Repost: What is it like to be skinny???

I posted this in both the 50+ BMI forum and the Main forum and got so many grat answers I'd like to see what some people around my age think! Several post in the other forums talked about how lucky I am to get this while I'm still "sooo young"(at 27 I dont feel so young!)
I don't believe I've ever really came in here, but I guess I do fit the catagory and would love hear your stories! So here goes:

What is it like to be Skinny???

…Well maybe not “skinny" but healthy??? I’ve never been thin before in my life. Fortunately aside from a couple incidents I haven’t delt with the whole lake of self confidence and the invisible, but CLEARLY visible feeling when I enter the room. I remember not having a lot of friends in my school years, but there were a few close ones. By the time I was 18 I had been at my “old permanent" weight of 275 for 6 years already (and held that weight for 4 more years, up until a 100 lb gain 2 years ago) and I had learned to “fake" my self confidence. I wasn’t happy with my body, but I wouldn’t show anyone else that. I fixed up my make up and hair and figured out how to make the “skinny girl outfits" out of the “granny" clothes that were offered in the plus size department.
    Anyhow, I know I will feel better and I know I will (god willing) live longer. Along with all the other pros of being at a healthy weight.  I guess I’m not really asking “What is it like to be skinny?" I’m wondering if anyone else had this feeling before WLS.  
    I also think- This is not going to happen for me. Not as though I’m setting my self up to fail, but more like- All my 26 years and nothing I did took off nearly half of the weight I need, hope or expect, to loose after my surgery. 

 I guess this is kind of a hard question, one that I still even with 110lbs off of me I'm having trouble answering.  

I'm still me..that didn't change, the package did.  Some days I feel like I still weigh 246lbs and I have to remind myself that I don't anymore.  Some mornings I'll wake up in a panic thinking that I gained all my weight back in the night. Unfortunately people treat me differently at this weight..they treat me better.  Unfortunate because I think everyone should be treated with dignity and respect regardless of your weight.  People are much more open to strike up a conversation or ask me if I need help in a retail situation.  I  never noticed this until I lost weight.  You will get more attention but remember the people who were there for you before, they are really the only ones who matter.  

As far as how I feel...I feel a million times better.  I know what it's like to get winded going up stairs or not be able to run even a few feet and now that I can, I wouldn't give it up for anything.  I didn't realize how miserable my body was until now.  

I won't lie, the first year is pretty easy with the weight loss but it does get hard after that point.  I have plenty of bad days but I do try every single day.  I feel like anyone else who's trying to maintain their weight and be healthy but unfortunately I have to keep my food addiction in check, much like a recovering alcoholic would.  Hopefully not everyone has to struggle with that but I sure do.  Just never give up...if you give up, you fail....if you keep trying, then there's always progress to be made.  

Good luck to you!

~Emily~

Oh I hear you on this one.

This is or was one of my big issues of getting the wls I did not want people to treat me different. But they will, But I also know I do not want to be this big any more.

With me it was a message a protector I used my weight to protect who I was. To ward off those who could not see and love me for me. To scare those away to intimidate others. I had some real mental issues there.

  The first thing for me was to deal with the fact that no one made me this big I did this all on my own. No one twisted my arm or threaten me to get this big.

Then I had to deal with why I allowed myself to get this big what was the real meaning behind the weight.  And how am I going to deal with it so it wont happen again.

Every one has their reasons. I am a firm believer to get to the root of the problem to fix or the problem will still exist.

I too am 27 and feel like it is somewhat impossible for me to ever really be thin.  I was thin as a little child, but for as long as I can remember (probably since I was about 9) I've been overweight.  I've always just felt like I could lose some weight, but that I'd always be "big".  I've always believed (and still do for the most part) that some bodies are just never meant to be a size 4!  Then, I come on here and I see all of these people who started out much bigger than me (I currently wear a size 16/18) and here they are wearing size 2's... I guess we just don't know how this journey will be for us until we get on it!  I hope to post one day that I'm a size 6 and inspire someone like me to "take the plunge" themself... but for now it really just feels like a dream that may or may not ever come true, like winning the lottery, we all dream, but only some ever get there!

 I love the support on  here but it can be at time a double edged sword.  When you see people who get down to a size two (which is great!) it can be frustrating for those who won't ever be a size two (which is fine!).  So that's where the whole psychological part comes into play and just being happy with your own accomplishments and progress....not trying to be something that's unrealistic.   

Sometimes I have to remind myself of the things that I can do now that I couldn't do before that have nothing to do with numbers on the scale or sizes on jeans.  I think we get too caught up in that and forget that we can climb that extra flight of stairs or not feel squeezed into the seat belt.   It's those little things we need to remember.  

~Emily~ 

I dont really think of myself as 'skinny' I think of myself as normal... I feel like I look (for the most part) on the outside how Ive always felt on the inside.
There are things I no longer have to worry about... fitting my butt into a seat, being hot/sweaty all the time, getting out of breath easily, being the biggest person in the room, being a doormat or feeling I have to tolerate things because I was overweight etc., not fitting into clothes, having a hard time shopping... pool season!
Now I just pretty much live life and deal with the 'normal' problems most of us face.

I will say accepting the post-WLS body is not easy... at almost 4 years out I struggle with dealing with the excess skin and sag I have... I am VERY greatful to have had the surgery and lost the weight but have to be honest is saying I do feel a slight disappointment that I damaged my body the way I did, I did SO much work to lose the weight and still have to deal with the 'side effects' of obesity... but I keep saving for PS and just accept the things I cannot change and keep chugging forward.

I am currently trying my hardest to deal with the skin, because without it being removed, I know I'll continue to feel like a "fake" skinny girl, like I don't really belong...

Being skinny is...surreal. Awesome and scary and fun all at the same time. It's WAY better than I ever thought it would be, but there are a lot of new complications arising in life from it that I never anticipated...