This is a good question! My gain has been about 60 lbs, so not as dramatic as some. I’ve gone from underweight (BMI of 18, size 0-2) to overweight (BMI of 28, size 14-16) and also from athletic to much more sedentary. If exercise weren’t so helpful to my mental health I would honestly probably stop altogether, not because I enjoy being deconditioned, but because it is so much harder to move a bigger body once you’re out of shape! Getting back into hiking after the height of the pandemic was one of the most unpleasant physical experiences I have ever had, especially since I didn’t have a proper sports bra and couldn’t take full breaths comfortably (ladies, go for encapsulation over compression!). My mobility and endurance have improved since then, though, which has really increased my quality of life.
More generally, being fatter really does feel different. At times during my gain, I’ve been surprised that a part of my body seems to have taken on extra dimensions. For example, I realized last year that my thighs had gained an additional plane, like they now have a front, sides, and an outward-facing and an inner-facing back, if that makes sense; also, my rolls of back fat have really changed the way high-waisted clothes fit. The sensation of bouncing and jiggling has developed a lot, and isn’t always what I expected. To my surprise, my upper belly can now jiggle independently if my lower belly is supported, and my calves are now more bounce than muscle.
One of the most striking differences in feel is how parts of my body that used to be separate now easily touch. I used to have a slight thigh gap, but now my thighs are always touching at their top 6”. I sleep on my side, and I used to have to carefully position my legs for sleeping so that my bony knees and ankles wouldn’t knock into each other, but I haven’t worried about that in quite a while as my knees are now well-cushioned and it takes work to figure out how to make my ankle bones make contact. When I’m lying on my back, I can feel the fat on my neck scrunching together, and can easily touch my double chin to the top of my breasts. When I sit down, my stomach squishes onto my thighs and folds into multiple rolls that rub against each other if I shift positions. My most recent gain of about 5 pounds all went to my lower belly, and if I bend over from standing or lean forward while sitting, I can feel it compress against the top of my thighs, which actually takes up breathing room! My sides and back also have rolls that squish into each other in different positions, and my clothes need more ease or stretch in order to be comfortable both standing and sitting.
Overall, I would definitely recommend gaining yourself if you’re curious 😉
1 year