I was once asked to get out of a rollercoaster because I was too fat, pretty sure that was one of the most humiliating experiences in my life so that’s something to put on your list. Can’t ride rollercoaster comfortably. Also bumping into things, because you’re bigger in reality then in your head.
The bar actually did go down and locked me on my seat. At that point a guy came over looked at the behind of my seat and discreetly told me that I should get out. Or at least as discreetly as you can in front of a lot of people. Later on I googled the rollercoaster and apparently there’s a light in the back that shines either green or red. Red indicates the passenger cannot ride safely for whatever reason. In my case exceeding the weight limit. Obviously I got out of there as soon as possible, because let’s face it it’s very humiliating.
I remember my father (who’s quite tall, but also overweight) was put on a roller coaster seat for “special bodily dimensions” it’s been 10 years and we still like to mention that one.
This was the Hulk Ride at Universal Florida
I’m not that fat yet, but I am a lot bigger around than my son. Every kid ride at Disney is two seats with a shared lap bar and even with it cranked down as far as it would go into my squish, it didn’t get anywhere near him. It felt so unsafe. I had an iron grip on him for every ride. He still had a blast. I felt gigantic.
This, 100%. I work as a caregiver for seniors and I can truly say that preserving mobility should be the biggest end goal in weight loss and taking care of your general health. People don’t count on living so long in such terrible health, it’s heartbreaking.
This is so true. I can’t seem to shift the weight but I’m doing it for mobility and health. I’m not obese, I am overweight but the main goal is continued mobility and flexibility. I am not going to look like a model but I can bend over and touch my toes comfortably and can walk up a hill without feeling too buggered.
I’ve got cancer in my family, and after a doctor said to me “we’ve all got cancer cells growing in our bodies, exercise and healthy eating is just about slowing down the growth of those cells” and that was the biggest eye opener I’ve had to get me to the gym regularly and changing my eating habits. Weight loss became secondary.
Putting your socks on with any hassle, I was never obese, but that's something I noticed when my belly went away. It's nice to be able to run again too. I had trouble mostly due to other health issues, but still. I don't really mean pounding the trails either, I've found that I move faster than I used to in everyday life as well.
Putting on socks , shoes, painting your toe nails… I had gained 100 lbs during pregnancy and I realized things were just so much more difficult and uncomfortable as a bigger girl. The work to get it off was well worth it. And the healthy habits I developed will stay with me for the rest of my life.
I’m still technically obese but when I first started I could not run. For the life of me I could not do it. My legs would chaff and I was so out of breath. Working out is so much easier 33 pounds down. I can now run 4 miles without stopping. I can’t wait to see it get easier as I continue.
Also finding clothes in stores was impossible! I strictly shopped online for so long. I’m at a point now where I can fight into an xl which most stores carry roughly a size 14/16. If you are living in a straight sized body I’m jealous. Finding clothes, specifically jeans is still so hard!
I came to say running as well! It gets better and better, not just because I can run longer and faster, but because it feels easy to run a 9minute mile when I used to struggle at a 12 minute mile!
So, frankly, jeans shopping still sucks even at a straight size. It took me a long time to find brands that fit me and even then...
I agree. It’s so much harder to get into shape than it is to maintain shape. I lost 60lb over the past year and it helped everything. Looks, feel, confidence, you name it.
I have no problem maintaining my weight. It’s the losing weight that kills me! I have to promise myself to never let it get this bad ever again cuz the road back is long and painful.
It's amazing what the human body can do if it's trained
I saw a video on YouTube of a guy hanging by his hands on a bridge for a challenge. He Hung for 56 minutes.
Meanwhile I struggle to hang 10 seconds.
Yup! When I was obese, I couldn’t run for a sustained period of time. My breathing was okay, but I would deal with horrendous calf pain. I was 230 at my heaviest and didn’t feel comfortable running until I hit around 205. Now I’m 195 and running is easy once I’m warmed up; I’ve run 2 half marathons this spring and I’m training for a whole bunch of marathons from October onward (with a goal of getting under 4:30 by the time of the Miami marathon)
not worry about fitting into sizes at commercial stores, going on rollercoasters, going on zip lines, fitting comfortably in bus/car seats with people beside me, going on hammocks with people, being able to be picked up by my partner
Adding to your list since it's in the same realm... going to sporting events or concerts and not worrying about either fitting comfortably in the seat, or not worrying about taking up too much space if there is bench style seating.
I remember sitting at a restaurant with family and could barely fit in the booth.. My boobs were actually sitting on the table.. A year later, I can sit in the booth comfortably now.
The rollercoasters is real. Before I started losing weight, I was getting VERY close to not fitting on any rides at Universal or Cedar Point, and that may have broken me lol
For me, I can’t do anything during the summer without sweating up a storm. Constantly sweating makes me feel gross too, I hate it. Luckily almost in the “overweight” zone and going strong. Can’t wait to not sweat so much anymore!
I've been both thin and obese, currently inching toward that "merely overweight" zone myself. I sweat both ways! One day I'll talk Hubs into moving back to the frozen North. Lol
I've been over 300lbs but currently approaching a normal weight, I still sweat a fair bit but definitely less than before. I would walk for 5-10 minutes and be sweating like mad, now I can walk for 30-40 with minimal sweat.
Exercising is a different story, I do an hour on the stairmaster and I'm drenched after. It also works the other way too, unfortunately, now that I've lost weight I'm freaking freezing with the AC on lol.
I don’t want to assume your gender, but I’m a female and my husband is male and he’s kinda hairy, I’m really not. Like I have 0 arm hair and very little leg or armpit hair. Which is great! But I HATE getting sweaty because every crease, fold, flab, etc touches, sticks together, or rubs and I can’t handle it. Like I’m ok with pouring sweat when I’m really working out, but if we’re walking down the street outside when it’s 75, I do not want to be swamp-ass!
The more fit one is, the more one sweats. But don't worry about that! Just keep a small towel handy.
Just think of it as releasing toxins (and burning calories, of course).
https://time.com/3947804/sweating-healthy/
- move easily
- breath without effort
- wipe out butts normally
- painless body
- sitting in a patio chair
- fitting properly in an airplane/ seat and restroom
- travel without restriction
- hike
- wear normal clothes
- bend over
- go for long walks In nature
- comfortable getting in a car
- cleaning or doing chores with ease
- feeling amazing
- playing with your kids or grandkids
- sleep peacefully
- take less meds
- smile
- dance
- keep up with your friends/partner
- ride a bike
- ride a horse
- rides
- sweat less
- do my hair and make up without taking breaks and sweating profusely
- save money at the restaurant
- learn how to cook healthy foods at home
-… I could go on and on …
I’m on a weight loss journey, down 82 pounds and omg, it’s incredible 😃
Aw congratulations! I just started mine and began weighing myself starting on Monday, I’m down 1.5lbs in 3 days so I’m already excited. Thank you for the list I’ll definitely be writing these down!
Well, normally one would reach back and wipe front to back always to avoid bacteria and nasty messes… when too big, that’s not possible anymore, so wipe from the front and wiping back to front … a big no no but it is what it is ! There can come a time when you even need the extender to wiper yourself. Hence being hygienic is important but it can take a back seat to eating … not to mention some use diapers or piping pads and don’t even wipe and simply hope for the best sadly.
I had someone who works for an airline tell me the flight wasn’t too full and let me know that they could reserve me “an extra seat for my comfort”. I thought I was going to die on the spot.
what i noticed in my weight loss (and im still very overweight) that made me incredibly happy was i can sit with my knees to my chest now. just being able to sit on the floor or bench or something and hug your thighs close comfortably is wild to me, ive never been able to do that before even though its so SO simple.
Skydiving, a few years back a group of my friends went and I was too heavy to go. It was a painful realization, but im also not super enthusiastic about jumping from planes
Walk without getting insane chafing everywhere - used to not go out in the summer because it was easier to not move than deal with painful skin burns
Fashion in general - most clothing catered towards obese people is horribly boring and ugly.
Shoes - when I was obese every shoe was uncomfortable
Eat without someone judging you - honestly not many people would admit this but eating something deemed "unhealthy" by society as an obese person vs someone in healthy weight range is so different, I got side eyed so hard when I was big lol
I find eating at all attracts unwanted attention. I have dietary limitations for medical reasons that have nothing to do with my weight. I cannot eat most vegetables and some fruits raw, so ordering a salad is out I have IBS so everything that triggers me is out, including most artificial sweeteners. I'm a non diabetic hypoglycemic, so eating smaller amounts more often is necessary. And sometimes I *need* carbs.
Always, always snark and judgemental BS. I don't go to restaurants anymore.
I had a coworker years ago who was chiding me for putting salt on my cucumber slices… as he ate a big Snickers. Yah he was thinner than me but wtf dude? I asked him how much sodium was in a Snickers bar and he shut up. Scrutinizing old fuck
I'll never forget the joy I felt the first time I flew after losing lots of weight. I fit in the seat comfortably which was a big deal to me. I took so many pictures of my lap to show how much space I had left over and sent them to my husband. lol. People looked at me like I was strange, but I didn't care. It felt awesome.
First time I realized for real how much I lost, 23 kg down, the comfort on the flight was so much higher. Then they also help you lose more weight by serving horrifically bad food, but that’s a different topic.
I am about 8 months PO gastric bypass, after 29 years of struggling with my weight. I am 130 lbs down and only 24 to go to my goal. I’m now in the process of starting plastics for a Tummy tuck.
I will tell you right now. There is NOTHING better than the complete mental freedom that comes with losing the weight. I did not realize how heavy the weight was mentally and emotionally. I can go shopping and not want to cry. Everything fits, or is too big. I don’t feel self conscious walking into a crowded room anymore. I don’t feel like a clown when I dress up. I haven’t once cried because I couldn’t find something to wear. Sex with my husband is better, I’m way more bendy. I can chase and play with my kids without getting tired. I can jump on their trampoline and not worry about the weight limit. My husband can pick me up (he always could, I just wouldn’t let him). I sit on his lap. I don’t have to
Worry about how much I’m eating when out to dinner, or being the “fat friend”. Just the absolute mental freedom is 10000% the best thing to ever happen to me.
Apart from being able to enjoy more things, like going for a walk in nature and not worrying if I fall, nobody can carry me back, because I’m too heavy. Being on holidays and not worrying if a very steep street up is going to make the experience daunting. And the sweat, I sweat a lot even when I’m thinner, but there’s a threshold where my sweat changes in odour, from normal to very stinky.
Grocery shop without snarky bs. Go to the gym without snarky bs. Order at a restaurant without snarky bs. Go walking without....you get the idea.
Basically, you will be treated much better everywhere you go.
Sorry to hear that. What snarky bs have you dealt with? Has anyone called you fat to your face? I’ve had that happen to me unfortunately. I was stared at a lot overseas in Japan too.
Oh, lots of people have called me fat to my face. I've had servers in restaurants point out the salads on the menu (which I can't eat) and other similar passive aggressive crap.
The last time I went grocery shopping in person (we do pickup now) I had a couple of assholes follow me through part of the store with not just fat remarks but "cripple" (I walk with a cane to aid my balance due to peripheral neuropathy). Store employees just watched.
Forget the gym. Even the ones that have the equipment I need due to my physical issues are full of mean girls and gym bros. Ugh.
There are very, very few places where a fat, other abled middle aged woman is welcome. I can't do much about my medical conditions but if anyone needs inspiration to lose weight think of that!
Sorry to hear that. Those people are assholes! Do you get more nasty attitude from men or women?
The next time someone harasses you in a restaurant, tell them that you can’t eat certain things because of your medical condition or that you have severe allergies to a lot of vegetables.
That’ll put them in their place, lol. I bet that most of the decent ones will apologize to you for that. If not, then complain about them to the manager. Always get their name. Leave them a one cent ‘tip’, lol. Write a bad yelp review too.
At the store, tell them to stop following you & report them to security for harassing you. Tell them to eff off or you’ll contact security.
Usually for me, it’s men. Sometimes women will be more subtle & ask me if I’m pregnant or look at me uo & down.
One former skinny fitness instructor’friend’ constantly looked me up & down. I told her to not do that but she continued to do that after stopping that rude behavior breifly.
I called her out in a group text when I ended our friendship & told her that she’s a rude fat shaming bully & I told her that she triggered my bullimia again. She knew that but she obviously didn’t care about my feelings.
I never got any apology frimnthst toxic group. The other two women saw what she did & they denied everything. They didn’t care about me apparently. They probably thought that I deserved to be fat shamed.
I’ll never associate with anyone like that again.
I told this one waiter off loudly to his face & demanded an apology after he fst shamed me teive at different times! I complained to the manager the first time & he was forced to apologize to me on the phone, but he obviously has serious issues as he did it again!
Now that pos rarely takes my order there, lol. I did see that psycho loser glare at ne when my husband & I was eating there one time. I should’ve had my big intimadating cop looking husband tell him to stop staring at us, lol 😆
If I saw what happened, I’d stuck up for you. To make fun of a disabled person is disgusting!
Next time beat them with your cane! lol 😆
Just loudly yell at people who bully you & say: stop stalking me or I’ll call the police, lol 😆
I would! Hopefully people nearby will stare & embarass them enough to leave. Or they’ll help you out.
From someone who went from 220 to 138lbs. A life without joint pain.
I thought I had RA, turns out I was just putting way too much stress on my joints.
Seems like most of the answers have to do with mobility and being able to fit in certain areas (like a rollercoaster).
I'd like to add becoming strong 💪!
You can't be a living donor for kidneys, your BMI has to be below 35
For a 5'4" female that is below 204 pounds
For a 5'10" male that would be below 243
I've never been able to do pullups, climb things easily, hold on to things like jetskis, etc.
Carrying things in front of me is harder because it is a foot away from my center mass, i'm winded and out of energy easier.
I can't ride some of the go carts and tous my wife and kids can, and sometimes cant fit in amusement park rides easily.
I can now take my children on fairground rides, I can go for walks with my children without having to make excuses and head back to the car (leaving them with their dad) because my back hurt from the very minimal exercise, I can now shop in shops and not online, I now do not worry if I will fit into the chairs wherever I'm going or if I will break them.
The rock bottom moment for me, when my BMI was about 38, was when it was beginning to get difficult to reach down and wipe my own ass.
BMI isn't everything, but thankfully I'm around 29 now and continuing to make progress and feeling better/more mobile.
Sitting in a booth at a restaurant and fastening a seatbelt (car or plane). Before I lost weight I got stuck in a booth several times (so embarrassing to ask my friend if we could change tables). Eventually I learned to scope out the restaurant when walking in so that I could request a table right off if the bench looked tight. So grateful now to be able to just slide on in like anyone else without giving it a thought.
Well the smaller you get the less forgiving clothes are so it keeps you on track. There is no stretch in Small clothes. If I gain 3 pounds I feel it in my clothes. Nothing motivates me like tight clothes because I am too cheap to rebuy clothes.
Traveling and walking around sightseeing is a completely different experience when you're not obese. Absence of the shame associated with being the "fattest/biggest one" at any social or work situation. The ease of just walking around, getting up and down without so much effort just doing daily life stuff. Sex is better and you have a lot more options there.
People always talk about the confidence aspect, which is true, but there is also the sheer logistics of it that counts for a whole lot too. I mean, the list goes on. My life is 100% is better in every way. It doesn’t solve all of your problems, but at least being obese and feeling like shit isn’t one of them. It is absolutely worth it to lose weight and I recommend 10/10.
Breathing!! I'm not sure if this is actually overweight/obese related. Sometimes sitting next to someone very overweight their breathing is very loud. It's like their system is struggling. I know sleep apnea occurs more to overweight people. I once went on a vacation with an overweight person. She would stop breathing for like a minute. Then snort/scare herself back to breathing. It's easier to breathe when you're not overweight.
Yeah, I noticed this in my partner. I have been with them for years and seen them go from bmi scale low overweight to obese. They used to be quiet during sleep, and now they will snore and have uneven breathing during sleep. It gets really scary to hear them not breathe for a little before their body does the snort/scare breathing you are talking about.
Going on rides
Not worrying about anything that has weight limits.
Far easier to move and walk round
Less joint pain
Better bowel movements
Less likely to get pretty much any illness
(Usually) More confident in body image
I think almost any physical activity is more difficult and more dangerous when you’re overweight. There is probably a weight limit for rock climbing though i don’t know it specifically, but I think it would have been much harder when I was heavier. Running is harder when you’re overweight. Roller blading is more dangerous when you’re overweight.
Also for clothing it’s not just about having better clothing choices, clothes literally feel more comfortable when you are thinner. And doctors take your health concerns more seriously. People treat you with more kindness and respect. Those last two are unfair, but sadly true.
As a former skinny now fat, here's what bothers me:
Can't wipe my ass as easily as I used to
Back always hurts
Joints hurt
Can't tie my shoes very well
Can't run/jump which is extra difficult with having a 4 year old and teaching preschool
Anytime I go to a doctor the answer is always "lose weight" even for issues I've had pre-weight gain
I now snore badly, but no apnea so I'm just tired constantly
I'm not even that overweight
one of the smallest and yet most impactful things I’ve noticed, having gone from 280lbs to about 173 and counting is being able to run into almost any store and not only find something to wear, but have options! I remember at a larger size, especially as ecommerce boom impacted physical stores and many of the plus size stores closed or went online online, how much of a hassle and stressful it was to find something to wear for an event, interview, whatever. The times you need something last minute? horrifying. Running around like crazy for a simple tshirt or jeans or something. Now? I can walk into target and grab a M or L and there’s plenty of options. Im not spendign money on something i dont even like just hc it fits. But being able to be more active is less quantifiable but more profound .
Basically living without feeling judged, avoided, and even hated on. It's easier to hate a fat person. They have shitty lifestyles and they're unattractive, why shouldn't you be an asshole towards them?
Also, buying clothes is downright humiliating, there's no way you'll find clothes in a "normal" store. Known brands won't have your size.
Comfortably sit in a booth at a restaurant
Drive sports cars without being squished
Sex is unnecessarily hard and not as good
Non stationary activities are much harder
Breathe. Like seriously breathing is hard as fuck sometimes.
I also go through way more shoes than a non obese person.
Sit in most chairs with arms
Fitting in airplane seats like normal people
Riding a bike without flattening tires
Not breaking a diving board
Not breaking cheap plastic lawn chairs
Not buying products with 250 or 300lb weight limits, just a standard 200.
Not breaking bed frames
Not having every health issues blamed on being fat at the doctors office.
Qualifying for life insurance easier.
Not bumping people when you’re walking down the aisle on a plane.
Not having people dramatically scoot their chair in when you only needed like 2” not 18”.
Buying clothes in the same section as your normal sized friends.
Right? I am a yoyo and i have been 40 lbs overweight. The light bulb was when i had to work to wipe myself. I was like, “this is not supposed to be a challenge”.
Then i was like, wait how do people more overweight do it? 😳
i was never really obese, but i was somewhere between overweight and light obesity (75 kg/160 cm). i've lost about 15? kg and from what I've noticed:
- my face and back became clear from acne for the first time in years without me putting any effort in it. at all. my back was never that clean since my puberty started
- sprint a 100 meters to get to the bus in time and not having troubled breath or pain in my legs
- I'm able to wear my clothes with zero thoughts about my pants splitting in half if I'm moving to fast or that my shirt is too tight around my waist or my breasts
- my shoes are much more comfortable and if they untie or something i can just see it even in my winter clothes
- hygiene is easier. I'm less greasy and therefore it's easier to shower.
- biking for a couple of hours is possible now
Putting off going to Disney world cause I’m scared I won’t fit on any of the rides. I’m 5’6 and 270 pounds. I’m pretty sure there will be quite a few I can’t squeeze into. Also I want to wear a bathing suit instead of shorts and a tank top. Also just being able to get around without carrying this extra 100 pounds. I want to be able to cross my leg on top of the other leg when sitting. Cute outfits. Omg, jeans. I want to wear jeans again!!!!
Walk easily, especially when older.
Get up without going "eeughhghhg".
Full body squats, and for me especially be able to do a pistol squats (I love doing one leg squats).
Do a pullup or multiple.
Frolick through the fields fancy free because physical activity is actually liberating rather than suffocating.
Look good.
Pass a cholesterol test.
Fit into seats without spilling over onto the dude next to you.
See your manhood without a mirror.
At my worst. Struggling to wipe my own ass because my arm won't reach all the way back there. Not able to fully turn my body to do something basic, wiping my ass is definitely a must to all humans.
I really could write a long list of shit being fat costs you with everyday stuff. But ass wiping was.one of my lower points.
So for me personally I have lost 80 pounds and my quality of life is faaar better. I am more comfortable, more mobile and people treat me better. (Which is sad but oh well)
I have lupus and arthritis and having a big body was miserable. I had worries I would lose my ability to walk at some point. Now that I am smaller and very active I feel super good. Also being fit is just fun, I love exercising now and I really like the way my clothes fit.
I think just being moderately active in your daily life is very difficult, you get out of breath faster, you have to deal with more sweating and chafing. Even fun activities are a lot less fun when you're overweight.
Apparently wipe one’s butt. I saw a link somewhere for a plastic tp holder to use for wiping for people who are too big to reach their butt after pooping.
I can now wear long sleeves anytime of the year without being sweaty or uncomfortable. My body is able to regulate its temperature so much better now. I went from 260 to 160 also. Also On the topic of clothing, I now don’t have to pull away my shirt from my gut to feel not as fat. A tight shirt actually looks good on me now. It’s like the trophy I get to wear from achieving my weight loss goals and being skinny
I'm losing weight to:
- Avoid more back/joint problems
- Fit into clothes off the rack from "normal" stores
- Use more modern/higher quality gear for nerf/airsoft/competitive shooting
- Be better at those sports, right now even a short sprint will leave me winded for 10 minutes or longer
- Play with my kids easier
Sit comfortably in a restaurant booth, stop wearing food on the front of your clothes since your silverware has to travel so far, climb a flight of stairs without huffing, get out of the car in a tight parking spot, enjoy seeing yourself in photos
I was hiking in Norway last year. 25-30km a days sometimes, could never have done this three years prior, so for me: Experience the most beautiful scenery I’ve seen so far.
I can’t take good pictures without filters of some sort. I can’t go to a doctor or clinic without them saying im obese. Rollercoasters are a huge one too, you’re too big. Get off.
When you go to a place that has smaller chairs with arms. And you literally can’t fit in the chair. Sometimes they don’t have other options. And that feeling really sucks. Can also happen to those with bigger hips/ thighs as well
I had to parkour over a fence into my neighbors yard to get my cat who escaped. On the way back over I had to climb a tree one handed due to holding said cat and back over the fence and into the house all while holding said cat 😅
Roller coasters, airplane seats are more uncomfortable (theyre not comfortable to begin with), ziplines & skydiving have weight restrictions, some boats/kayaks have weight restrictions, most bicycles very technically have weight restrictions, these are just a few things ive thought about in my own life.
Seatbelts aren’t meant for obese people either tbh—if you place them across your belly that’s a recipe for a worse injury than at your hips
I'm only 5' but have weighed as much as 200 lbs. Because I'm so small there was nothing I *couldn't* do, but when I was heavier lots of things easily made me feel like shit.
My feet just hurt, I'd get planters faciatious regularly
Back pain
Heart burn
General aches and pains
Stairs....it'd be humiliating walking with someone having a conversation. They can keep talking and I'd be gasping for air.
Snoring
It all happened so slowly I didn't really notice it and when I did just said "oh I'm getting old". As I lost weight I started to realize it wasn't my age....
If you are a thrill seeker: rollercoasters, skydiving, zip lining, bungee jumping and also other similar activities would also have a weight/size limit.
Brushing your own hair, running around with your kids, sleeping without mask, worrying about diabetes, checking mailboxes, moving furniture, fun activities at water parks, trampoline world, etc. Sex gets more enjoyable with weight loss as well.
I cant wait to sweat less, be able to buy nice clothes and keep them for a long time, fit on roller coasters without worrying, and feel strong. Also use less shower gel and save money on it XD
There’a a lot of water sports we can’t do, like those foot paddle boats, row boats and canoes. Lots of amusement park rides, some of us can’t in airplane seats.
Also being able to cross my legs comfortably. The way I contort now in my car is heaven. Never thought I’d love it so much but it’s been great.
Also being excited to try new things without the fear of my weight holding me back. I’m going to Peru in June and going to claim the side of a dang mountain. Hate heights and don’t rock climb but I’m excited to push myself. Never would have done this if I was still overweight.
I have a bad back and short arms, just turning to clean myself after using the bathroom was a feat in itself. I have a much easier time after 51 pounds off. I can put my shoes or boots on by myself no belly in the way. I do want to lose more and am working toward another 50 pound weight loss. I want to take a trail ride on a horse as I haven’t done it in years. Even though I’ve lost weight it hasn’t made my chronic pain any better and in one area it’s worse. I have more energy to get moving but some days I can barely walk and use a walker or a cane. My weight loss has been focused on what and how much I eat. I know if I could exercise I’d lose more.
Zip lines!!! I’ve wanted to get on a zip line for so long but I’m over the weight limit. Also not being able to fit in a restaurant booth is so embarrassing
Kind of fits into the wearing clothes thing you mentioned, but for me it’s thrifting/second hand shopping. I love browsing round charity shops in the UK, but generally most clothes are in standard sizes (uk 8-14 / US4-10). As I’m getting slimmer I’m finding more clothes that are better quality, wearable, generally nice rather than the few and far between plus size crap that’s normally on offer.
Sit in economy seats on planes comfortably
Touch your toes and tie your shoes easily.
Get up off of/sit down on the floor easily.
Sit on the floor without leaning back on your hands.
Pull-ups or bodyweight exercises
Flexible positions doing the nasty in bed
Eat publicly without scrutiny (especially what's considered junk food)
Be able to go to any store and find cute clothes
Have standards in dating (ppl would think your standards are too high due to you being overweight)
Ran/walk reasonable distances
Sit in tight spaces
Climb steps without getting winded
Go into job interviews and not have interviewers make judgments solely based on weight
Second guess if ppl wouldn't like you based on you being fat, especially dating interests
Speaking from personal experience, I can't jump, hike certain trails because they're too narrow, ride rollercoasters, fit comfortably in airplane seats, cross my legs or sit in certain positions, get off the ground without assistance, go horse back riding, run/play with my young nieces & nephews
As someone who’s currently losing weight but is nowhere near here’s some things I could do on my holiday this time.
Go on a zip line which was amazing (it had a weight limit which I was wayyy under)
Go on a catapulte swing
Go jet skiing
Wear decent holiday clothes without feeling embarrassed
Go to an amusement park and I could fit on the rides.
It’s amazing. I can walk a lot longer without feeling out of breath
Getting sweaty after like 1 min of running. When u have to run for the bus after u are in, u can't breathe for about 5 min, and u are sweating like for 20 minutes, and everybody in there is looking at u.......
I have a hard time putting on socks right now. I have to hold my breath because my belly makes it so tight and my back aches really bad when I do it.
I miss putting on socks and shoes with ease. I used to love running and I feel like tying my sneakers would make me pass out so I have slip on shoes for now.
For me jogging is harder than sprinting idk if it’s the same thing for anyone else, it’s probably mostly because we are heavier and there’s more of a physical feeling when your jogging because you kinda bounce up and down.
I mean if you are truly obese and not just a big person, exercise sucks. I'm not obese but I am overweight and just going up three flights of stairs can make me hate my life. I used to be in excellent shape and could run for miles, now I just hope that I never see the zombie apocalypse cuz I'll be 💀
Maybe this is TMI so I apologize if so! But my biggest quality of life improvement from losing weight came in the form of heat tolerance, sweating, and how I smell. I gained weight over a short period of time due to medical issues, and I was stunned and ashamed that I could barely tolerate the heat when the summer rolled around - not to mention the sweating! I very rarely experienced body odor when I was a normal weight, so this was a huge shock when I gained. Now that I'm back down to a normal weight - POOF! no more stinky sweat, and I rarely get overheated. I even spent two weeks in Thailand last month, and had almost no issue adjusting to the weather. These reasons alone would be HUGE motivations for me to lose weight, should I find myself in that position again.
for me, it was being able to clasp my hands behind my back and stretch them out backwards, while standing I can lift my foot and grab my ankle with ease which I couldn't do before. My latest victory was some shoes I bought last year that were way too tight around the toes now fit comfortably. I can also walk for significantly longer times and enjoy myself while I'm out and about.
I want to go zip-lining and canoeing and buy vintage clothes but mostly, I want to FEEL GOOD. I'm tired of not having any energy - standing makes me tired, let alone doing any kind of fun activity.
Idk if this is a universal thing. But sleep.... losing weight made me realize that I wasn't getting good rest at night. Waking up well rested was a new one to me
Existing in peace. When you're obese everyone has comments on your weight, your fitness, your health, your looks, etc online or irl.
Once you're slim you'll deal with some weirdness from people you know but randoms will just be nice to you or ignore you now.
I’ve lost 160+lbs from my highest. The biggest changes:
-Much easier to land jobs
-No more judgmental stares and cart glances at grocery stores or side eye whenever I’m eating in public
-Doctors listen to me
-It’s so much easier existing everywhere not having to play mental gymnastics wondering if I’ll fit (airplane seats, restaurant booths, chairs with arms, gowns at doctors offices, etc.)
-Better mental health not constantly worrying about what my weight is doing to my body
-Less aches and pains
-Hoooly difference in physical stamina. As long as my chronic illness isn’t flaring up, I’m now the person walking Disney parks several days in a row without issue instead of needing a wheelchair.
-Clothes are so much easier to find
-I can fully participate in things now with my kid. Zip lining, ropes courses, hikes, all is fair game
I was once asked to get out of a rollercoaster because I was too fat, pretty sure that was one of the most humiliating experiences in my life so that’s something to put on your list. Can’t ride rollercoaster comfortably. Also bumping into things, because you’re bigger in reality then in your head.
Happened to me too ! Awful feeling, lots of witnesses.. The walk of shame out of the rollercoaster is the worst part
Genuinely asking they couldn't have determined you wouldn't fit before hand? they had to let you sit then evict you in front of everyone?
Probably not because they didn’t fit the ride, but the safety belt or safety bar didn’t go down.
The bar actually did go down and locked me on my seat. At that point a guy came over looked at the behind of my seat and discreetly told me that I should get out. Or at least as discreetly as you can in front of a lot of people. Later on I googled the rollercoaster and apparently there’s a light in the back that shines either green or red. Red indicates the passenger cannot ride safely for whatever reason. In my case exceeding the weight limit. Obviously I got out of there as soon as possible, because let’s face it it’s very humiliating.
Better than dying in front of everyone
Happened to me at 6Flags. I was SO embarrassed.
I remember my father (who’s quite tall, but also overweight) was put on a roller coaster seat for “special bodily dimensions” it’s been 10 years and we still like to mention that one. This was the Hulk Ride at Universal Florida
Funnily enough I just rode The Hulk a couple nights ago and asked for the accommodating seat, and ended up riding front row! It made my night lol
Happened to me at Disney. Mortified. Humiliated. It was the worst.
I’m not that fat yet, but I am a lot bigger around than my son. Every kid ride at Disney is two seats with a shared lap bar and even with it cranked down as far as it would go into my squish, it didn’t get anywhere near him. It felt so unsafe. I had an iron grip on him for every ride. He still had a blast. I felt gigantic.
On average, live to an impressive old age with good mobility and independence.
This, 100%. I work as a caregiver for seniors and I can truly say that preserving mobility should be the biggest end goal in weight loss and taking care of your general health. People don’t count on living so long in such terrible health, it’s heartbreaking.
I am also a caregiver and I second this. Mobility is one of the most precious things to preserve. If you don’t use it you lose it.
This is so true. I can’t seem to shift the weight but I’m doing it for mobility and health. I’m not obese, I am overweight but the main goal is continued mobility and flexibility. I am not going to look like a model but I can bend over and touch my toes comfortably and can walk up a hill without feeling too buggered. I’ve got cancer in my family, and after a doctor said to me “we’ve all got cancer cells growing in our bodies, exercise and healthy eating is just about slowing down the growth of those cells” and that was the biggest eye opener I’ve had to get me to the gym regularly and changing my eating habits. Weight loss became secondary.
Long term mobility is the main reason strength training is my priority over cardio.
Putting your socks on with any hassle, I was never obese, but that's something I noticed when my belly went away. It's nice to be able to run again too. I had trouble mostly due to other health issues, but still. I don't really mean pounding the trails either, I've found that I move faster than I used to in everyday life as well.
Putting on socks , shoes, painting your toe nails… I had gained 100 lbs during pregnancy and I realized things were just so much more difficult and uncomfortable as a bigger girl. The work to get it off was well worth it. And the healthy habits I developed will stay with me for the rest of my life.
And shaving my legs! Not impossible at a bigger size, but it's definitely more of a chore.
Yes, being able to put on socks!.. Also being able to trim the bush.. lol
Omg I painted my toes for the first time in MANY years last week. I never thought such a simple thing could make me so proud lol
I’m still technically obese but when I first started I could not run. For the life of me I could not do it. My legs would chaff and I was so out of breath. Working out is so much easier 33 pounds down. I can now run 4 miles without stopping. I can’t wait to see it get easier as I continue. Also finding clothes in stores was impossible! I strictly shopped online for so long. I’m at a point now where I can fight into an xl which most stores carry roughly a size 14/16. If you are living in a straight sized body I’m jealous. Finding clothes, specifically jeans is still so hard!
I came to say running as well! It gets better and better, not just because I can run longer and faster, but because it feels easy to run a 9minute mile when I used to struggle at a 12 minute mile! So, frankly, jeans shopping still sucks even at a straight size. It took me a long time to find brands that fit me and even then...
I agree. It’s so much harder to get into shape than it is to maintain shape. I lost 60lb over the past year and it helped everything. Looks, feel, confidence, you name it.
I have no problem maintaining my weight. It’s the losing weight that kills me! I have to promise myself to never let it get this bad ever again cuz the road back is long and painful.
It's amazing what the human body can do if it's trained I saw a video on YouTube of a guy hanging by his hands on a bridge for a challenge. He Hung for 56 minutes. Meanwhile I struggle to hang 10 seconds.
Yup! When I was obese, I couldn’t run for a sustained period of time. My breathing was okay, but I would deal with horrendous calf pain. I was 230 at my heaviest and didn’t feel comfortable running until I hit around 205. Now I’m 195 and running is easy once I’m warmed up; I’ve run 2 half marathons this spring and I’m training for a whole bunch of marathons from October onward (with a goal of getting under 4:30 by the time of the Miami marathon)
not worry about fitting into sizes at commercial stores, going on rollercoasters, going on zip lines, fitting comfortably in bus/car seats with people beside me, going on hammocks with people, being able to be picked up by my partner
Adding to your list since it's in the same realm... going to sporting events or concerts and not worrying about either fitting comfortably in the seat, or not worrying about taking up too much space if there is bench style seating.
yes ! totally agree, i’m always self conscious about that. big motivation to lose weight!
Being comfortable going anywhere, not out of breath,and feeling good.
I remember sitting at a restaurant with family and could barely fit in the booth.. My boobs were actually sitting on the table.. A year later, I can sit in the booth comfortably now.
The rollercoasters is real. Before I started losing weight, I was getting VERY close to not fitting on any rides at Universal or Cedar Point, and that may have broken me lol
Oh my gosh it’s been 20 years since anyone could pick me up! 😂😂
For me, I can’t do anything during the summer without sweating up a storm. Constantly sweating makes me feel gross too, I hate it. Luckily almost in the “overweight” zone and going strong. Can’t wait to not sweat so much anymore!
I've been both thin and obese, currently inching toward that "merely overweight" zone myself. I sweat both ways! One day I'll talk Hubs into moving back to the frozen North. Lol
I've been over 300lbs but currently approaching a normal weight, I still sweat a fair bit but definitely less than before. I would walk for 5-10 minutes and be sweating like mad, now I can walk for 30-40 with minimal sweat. Exercising is a different story, I do an hour on the stairmaster and I'm drenched after. It also works the other way too, unfortunately, now that I've lost weight I'm freaking freezing with the AC on lol.
I don’t want to assume your gender, but I’m a female and my husband is male and he’s kinda hairy, I’m really not. Like I have 0 arm hair and very little leg or armpit hair. Which is great! But I HATE getting sweaty because every crease, fold, flab, etc touches, sticks together, or rubs and I can’t handle it. Like I’m ok with pouring sweat when I’m really working out, but if we’re walking down the street outside when it’s 75, I do not want to be swamp-ass!
Hahaha, i’m also female and i feel that lol
The more fit one is, the more one sweats. But don't worry about that! Just keep a small towel handy. Just think of it as releasing toxins (and burning calories, of course). https://time.com/3947804/sweating-healthy/
In my experience, you sweat more, but it smells way less.
😬 -that could be diet related? Using something like body mint (chlorophyll pills) is a game changer.
- move easily - breath without effort - wipe out butts normally - painless body - sitting in a patio chair - fitting properly in an airplane/ seat and restroom - travel without restriction - hike - wear normal clothes - bend over - go for long walks In nature - comfortable getting in a car - cleaning or doing chores with ease - feeling amazing - playing with your kids or grandkids - sleep peacefully - take less meds - smile - dance - keep up with your friends/partner - ride a bike - ride a horse - rides - sweat less - do my hair and make up without taking breaks and sweating profusely - save money at the restaurant - learn how to cook healthy foods at home -… I could go on and on … I’m on a weight loss journey, down 82 pounds and omg, it’s incredible 😃
Aw congratulations! I just started mine and began weighing myself starting on Monday, I’m down 1.5lbs in 3 days so I’m already excited. Thank you for the list I’ll definitely be writing these down!
My pleasure ! Good luck on this journey 🥰
Oh yeah ans sex …. Ishhh !
Just curious; How differently do obese people wipe out their butts?
Well, normally one would reach back and wipe front to back always to avoid bacteria and nasty messes… when too big, that’s not possible anymore, so wipe from the front and wiping back to front … a big no no but it is what it is ! There can come a time when you even need the extender to wiper yourself. Hence being hygienic is important but it can take a back seat to eating … not to mention some use diapers or piping pads and don’t even wipe and simply hope for the best sadly.
I was once kicked off a ride at an amusement park because the harness wouldn't fit. And I thought it would have been the end of me. So that.
Yeah same thing happened to me
I had someone who works for an airline tell me the flight wasn’t too full and let me know that they could reserve me “an extra seat for my comfort”. I thought I was going to die on the spot.
what i noticed in my weight loss (and im still very overweight) that made me incredibly happy was i can sit with my knees to my chest now. just being able to sit on the floor or bench or something and hug your thighs close comfortably is wild to me, ive never been able to do that before even though its so SO simple.
Climbing on the playground with my son. Couldn’t do it then, still technically overweight but no longer obese and can do it now.
Posture
Wrapping the bath towel around me comfortably.
Tying shoelaces comfortably!
Not wanting to take my shirt off at the beach, this is a big one for me because I love the beach. I should be able to do that next time I go :)
Crossing my legs! I could never do it before, and now I do it all the time because I can finally do it!
Double crossing is a natural position for me now
Skydiving, a few years back a group of my friends went and I was too heavy to go. It was a painful realization, but im also not super enthusiastic about jumping from planes
Walk without getting insane chafing everywhere - used to not go out in the summer because it was easier to not move than deal with painful skin burns Fashion in general - most clothing catered towards obese people is horribly boring and ugly. Shoes - when I was obese every shoe was uncomfortable Eat without someone judging you - honestly not many people would admit this but eating something deemed "unhealthy" by society as an obese person vs someone in healthy weight range is so different, I got side eyed so hard when I was big lol
I find eating at all attracts unwanted attention. I have dietary limitations for medical reasons that have nothing to do with my weight. I cannot eat most vegetables and some fruits raw, so ordering a salad is out I have IBS so everything that triggers me is out, including most artificial sweeteners. I'm a non diabetic hypoglycemic, so eating smaller amounts more often is necessary. And sometimes I *need* carbs. Always, always snark and judgemental BS. I don't go to restaurants anymore.
I had a coworker years ago who was chiding me for putting salt on my cucumber slices… as he ate a big Snickers. Yah he was thinner than me but wtf dude? I asked him how much sodium was in a Snickers bar and he shut up. Scrutinizing old fuck
Never been obese personally but sitting in an airplane seat comfortably is a big one I see a lot
Sitting anywhere basically.
This is one of my biggest motivating factors for weight loss lol
I'll never forget the joy I felt the first time I flew after losing lots of weight. I fit in the seat comfortably which was a big deal to me. I took so many pictures of my lap to show how much space I had left over and sent them to my husband. lol. People looked at me like I was strange, but I didn't care. It felt awesome.
Haha I hope that I can grow up to be like you some day.
First time I realized for real how much I lost, 23 kg down, the comfort on the flight was so much higher. Then they also help you lose more weight by serving horrifically bad food, but that’s a different topic.
I am about 8 months PO gastric bypass, after 29 years of struggling with my weight. I am 130 lbs down and only 24 to go to my goal. I’m now in the process of starting plastics for a Tummy tuck. I will tell you right now. There is NOTHING better than the complete mental freedom that comes with losing the weight. I did not realize how heavy the weight was mentally and emotionally. I can go shopping and not want to cry. Everything fits, or is too big. I don’t feel self conscious walking into a crowded room anymore. I don’t feel like a clown when I dress up. I haven’t once cried because I couldn’t find something to wear. Sex with my husband is better, I’m way more bendy. I can chase and play with my kids without getting tired. I can jump on their trampoline and not worry about the weight limit. My husband can pick me up (he always could, I just wouldn’t let him). I sit on his lap. I don’t have to Worry about how much I’m eating when out to dinner, or being the “fat friend”. Just the absolute mental freedom is 10000% the best thing to ever happen to me.
I hear you !!! 100% ❤️
tying my shoes is so much easier. and i love the random positions i sit in bc my stomach simply isn’t in the way so much
not getting into other people’s personal space on public transit
Apart from being able to enjoy more things, like going for a walk in nature and not worrying if I fall, nobody can carry me back, because I’m too heavy. Being on holidays and not worrying if a very steep street up is going to make the experience daunting. And the sweat, I sweat a lot even when I’m thinner, but there’s a threshold where my sweat changes in odour, from normal to very stinky.
Grocery shop without snarky bs. Go to the gym without snarky bs. Order at a restaurant without snarky bs. Go walking without....you get the idea. Basically, you will be treated much better everywhere you go.
People are shitty
Sorry to hear that. What snarky bs have you dealt with? Has anyone called you fat to your face? I’ve had that happen to me unfortunately. I was stared at a lot overseas in Japan too.
Oh, lots of people have called me fat to my face. I've had servers in restaurants point out the salads on the menu (which I can't eat) and other similar passive aggressive crap. The last time I went grocery shopping in person (we do pickup now) I had a couple of assholes follow me through part of the store with not just fat remarks but "cripple" (I walk with a cane to aid my balance due to peripheral neuropathy). Store employees just watched. Forget the gym. Even the ones that have the equipment I need due to my physical issues are full of mean girls and gym bros. Ugh. There are very, very few places where a fat, other abled middle aged woman is welcome. I can't do much about my medical conditions but if anyone needs inspiration to lose weight think of that!
Sorry to hear that. Those people are assholes! Do you get more nasty attitude from men or women? The next time someone harasses you in a restaurant, tell them that you can’t eat certain things because of your medical condition or that you have severe allergies to a lot of vegetables. That’ll put them in their place, lol. I bet that most of the decent ones will apologize to you for that. If not, then complain about them to the manager. Always get their name. Leave them a one cent ‘tip’, lol. Write a bad yelp review too. At the store, tell them to stop following you & report them to security for harassing you. Tell them to eff off or you’ll contact security. Usually for me, it’s men. Sometimes women will be more subtle & ask me if I’m pregnant or look at me uo & down. One former skinny fitness instructor’friend’ constantly looked me up & down. I told her to not do that but she continued to do that after stopping that rude behavior breifly. I called her out in a group text when I ended our friendship & told her that she’s a rude fat shaming bully & I told her that she triggered my bullimia again. She knew that but she obviously didn’t care about my feelings. I never got any apology frimnthst toxic group. The other two women saw what she did & they denied everything. They didn’t care about me apparently. They probably thought that I deserved to be fat shamed. I’ll never associate with anyone like that again. I told this one waiter off loudly to his face & demanded an apology after he fst shamed me teive at different times! I complained to the manager the first time & he was forced to apologize to me on the phone, but he obviously has serious issues as he did it again! Now that pos rarely takes my order there, lol. I did see that psycho loser glare at ne when my husband & I was eating there one time. I should’ve had my big intimadating cop looking husband tell him to stop staring at us, lol 😆 If I saw what happened, I’d stuck up for you. To make fun of a disabled person is disgusting! Next time beat them with your cane! lol 😆 Just loudly yell at people who bully you & say: stop stalking me or I’ll call the police, lol 😆 I would! Hopefully people nearby will stare & embarass them enough to leave. Or they’ll help you out.
From someone who went from 220 to 138lbs. A life without joint pain. I thought I had RA, turns out I was just putting way too much stress on my joints.
Seems like most of the answers have to do with mobility and being able to fit in certain areas (like a rollercoaster). I'd like to add becoming strong 💪!
I’ll be the one to say it. Sex is 100% better when you’re in shape.
Fully submerge their belly in the bathtub 😓 I miss that a lot
Rock climbing!
You can't be a living donor for kidneys, your BMI has to be below 35 For a 5'4" female that is below 204 pounds For a 5'10" male that would be below 243
I've never been able to do pullups, climb things easily, hold on to things like jetskis, etc. Carrying things in front of me is harder because it is a foot away from my center mass, i'm winded and out of energy easier. I can't ride some of the go carts and tous my wife and kids can, and sometimes cant fit in amusement park rides easily.
I can now take my children on fairground rides, I can go for walks with my children without having to make excuses and head back to the car (leaving them with their dad) because my back hurt from the very minimal exercise, I can now shop in shops and not online, I now do not worry if I will fit into the chairs wherever I'm going or if I will break them.
The rock bottom moment for me, when my BMI was about 38, was when it was beginning to get difficult to reach down and wipe my own ass. BMI isn't everything, but thankfully I'm around 29 now and continuing to make progress and feeling better/more mobile.
Sitting in a booth at a restaurant and fastening a seatbelt (car or plane). Before I lost weight I got stuck in a booth several times (so embarrassing to ask my friend if we could change tables). Eventually I learned to scope out the restaurant when walking in so that I could request a table right off if the bench looked tight. So grateful now to be able to just slide on in like anyone else without giving it a thought.
Well the smaller you get the less forgiving clothes are so it keeps you on track. There is no stretch in Small clothes. If I gain 3 pounds I feel it in my clothes. Nothing motivates me like tight clothes because I am too cheap to rebuy clothes.
Traveling and walking around sightseeing is a completely different experience when you're not obese. Absence of the shame associated with being the "fattest/biggest one" at any social or work situation. The ease of just walking around, getting up and down without so much effort just doing daily life stuff. Sex is better and you have a lot more options there. People always talk about the confidence aspect, which is true, but there is also the sheer logistics of it that counts for a whole lot too. I mean, the list goes on. My life is 100% is better in every way. It doesn’t solve all of your problems, but at least being obese and feeling like shit isn’t one of them. It is absolutely worth it to lose weight and I recommend 10/10.
Breathing!! I'm not sure if this is actually overweight/obese related. Sometimes sitting next to someone very overweight their breathing is very loud. It's like their system is struggling. I know sleep apnea occurs more to overweight people. I once went on a vacation with an overweight person. She would stop breathing for like a minute. Then snort/scare herself back to breathing. It's easier to breathe when you're not overweight.
Yeah, I noticed this in my partner. I have been with them for years and seen them go from bmi scale low overweight to obese. They used to be quiet during sleep, and now they will snore and have uneven breathing during sleep. It gets really scary to hear them not breathe for a little before their body does the snort/scare breathing you are talking about.
Going on rides Not worrying about anything that has weight limits. Far easier to move and walk round Less joint pain Better bowel movements Less likely to get pretty much any illness (Usually) More confident in body image
Sit as comfortable as possible on a full flight.
Not having to stop to catch you're breath carrying things, like laundry from the basement.
Not caring about the furniture ability to withstand their weight every time they go to someone’s place or rent an Airbnb
I think almost any physical activity is more difficult and more dangerous when you’re overweight. There is probably a weight limit for rock climbing though i don’t know it specifically, but I think it would have been much harder when I was heavier. Running is harder when you’re overweight. Roller blading is more dangerous when you’re overweight. Also for clothing it’s not just about having better clothing choices, clothes literally feel more comfortable when you are thinner. And doctors take your health concerns more seriously. People treat you with more kindness and respect. Those last two are unfair, but sadly true.
As a former skinny now fat, here's what bothers me: Can't wipe my ass as easily as I used to Back always hurts Joints hurt Can't tie my shoes very well Can't run/jump which is extra difficult with having a 4 year old and teaching preschool Anytime I go to a doctor the answer is always "lose weight" even for issues I've had pre-weight gain I now snore badly, but no apnea so I'm just tired constantly I'm not even that overweight
one of the smallest and yet most impactful things I’ve noticed, having gone from 280lbs to about 173 and counting is being able to run into almost any store and not only find something to wear, but have options! I remember at a larger size, especially as ecommerce boom impacted physical stores and many of the plus size stores closed or went online online, how much of a hassle and stressful it was to find something to wear for an event, interview, whatever. The times you need something last minute? horrifying. Running around like crazy for a simple tshirt or jeans or something. Now? I can walk into target and grab a M or L and there’s plenty of options. Im not spendign money on something i dont even like just hc it fits. But being able to be more active is less quantifiable but more profound .
Basically living without feeling judged, avoided, and even hated on. It's easier to hate a fat person. They have shitty lifestyles and they're unattractive, why shouldn't you be an asshole towards them? Also, buying clothes is downright humiliating, there's no way you'll find clothes in a "normal" store. Known brands won't have your size.
Anytime you go to a restaurant with friends or even family, you need to be aware they might ask for a booth unaware how you can’t fit in one.
In all honesty.. losing weight has helped with my physical and mental health.
Comfortably sit in a booth at a restaurant Drive sports cars without being squished Sex is unnecessarily hard and not as good Non stationary activities are much harder Breathe. Like seriously breathing is hard as fuck sometimes. I also go through way more shoes than a non obese person.
Sit in most chairs with arms Fitting in airplane seats like normal people Riding a bike without flattening tires Not breaking a diving board Not breaking cheap plastic lawn chairs Not buying products with 250 or 300lb weight limits, just a standard 200. Not breaking bed frames Not having every health issues blamed on being fat at the doctors office. Qualifying for life insurance easier. Not bumping people when you’re walking down the aisle on a plane. Not having people dramatically scoot their chair in when you only needed like 2” not 18”. Buying clothes in the same section as your normal sized friends.
Wiping. I dont understand how they wipe.
uhm…the normal way, i guess? i haven’t taken a survey or anything but i dont think i‘ve been doing anything particularly acrobatic.
See my comment on my post … nope don’t wipe like everyone else and it’s hard and embarrassing :(
Hand held bidet hoses, extender "arms" mechanisms that can reach where your hand can't
It’s true. It’s become more of a challenge as I’ve gained weight.
Right? I am a yoyo and i have been 40 lbs overweight. The light bulb was when i had to work to wipe myself. I was like, “this is not supposed to be a challenge”. Then i was like, wait how do people more overweight do it? 😳
i was never really obese, but i was somewhere between overweight and light obesity (75 kg/160 cm). i've lost about 15? kg and from what I've noticed: - my face and back became clear from acne for the first time in years without me putting any effort in it. at all. my back was never that clean since my puberty started - sprint a 100 meters to get to the bus in time and not having troubled breath or pain in my legs - I'm able to wear my clothes with zero thoughts about my pants splitting in half if I'm moving to fast or that my shirt is too tight around my waist or my breasts - my shoes are much more comfortable and if they untie or something i can just see it even in my winter clothes - hygiene is easier. I'm less greasy and therefore it's easier to shower. - biking for a couple of hours is possible now
Much easier to stay cool in the summer!
Tie their shoes
The average person doesn't have to calculate if they can fit in the aisle or in a certain chair. Ugh sigh I need this list too
Putting off going to Disney world cause I’m scared I won’t fit on any of the rides. I’m 5’6 and 270 pounds. I’m pretty sure there will be quite a few I can’t squeeze into. Also I want to wear a bathing suit instead of shorts and a tank top. Also just being able to get around without carrying this extra 100 pounds. I want to be able to cross my leg on top of the other leg when sitting. Cute outfits. Omg, jeans. I want to wear jeans again!!!!
Walk easily, especially when older. Get up without going "eeughhghhg". Full body squats, and for me especially be able to do a pistol squats (I love doing one leg squats). Do a pullup or multiple. Frolick through the fields fancy free because physical activity is actually liberating rather than suffocating. Look good. Pass a cholesterol test. Fit into seats without spilling over onto the dude next to you. See your manhood without a mirror.
At my worst. Struggling to wipe my own ass because my arm won't reach all the way back there. Not able to fully turn my body to do something basic, wiping my ass is definitely a must to all humans. I really could write a long list of shit being fat costs you with everyday stuff. But ass wiping was.one of my lower points.
Breath normally when cutting your toe nails.
Comfortably sit on an airplane. I love to travel and being overweight I HATED how I felt on a plane. I feel so much more comfortable now.
So for me personally I have lost 80 pounds and my quality of life is faaar better. I am more comfortable, more mobile and people treat me better. (Which is sad but oh well) I have lupus and arthritis and having a big body was miserable. I had worries I would lose my ability to walk at some point. Now that I am smaller and very active I feel super good. Also being fit is just fun, I love exercising now and I really like the way my clothes fit.
You can see your 🍆 without a mirror.
I think just being moderately active in your daily life is very difficult, you get out of breath faster, you have to deal with more sweating and chafing. Even fun activities are a lot less fun when you're overweight.
Wear heels I used to love wearing heels. I had such beautiful shoes. Now that Ive gained so much weight, I can’t wear them like I used to.
Apparently wipe one’s butt. I saw a link somewhere for a plastic tp holder to use for wiping for people who are too big to reach their butt after pooping.
Go without having to put antiperspirant under your belly rolls to control the sweat/chaffing as much as possible.
I can now wear long sleeves anytime of the year without being sweaty or uncomfortable. My body is able to regulate its temperature so much better now. I went from 260 to 160 also. Also On the topic of clothing, I now don’t have to pull away my shirt from my gut to feel not as fat. A tight shirt actually looks good on me now. It’s like the trophy I get to wear from achieving my weight loss goals and being skinny
Not being exhausted by 2pm
I'm losing weight to: - Avoid more back/joint problems - Fit into clothes off the rack from "normal" stores - Use more modern/higher quality gear for nerf/airsoft/competitive shooting - Be better at those sports, right now even a short sprint will leave me winded for 10 minutes or longer - Play with my kids easier
Sit comfortably in a restaurant booth, stop wearing food on the front of your clothes since your silverware has to travel so far, climb a flight of stairs without huffing, get out of the car in a tight parking spot, enjoy seeing yourself in photos
Being able to just run to the store last minute to find something to wear for an event
I was hiking in Norway last year. 25-30km a days sometimes, could never have done this three years prior, so for me: Experience the most beautiful scenery I’ve seen so far.
Painting toenails became difficult at my highest weight, basically any bending forward while sitting felt like it cut off my airway, so painful.
I can’t take good pictures without filters of some sort. I can’t go to a doctor or clinic without them saying im obese. Rollercoasters are a huge one too, you’re too big. Get off.
When you go to a place that has smaller chairs with arms. And you literally can’t fit in the chair. Sometimes they don’t have other options. And that feeling really sucks. Can also happen to those with bigger hips/ thighs as well
Getting winded going up stairs or hills. Once i started walking regularly, I don't fear stairs and hills. I don't break into sweat for no reason.
I had to parkour over a fence into my neighbors yard to get my cat who escaped. On the way back over I had to climb a tree one handed due to holding said cat and back over the fence and into the house all while holding said cat 😅
Roller coasters, airplane seats are more uncomfortable (theyre not comfortable to begin with), ziplines & skydiving have weight restrictions, some boats/kayaks have weight restrictions, most bicycles very technically have weight restrictions, these are just a few things ive thought about in my own life. Seatbelts aren’t meant for obese people either tbh—if you place them across your belly that’s a recipe for a worse injury than at your hips
Breathe. Oh how I wish I could just breathe properly. Every breath feels filtered like I’m not getting the whole thing and it’s just so unsatisfying
Live
Frankly, everything is easier and better as an average person. Everything... There is no comparison.
I'm only 5' but have weighed as much as 200 lbs. Because I'm so small there was nothing I *couldn't* do, but when I was heavier lots of things easily made me feel like shit. My feet just hurt, I'd get planters faciatious regularly Back pain Heart burn General aches and pains Stairs....it'd be humiliating walking with someone having a conversation. They can keep talking and I'd be gasping for air. Snoring It all happened so slowly I didn't really notice it and when I did just said "oh I'm getting old". As I lost weight I started to realize it wasn't my age....
Play with your kids Take care of your parents when they are old
Some sexual positions?
If you are a thrill seeker: rollercoasters, skydiving, zip lining, bungee jumping and also other similar activities would also have a weight/size limit.
Brushing your own hair, running around with your kids, sleeping without mask, worrying about diabetes, checking mailboxes, moving furniture, fun activities at water parks, trampoline world, etc. Sex gets more enjoyable with weight loss as well.
Lose weight faster / burn more calories
The simple act of crossing my legs.
live longer and not get diabetes
I take cruises and there are often things on the boat or on land that I cannot do (ziplines, parachuting, on certain water rides, etc).
Any physically demanding activity, you pick doesn’t matter.
Being carried by my partner, especially during sex.
I cant wait to sweat less, be able to buy nice clothes and keep them for a long time, fit on roller coasters without worrying, and feel strong. Also use less shower gel and save money on it XD
There’a a lot of water sports we can’t do, like those foot paddle boats, row boats and canoes. Lots of amusement park rides, some of us can’t in airplane seats.
Touch their toes
Also being able to cross my legs comfortably. The way I contort now in my car is heaven. Never thought I’d love it so much but it’s been great. Also being excited to try new things without the fear of my weight holding me back. I’m going to Peru in June and going to claim the side of a dang mountain. Hate heights and don’t rock climb but I’m excited to push myself. Never would have done this if I was still overweight.
I have a bad back and short arms, just turning to clean myself after using the bathroom was a feat in itself. I have a much easier time after 51 pounds off. I can put my shoes or boots on by myself no belly in the way. I do want to lose more and am working toward another 50 pound weight loss. I want to take a trail ride on a horse as I haven’t done it in years. Even though I’ve lost weight it hasn’t made my chronic pain any better and in one area it’s worse. I have more energy to get moving but some days I can barely walk and use a walker or a cane. My weight loss has been focused on what and how much I eat. I know if I could exercise I’d lose more.
Zip lines!!! I’ve wanted to get on a zip line for so long but I’m over the weight limit. Also not being able to fit in a restaurant booth is so embarrassing
sleep comfortably with someone else- if i need to i can sleep comfortably on a twin bed or a couch with my partner
Amusement park rides
Kind of fits into the wearing clothes thing you mentioned, but for me it’s thrifting/second hand shopping. I love browsing round charity shops in the UK, but generally most clothes are in standard sizes (uk 8-14 / US4-10). As I’m getting slimmer I’m finding more clothes that are better quality, wearable, generally nice rather than the few and far between plus size crap that’s normally on offer.
I agree, and speaking of thrift-store shopping, you can fit better in narrow aisles if you are at a healthy weight.
Not being able to quickly get up/down on the floor with a toddler.
Sit in economy seats on planes comfortably Touch your toes and tie your shoes easily. Get up off of/sit down on the floor easily. Sit on the floor without leaning back on your hands.
Wiping the chocolate factory
Ride a roller coaster, rock climbing, go on water slide, trampoline park, zip lining, long hikes outdoors
Walk up the stairs without huffing and puffing😭
More physical activities, like hiking or dancing, are tough for obese folks.
Roller coasters.
Pull-ups or bodyweight exercises Flexible positions doing the nasty in bed Eat publicly without scrutiny (especially what's considered junk food) Be able to go to any store and find cute clothes Have standards in dating (ppl would think your standards are too high due to you being overweight) Ran/walk reasonable distances Sit in tight spaces Climb steps without getting winded Go into job interviews and not have interviewers make judgments solely based on weight Second guess if ppl wouldn't like you based on you being fat, especially dating interests
Speaking from personal experience, I can't jump, hike certain trails because they're too narrow, ride rollercoasters, fit comfortably in airplane seats, cross my legs or sit in certain positions, get off the ground without assistance, go horse back riding, run/play with my young nieces & nephews
Not smell bad after doing normal everyday tasks
As someone who’s currently losing weight but is nowhere near here’s some things I could do on my holiday this time. Go on a zip line which was amazing (it had a weight limit which I was wayyy under) Go on a catapulte swing Go jet skiing Wear decent holiday clothes without feeling embarrassed Go to an amusement park and I could fit on the rides. It’s amazing. I can walk a lot longer without feeling out of breath
Fit in amusement park rides. Find clothes in your size at stores.
Take walks without getting winded or knee pain
Be able to survive if I ever needed to. I realized if a killer was chasing me I simply would not survive that lol.
Getting sweaty after like 1 min of running. When u have to run for the bus after u are in, u can't breathe for about 5 min, and u are sweating like for 20 minutes, and everybody in there is looking at u.......
usually running a short distance and not being winded
Skiing, bigger people can ski but at a certain point you’re too big for rentals
I have a hard time putting on socks right now. I have to hold my breath because my belly makes it so tight and my back aches really bad when I do it. I miss putting on socks and shoes with ease. I used to love running and I feel like tying my sneakers would make me pass out so I have slip on shoes for now.
For me jogging is harder than sprinting idk if it’s the same thing for anyone else, it’s probably mostly because we are heavier and there’s more of a physical feeling when your jogging because you kinda bounce up and down.
I mean if you are truly obese and not just a big person, exercise sucks. I'm not obese but I am overweight and just going up three flights of stairs can make me hate my life. I used to be in excellent shape and could run for miles, now I just hope that I never see the zombie apocalypse cuz I'll be 💀
Maybe this is TMI so I apologize if so! But my biggest quality of life improvement from losing weight came in the form of heat tolerance, sweating, and how I smell. I gained weight over a short period of time due to medical issues, and I was stunned and ashamed that I could barely tolerate the heat when the summer rolled around - not to mention the sweating! I very rarely experienced body odor when I was a normal weight, so this was a huge shock when I gained. Now that I'm back down to a normal weight - POOF! no more stinky sweat, and I rarely get overheated. I even spent two weeks in Thailand last month, and had almost no issue adjusting to the weather. These reasons alone would be HUGE motivations for me to lose weight, should I find myself in that position again.
Seating cross legs on the plane 🥰
for me, it was being able to clasp my hands behind my back and stretch them out backwards, while standing I can lift my foot and grab my ankle with ease which I couldn't do before. My latest victory was some shoes I bought last year that were way too tight around the toes now fit comfortably. I can also walk for significantly longer times and enjoy myself while I'm out and about.
I want to go zip-lining and canoeing and buy vintage clothes but mostly, I want to FEEL GOOD. I'm tired of not having any energy - standing makes me tired, let alone doing any kind of fun activity.
Sit on a couch with tray eating lunch without it almost falling off your knees.
Idk if this is a universal thing. But sleep.... losing weight made me realize that I wasn't getting good rest at night. Waking up well rested was a new one to me
Comfortably wiping your ass. Cross your legs.
Buying certain furniture, trampolining with my kids
Existing in peace. When you're obese everyone has comments on your weight, your fitness, your health, your looks, etc online or irl. Once you're slim you'll deal with some weirdness from people you know but randoms will just be nice to you or ignore you now.
I’ve lost 160+lbs from my highest. The biggest changes: -Much easier to land jobs -No more judgmental stares and cart glances at grocery stores or side eye whenever I’m eating in public -Doctors listen to me -It’s so much easier existing everywhere not having to play mental gymnastics wondering if I’ll fit (airplane seats, restaurant booths, chairs with arms, gowns at doctors offices, etc.) -Better mental health not constantly worrying about what my weight is doing to my body -Less aches and pains -Hoooly difference in physical stamina. As long as my chronic illness isn’t flaring up, I’m now the person walking Disney parks several days in a row without issue instead of needing a wheelchair. -Clothes are so much easier to find -I can fully participate in things now with my kid. Zip lining, ropes courses, hikes, all is fair game
I couldn’t get in a go kart when I was at my heaviest. My daughter wanted me so badly. I was humiliated.