When I graduated high school, I was very close to weighing 300 pounds. I had an epiphany when I went to a theme park and could barely fit on the rides. The summer after senior year I changed my lifestyle. I began working out and eating better. I’ve lost a significant amount of weight and my life changed quite drastically. I will be honest and tell you that these days I don’t work out like I used to, and sometimes I have days where I eat like a complete pig, but I do try my best. Life has changed as I’ve graduated college and have begun to work crazy hours, but I know I will never allow myself to get to that point ever again. Although I wouldn’t reconsider making the lifestyle change I did six years ago, there are pro’s and con’s to a significant weight loss:

1.People talk about it. It’s really flattering that people notice that you’ve worked really hard to make healthy changes to your body. At first it’s a great feeling every time you hear it; but after a while, it gets annoying that it’s a go-to subject for small talk with you. Yes I used to be an orca whale. I’m glad that’s all you can think about when you see me.

Long live the legacy of "Hefty Hanna"
Long live the legacy of “Hefty Hanna”

2.You can wear things you couldn’t before. Clothes look better on you than they did before and you can pull off more looks. Praise-Jesus-Hallelujah!

tumblr_n13ulblp4U1rkp9ijo1_250

3.You get more attention from guys. Which on one hand is awesome because you get more choices and hotter picks. But then again, are these guys really liking you for the right reasons?

tumblr_nekn1dLnBV1qlk7iko1_500

4.You don’t have to worry about fitting through things. Like in between a tight squeeze of chairs in a restaurant, or crossing over a row of people in the movie theater without everyone having to stand.

article-2386481-1B318539000005DC-661_634x556

5.You have to buy new clothes. This is great because you probably have more options now. But if you continuously lose weight, you continuously have to buy new clothes. It can be expensive!

giphy

6.Your body changes. Obviously your figure is slimmer, but there are some unfortunate things that happen too. Stretch marks and saggy skin are the most common scars. It sucks to work so hard for a better body and still have things to be self-conscious about, but if you can learn to be proud of those things and view them as a symbol of your hard work, it’s worth it. Even Chrissy Teigen has stretch marks!

c8c30f90-e454-11e4-bdba-ff38af0e2226_Chrissy-Teigen-Stretch-Marks

7.People will come to you for health advice. You could probably use this as a selling point if you decide to be a personal trainer. But if not, it can get pretty annoying getting on Facebook just to read 5 messages from people who want to know your “secret”.

this-is-what-i-want-to-tell-so-many-people-i-hear-complaining-about-a-lack-of-weight-loss-67000

8.Eating isn’t as fun anymore. You are CONSTANTLY thinking, how this dinner roll will affect my body and how many minutes of running will I have to do to make up for it? And you won’t get the same satisfaction from the junk food you used to eat after cutting it out for a while.

giphy (1)

9.It can change some relationships. You may have to stop being around certain people as much due to their eating and activity habits. But it may also help some of your relationships grow by taking classes, hiking, or cooking/finding healthy places to eat.

dietmarbles

10.It’s easier to get a job. It may unfortunately be due to superficial reasoning, or maybe you are more confident in your skin and aced the interview. But people are more likely going to hire someone that is healthy and happy vs. someone who may cost them workman’s comp or will call out sick a lot.

ba4939f39fb99687b59c3429a16ea6fe

11.You will notice your health problems more. The more you take care of your body, the more you learn about it. You will know what feels normal in your body and what doesn’t. If you eat something bad, you will feel it. This is helpful for you to know when you need to seek medical attention.

giphy (2)

12.People will respect you. You kept disciplined, persevered, and achieved your goals! FOUR FOR YOU GLENN COCO! Or maybe stay away from the Candy Cane Grams…..

tumblr_lqqbwwYsnp1r2v855o1_500

Author

Kylie is a 23 year old wedding coordinator who lives in Arizona. In her free time, she likes to work out, volunteer at an animal shelter, read, and watch Netflix. She can't go a day without quoting Mean Girls. You can follow her @kylijoh_

Write A Comment