35 Obese People Share The Things A Non-Obese Person Would Never Understand

I literally just had emergency gallbladder surgery on Friday and have been battling issues with my gallbladder for 5 yrs. I was told it was bc I was fat and if I lost weight the pain would stop. Well in the past month I lost 20 lbs from not being able to eat and nearly went into liver failure bc my gallbladder and liver was infected and to top it off I had stomach cancer surgery 3yrs ago that left scar tissue that tore my pancreas which could have also killed me. So yeah for 5 yrs I was told I was in pain bc I was fat and they didn't run diagnostics or anything.

And that's why my friend (post #1) ended up in the hospital and passed a few weeks later.

Yep, went to a vascular surgeon because I suspected I have DVT, because I've had SVT and a recent leg injury, the surgeon wrote strict diet as his medical opinion without even checking my legs.

I went to an OB/GYN for lower abdominal pain. He scheduled me for exploratory surgery, then spent 1/2 an hour describing how he lost weight, I really should exercise (I do) and that I should lose a good amount of weight as well. I know I'm fat, I'd lose weight if I could. If I didn't have thyroid, heart, kidney, pancreatic, problems as well as diabetes, neuropathy pain, maybe I could concentrate on a healthy diet. Oh Wait!! I'm on assistance. I get $23/month to help me maintain a good diet.

Oh that is so true. I walked out of a drs appointment once because i was have carpal tunnel pain. Funny thing is, the only thing about me not overweight are my arms!

I hate photos of myself no matter what my weight is.

I used to always stand in the back

This is why I love the selfie setting on my phone - I've learned how to position myself to my best advantage. Photos don't scare me any more

The women on my mom's side of the family are all tiny skinny women, I'm really stocky like the women on my sperm donor's side. I dread family photos because looking at them makes me feel like I'm not really one of them.

I've had a gbp, changed my life, healthy and healthy weight et al, still think I'm the biggest one in pictures. Mentally, it doesn't change.

And sometimes it is the food we eat. White flour instead of whole grain for example. Some of us are so used to eat white bread, but it needs big amounts of insulin to digest and then you are hungry again in no time. Whole grain is harder to eat and the taste is different to white flour but it needs less insulin over a longer time, it doesn't spike. Plus, you are not hungry over a long period of time. So eating habits are very important in addition.

That's like saying antibiotics are cheating - why can't you just keep cleaning your wound out, it's simple?

you can't just 'eat less', it does not work that way. You have normal weight, gained a few pounds sometime or during pregnancy, lost it all, you weren't fat, you felt fat, there is a very big difference. We don't like being fat, we are not proud of it (although some have peace with it, also a big difference). It's a disease, a mental health issue and a serious one at that. We have finally reached a time where that is somewhat recognized, but still, there's a long way to go.

For me the problem is that I don't ever have hunger cues. Yes, it's weird! I'm literally never hungry. I can go all day without eating (which I frequently do!) and it doesn't bother me. I have scar tissue in my esophagus from previous surgery and I think that's what causes it. So anything that influences appetite doesn't work. Since I'm never hungry I tend to gravitate toward anything that I crave and tastes good. That's the only thing that makes it worth eating. And we all know that cravings are usually things that are bad for you. :( Yes, it's mental too and I frequently make bad choices. I'm aware of it but sometimes I just don't care.

Just be aware that the moment you stop taking the med you will gain all of it back. There is also a risk of developing Gastroparesis. I take Ozempic to help manage my diabetes and get really mad at how badly drs are misleading people into taking this d**g as a miracle for wt loss.

It's also more difficult to lose weight as you get older.

Or you get a chronic health issue that's worsened by exercise. Before that I was a healthy weight, going to the gym 3-4 times a week. That combined with meds that cause weight means I'm now a very different shape.

I worked a desk job and found I gained and lost then gained more weight. I found a more physically demanding job, where I'm moving and on my feet all day. I've had to put some new holes in my belt but my weight seems stagnant on the scale. I don't think I'll ever be back to my old weight again. Perhaps for the better, though. I was considered underweight. Now, I'm just more sore all over and unable to do much after work.

My ankles and feet are a mess from standing for long periods at work so taking long walks like I used to just isn't possible anymore. It's not worth the pain I'll have to endure at work the next day.

I decided to eat 16/8, because I can make that work for myself. That helped me (M57) keeping my weight. I really did not want to get overweight. And yeah, I love sweets. Tons of it... so there is a struggle.

I broke three tables within three months. The last one i remembered my poor trackrecord, so i tried and failed to stop myself from making contact. My ex had a good laugh, I was embarresed, but it did make me reflect on the quality of my future and wether this is how I wanted to live. Now I have a six-pack and the back of a miner, and the doctor still tells me i need to do "exercises", because I dont look thin enough with clothes on.

Not only finding clothes that fit, but clothes that are not horrifically ugly either. My god..

The clothes issue is hard. So is the fact that I was too big for the regular MRI scanner at one place. The tech was SO nice about it but I was mortified. It was a very small scanner and he said I wasn't the only one it happened to. I was still embarrassed though.

This was particularly hard, nowadays they cater more to bigger ladies, but back when I was over 228lbs it was really hard to find anything that fit my body right.

Was in a hairdressers once. First time at this particular one. They showed me to the chair and it was one of those STUPID chairs that don't have support at the top at the back...you know the ones, they usually have those hollow metal tubes in the shape of a Squarish C. Anyway, I was mid cut when all of a sudden, the mirror in front started to disappear and I was staring at the ceiling! The chair had buckled under me. I awkwardly got out of it and up off the floor. They said don't worry about it and brought out a wooden chair from the back. The cut was finished in relative silence and I paid and then couldn't get out of there quick enough! Needless to say, I never went back to that place. I felt like sh!t. I was 24 when that happened, I'm 51 now and I still hate even thinking about that incident.

Biker shorts, or, bandelettes. A lifesaver!

I keep a jar of cornstarch for my partner in the bathroom for this exact reason.

This is why I love Monostat chafing relief gel. It's made out of dimethicone. Essentially you can use it in place of smashbox as a makeup primer. And Walmart makes an equate generic version. This stuff is wonderful under every fold of skin that rubs together, under belly, breasts, extra folds on your arms. Best of all, it dries like a powder when applied. Amazon sells it online in a 3 pack for less than $15 US and Walmarts generic version is like $7 for a 1.5 ounce tube. You're welcome ! 😊

Biker shorts.

My mom and I have always called it "to burn one's thighs off" (brænde lårene af, in Danish). Because that's what it feel like. It is horrible and so so painful!