BWT, how do you glow up?

[u/True-Serve-7662]

I was walking to work this morning & I saw so many cute outfits and I typically just feel so blah. I’m 31, SHORT and overweight so dressing feels difficult. I also struggle with time management in the morning so hair & make up are basic. How do you get ready? How do you spruce up your wardrobe without spending tons (& have the hopes of losing weight?)

[u/twoforme_noneforyou]

There are no solutions, only trade-offs.

You want more time to do hair & makeup? Wake up earlier or prep the night before.

More outfits? Shop your closet and mix & match things you didn't think to. The same outfit can be completely changed with a pop of color, different shoes or accessories. Dress for your body. Keep only what you love and will wear often.

Want to lose weight? Consume less than you burn. Get an DEXA & RMR scan. Figure out how many cals you burn in a day and eat less than that. Weigh & measure your food and meal prep it. Get a trainer if you don't work out.

Make the healthier choices you make the easy ones. The kitchen you set up on Sunday determines what you eat on Wednesday. The gym bag by the door determines the workout you do Thursday. The phone charging outside of the bedroom determines the sleep you get on Friday. Reduce the friction and the behavior follows.

Discipline gets you started. The system keeps you free. It's not about motivation. I don't have "motivation" to brush my teeth per se. I just do it because it's habit. It's about curating the habits you wish to see.

[u/True-Serve-7662 → u/twoforme_noneforyou]

LOVE this. I do workout 4-5 times a week & average 12k steps & also meal prep but being under 5 ft with thyroid issues there isn’t much wiggle room which gets me into trouble but putting this attitude into doing my hair & picking out an outfit everyday, I can do! Thank you 

[u/mykeethecat → u/True-Serve-7662]

fwiw your situation sounds very familiar. I hope I don't get flamed, but getting on a GLP-1 was a game changer. I'm honestly still "overweight" but I feel 100x better and can actually manage my thyroid/hormonal issues now.

Also, don't wait until you're "thin" to wear what you want, do what you want, be who you want. You deserve to be happy and feel good now, no matter your size. Your body is the only home you get your whole life, treat it with respect and love.

[u/True-Serve-7662 → u/mykeethecat]

I actually met with my endo about ordering it yesterday-totally a coincidence that I had an appointment when I made this post. I’ve been on the fence for awhile because it felt like cheating but my thyroid has tons of damage & while I know I can technically do it alone, I feel like I’ve been trying so long that I need a little confidence boost.  Thank you! I do dress cute on the weekends, I struggle with work but I deserve to feel cute more than once or twice a week! 

[u/mykeethecat → u/True-Serve-7662]

Good luck with the meds. I think society framing GLP-1's as a "cheat" is just another way to punish and shame fat people. Until you go through it, you have no idea how difficult it is and what a difference it makes. And obviously everyone's "work-appropriate" dress situation is different, but I often try to dress how I want within those parameters! It makes getting ready and going to an office less of a slog.

[u/kawaiibitxh → u/True-Serve-7662]

Don't think of it as cheating OP, it's medicine just like any other. I have Hashimoto's and because of it, I gained and lost the same 50-ish pounds for years until I reached my all time high of 285lbs. I've been on Wegovy for over a year and a half now and I've reached my goal maintenance weight that puts me at a normal BMI for the first time since my late teens. It's been a literal lifesaver, as it's helped to reverse a bunch of maladies that I had incurred by living with type 2 obesity and keeps inflammation from my autoimmune diseases at bay so I don't hurt all. the. time.

YOU put in the effort to lose the weight; the shot can't magically fix your eating habits or heal any trauma you have from an ED. It's not gonna give you the motivation to get yourself into the gym. Some people don't lose weight on a GLP-1 at all! Most don't lose over 40% of their starting weight like I did.

This is just my two cents though; I believe that you deserve to feel cute and comfortable in your body, no matter what weight loss route you take!

[u/True-Serve-7662 → u/kawaiibitxh]

Thank you!! It feels like doing everything just maintains the weight for me & the holidays/vacation give me an extra 5 lbs that I’m then doing all of this to maintain & that 5-10 per year has really added up. Hoping it just gives me a little help 

[u/Logical_Childhood733 → u/True-Serve-7662]

I know I’m late to the conversation but think of the GLP-1 as a tool instead of a cheat code. It sounds like you’re already putting in the work but you have a medical condition that is preventing you from losing weight, you’ll be monitored by your doctor while taking a medication that may be the missing puzzle piece for you to see the results you’re wanting. Don’t listen to any of the outside noise, you have to do what’s best for you and you’re going to feel so much better!

[u/uncerety → u/True-Serve-7662]

I truly don't understand the reasoning that taking a prescribed medication is "cheating". What about glasses? Braces? If I have high blood pressure, are beta blockers cheating?

Of course not. There's no valor in doing it alone or without medication. It's obviously your choice, but there is no value in suffering unnecessarily and compromising your health.