Funny things I didn't expect...

[mjhoss]

I was thinking today about a few things that I never expected to happen when I started Atkins:

1. My wedding rings look HUGE now that my fingers are smaller.
2. My pants are longer (funny, I didn't notice my legs getting longer...must be my butt getting smaller!)
3. Shoes fit better
4. I enjoy talking to myself and congratulating myself when I step off the scale! Sometimes to proved I'm not crazy for this, I actually tell the cat. She doesn't seem to care.

What are some things you've noticed that you didn't expect?

[PinguChick]

LOL. That's great.

I didn't expect to LIKE IT. At first it was so painful to change my way of eating, I thought it would be hard to keep at it. Instead it has become super easy, and I can't really fathom eating any differently. I guess I'm a lifer! Low carb is YUMMY!

[noinwi]

I've had less hair loss. It has been thinning a lot over the years, much of it due to medications, but the thinning has definitely slowed down...and it looks thicker because my face is thinner!

[black57]

I have had a reduction in grey hair...seriously folks. And I think that I know why.

This is what causes it:

http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/115/29550/catalase-culprit-gray-hair.html

[mjhoss]

Hmmmmmm...reduction in gray hair!? Very interesting....

[Almajo]

Am a little embarrassed to admit this, but I did not expect to EVER want to be seen in a bathing suit again in my life.
I almost cried when first trying on (it took a lot of nerve) a small size one. Now I have four !
I walk in a large "walking pool", or do laps in the lap pool almost daily - and there's a bunch of people around!
Good luck to you - you're doing great, Alma

[valerieD24]

I never expected to feel this healthy. I can run a few miles with no problem even take an advanced spin class and then another hour on the eliptical and breeze through it. I never thought It would be this easy to keep on track and push through. 43 pounds gone and I still never expected my self to say I will reach my goal.

[karenjs]

I agree, I too have found my pants are longer, my rings look bigger and my hair isn't falling out as much.

But I also have noticed I can still see the edges of the chair when I'm sitting in it.
I've also noticed I have almost no natural padding when I'm sitting on a hard bench now, but I'm perfectly fine with taking a cushion!
I've also noticed that I can bend over and pick things up much easier!
Oh, and my fingernails seem to grow faster and stronger!!!

[Likesspace]

Hmmm.....
Well, for one I guess I never expected to care about myself. I figured that life had dealt me a bad hand and I was pretty much stuck with what I had. Now I've taken control of my life and enjoy each and every day.

I also pretty much lived my life confined to the boundaries that my weight had set for me.
For instance, instead of buying clothing that I thought I looked good in I bought what was available that fit me.
Instead of getting out and enjoying myself I sat around in my fat clothes and watched t.v. and ate.
Now, my weight doesn't control me. I control it and have for the last 7 years.

I never expected to consider myself an athlete but now I play racquetball at a competitive level for several hours at a time.
That's a far cry from when walking even a city block would leave me breathless.

When I started, my goal was simply to be able to walk into a store and buy something off the rack instead of searching out big and tall stores that were usually 60 or more miles away. I never expected for my life to completely change and to find this new, confident and happy person that was hiding inside.

Dave

[LC_mermaid]

1. I am getting the same thing with my pants dragging the floor. I have hemmed and hemmed again.

2. I am having to learn to walk differently, I have been kicking myself in the inner foot area. I have less inner thigh fat and I am like putting my feet too close together. Its wacky, I keep almost tripping myself. I guess I couldn't really get my legs together enough so my legs just stayed pushed out from fat and now I am all messed up.

3. I have moved one ring to another finger and the other one was spinning too much, I had to stop wearing it.

4. I don't look like me most of the time in the mirror, it freaks me out, I am expecting the bigger me. This also happened after I lost the first 50lbs, I got used to that me, now its happening again.

5. I feel weightless, its so cool.

[karenjs]

LC Mermaid....LOL at the inner thigh thing. I understand.

Something else you reminded me of. I can cross my legs again when I'm sitting!!!! :)

[LC_mermaid]

Hmmm.....
Well, for one I guess I never expected to care about myself. I figured that life had dealt me a bad hand and I was pretty much stuck with what I had. Now I've taken control of my life and enjoy each and every day.

I also pretty much lived my life confined to the boundaries that my weight had set for me.
For instance, instead of buying clothing that I thought I looked good in I bought what was available that fit me.
Instead of getting out and enjoying myself I sat around in my fat clothes and watched t.v. and ate.
Now, my weight doesn't control me. I control it and have for the last 7 years.

I never expected to consider myself an athlete but now I play racquetball at a competitive level for several hours at a time.
That's a far cry from when walking even a city block would leave me breathless.

When I started, my goal was simply to be able to walk into a store and buy something off the rack instead of searching out big and tall stores that were usually 60 or more miles away. I never expected for my life to completely change and to find this new, confident and happy person that was hiding inside.
This is great, you have really come a long way. Congratulations Dave!!!

[TinaBC]

One of the big things I noticed when I first lost apx 85 lbs is that I could bend over and paint my toenails for the first time. I cried. Since then (2003) I have stayed in a 15 lb rut..currently on the high end of that cycle. Reading this type of stuff inspires me again.

[noinwi]

Unfortunately, I'll always have a lot of inner thigh fat...it's in my genes/build...had it even at 110lbs. I've only lost 15lbs since the year began(metabolism of a slug), but I too have to get used to seeing myself in the mirror. I always lose in my face first and for the first time in about ten years, I'm not looking at my grandmother in the mirror('cept for the wrinkles, but I can live with that)! Hurray for us!!!

[CMCM]

The most important thing I have learned is this: It is not so hard to do this diet successfully after all, that I, ME, am completely able to control my food and not have it control me. And I'm surprised at how much better I feel about myself because I've seen that yes, I absolutely CAN do this and lose the weight I want. I've learned to have the smart amount of patience and realize that weight loss/fat loss won't and doesn't happen as quickly as I want it to...but after all, putting on the weight didn't exactly occur day to day, did it? I learned to use my brain with this. Weight creeps up. I guess you could say weight creeps down too. It's a heady experience in the beginning when a lot of weight drops off quite fast, but we all know that is primarily water weight. So I've learned it's all about patience and consistency. CONSISTENCY!! Then after time, some say 21 days, some say 28 days, your new habits become ingrained and it really does get much much easier.

For the longest time I just couldn't keep myself on track, I kept giving up and cheating, I kept rewarding myself with junk which kept me from succeeding. And I was depressed about my inability to stay on track. Then I wasted a lot of time thinking I had some physiological reason I couldn't lose weight. How silly of me! Pure and simple, it was this: I ate too much, I cheated too much so my insulin was always raging high and busy storing all the carbs I ate as fat, I didn't exercise enough, and I was never consistent with the eating. So now I know I can do this, and it's really quite easy. I just have to be consistent and patient.

A small funny thing I noticed is my FEET seem smaller (probably less fat on them). Just slightly, so that some of my shoes which were a bit tight now are less so. That's good...I have trouble with shoes.

[lhill]

that i would much rather reward myself with new clothes instead of fast food.
i have only recently returned to lc (about 7 weeks) and lost about 24lbs and just that little bit makes me feels so much better and really for the first time i really feel i can do this for the rest of my life
linda

[crease]

i'm not ashamed of my weight anymore. hell, i'm in a competition at work that requires weekly weigh ins - either witnessed or self reported - and i'm totally OK with others knowing my weight.

the smell of bread turns my stomach - all i smell is yeast. yick.

i *like* wearing skirts. who knew??

[madeyna]

I never got used to being obese so not too much. The only thing I can really think of is its so much easier to do walk up the hill when I,m down in weight.

[crs]

This is a great thread! :yay:

I actually roll my pants at the waist so that they don't drag the floor and a few weeks ago I realized that I could actually cross my legs again. :cheer: Not only do my shoes fit better, but also I've noticed a difference in the way my bras fit. :cheer:

[noinwi]

Oh, yes, CRS, less boobage feels so much better! I'm glad I saved some hardly worn bras that had been too tight...I don't have to buy new ones!

[krystalr]

I never expected to really be treated differently. I really noticed it at the store today. When I was larger, nobody would ever ask if I needed help, was doing ok, etc. I literally had someone about trip over himself to help me check out through the self check out. I was just pretty much invisible when I was large.

My wedding/engagement rings no longer fit. My 2 wedding bands will need to be remade because they cannot be sized. Thankfully my dad is a jewler and can handle that...but I haven't been able to wear them for 2 months now.

I never expected to be a size 10 again. I was this size in MIDDLE SCHOOL. And even now, a size 10 is getting large. I was convinced that I was destined to be obese, as my entire family is. I was convinced that 250lbs was just where I was "meant" to be, and I could never get beyond that.

I never expected to feel "normal" again. Even if I don't see it, I know I am a normal size now. I was at work doing a body fat test the other day. There is a girl I am friends with, and I always thought she was SO skinny. Tall, lean, pretty. I envied her. We went for our tests, and she was only 10lbs less than me. That really hit it home.

I never expected to be able to shop at a "normal" store. I had to get everything from Lane Bryant because I couldn't find things in other stores. I have to relearn how to shop and where I like. Someone asked me where I would want a gift card for for my birthday...I honestly couldn't answer. I didn't know where I liked because I hadn't been shopping in a normal store in 10 years.

I never expected to enjoy being active and working out. I love going to the gym and working with my trainer. I love being outside in a tank top soaking up the sun. I love not sweating to death anywhere I go now (although I am tired of always being cold lol). I love being able to sit on a patio and enjoy a dinner outside without not being able to breathe.

I never expected a lot of things...but man oh man, am I thankful for them all, big and small!

[madeyna]

Your post made me smile . Even though I don,t know you I am thrilled you discovered yourself. My brother and sister in law are 100 plus pounds over weight each and they are raising their youngest to think she,s just big boned . She is huge as in fat huge and they are depriving her of knowing what its like to not be tired all the time and be able to keep up with the other kids, and to be able to shop in normal stores. I hope someday she is able to find herself like you did and not just think its hopeless because she doesn,t know what its like to be a normal weight.

[Luzyanna]

Something I didn't expect when doing LC: discovering I am allergic/intolerant to eggs, peanuts and coconut. Not exactly a positive note sorry. :o