What did your weight hold you back from doing?

I have just bought a special journal to write down some of my experiences on this journey and to write my 'wanna do list'
Some of the things on it are..

To take my son go karting and partake of course.

Join a parent child karate class

To go on amusement park rides.. I haven't since being in my 20's and I miss it.

Go to a water park. I have never took part as I was never comfortable even when I was smaller.. truth be told I have NEVER felt average when it comes to weight..even when I look back at pics in school and saw I was indeed very average.. just very tall and all my friends were sticks!
Anway onward..

Go to reunions that I've always made excuses for not being able to make.

Sing in public my hubby is a musician and he's wanted me to join him  before when at open jams etc.. but I could never think of putting myself out there to be stared at like that.

Go shopping in a normal clothing store. I can't wait to buy things and discover what my actual style is.. instead of just settling for what fits.

Get a professional family portrait done. Actually just to be in some pics with my family doing things would be nice.. I'm not in many at all. I want my boy to be able to look back and remember me at  those times too.


 

It prevented me from living!!  I pretended I was okay but inside I was broken.  I am only 5 weeks out and feel better than I have in a long time.  I am very proud of myself for taking time to improve me!

Well ya, I guess emotionally it's a whole nother level for me LOL but for some of the physical stuff it will be great and help me heal the emotional once I'm out there living my new life too.

Being confident in my personal life, shopping for regualr size clothing and boots that zip upto the knees.

Having more energy and more confiedence in social setting it the best,

Definitely want some cfm boots lol.

 

What everyone else wrote!  All of those things were the things I thought of, especially the amusement park rides.  I'd love to go on roller coasters with my son, but I'm just too big to fit into them properly.  And I LOVE them.

I would add to that, just fitting into places meant for smaller people.  Bus seats, plane seats.  Plane seats especially - after my last plane trip in June, which was five hours long, I said to myself that I just can't do that again until I lose weight.  Five hours on an airplane in a seat that is way too small for me was hell.  I would love to go to Europe, but since that would take even longer by plane, I don't think I could handle it.

I'd love to be able to fit into the middle seat of three seats on the bus or subway with two people sitting opposite.

And yes, having pictures of myself that I don't hate and beg people not to post anywhere would be nice too.

Uuuuummmmm....EVERYTHING and ANYTHING!!  If I look back at the last 10 years of my life when I was the heaviest, I would say that my weight was related to every single decision I made. It was such an integral part of my existence (not in a positive way, obviously), that I carried it with me- no pun intended- in absolutely everything I did.  Here are just a few of the things it prevented me from doing:

1.  Exercising.  It's not that I couldn't, but it was emarassing to do it and sometimes was even painful.

2.  Participating in all sorts of family events and outings.  It always seemed like my husband was the one doing all the things with the kids, especially in the summer since anything and everything would cause me to sweat up a storm. 

3.  Eat in public.  I was a huge closet eater because I was always very conscious about others watching me eat and thinking "What business does she have putting THAT in her mouth??"

4.  Sitting on the patio at a restaurant.  There are always plastic chairs out there, and everyone knows what they feel like on the thighs when you are overweight!  Booths were another no-no unless they were visibly very accomodating.

5.  Looking at strangers in the eye.  I still have to get over this.  I always felt very self-consious around strangers wondering what they thought of me, that I rarely looked people in the eye.  Now I make a consious effort to do just that and it feels good to be seen and really heard, but this is a battle that I have to work on everyday, since it has become a really big habit.

6.  Standing up for myself.  I guess after writing all of this I must sound like I was a really intimidated and broken person when I was over-weight, and I guess in a lot of ways I was.  I never stood up for myself before, like if a cashier or service person was giving me a hard time.  I always felt like they would pull out the "fat" card and of course, that trumped everything.  Now I am working on being much more assertive and it feels great. 

It is amazing how much energy I put on my identity as a fat person instead of who I actually was as a person.  I let my weight determine my entire personality, and it was unfortunate, because I did and do still have so much more to offer. Thank goodness I have shed all of this weight.  Although it hasn't been a fix-all for everything in my life, I feel like I am more of the person I was always meant to be, and for that I am entirely grateful to this entire experience.

Enjoying life
and my later in life child I was miserable every day I have gained so much quality of life even with my knee replacement in the spring.Last night I went to a party I danced for hours and stayed out till 2am got up at 7 and feel great no knee pain and I know I will not be cringing when I see the pics .3 years ago we went to my hubbys 25th anniversary party I had an ok time but was totally ashamed and embarrased when I saw the pics ruined it for me and I suffered with swollen and painful knees for days after

 Amusment park ride****s home for me!! 

I have an almost 3 year old son and I want to be able to do everything he wants. That is my goal, to not only improve my quality of life but his aswell. 

Marny I so hear ya on the plastic chairs thing.. we'd get invited to many outdoor events and I was always so stressed about seating.. I was afraid they'd have the cheap small plastic chairs. I also passed up on sitting at patios or going to certain places for that very reason..I'd be mortified to sit and break one..
That's what's going to make me a good hostess when I'm smaller and confident enough to have some gatherings... I will make sure we have chairs for all shapes and sizes :)