Oh damn, they didn't recognize me?!

I went to a event this weekend where I saw people I used to work with. It's been a while, and I know some drama had likely passed in the meantime, and so I wrote it off as them feeling awkward when they did the head tilt, squinty face and "...superprawn? Hi?" I immediately went into No Awkward mode and facilitated smooth conversation til we all had to move on. But two people did that same exact thing, and it left me wondering what's up, did I miss something? I literally just realized holy shit, it wasn't some phantom company drama...I simply looked that different! They were legit like ...is that you?... and it absolutely went over my head. I've officially hit my lowest weight in my adult life, just 10lbs away from GW, and I am filled to the brim with appreciation for my body. Like it's gone from existing as a burden to just...existing? I never quite realized how much mental space i gave to my dissatisfaction with body. Like yes, I lost weight, but mostly I lost *mental weight*. I can move on now. I'm free. Sounds dramatic but that's literally how I'm feeling rn. Haven't felt comfortable with my body since I was 9 years old. I feel like a kid again.

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The “feeling like a kid again” has been the most powerful NSV in my life. It’s hard to describe it, just so pure and good. Simple moments of joy and wonder. I see it over and over in posts on this sub, too. Glad you are feeling amazing, OP!!!

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This is good motivation tbh. I went home in April for the first time in 3 years and we took a family photo and I looked SO FAT. It was massively depressing but it got my ass moving and I’m halfway to my first GW. I’m back there again at the end of November (so technically 3 months) and this has helped me get off the hump I’ve been sitting on.

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Man, you explained it so well. The mental weight!!!

So much of my time is wasted on the physical and mental burden of being overweight. Being uncomfortable, ill-fitting clothes/bras, etc. It’s burdensome.

I cannot wait to get out of the physical and mental prison this added fat has me in.

Congrats on your success!

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Something similar happened to me last week. I was teaching a class on refereeing and one of the adult students was trying to talk to me about the administrator from last year and wanted to know what had happened to them and if they were still involved in the program. It took me a couple minutes to figure out he was talking about me 60 pounds ago.

We all had a good laugh about it but it’s weird to think I’ve changed so much from the guy described as “heavyset dude with a beard”