As you go through your wellness or weight loss journey there are many challenges you will face and changes to make to your lifestyle. Most are expected, but there will be surprises. This isn’t bad but could be surprising. The biggest surprise and something I’m still getting used to is my size. This may sound odd, but it’s the shock and relearning about who you physically are. As you shrink in size, you have to get over the mental block to get comfortable in your new body.
Mental Life Being Larger
If you’re like me, then you’ve probably spent most of your life in larger body. You’ve lived a life watching people stare at you or hearing whispers about you. When you walk into a room you wonder what people are thinking about you. Now, this may not be what is actually happening, but you’ve experienced some sort of body shaming so often that you always wonder.
For years I had a fear of going to the gym because I had some poor experiences in prior visits. I have been laughed at and scoffed at. I’ve also seen it or heard about it happening to other people. When this happens regularly, you develop a discomfort with going into certain spaces. Similarly, I would fly, but was always uncomfortable with it. I would see people stare at me, almost seeming to hope that I wasn’t flying with them. I even had an experience where family members were trying to decide who would sit with me. Even more frustrating was the thought of having to ask for a seatbelt extension.
I’m Really Not That Small
When my body started to shrink, I started noticing small things like my belt shrinking and pants getting looser. Eventually, I started to feel odd when I would look at myself in the mirror because my body was getting smaller. I talk about this more in a later blog. What really started to shock me and I’m still trying to figure out, is fitting into smaller spaces.
It sounds odd, but when you start fitting into spaces that would have been impossible previously, you make some mental checks. You have to get over a mental block that tells you, you’re still bigger. Getting on a plane and not having to ask for a seatbelt extension for the first time was emotionally overwhelming. I still have to do a double take when I get into a plane seat and realize I have space and my hips are tight in the seat. It’s taking a lot of time to get used to.
One of the double take experiences I had that made me get over the mental hump to some extent actually happened at church. I was in line and ready to take my spot at the rail during communion. There was a space that opened, but I didn’t want to take it because I knew I couldn’t fit. The gentleman behind me urged me to take the space and he kneeled next to me. I was overcome with emotions because it was completely unexpected. It built up my confidence to step out of my comfort zone. These instances have helped flip a switch in my brain that tells me to check the space and try.
Changing Your Mindset
As you see the physical changes in your body, your brain may take time to catch up. I’ve talked to others who have went through a similar journey and they seem to have similar experiences. After a lifetime of living in one body, adjusting to a new one can be strange. Surprisingly, there is a mental block to get past and it can take time to get over the hump. Don’t fear the experience. Grasp it. Celebrate it. And try new things. It’s another way to determine where you are in your journey.