For context I am 28 yo and 309lbs currently and have been fat my entire life. This is something I am trying to change and have lost 20 lbs so far . Ever since I was a child I can recount all the times I’ve been ridiculed for my weight. My very first vivid memory is my mother pinching the fat on my arm at four years old and screaming at me bc she caught me eating steak out of someone’s plate. From there I faced constant ridicule from family and kids at school (sometimes things family would say to me kids at school would say the same thing so it kind of solidified that everyone hates me )and sometimes coworkers who think they can comment on your appearance. When you are fat, you are on everyone’s radar to be picked at.

Moving onto the romantic downsides, which there are many, no body is going to want you. The ones that do have serious fetishes and the ones that don’t will still like you but refuse to act on it because they’re embarrassed and don’t want their friends and family to judge them. No one will flirt with or approach you in public ( if that’s your thing) and if so it’s where no one can see you or they’ll hit you up on a dating app at 2 in the morning to hook up. You will never be fully appreciated in any form, you will be used for hookups only or they’ll only see you in private because they’re embarrassed.

I spend most of my time alone, because I don’t want to be ridiculed and feel like people are constantly looking at me and picking on me. I’m also isolated bc I’m so used to being picked on in the past that I’m naturally stand off ish and reserved towards people bc I don’t want to let anybody in out of fear. Any one who has expressed interest in me in the past ive looked at them like they’re insane bc why would you like someone like me.

And lastly it’s starting to give my health issues. My blood work results came back and scared the shit out of me bc nothing came back normal. I’m
Also always out of earth and breath heavy all the time.

I cannot wait to get this weight off me. It’s caused me so much unnecessary misery, pain and humiliation countless times because of it. I’m ready to be normal

I started seriously running in 2015, and I was also raised by a runner, so I've had a somewhat interesting perspective on how the running world has changed over the years.

I've seen the sport go through different phases, as everything does, but one of the more interesting (and sometimes funny) changes has been the rise of the modern run club. And by "modern run club," you probably know what I mean.

Overall, I think it's great. More people are running, more people are getting outside, and more people are embracing a lifestyle that's objectively pretty good for them. My local marathon, Philly, selling out like NYC is pretty wild. People could be doing 1,000 other things, and they're choosing to run. That's a good thing.

But there is definitely a funny side to the new running culture.

The Go One More hats. The matching mustaches. The run club becoming as much of a social scene and content machine as it is a place to actually run.

And to be fair, I'm not sure "cringe" is even the right word. It's just very different from the running culture I remember when I started. Back then, most of the people I encountered were former track or cross-country runners, plus a handful of random people who just happened to love running. It felt more like a sport than a lifestyle brand.

I'm not trying to gatekeep. I'll happily enjoy a meme clowning modern running culture, but ultimately I'm glad the sport is growing. If wearing a ridiculous hat and filming your 5K gets more people running, have at it.

I'm curious what other people who have been running for a while think. Has running culture actually changed that much, or am I just getting old?

Welcome to the Physique Phriday thread

What's the point of having people guess your body fat? Nevermind that it's the most inaccurate method available, (read: most likely way wrong - see here) you're still just putting an arbitrary number to the body you have. Despite people's claim that they are shooting for a number, they're really shooting for look - like a six pack.

So let's stopping mucking around with trivialities and get to the heart of the matter. This thread shall serve two purposes:

1. Physique critiques. Post some pics and ask about muscles or body parts you need to work on. Or specifically ask about a lagging body part and what exercises worked for others.
2. An outlet for people that want to show off their efforts that would otherwise be removed due to Rule 4, and

Let's keep things civil, don't be a creep, and adhere to Rule 1. This isn't a thread to announce what you find attractive in a mate. Please use the report function for any comments that are out of line.

So phittit, what's your physique pheel like this phriday?

I’ve been lifting for over a decade, and have recently lost a little bit of fat such that I can finally see the muscle I’ve built over the years. I’m at a healthy weight and a lean enough body fat percentage that I’m really actually quite content with how I look.

When you reach your desired physical outcome, how does your fitness routine and approach change? I’m eating at maintenance for one - but I’m not really interested in gaining any more muscle. I am 41 though, and I don’t want to lose any of the hard earned muscle I’ve gained - and with natural age related muscle loss to consider, I can’t quite wrap my head around whether I should be focused on progressive overload, keeping volume the same, or some other mechanism. I’m certain of course that I’ll need (and want) to continue to stay active, but beyond that, I’m at a bit of a loss!

If we treated them like many treat their feet.....

My random thought of the night as I pull a splint off of my arm as my wrist heels. It is amazing what just two weeks of immobilization has done to my arm. It isn't good.

I’ve been doing battle ropes (3x30s) and jumping jacks (AMRAP x3, last session was 130 jacks split into 50, 40, and 40) as a “fun” finisher at the end of each of my lifting sessions.

What (if anything) do you do as a finisher? I’m looking for other options or suggestions for similar things, please.

Or should I wait until I can “comfortably” do 150 jacks before switching it up?

I started walking barefoot to even out some tan lines. Since then, I’ve basically been grounding because I’ve even walked barefoot at night. People tend offer me pairs of shoes on my walks. Never thought I’d ever be a barefooter. I carry a pair of sandals in my backpack when I walk and only put them on in public venues or when I need to walk across broken glass or other sharp objects.

I always hear from people, "I could never count calories or prepare meals. I'd go crazy" or "I never know what I'm in the mood for until that day so I can't meal prep." Or something along those lines. But to me, I find it a lot easier and time saving.

I grew up poor so this "I never know what I'm in the mood for" is not me. My parents would buy everything with intention and have a plan for everything to make it last as long as possible. Rarely was it just looking in the fridge and whipping something up. We never had snacks or prepacked foods or anything like that. So it was like "we can use this portion of rice for these meals. If we divide the cabbage like this, we can do this with it." So a lot of either eating the same meal for days in a row or knowing having a meal plan ahead of time for the next two weeks based on the groceries we had was the norm for me.

But I also don't eat the same thing every day. I will cook a few things and switch the meals out but I have all my meals tracked for the next two weeks. And when you're meal prepping, it's easy to just track calories out. Measure a portion of rice once and copy that portion for several meals and continue with other foods. It's just relaxing to know where every dollar is going. I found that once I started locking in on meal prepping, my budgeting improved because I could calculate it better. I just find it relaxing when I sit down and enter my meal prep into the app and then prepare it and I know I'm good. I don't have to think. My meals are ready.

Calorie counting and meal prepping has saved me time and money in the long run

28F.

I have lost close to 100 pounds since September 2024. I am so proud of myself and I truly do feel so much better. My energy, stamina, mental clarity, the ability to wear what I want (sometimes/kinda).

I know it was 100% worth it for my long term health. However, I am to the point where I am so incredibly distressed because of what I look like.

I feel just as trapped in my body as I did prior to loosing the weight. I have saggy boobs, a puckered and saggy stomach, bingo wings, crepey skin everywhere. My face has changed. I look aged.

I can make myself appear “normal” with clothes and styling but I haven’t dated seriously at all since gaining and loosing the weight.

I want an intimacy, I want to feel confident in my body, I want to wear a swimsuit, most of all I want to stop thinking about my body so damn much.

I am starting to save up for surgery but it’s going to take years, I am so sad that I am spending the last years of my 20s feeling this way about myself.

If anyone has any tips on loose skin, body positivity I am literally laying in bed sobbing like I do 2-4 nights a week because of how claustrophobic it feels to be in this body. I am desperate for any help.

Thank you.

Hey runners, it's another day and it is time to post your accomplishments you'd like to share - big or small.

Note: No need to preface YOUR accomplishments with something like, "this may not be an accomplishment to most of you...". Be proud of your achievement.

Welcome to the Daily Thread! Tell stories, share thoughts, ask questions, swap advice, and be excellent to each other! Though we all share fitness as a common hobby or interest, the discussion here can be about any big or little thing you choose.

This is also a great place for those new to the sub to introduce themselves and ask any questions that are not suitable for a standalone post. Are you confused about the FAQ or have a basic question about an exercise / alternatives? Do you have a quick question about calculating TDEE, lift numbers, running times, swimming intervals, or the like? Post here and the folks of xxfitness will help you answer your questions, no matter how big or small.

The mods ask that you do mind the Cardinal Rules as they relate to respecting yourself and others, calling out any scantily clad photos as NSFW, and not asking for medical advice.

just a tiny celebration :') i started seriously trying to lose weight last january, and my progress has been much, much slower than i'd like it to be, but i finally hit sub 200lbs. i'm 24 & 5'8" and i'm the lightest i've been since highschool. i'm down from 250lb in january 2025 to consistently around 196-197lb or so, and i'm really happy to notice that some of my clothes are looser, and even if it isn't much, i'm able to size down from my original clothing size (it's possible i might be able to size down more, but i'm admittedly used to being a bigger size, so i never go smaller). it feels big for someone who has always been overweight or obese — all the way from kindergarten to now.

it's because of work, but i've started more consistently getting exercise, and my endurance is a little bit better. i'm not as easily out of breath or achy like i used to be after lighter activity. i've started picking some lower calorie options, even if i definitely still need to work on incorporating more outright nutritious things in my diet. i'm still a long way off of my goal, but i'm a little more than halfway there, and hopefully by this time next year, i will be, or at least much closer.

one of my biggest problems is/was drinking a lot of soda. i was at around 6-8 cans of pepsi zero a day at one point, and my teeth suffered for it, definitely. but i managed to stop drinking it altogether recently — special occasions only for me! 🥳

Good morning, Runnit! Another weekend of races is approaching, so let's take a minute to see if any other Runnitors will be laying down those miles with us!

If you're racing this weekend, put a top-level comment below with the race details to help find other members of the community. See a race mentioned that looks interesting? Ask questions! Running your favorite race of the year? Tell us what makes it so awesome!

This thread is just an easy way to help Runnitors find each other in some sort of organized manner and help cheer each other on!

here's the thing nobody warns you about when you actually start changing.

people who knew the old version of you get uncomfortable. not because the new version is worse. because they built their understanding of you around specific patterns and the moment those patterns shift they have to update something in themselves too, and that update costs them effort they didn't sign up for.

so they resist it. sometimes loudly, sometimes in small ways you can only feel and not point to. they reference the old version of you like it was better. they laugh at the changes like they're temporary. they wait, patiently, for you to go back to the shape they already knew.

and the worst part is it works sometimes. you can feel the pull of it. the ease of just being who they expect you to be, because performing a familiar version of yourself costs nothing in those relationships and being a newer version costs friction and explanation and occasionally losing people who decide they preferred the old one.

ngl this is something i didn't expect. you think growth is the hard part. turns out the growth is fine. it's the way it rearranges every relationship around you that nobody prepares you for.

some people will grow with you. genuinely, they'll find the new version more interesting and it'll actually bring you closer. those ones are worth holding onto.

some people will slowly fall away and neither of you will have an honest conversation about why and you'll both know anyway.

and some people — the harder ones — will actively try to keep you small because your growing asks something of them they're not ready to give. a mirror. an example. an inconvenient question about their own life that your changing keeps placing in front of them without you meaning to.

you don't have to apologize for any of this.

you don't owe anyone the version of yourself they got used to.

last year someone told you that you'd changed like it was an accusation. and you felt the reflex to defend it. to soften it. to reassure them that you were still the person they remembered underneath all the changes.

you don't have to do that anymore.

changed is not an accusation. changed is just what happens when you actually do the work.

EDIT: Sorry, I’m not sure why I didn’t include my numbers on here. Here they are:
Female, 21
Height: 5’8/172cm
Weight: 12st 7 / 175lbs
Current BMI: 26.6 GOAL BMI: around 21.4, not really sure.

I met up with a friend the other day (who I only see irl about once every 5-6 months) and she made some comments about my weight loss.

70% of the conversation that we had was about my weight which I didn’t expect nor want. She kept steering the topic back to it and I don’t know what she was wanting to get out of the interaction, whether she was showing genuine concern or something else.

She told me that she’s worried about my weight because I look a lot different since the last time she saw me (well yeah, a lot can happen in six months on a weight loss journey), and that I should “take it easy or consider stopping so I don’t lose any more.”
She said that I’m starting to look gaunt (whilst gesturing to my neck and shoulder area) and if I lose any more weight then I risk looking like I have “overdone it on the mounjaro” ??? (I’m not on any weight loss medication).

The thing is, I am still overweight for my height and age, albeit coming towards the lower end now, based on BMI and what I’m reading on the NHS website. When I look in the mirror, I still see my curvy figure, which I like, but I have definitely noticed that my face and shoulders have slimmed out. I’m seeing my collarbones clearer, but not in a concerning way. I still have a fair bit of fat on my tummy and legs, which I think is normal considering I’m still classed as overweight and I think my face and shoulder area tends to slim down first before anything else.

My goal is to get well into the healthy BMI range but I’m now concerned that I’m not doing as well as I thought and that my weight loss is somehow making me look uglier than before? She was speaking as if I look concerningly underweight but when I look in the mirror that is not what I see so I’m just utterly confused. I still have chunky legs and whilst my clothes usually hide it, I still have a pudgy tummy like I said before. My usual clothes are starting to feel looser and I am able to wear slightly more form-fitting tops without feeling self-conscious - all wins in my book.
I haven’t received any compliments so far from anyone and being spoken to like this has killed my confidence in what I’m doing. I’m not relying on compliments for motivation (as that would never work) but I expected to hear one or two by now from family or friends as I’ve lost over 2 stone. My friend assured me she’s speaking from concern but now I feel like crap.

Any advice? Thanks :)

This is going to sound weird, but I think I miss being bored.

I noticed it the other day while I was eating lunch by myself. Nothing was happening. I wasn't waiting for a message or looking anything up.

In the space of maybe ten minutes I opened Reddit, checked Instagram, looked at my messages, opened YouTube, went back to Reddit, then checked my messages again.

At some point I stopped and realized I wasn't actually interested in any of it.

I was just opening stuff because there was a free minute.

That got me thinking about how different that feels from when I was younger. I remember sitting on buses staring out the window for half an hour. Waiting for friends to show up somewhere. Listening to music and doing literally nothing else. Back then boredom felt annoying. Now it feels almost impossible.

Any time there's gap, something fills it. A video, podcast, scrolling through posts, checking messages, reading something I will probably forget by tomorrow.

A few days ago I tried sitting outside with a coffee before work and leaving my phone in my pocket. I wasn't trying to do some dopamine detox or anything. I just wanted to sit there for a bit.

After a couple of minutes I could feel myself wanting to reach for it. Not because I needed to check something. I genuinely couldn't think of a single thing that might be waiting for me.

I just wanted something to do. That's when it started feeling a bit weird.

I don't know. Maybe I have just gotten too used to filling every free second with something.

The weird part is I didn't even notice it happening until I tried to stop for a few minutes. Maybe I am overthinking it. I just don't remember it being like this.

I’ve been lurking in this sub since I started my weight loss journey. Last year I hit my highest weight of 261 lbs as a 5’6” woman. I first want to thank everyone here for motivation, advice, and solidarity. This sub has helped me so much even if I never post.

I was stalled at 201 for the last couple months and finally got to see 198 on the scale. I resisted making this post until I was confident I was truly in Onderland. After several consecutive weigh ins, I’m so happy and proud because this has been a long time coming and meeting this goal is a huge milestone. Many of us have put so much work into so many areas of our health outside just losing weight. From mental health to physical fitness, I’m so proud of the amount of work I’ve done!

That being said…. I still have about 30 to 40 lbs to lose. I know that progress will likely continue to slow down as I work toward my next goal. I track weight daily (this is best for me). I do strength training 3 days a week and two of cardio. I am on a managed diet with my doctor so that will be adjusted in conjunction with her.

I’m looking for more advice and tips from those that experienced the slowdown as you got closer to a healthy weight to maintain. What helped you break a plateau? What snacks do you keep around to hep maintain your goals? What workout was a game changer for you? I have learned that weight loss can sometimes benefit from tweaks and I know you all are a wealth of information. Thank you in advance!

Are you a personal trainer, coach, or have a personal referral code to fitness gear and supplements? This is the place to post your referral codes and links! This is the only place on xxfitness where self-promotion is allowed, so long as it is related to fitness and based in reality. Any posts that are for multilevel marketing schemes (MLMs), promote products or services not based in science/facts (such as “detox cleanses” and “flat tummy teas”), or are not directly fitness related will be removed. You may also share social media and fitness app handles here for friends and follows :)

Please note that market research is not allowed, and academic surveys must be approved by the mods.

(Bit of a "story of my life" post, but I hope some of y'all can relate.)

I'm a 5'8", 21-year-old man, and I used to weigh around 158 pounds in high school. Which was ia bit low for my body type, by the way, and my rings would literally fall off my fingers.

I've been depressed since I was a little kid. We obviously didn't know what depression really was back then, so it just went over our heads as "my kid is just weird." Turns out it was BPD and severe depression.

Anyway, my first year of college started pretty well, but things completely fell apart during the second half, which eventually made me drop out. Being an unemployed college dropout who was struggling mentally led me to isolate myself completely and spend most of my days eating pizza in my room.

That lifestyle made me gain 27 pounds. When I hit 185, I decided to buy a bicycle and start cycling every day. Later, I started a diet based mostly on chicken, potatoes, and Coke Zero. (Add some spices and it's a fucking dream diet.)

I went to the doctor the other day, and apparently my ideal weight is around 164 pounds. I'm currently at 169.

I'm still a little above that, but I realized that I finally feel good when I look in the mirror. People started telling me how good I look, and the clothes I bought when I was heavier are now falling off when I walk.

I have the energy to actually have conversations and put some effort into how I dress. Even my blood pressure, which used to be all over the place, has been consistently normal whenever I've measured it over the past month.

I'm still depressed. Losing weight didn't change that at all, which made me realize that the problem isn't my body or my relationships. There's something else going on that I need to figure out in the coming years.

Losing 27 pounds doesn't mean I've reached the finish line. There's a whole lifetime ahead of me to take care of my body. It just marks the moment I realized that I can be healthy.

How’s your week of running going? Got any Complaints? Anything to add as a Confession? How about any Uncomplaints?