Things I hadn't expected about losing weight

There's lots of things you dream about when you're heading towards a life of being slim. Lovely clothes, tons of confidence, the joy of movement. Getting slim is full of surprises;  treats, little things that give you a special thrill.  Being able to fit on a bus seat without suffocating the person next to you; recycling those fat baggy clothes; being able to climb that hill without getting out of breath. Bliss!

But it's not all hunky dory when you reach your target goal.  One thing was that as I lost weight, I started to feel cold for the first time in years.  I hadn't expected that. Of course, I'd lost several inches of insulation, the laws of physics were going to prevail, but I was still taken aback

I first noticed it in my Pilates class. I suddenly realised I wasn't cooling down, I was freezing and I had to start wearing more layers for the class. As the winter set in I had to buy a hat (yes a warm woolly hat!) I have never worn hats except in Arctic conditions and then under duress. And I had to buy warmer gloves - insulated padded gloves. Finally I had to but a new winter coat.

After years of being too hot, it was quite a shock to feel the cold and to work out how to dress warmly enough to function.  As we settle down into our cold and dark Scottish winter, I am beginning to acclimatise to my new insulation levels and this year it feels quite normal to dress up warm. I'm starting to like being able to wear thick jumpers without feeling I'm being suffocated (and looking like a pregnant ewe). I love my thick warm coat - it's like wearing your duvet!

Another thing I hadn't expected was just how quickly my clothes got too big once I started losing weight and how quickly I ran out of clothes to wear. Of course I knew that my clothes would get too big, it was really the whole point of losing weight wasn't it! But I hadn't really thought it through or planned for trousers that wouldn't stay up, which led to a few clothing dramas.

Like many people, I can't afford to buy new clothes every month, so just how was I to manage my wardrobe and stay decent as the clothes got baggy?  I wanted to save up my new clothes for the end - like saving the ice cream until the very last mouthful - the ultimate treat.

I used belts.  First I bought a large-size belt, then a few months later I bought a medium-size belt.  Belts kept my skirts and trousers up as I went down from a size 16 to a 14. At that point my large clothes looked weird so I bought one pair of size 14 black trousers in the sale and wore them almost non stop.  I finally bought a small belt which did me until I got to the end.

I must have looked a sight, but I didn't care, I'd started so I was not going to stop until I'd finished.  Funnily tops were less of a problem, partly because I lost less weight there, and I just wore tee shirts under a increasingly baggy tops. I didn't look like a model, but it worked.

Nine months later I hit target and I went shopping and bought new clothes that fitted my new size and the new me. I was so pleased I'd not splurged out til the end, it meant I could get a new wardrobe and a new slim style.

As I enter my second year and second winter as a slim person, I am much more used to having less insulation - plus I have more muscle to keep me nice and warm! 

Oh and one more downside. My lovely ancient pussycats - Kyle and Bute are not happy. My lap is no longer the expansive padded lounger that it was. I'm a bit less comfortable and the cats sit on me less often (they still like Ali though). I'll just have to put a cushion on my lap! 

I hope that wherever you are on your weight loss journey and whatever dreams you have for being slim, you are on track and that any blips or problems are small ones!

What's surprised you about losing weight? I'd really love to know.

Take care

Sue