Hey Y’all.
Hope you are all well! Okay..so usually my posts are pretty positive, I try to make them as inspiring and uplifting as I can but today’s topic is somewhat of a different nature, not necessarily to stress anyone out or worry people but to just be aware of when embarking on a healthy quest or weight loss journey.
There are things that people don’t really talk about enough when loosing weight, either on the journey or post weight loss, and those things need to be talked about because I had no idea when I started my journey that these things might indeed happen to me and If it can raise more awareness and give people a bit of knowledge about what to expect or what may or may not happen then that’s a great thing.
- Loose Skin – Okay, people don’t really talk about skin sag or excess skin very often, and it’s something that is a huge problem for a lot of people who loose a drastic amount of weight, every person is different it’s something that needs to be considered when embarking on a weight loss journey. I am very lucky indeed to have not much loose skin post weight loss but I have still got problem areas such as my arms, thighs and belly that have a little toning up to do, my tips would be using weights to tone muscle, cardio for core strength, taking fish oils, eating right and taking good quality supplements and vitamins.
- Downsized Boobs – No matter what exercises you do or what creams/supplements you take, if you loose weight you can’t maintain the same size boobs naturally. Trust me, it’s a medical fact. I had massive boobs before my weight loss, I was a size 40 H at my largest and to be honest with you even though I loved them I was getting pretty pissed off with them too, backache and constant attention from men even just wearing a high cut top got really tedious from time to time, I am still a generous 34 F which I am more than happy with however I do still have days where I miss my huge melons. The plus side is that I can find more bras in my size and dont get as much upper back and shoulder ache, the down side is that I had to invest in new underwear which was pricey.
- Confidence Perceptions – When you reach your weight loss goals, especially if it’s been a long hard journey to transform your life, you feel amazing, you have more energy, you feel confident, proud of yourself, happy and healthy but what i have realized is that confidence can be perceived as vanity and showing off, it’s really difficult to know where the line is, It’s something that I’m still learning about myself and others, being mindful of other people’s feelings but at the same time not letting it dampen my spirits when people’s perceptions can be negative.
- People will always try and shame you no matter what you do – What I’ve realized is that no matter what size I am, people will always have something negative to say, when I was a size 22 it was ‘she’s got a pretty face, shame about the body’, ‘wow, she’s big’, ‘damn, she needs put down the fork’, ‘she’s fat’, ‘she’d be really good looking if she lost weight’, and now I’m a size 12 I get ‘she must be so obsessed with the way she looks, so superficial, ‘she must be starving herself, ‘she’s vain’, ‘she’s let the weight loss get to her head’, ‘she’s changed’. It’s like I can’t bloody win, and to be honest people will always have a reason to bring you down. Gotta hold that head high and move past it.
- Sense Of Self – For a long time my sense of identity came with my ‘Large & In Charge’ attitude to life, it was my calling card. I was the big girl hiding behind the big personality and trying to be the life and soul of the party, my sense of self came not just from my ‘alternative image’ but also my attitude, I still maintain that but not in the same way as i did when I was big, which I think has been one of the most confusing and difficult thing for me to get over, that even though I’m not a size 22 anymore I still believe every woman of every size is beautiful and that nobody should be categorized or put into boxes, I don’t want people to remember me as ‘the girl who was fat but is now slim’ – I’d rather be remembered as ‘Sally, the girl who loves kids, loves singing, loves her family and friends’ – y’no what i mean. It’s a tough one that I’m figuring out every day. I do not want my size to ever define me.
- Relationship Challenges – Something I NEVER thought was that any of my relationships would be put under pressure during my healthy quest. I assumed that everyone would be supportive and happy for me, the reality is..not everyone will see it that way, you may loose friends or be challenged by the attitudes of people around you, it’s THE hardest thing about weight loss. Human beings are sensitive and fragile and sometimes when you loose weight people start viewing you differently, and those attitudes can create friction even in really strong friendships.
- Weight Loss Doesn’t Solve All Your Problems – Okay, so loosing weight can make you energized, more confident etc etc but It doesn’t solve all your problems, it’s not the answer to everything. Bad things still happen in your life and you still have to deal with your shit, it doesn’t heal your soul or mend your heart, you need to nurture your inner self as well as your physical body. I find that self nurture is absolutely essential, whether it be spirituality, mental wellness, meditation, painting, yoga.. whatever you love and makes you feel truly peaceful, do it.
I’m sorry if this has been a little of a sad post, I just felt I needed to express my feelings and be real. Much love & Peace – Sal ❤
Sal's Healthy Quest 