That's really interesting, Samantha and Mia. The last few weeks I've been feeling mildly envious of those of you who are younger than me, and doing this much earlier, while your DC are still little. I'm pushing 50 quite hard now, having been fat all my life (first diet age 9), but now I think of it, I've been blaming my weight the way you have, Mia, for things that are wrong with my life, so maybe I just wasn't ready until now. I've certainly been surprised with how I've stuck to it this time round, and now I'm beginning to think self-sabotage was going on with my earlier failed attempts. And for whatever reason the time is now right, and I don't need the prop in the same way, though I couldn't pinpoint anything specific that has changed.
One thing I'm definitely finding is that I'm very embarrassed when people remark on my weight loss. For the last 40 years I've been uncomfortable and not joined in when any group conversations have turned to diets and body image, and I've obviously given off 'don't go there' signals which have meant that no-one, even close family, has ever broached the subject of weight loss and body image with me directly. Now, having dropped from size 22 to 12/14, a lot of people are seeing and remarking on it, and of course they mean well, but with 4 decades of uncomfortableness about my weight behind me, I find it excrutiatingly embarrassing. Also, it feels like a judgement on how I've been all my life - if I look 'fantastic' now as people are saying, then I feel as if I'm being told I've looked horrible up until now, which is since middle childhood. I know that's not what they mean (or at least not what they intend), but I can't seem to take it any other way. Anyone else got this problem?