Just Normal (After 52 Lbs?!)
How losing weight surprised me, saggy bathing suit and all
Welcome to The Psychology of Weight Loss—a series about what happens in your mind after your body changes. Nine months into my Tirzepatide-GLP-1 journey, I’m 52 pounds down, off all my daily meds, and feeling healthier than I have in years. But the real story isn’t just about bloodwork and smaller jeans—it’s about how my brain, identity, and sense of self are catching up (slowly, awkwardly, sometimes hilariously) to this “new normal.” Twice a week, I’ll share reflections, funny stories, and the raw truth of what it’s like to lose weight over 50 (especially when weight has been a lifetime struggle).
As I said, nine months into this journey, I’ve lost 52 pounds. And here’s the part that surprises me most: I don’t feel “tiny” or “dramatically transformed.” I just feel… normal.
Which makes me pause and ask: how overweight was I, really, if it took 52 pounds just to land at almost “normal”? I knew I was technically obese. I knew it was affecting my health. But I never saw myself as hugely fat. Energetic, yes. Full of life, yes. Which made me realize how far I’d drifted without seeing it. Now that I’m here, staring at a body that feels more comfortable, I realize I may still have 5–10 pounds left to lose to hit a doctor’s “goal weight.” That number makes me shake my head. Wow.
And yet, the mental adjustment lingers behind the physical one. My body slips into new spaces (more comfortable in the tiny airplane seats), and my newly purchased, smaller jeans button without effort. But my brain still carries the old image, the old instincts, the old bracing-for-judgment moments. I’m learning that losing weight isn’t just subtraction; it’s also reckoning - reckoning with the gap between how I saw myself then, how I see myself now, and how the world saw me all along.
Photo by Brett Jordan
A Funny Lesson in “Normal”
Case in point: the bathing suit incident. At about 30 pounds down, I treated myself to a new suit. I was thrilled to wear a smaller size and, for the first time in years, I felt confident enough to shed my towel at the pool without immediately wrapping back up. Saggy skin and a flat butt were there, sure, but so was joy.
Fast forward to summer vacation. I tossed that same suit in my bag, ready for the fancy beach club. I slipped it on, strutted out… and realized it was now too big. Twenty more pounds had changed my body again, and the suit was sagging in all the wrong ways.
To make matters worse (or better, depending on your sense of humor), we ended up sitting smack in the middle of a pack of 20-somethings in string bikinis with glowing tans and perfect butts. Let’s be honest: no one was looking at me. LOL.
And really, that’s the truth—most of us aren’t the center of anyone else’s attention as much as we think we are. It’s humbling and comforting all at once. I’m still learning to be comfortable in my own (somewhat saggy, but alive and healthy) skin. Something else I am re-learning at this late stage, confidence is beautiful (at any size) and people are attracted to you when you are comfortable in your own skin and not always worried that others are judging - be quiet little inner child, all is well!
The Dune Beach Club Marbella Spain
Concrete Note on the Physical Journey
This week, I hit 52 pounds lost, 9 months in. My bloodwork looks better than it has in decades. Interesting side note: While on vacation, I skipped taking my shot for the first time since beginning my journey. I felt fine throughout my vacation, but I was nervous about the ‘re-entry’. I am happy to say that I did not gain any weight while away - I ate and drank what I wanted, but smaller amounts ruled the day - also the food in Spain was super clean, we walked miles each day, and drank lots and lots of their delicious bottled mineral water. Now that I have returned to my usual routine, my weekly shot seems to be less of a bump in my weekly routine. I don’t know if I am just used to it or if I have had a little reset. Anyway, I will take it and enjoy feeling good.
3 Things That Are Helping Me Navigate The Mental Side
1. I read the book No Bad Parts by Dr Schwartz. This one really spoke to me in the moment.
2. Practice "Body Neutrality" Instead of Body Love
Rather than forcing myself to love my changing body (which can feel fake when you're dealing with saggy skin or unfamiliar proportions), I aim for neutrality. Phrases like "My body is doing its job" or "This body carried me through my day" make it easier to accept my body as functional and worthy of care than to jump straight to loving every physical change. This reduces the pressure to feel grateful for loose skin while still honoring my progress.
3. Create "Evidence Files" for my New Identity
Keep a running list (phone notes work great) of moments that prove my transformation is real: the airplane seat comfort, the effortless jean buttoning, walking miles without thinking about it, and my improved bloodwork. When my brain insists I’m still the "old me," I pull out concrete evidence - sometimes even Instagram photos past and present. My mind needs proof to update my self-image, and these small moments accumulate into an undeniable truth that I've changed, even when the mirror or my internal critic says otherwise.
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
Does this resonate with you? Have you ever realized only in hindsight how far you’d drifted from “normal”? I’d love to hear your story in the comments.