Things I wish I had known about losing 100 Lbs.
I want to help other people with their journeys and honestly I never saw myself writing this kind of blog post, it never crossed my mind (not because I didn't think I could do it, but because I was so focused in the moment of my weight loss that it really didn't occur to me). I don't want to focus on only positive or negative things either- I don't want to scare the crap out of people but I also don't want to paint an unrealistic view of the whole thing - like it was a breeze- either...so without further ado-
Top 3 NEGATIVE things I wish I would have known about losing 100 Lbs.:
1. Things people used to find attractive about you will change, and thus your identity about what you have that is attractive will change.
So...not to put too fine a point on it but I used to have a fabulous chest. I was always aware that I bloomed early and that my breasts were an object of desire. People looked at them, spoke about them, and by default they looked at and spoke to me. It became a part of my sexual identity and losing that- or having the focus be drawn to a different part of my body has been very hard on me. It might sound vain but we are human beings at the end of the day and our bodies and how we are perceived by others....matters. It is the MOST important thing? No. Is it important though, YES.
2. Just because one area of your health is better, doesn't mean it won't cause other physical problems.
Something I wish people would have told me about was that as I lost weight- or the very process of losing weight- would cause other health issues. One of the ones I have struggled with the most has been the change in my hormone levels. My body, in combination with medication, was producing Estrogen like I was closer to 250 lbs than 150 lbs which caused me so many different problems. My doctors and I have since sorted out those problems but I felt very frustrated at the fact that I was supposed to be getting healthier, not unhealthier.
3. Losing Weight comes with expectations.
Being a true 90s kid I loved princess movies, including non Disney inspired ones, one of which is The Swan Princess. One line I have always remembered is spoken by the main villain Rothbart. When he is speaking to Odette about marring her and why he wants to rule legally versus just taking over the Kingdom with his power, he says: "Once you steal something, you spend the rest of your life fighting to keep it". Powerful line right? I feel the same way about weight loss- once you lose it people (and yourself) expect you to maintain it or even get more fit, healthier than you once were. Whether people say so or not, you feel this expectation to keep going, to keep getting better, to constantly improve, which can cause anxiety and be exhausting in general.
Ok- now that that part is over- Top 3 POSITIVE things I wish I would have known about losing 100 lbs.
1. Your style is going to change!
Beyond shopping in stores that you never were able to shop in before (I am looking at you Mall) no one really told me that my style would change! We all already know- maybe you don't, but clothing stores for people who are over weight or "plus size" are newly popular but when I was growing up they didn't exist. They just didn't. They do now but their styles and cuts and the kinds of clothes that they sell are all the same. There are not alot of options for people (even less for men of size) that allow one to have their own sense of style. Now that I am shopping in stores I never have before I find myself wearing or trying looks that would never have crossed my mind!
2. You don't have "more energy" you can just handle things better.
Some people talk about the fact that they have "more energy" and that is very possible. It sorta makes things seem like your body wakes up and you get this burst of energy...but really, what I think makes more sense for me is the fact that I don't have "more energy" it just takes me less energy to do the every day things that it did before. Examples would be walking all day, going out shopping, etc. Things that used to tire me out, like walking up stairs, now don't take me as much effort as they used to.
3. Other areas of your life start improving!
This has been the tone of my blog lately and I think because I am changing and my thought patterns are rowing and changing too. When you finally get right about your health- it takes all your time, your focus, your energy, your effort- and when you finally reach your goal and keep yourself at that goal you find you have all these uhhhh "effort points" and no where to allocate them! Guess what? You now get to take those effort points and re-distribute them into different parts of your life. So, a few go towards your financial health, a few towards your career, a few towards your friends and family and relationships. When you find you can put in enough effort to lose 100 lbs you can do anything!
So there you go! I really hope people find this helpful and if you have any questions or comments please feel free to post them below! Thanks!
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