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Women Explain The Most Sexist Thing That's Happened To Them

Women Explain The Most Sexist Thing That's Happened To Them
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Today's burning question was one asked by Redditor DEDCMDM94.

"Women of Reddit, what is your 'trying to buy a car/item but the seller is sexist' story?"

This is what it's like being a woman in a world that doesn't value your input or respect your personhood. A sobering read lies ahead.


"Was once..."

"Was once in a car crash and spend the next day sorting out panel beating, etc. Went to get the front axle realigned. The guy was incredibly condescending and questioned me for a couple of minutes with questions such as "now why do you think it's out of alignment sweetie". Got really fed up and just asked him to follow me out to the car where he went quiet and admitted it was bent. He would've only been a couple years older than me (22)."

AshSdG

"I was trying to rent an apartment a few years ago."

"The landlord (who was a middle-age lady) kept talking about how I needed to find a husband to take care of the paperwork for me."

"In fact, a whole lot of our conversation was about how I needed to find a husband. She also made passive-aggressive jabs about how I wasn't getting any younger. And she kept saying that I should have "a man around" to deal with basic things like changing lightbulbs and taking out the trash."

"I wish I could say I didn't rent from her, but the unit was really nice and cheap for its size."

"Ironically, every time I needed help with something, she said to deal with her (not her husband), because he was lazy and incompetent."

Weinenschlagen

"We were having problems..."

"We were having problems with our water heater and called someone to come take a look at it. My husband happened to take the dog for a walk just as the guy arrived. For some reason he decided he was going to need to cut a giant hole in our wall behind it. I didn't know any better so I started helping his move stuff out of the way. Just as he's getting his saw ready, husband walks in the door. Suddenly his entire story changes and actually all he needs to do is replace a small part. His attitude was completely different and magically he did not need to ruin our drywall. I was pretty frustrated."

albertagenuinedraft

"I went to a dealership..."

Giphy

"I went to a dealership to purchase a car after mine was totaled in an accident. My father in law drove me because my husband was at work. This guy kept ignoring me and talking to my father in law. Even after every question was answered, "I don't know what kind she wants, ask her." and "I have no idea what her budget is." I walked off and he was still talking to my father in law, showing him a car. I walked up to another salesman and told him that guy apparently didn't want to sell women cars and asked if he did. He was glad to help me and kept smirking at sexist guy while filling out the paperwork. I think there was some rivalry there because my sales guy was very accommodating and even threw in four brand new tires."

wylderpixie

"When we were buying a house..."

"When we were buying a house we told the lawyer to contact me. He kept contacting my husband instead and not even cc'ing me on emails. The problem was that my husband was working nights and sleeping during the day, so he wouldn't return calls or check his emails until the business day was already over. It was so frustrating! We actually had a deal fall through because the seller's broker did something shady and our lawyer's response came too late and was incompetent. When we bought our home, we used a different lawyer."

dogsordiamonds

"During my..."

"During my horse riding days one guy wouldn't sell me a stallion because I was a woman and I couldn't handle him. The stallion needed a "strong man like him."

pumpkincheetos

"Not me..."

"Not me but my wife's aunt who is an engineer at one of the biggest car manufacturers working on engines. She went to get her oil changed and the guy behind the counter kept trying to up sell her on the more expensive oil and telling her why she was wrong when she kept insisting on the OEM oil specified in the manual. She eventually had to tell the guy that she helped design the engine to get him to use the oil she wanted."

huntergreenhoodie

"I wanted..."

"I wanted to buy a car that was present on the lot and not already in process with someone else (the kind of car where every dealership has 15+ of that car because it's kind of their flagship) and while I was allowed to test drive it, it became clear to me that I was NOT going to be allowed to buy it."

"They told me they could sell me one, but it wasn't heeeere yet. I was like can you sell me that one, pointing to one on the lot that was exactly what I was looking for, and they were like ohhhhh no, not thaaat one, that one is not the sport version (I'm looking at it and I see the sport tag and visible sport-tier changes to the exterior). So I'm like ok you're weird, that's fine, I have another car to drive, let me know when "the good one" comes in."

"I get a call, I go back to buy the car I asked for. The one that came in is the super luxury premium version. I say no. They've got another one, it's got wheel locks and an upgraded sound system. But hey! It's $500 off the $3000 difference in price! I'm a dumb woman, that must sound like a good deal to me, right??? I ask again if they're willing to sell me any of the many cars that meet my criteria on the lot. They tell me that none of those cars exist."

"I left and bought a car from another dealership in a different town. That guy said yes, we have a car like that, it's this one, would you like me to put your name on it? Ok I'll have it detailed, come test drive it this weekend to be sure and I'll have the paperwork ready. Bought a car in one day, after spending 2 weeks trying to buy one somewhere else."

84th_legislature

"I had a guy..."

"I had a guy refuse to rent me an apartment because I'm a woman. I called to ask for details on the place, and he asked if it would be just me or if anyone else would be sharing the apartment. When I said no, it's just me, he told me a "single lady shouldn't be living alone", and he would not rent to me. When I tried to insist on seeing the apartment he yelled over me "GOD BLESS" and hung up. This was 2012."

ElectricDanceyPants

"I was at an..."

"I was at an airport duty free shop looking for a decent bottle of whiskey to get as a Christmas present for a friend. Shop employee came up and asked me what I was looking for, I told him I was deciding on a bottle of whiskey. He asked if it was for a man or woman and I responded, kind of puzzled, why does it matter? He told me it mattered a lot because women only like sweet drinks, and then in response to the totally baffled look on my face, asked me to explain why, if it wasn't true, women like Coca Cola so much."

"I just...what? Women only liking sweet drinks is a common and irritating stereotype, but his reasoning...that women like Coca Cola, the most popular soda in the world...what?! Okay."

ummmugh

"I lived alone..."

"I lived alone in a home I purchased myself. My husband and I were only just engaged and not yet living together as he had his own house and we were just doing our own things. I wanted to get new windows. A salesman stopped by and when he noticed the ring and asked if* I was engaged everything stopped."

"He refused to continue the appointment unless my fiance was there to help make the decision. I kindly explained he doesn't own the house, I do and that he doesn't even live here (he lived an hour away at the time). The salesman would not do it. He would not sell me any kind of window unless my fiance was there, too.

"Obviously lost my mind over that, reported his poor behavior to his company and told them all to f*ck off. I got windows elsewhere.""

PrincessFig

The Best 'Actually, You're Speaking To The Boss' Experience | George Takei’s Oh Myyy

"I am the wife and I always buy the car."

"I am the wife and I always buy the car. The last time my hubby was living in one town and I was living in another town (for temporary work reasons) and he went to the dealership to try used cars. When he made his choice he told the sales guy he was going to have to talk to the wife about the sale so I get on the phone with the guy and proceed to tell him what we will pay for the car (used, 4yo, 40K mi Prius). He did the "I gotta talk to my manager" routine 3 times trying to upsell me but I just kept telling him what I would pay for the car out the door. He even tried "adding" stylish racing lines and heated seats and I said aren't those things already on the car? My hubby said they are aleady on the car why are they extra? After that, he just gave me the car for what I asked in the first place. We have done this routine for years as my hubby hates to haggle. I also am a retired Pharma sales rep...."

femsci-nerd

"He proceeds to tell me..."

"I was in a hardware store looking for some screws after one got messed up during an installation. I had the screw I needed in hand and was looking at the selection. A male employee comes up and asks me if I need help. I say "no, just looking for what I need." He starts to ask questions about what I need, blah blah. I finally give in and show him the screw. He asks what it's for. I tell him."

"He proceeds to tell me that I'm looking for the wrong thing and hands me a packet of screws that are ENTIRELY different from what I need. I just say "thanks" and walk away, waiting for him to leave the aisle. After he was gone, I went back and and traded the pack out."

DancingChip

"I was at a hardware store..."

"I was at a hardware store with my husband. He had to go to the bathroom so I told him I would go check out and meet him after. The checkout guy was asking me if I knew what anything in my cart even was, and told me I was "too pretty" for manual labor. He then said women shouldn't even need to work at all, since their husbands should be able to support them while they raise the kids. My husband is an A&P (aircraft mechanic) for an airline, and I realized I was wearing one of his hoodies from the A&P school he went to, so I told the checkout guy I was an A&P and threw a few buzzwords at him. He then asked if I was a lesbian. I reported him."

blondegator

"My favorite story..."

"My favorite story along these lines was the time my hubby and I went to Game Stop to buy me a tiny XBox 360 wireless controller for my tiny hands. The male clerk asked my husband what he needed. I said, "I need one of those small wireless 360 controllers." He then asked my husband what games I liked to play. My husband said, "My wife can answer her own questions, thanks."

Damn_Dog_Inappropes

"I wanted to trade in my car..."

"I wanted to trade in my car for an SUV about a month after I got married, but before I changed my name. Found one I wanted, called my husband to come see what he thought. The salesman, an older guy who had previously been super nice to me, completely flipped the switch when my husband showed up. He started catering to him and acting pretty condescending towards me. When he found out we were newlyweds, he started asking if the upgrade was for babies or if it was a wedding present for the "little wifey"

"Husband (who rocks btw) said "nope, this is 100% her car. She the breadwinner, I'm a stay-at-home dog dad" (not completely true, he runs his business from home, but I do make a lot more money than he does)."

"Salesman laughs like it's a joke and continues to talk options with husband, ignoring me."

"I asked the receptionist who the newest salesman on the floor was, and then asked him to show me a Platinum package, fully-loaded 4WD version of the SUV I wanted. Bought it on the spot with all the bells, whistles and warranties."

"I filled out all the paperwork while the old salesman was still trying get my husband to buy a completely different vehicle than the one I was looking at. He didn't even realize what had happened until the store manager brought me my keys."

"I wish I had a picture of the look on his face."

throwaway161633

"During wedding planning..."

"Car salesperson kept drifting the conversation over to my husband when I was buying a car."

"Car insurance kept emailing my husband about our joint car insurance policy instead of both of us. When my husband took his car off that policy (he sold it without replacing it), he kept getting all the emails instead of me."

"During wedding planning, I was addressed regarding all the details, and my husband was addressed regarding payments."

"Oh, and waiters always hand my husband the bill and the card machine, even if it's my card with MRS KHEANEY written on the card."

MrsKHeaney

"As a female gamer..."

"As a female gamer who majored in CompSci and sold electronics at Toys R Us during college, I don't think a day went by where I wasn't talked down to about technology by someone. But the absolute strangest one wasn't as a buyer, but came from an older lady who was looking to buy Studio Ghibli movies."

"I'm also a huge anime fan, so I was excited to recommend my favorites and ones she and her grandkids might like... but she just refused to talk to me, and kept asking if there was another employee who "knew about this kind of stuff." She eventually caught eye of my long-haired, male coworker, and was like, "he looks like he would know!" and went off to ask him. He knew nothing about anime, but when he finally figured out what she was talking about, I saw his face light up. "Oh, you should ask ekyou over there, she knows all about that stuff!" And she stomped off without another word."

ekyou

"My mum recently..."

"My mum recently went to purchase her first new car from a dealer and brought my dad along with her. They looked around, a dealer met them and mum said she was after this type of car. The dealer proceeded to show cars like that to dad, following him all around the car yard selling away, so mum left and went and bought one from a different dealer that wasn't sexist and ignoring her."

"Mum was pretty fucked off because she's never been in a position to buy a new car before this, and was super excited, but this dealer just wanted to cater to dad."

Wahnine468

"I went to a dealership..."

"I went to a dealership to purchase a vehicle with my then husband. We were certain of the type of vehicle we wanted plus the payments we could afford. Salesman puts us in a completely different truck with payments $200 over our budget. He convinces my ex-husband that this was the BEST deal for him and that it was all he could get. I said that we needed to go home and talk about it, knowing it would be a case of buyers remorse. Salesman looks at my ex and says "You need to get your woman in check." I never went back and proceeded to buy two vehicles from a dealership 4 hours away in the next month."

kelbelled

These are some harrowing reads. Do you have a similar story to share? Let us know in the comments below.

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People Reveal The Weirdest Thing About Themselves

Reddit user Isitjustmedownhere asked: 'Give an example; how weird are you really?'

Let's get one thing straight: no one is normal. We're all weird in our own ways, and that is actually normal.

Of course, that doesn't mean we don't all have that one strange trait or quirk that outweighs all the other weirdness we possess.

For me, it's the fact that I'm almost 30 years old, and I still have an imaginary friend. Her name is Sarah, she has red hair and green eyes, and I strongly believe that, since I lived in India when I created her and there were no actual people with red hair around, she was based on Daphne Blake from Scooby-Doo.

I also didn't know the name Sarah when I created her, so that came later. I know she's not really there, hence the term 'imaginary friend,' but she's kind of always been around. We all have conversations in our heads; mine are with Sarah. She keeps me on task and efficient.

My mom thinks I'm crazy that I still have an imaginary friend, and writing about her like this makes me think I may actually be crazy, but I don't mind. As I said, we're all weird, and we all have that one trait that outweighs all the other weirdness.

Redditors know this all too well and are eager to share their weird traits.

It all started when Redditor Isitjustmedownhere asked:

"Give an example; how weird are you really?"

Monsters Under My Bed

"My bed doesn't touch any wall."

"Edit: I guess i should clarify im not rich."

– Practical_Eye_3600

"Gosh the monsters can get you from any angle then."

– bikergirlr7

"At first I thought this was a flex on how big your bedroom is, but then I realized you're just a psycho 😁"

– zenOFiniquity8

Can You See Why?

"I bought one of those super-powerful fans to dry a basement carpet. Afterwards, I realized that it can point straight up and that it would be amazing to use on myself post-shower. Now I squeegee my body with my hands, step out of the shower and get blasted by a wide jet of room-temp air. I barely use my towel at all. Wife thinks I'm weird."

– KingBooRadley

Remember

"In 1990 when I was 8 years old and bored on a field trip, I saw a black Oldsmobile Cutlass driving down the street on a hot day to where you could see that mirage like distortion from the heat on the road. I took a “snapshot” by blinking my eyes and told myself “I wonder how long I can remember this image” ….well."

– AquamarineCheetah

"Even before smartphones, I always take "snapshots" by blinking my eyes hoping I'll remember every detail so I can draw it when I get home. Unfortunately, I may have taken so much snapshots that I can no longer remember every detail I want to draw."

"Makes me think my "memory is full.""

– Reasonable-Pirate902

Same, Same

"I have eaten the same lunch every day for the past 4 years and I'm not bored yet."

– OhhGoood

"How f**king big was this lunch when you started?"

– notmyrealnam3

Not Sure Who Was Weirder

"Had a line cook that worked for us for 6 months never said much. My sous chef once told him with no context, "Baw wit da baw daw bang daw bang diggy diggy." The guy smiled, left, and never came back."

– Frostygrunt

Imagination

"I pace around my house for hours listening to music imagining that I have done all the things I simply lack the brain capacity to do, or in some really bizarre scenarios, I can really get immersed in these imaginations sometimes I don't know if this is some form of schizophrenia or what."

– RandomSharinganUser

"I do the same exact thing, sometimes for hours. When I was young it would be a ridiculous amount of time and many years later it’s sort of trickled off into almost nothing (almost). It’s weird but I just thought it’s how my brain processes sh*t."

– Kolkeia

If Only

"Even as an adult I still think that if you are in a car that goes over a cliff; and right as you are about to hit the ground if you jump up you can avoid the damage and will land safely. I know I'm wrong. You shut up. I'm not crying."

– ShotCompetition2593

Pet Food

"As a kid I would snack on my dog's Milkbones."

– drummerskillit

"Haha, I have a clear memory of myself doing this as well. I was around 3 y/o. Needless to say no one was supervising me."

– Isitjustmedownhere

"When I was younger, one of my responsibilities was to feed the pet fish every day. Instead, I would hide under the futon in the spare bedroom and eat the fish food."

– -GateKeep-

My Favorite Subject

"I'm autistic and have always had a thing for insects. My neurotypical best friend and I used to hang out at this local bar to talk to girls, back in the late 90s. One time he claimed that my tendency to circle conversations back to insects was hurting my game. The next time we went to that bar (with a few other friends), he turned and said sternly "No talking about bugs. Or space, or statistics or other bullsh*t but mainly no bugs." I felt like he was losing his mind over nothing."

"It was summer, the bar had its windows open. Our group hit it off with a group of young ladies, We were all chatting and having a good time. I was talking to one of these girls, my buddy was behind her facing away from me talking to a few other people."

"A cloudless sulphur flies in and lands on little thing that holds coasters."

"Cue Jordan Peele sweating gif."

"The girl notices my tension, and asks if I am looking at the leaf. "Actually, that's a lepidoptera called..." I looked at the back of my friend's head, he wasn't looking, "I mean a butterfly..." I poked it and it spread its wings the girl says "oh that's a BUG?!" and I still remember my friend turning around slowly to look at me with chastisement. The ONE thing he told me not to do."

"I was 21, and was completely not aware that I already had a rep for being an oddball. It got worse from there."

– Phormicidae

*Teeth Chatter*

"I bite ice cream sometimes."

RedditbOiiiiiiiiii

"That's how I am with popsicles. My wife shudders every single time."

monobarreller

Never Speak Of This

"I put ice in my milk."

– GTFOakaFOD

"You should keep that kind of thing to yourself. Even when asked."

– We-R-Doomed

"There's some disturbing sh*t in this thread, but this one takes the cake."

– RatonaMuffin

More Than Super Hearing

"I can hear the television while it's on mute."

– Tira13e

"What does it say to you, child?"

– Mama_Skip

Yikes!

"I put mustard on my omelettes."

– Deleted User

"Oh."

– NotCrustOr-filling

Evened Up

"Whenever I say a word and feel like I used a half of my mouth more than the other half, I have to even it out by saying the word again using the other half of my mouth more. If I don't do it correctly, that can go on forever until I feel it's ok."

"I do it silently so I don't creep people out."

– LesPaltaX

"That sounds like a symptom of OCD (I have it myself). Some people with OCD feel like certain actions have to be balanced (like counting or making sure physical movements are even). You should find a therapist who specializes in OCD, because they can help you."

– MoonlightKayla

I totally have the same need for things to be balanced! Guess I'm weird and a little OCD!

Close up face of a woman in bed, staring into the camera
Photo by Jen Theodore

Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.

Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?

But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.

It would be so great to be sure there is something else.

But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.

Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:

"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"

Sensations

Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy

"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."

PeachesnPain

Recovery

"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."

"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."

"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."

good_golly99

Take Me Back

"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."

"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."

rayrayrayray

Free

The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy

"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."

TooReDTooHigh

This is why I hate surgery.

You just never know.

Shocked

Giphy

"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."

Admirable_Buyer6528

The SOB

"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."

"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”

1-cupcake-at-a-time

Colors

"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"

Hannah_LL7

"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"

huntokarrr

The Fog

"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."

"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."

Fluffy-Hotel-5184

Through the Walls

"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."

"She's quite alive and well today."

Hot-Refrigerator6583

Well let's all be happy to be alive.

It seems to be all we have.

Man's waist line
Santhosh Vaithiyanathan/Unsplash

Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.

The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.

Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.

Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:

"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"

Redditors didn't see these coming.

Shiver Me Timbers

"I’m always cold now!"

– Telrom_1

"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."

– r7ndom

"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."

– mr_remy

Drawing Concern

"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."

– dee-fondy

"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"

"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."

– LizardofDeath

Unleashing Insults

"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”

"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."

– alanamablamaspama

Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight

"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."

– KeltarCentauri

"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."

– KatMagic1977

"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."

– Jaew96

These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.

Shopping

"I can buy clothes in any store I want."

– WaySavvyD

"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."

– ganache98012

No More Symptoms

"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."

– colleennicole93

Expanding Capabilities

"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."

– Ramblonius

People Change Their Tune

"How much nicer people are to you."

"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"

– LiZZygsu

"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"

"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"

– awholedamngarden

It's gonna take some getting used to.

Bones Everywhere

"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."

– Princess-Pancake-97

"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."

– bekastrange

Knee Pillow

"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."

– snic2030

"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."

– Strongbad23

More Mobility

"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."

"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."

– dma1965

People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.

But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.

That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.