Weight Loss: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – Weird Things That Happened When I Lost Weight Part 2

Since changing my diet and lifestyle, I have lost 80 pounds and completely regained my health. Several unexpected things have happened since losing weight. Check out my first post about this topic here.

In this post, I want to share more weird changes and unusual things I have noticed since losing weight. Some things are good, some are bad, and some are outright ugly. Mostly they are weird and unexpected changes, as well as odd things I have noticed since losing a significant amount of weight. These weight loss outcomes are obviously based on my own experience and may or may not be relatable to others who are on a weight loss journey or have lost a significant amount of weight. Let me know whether you can relate or not in the comments section below.

1. I Don’t Look the Way I Expected I Would

When I first embarked on my health journey, I figured I would lose some weight, but had no idea how much weight I would lose. I had an image in my head of what I might look like if I was able to lose the weight though. I thought I would look a bit more fit and I didn’t anticipate the loose skin. I’m not complaining, I love myself and am happy with my body!

2. People Treat You Differently

This is a difficult point to discuss, but I think it’s important to mention. People in general are kinder, more courteous, more helpful after I lost the weight. It’s really messed up that people are judged on their size. Of course this is a generalization and there are people who have been kind to me regardless of my size. However, I have noticed that the general public treats me better now than they did before. I’m hopeful that this is changing, and that people are being treated well regardless of their size.

3. Veins More Prominent

This is a silly one – it’s neither good nor bad, but I’ve just noticed that my veins are much more visible since losing weight. The veins in my hands and feet especially appear thicker and more prominent. It’s not a big deal, but just something unusual and unexpected that I noticed after weight loss!

4. Ring Size Changed

My ring size changed dramatically. My rings don’t fit on the same fingers, and my wedding rings don’t fit anymore. I’ve had my wedding rings fly off, so I am not able to wear them for the time being. I will have them resized so that I can wear them again!

5. Bra Shopping Easier and More Affordable

It is much easier to find bras that fit and are comfortable. Loose skin makes fit a bit weird sometimes, but overall, bra shopping is cheaper and easier. This is great for me now, but is incredibly frustrating to me for my former self and for people who are overweight and obese and may have a difficult time. I’ve had people in shops be extremely rude to me in the past and tell me that they don’t carry my size. I think (and hope) that this is changing. I do often see larger sizes when I’m shopping for myself now. I hope this is an evolving situation where there is more size inclusion and everyone can easily find bras that work for them – bras that are well made, affordable, and comfortable!

6. Don’t Have to Double-Bra or Wear a Super Heavy Duty Bra

In the past, when I taught Zumba or was exercising, I would need to wear a maximum support bra or even two bras at once to feel stable, secure, and avoid chest pain. Every time I tested a new bra, it was a bit of a gamble, because I wasn’t sure whether it would be supportive enough. It was also such a hassle to have to wear two bras at once to feel supported and avoid pain. I’m thrilled that I no longer have to do this! I can wear a medium support bra and I’m good to go whether I’m running, dancing, practicing yoga, or doing calisthenics.

7. Hip Checks

We are big goofballs and my husband, son, and I dance in the kitchen and have dance parties together. I used to playfully hip check Chris, and I would knock him way off balance. Now that we’re the same size, it’s hip bone on hip bone and it hurts to hip check! So, we have to be cautious if we do this now.

8. Didn’t Know When I Was Done Losing Weight

I never had a specific goal weight or a size goal. I thought it would be cool to get back to my high school size and weight, but I didn’t know if I’d be able to get there…it seemed so far out of reach at the time. So, as I lost weight, I would think: “Great, I’m done losing weight now”, and I would shop for new clothing. Unfortunately, I would continue to lose weight over time and have to replace clothing again and again. It was such a weird problem to have! I would try to hold off longer before purchasing anything new. I also found that THRIFT SHOPPING was a great solution to this problem!

9. Body Image Distortion – Phantom Fat

This doesn’t impact my life in a severe and debilitating way like body dysmorphia – body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) which is a severe form of body image distortion related to obsessive compulsive disorder. However, I sometimes look in the mirror and don’t recognize how much weight I’ve lost. This is sometimes referred to as “phantom fat.” For example, my husband came in for a hug the other day, and I felt like I needed to try to shrink myself into the hug because he didn’t have his arms outstretched. I think I take up way more space than I actually do. Objectively, I can look at my dress size and my weight and know that I’m thin. It feels weird to even write that I’m thin though, because my brain still hasn’t caught up to my body. It may be difficult to understand unless you have experienced it yourself. I think it will just take more time for my brain to fully comprehend the changes that have happened in my body.

10. More Comfortable in My Own Skin – Loose Skin and All!

Even with the phantom fat and some loose skin, I do feel more comfortable in my own skin. I’m still the same person I was in so many ways, but I’m much healthier, have more energy, and can do many more things that I couldn’t do before. In the past, I was hyper-aware and self-conscious of my body a lot of the time. Now, I feel a sense of calm about my body and body image. My body image doesn’t occupy as much time and space in my life as it used to.   

So, those are 10 more weird things I experienced after losing weight. Some changes are great and some are not-so-great, but I would go through my weight loss journey again to get where I am today. I’ve made mistakes along the way, but I’m happy, healthy, and empowered. I’m now thrilled to be able to coach others in their journeys to health and weight loss. Contact me to discuss 1:1 coaching, or check out all of the free content here on the plantfitmeg website, my YouTube channel, and social media – Facebook, and Instagram.

All the best to you in your health and weight loss journey!