, my BMI is in a normal range, and I know they are angry with themselves for not sticking with any of the 20 diets they've tried.

My personality hasn't changed one bit. I'm just a lot happier and my life seems more fulfilled now.

Answer 3

HI, I lost about 60-75lbs. I am 5'11" and did weigh between 225-240lbs and went down to around 165-170lbs & I was so happy & so comfortable in that size, but I don't know if it is because of my height I didn't go down under 165 ever, no matter how hard I worked & it was really hard to stay at 165, my body liked the 170 better. I was in a size 7-8 or smaller. I didn't feel that I changed much, just my waist size, but my personalitly stayed the same. I did change my eating habits completely & my workout habits. I became a health nut, but honestly I never felt so alive and healthy & had alot of energy. My friends and family all said I looked too skinny but they were happy with me. People that haven't seen me in awhile said that I looked liked I lost half of me, but they still loved me and treated me the same. They did not become jealous of my accomplishment, instead they encouraged me and asked for advice when they wanted to loose weight. Like I said though I did not change my personality or attitude toward others.

I have seen people that have lost weight and then became so into themselves and the friends that stuck around them when they were big, they kinda just brush off & barely talk to them. Well that's just sad & they will learn the hard way the mistake they have made.

Answer 4

I am still working on the weight loss thing my self but I know my mom lost a LOT of weight fast by taking diet pills and only eating one bowl of cereal a day and now she is a total b@@@@. She acts like she is so much better than all of us and she never wants to hear if we are doing well. it is all about her now, i think the weight came off too fast and the wrong way so now she acts bad

Answer 5

when i lost alot of weight i did feel like a new person because you can do alot more like you can move around more easily and every thing. people treated me the same way. all i was was skinnier and looked good, but i was still the same person inside. i didnt think that i was all that or anything. i was still me.

Answer 6

i feel much better and am happier ....
i don't judge others....
i don't care what others think...
i can move better, have more energy and like what i see.

Answer 7

I don't pee on my feet anymore.