A lot of sad things happened as I went from an average size 10 young woman to a morbidly obese “Oh no, nothing in this store fits me at all,” woman. Clothes became a tremendous problem, embarrassing moments happened by the boatload, and things I never gave a second thought to became a problem.
One such problem was my wedding rings. They were a size 6.5 and like everything else on my body, my fingers got bigger as my weight increased. At first the rings were just a tad tight. You’ve seen people with rings like this. It looks like the rings are sitting between two pillows. That’s how mine got. Then one day, as I was looking at my hand, I got concerned that I couldn’t get the rings off anymore.
So I pulled, and tugged to no avail. I remembered that cold shrinks things so I stuck my hand in ice water and then slathered lotion all over my finger. Imagine my relief when I was able to extract my finger from the too tight ring. My knuckle was bright red and painful for the next hour. I remember looking at those rings with extreme sadness. “I’ll never be able to wear them again,” I thought.
Fortunately, at some point I had been given a deceased relative’s wedding band. Oh, did I mention that the deceased relative was a MAN? Yes, I had a vintage gold band that was enormous – or at least looked enormous when compared to my original wedding band. I was actually glad that I had that back-up band to wear and it fit my fat finger perfectly.
So for about 8 years I wore that band, forgoing the wearing of my original wedding ring set. Why didn’t I just have my set re-sized? Well, two reasons. First, the size difference was so great it would have been difficult and expensive, and secondly, I held onto the original sized rings because I had a slight hope that I might actually be able to wear them again.
As I lost weight a lot of physical changes took place throughout my body. And one of them was that my fingers shrunk back down to size. You can probably imagine my happiness when the big, huge, thick wedding band I had been wearing became too big and finally started falling off my finger. I was thrilled to finally be able to wear my wedding set. And believe me, I had tried it on many, many times during my weight loss year!
Rings are a little thing to be sure – but I’ve held onto that gigantic wedding band as a reminder of how far I came, and where I never want to return. Do you have any jewelry related non-scale victories? Or is there a particular item you can’t wait to wear?
My feet have shrank a lot in the past few months.
I resorted to wearing cloggy type shoes and looked like a dutch cobbler who is friends with the Keebler Elfman, because those were the only comfortable things for my chunky square feet.
I’m back in my old cute shoes, but it’s time for NEW cute shoes!
.-= Yum Yucky´s last blog .."Calorie Killer" Pills Have Fat Killing Power =-.
I got married at a high weight, so as the weight comes down, the ring is getting bigger and bigger. One of these days I will have to put it away until I’m at goal, when I will have it re-sized.
It’s amazing to see the difference in size between the two rings!
.-= Hanlie´s last blog ..Hitting the ground running in 2010 =-.
my husband lost 40 pounds recently and about…60 in total.
Just yesterday he was happily lamenting the fact his wedding ring no longer fits.
or was that a hint?
13 years married this coming wkend
.-= Miz´s last blog ..MizFit’s Monday workout: exercise bands & BOSU balls. =-.
I’m going to need my wedding and eternity rings re-sizing soon as they slip off soooo easily now. And that is after lovely hubby buying me a smaller ‘keeper’ band to hold them in place!
.-= Deniz´s last blog ..January scales =-.
I had mine made smaller about 4 months ago as mine was falling off me …now see its falling off again….which says I lost an extra few kilo’s since having it made smaller….but its fine, going smaller would be silly.
But agree, a wonderful feeling….
.-= Marcelle´s last blog ..Day 2 on cortisone pills =-.
I outgrew my ring too and just went without. Thankfully I am back in it now.
.-= South Beach Steve´s last blog ..Motivation For Monday – Starting the Year Off Right =-.
No that is some story Diane!!! It says it all & yes, sometimes keeping a reminder of where we have been & how much we have accomplished is what we need to keep it that way!
Well, need to get my comment luv in here!
Oh, my non scale victory, that I can where clothes now that are smaller than when I was in my 20′s.. and yes, unfortunately I do have old clothes like that hanging around. Best time to clean out the closets! 
PS: I meant, NOW that is some story in my other post.. sorry!
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Believe In You! =-.
I don’t have any nice jewelry but I have a lot of fabulous costume gems. I can tell a lot about my body just by how my rings fit. Am I gaining a few lbs? Am I low on water? And all that jazz!
.-= Joanna Sutter´s last blog ..Don’t Just Show Up =-.
Rings and shoes are two non scale victory things that I have claimed. Why I lose weight in my hands and feet is beyond me. I have gone from a size 10 shoe to a 7 1/2 , and I have gone from a size 10 ring to an 8. I am currently looking for another wedding band to wear so I do not lose my original set. I also discovered over the week end that it is possible to change sizes in quilting thimbles with weight loss, and this one I am really sad about. I had a very fancy english quilting thimble that I loved and ordered years ago from a specialty quilting shop. This weekend i picked up the quilting thimble for the first time in many years, only to discover it now flies off my fingers ! I replaced it with a cheap one that fits my finger, but I never suspected I would need a different quilting thimble because of weight loss ! Now may the rest of me follow the example of my hands and feet !!
.-= Diane´s last blog ..Salad and hoops and cold…Oh My !!! =-.
Nice NSV story here. I can still just barely get my ring off but I have to work at it. I won’t allow it to get any “smaller” on me.
.-= Gigi´s last blog ..Humilating Moment #1334 =-.
I love this because just last week I had to take in my rings to get them sized down from a 7 to a 6! They had gotten so loose that I was afraid of losing them, so it had to be done.
.-= erin´s last blog ..2010 Goals =-.
My wedding ring was too tight at one point. I remember doing exactly what you did to get it off! In fact, I was panicked for a while as I truly thought there was no way it would come off… It was a great feeling when it fit again!
Wow!! Well, with the price of gold now-a-days, at least you have a valuable investment there, Diane
funny you should mention this. my wedding ring doesn’t fit me now because i weigh less than on my wedding day! it’s crazy! I’ve priced it to get it resized to fit but honestly, I’m afraid I’ll gain weight again and it won’t fit! That’s a lot of pressure! I’ve never been this weight before so I’m not used to it. Maybe you can talk some sense into me!
So many congrats on the ring, I know exactly what you mean about how small it is, yet how big a deal it is!
I recently had to move my wedding band to my other (larger) hand! I can’t wait until I am ‘fit’ enough to have it resized…I want to wait a bit longer…
.-= mamajuliana´s last blog ..New Year… =-.
My ring story is not so significant, but I was recently cleaning out my house in preparation for moving and I came across a jewelry box that held rings that never fit my fat fingers but that I loved and couldn’t bear to part with. I decided that I should finally just get rid of them and then I realize, hey, wait, I’ve lost weight! I tried them on and sure enough, every one of them fit. I love wearing rings but I’d long given up on ever finding any that fit me, so it was very exciting to discover that I wear “normal” ring sizes now!
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Wii Fit? EA Active? Etc.???? =-.
My husband lost his wedding ring because his fingers got smaller
I don’t wear my original band because it is too big and I just never got around to resizing it.
I found my feet got a little smaller, or less wide – which was really nice!
.-= Lori (Finding Radiance)´s last blog ..To bagel or not? =-.
I don’t wear jewelry, mainly because when I was heavier I could never find watches, bracelets, or rings to fit. And, of course, now that I can wear them, I can’t afford them.
Oh well, it’s enough knowing I *can*.
.-= Cammy@TippyToeDiet´s last blog ..Online Helpers for Your Fitness/Weight Loss Journey =-.
I also outgrew my wedding rings.
I haven’t worn a wedding ring in about 2 years now. I also was given an AMAZINE 2 carot diamond ring from my dear grandmother that does not fit me. I could have it resized, but I don’t know..I really want to wait. My band has a design that would not be easy to resize. So, no rings for the time being. Thanks for this story!! I so look forward to the day that I can fit back into my rings.
.-= Julie´s last blog ..Revelations and Carrot Cake: An Emotional Eating Analogy =-.
From the time I got pregnant in 2006, I had my wedding rings around my neck. I was thrilled in March of last year when I could finally squeeze them on, and now they just twirl around my finger. I am waiting, hopefully until I am done losing to have them re-sized. It is an awesome feeling!
.-= Pam´s last blog ..Feels Like I am Living The Lyrics of a Soul II Soul Song =-.
HA! All of my rings need to be re-sized DOWN, but that’s one more thing I’m waiting for until I reach goal. Plus, I have a LOT of rings. It’s going to be expensive! I don’t even wear my wedding rings when we are at home, because they are so loose. Nice problem to have now.
.-= Sunny´s last blog ..Owning My Evil =-.
Oh those hideous dressing room memories! Oh the tears! Oh the trips back to the store with armloads of returns because I finally would not torture myself by trying clothing on in-store. There is no food, no taste in the world that would be worth going backwards to that for.
And might I say, those lovely slim fingers {check out those joints!} are just such an inspiration! My rings also got tight. After awhile, any water or soap trapped under the bands would chafe and rub my skin raw. I remember calling them “flesh eating rings.”
Now they’re spinning around my fingers like nobody’s business. Talk about victory!
Love this post, Diane. So glad I relate to it… the bad side and the happy side. It’s a reminder that all things really really really are possible when you set goals, stay focused, love yourself enough to make healthy positive changes, and stick with the program. Hallelujah and happy new year!
.-= Alixandra Hice´s last blog ..Hello Goodbye =-.
I had the same thing happen to me, but didn’t know the ice trick and neither oil or soap would work. I kind of freaked out and had my father in law cut the damn thing off. Went without one for 10 years before my husband replaced it (he hadn’t bought the original)….and then I replaced him.
Great story, thanks for sharing.
Kind of on the same subject, I have a shirt from when I played t-ball when I was 13 and was always proud that I could still wear it. Now it’s way too big. WOO HOO!!
.-= Melissa´s last blog ..Product Review Time!!! =-.
I actually got so fat that my wedding rings cracked at one point from the pressure.
I do have one item I want to wear someday. I saved a dress from my high school graduation. Maybe it is just dreaming, but if I could EVER get that on my body again I would be ecstatic. I weighed 140 pounds but hey a 40 yr old body that’s goiven birth 5 times might not ever quite fit… but we shall see!
.-= Lyn´s last blog ..Still Too Fat =-.
I couldn’t wear my wedding ring for a while. It broke my heart. Now sometimes I just slide it on and off for the fun of it.
I can also tell when it gets a little bit snug that I’m holding water, and not to freak out if the scale doesn’t show what i think it should.
.-= thin100´s last blog ..I’m so relieved! =-.
I can’t wear mine right now and it’s one of the things that hurts the most. It fits, just not comfortably. I’m excited for the day I can put it on and bend my finger
.-= Tina´s last blog ..Swimming along =-.
My biggest hurrah has been my shrinking feet. I love shoes, but when you’re wearing a size 11 for width purposes, when the length of your foot is a 9, it makes for slip ‘n slide walking. Not fun. Not glamorous. Not sexy. Not anything but a pain, usually in blister form. I’m glad to be back in a 9 shoe! The one item I want to be able to fit into is a pair of size 8 jeans – I bought them online and they are gift wrapped on a shelf in my closet, just waiting for me to open it when I can get into them!
.-= Erin´s last blog ..Adios, 2009! Bienvenidos, 2010! =-.
So often we take things like jewelry for granted that it will fit! That’s a great motivational tool; with the expense of re-sizing it, knowing that you can re-size it once you’re at a healthy weight is something to really look forward to.
I have a pair of jeans as my own “ring”
.-= Sagan´s last blog ..Exceptions to the Raw Food Challenge =-.
Isn’t it funny how the little things can remind us about our past? I enjoyed reading this. It must feel so good to be wearing your original, dainty ring again
Hope you had a great holiday, Diane…and Happy New Year!
.-= Lara (Thinspired)´s last blog ..A Year of Transition =-.
I can’t wait to experience all of those “little joys” next year! I enjoy reading your blog SO much!
.-= Tiffany´s last blog ..Day #4: My review on Mrs. Sansone =-.
Diane, what a heartfelt post. It makes me sad reading it because my fingers are like little polish sausages and I can relate! But it does give me hope for when they are normal and I’ll be able to wear dainty things again.
.-= anonymous fat girl´s last blog ..Putting my pounds lost into comparison with other items =-.
When we got married (five and a half years ago), I was six months pregnant with our first child. I had gone into the pregnancy a bit overweight, in the ‘losing weight’ stage… so knowing that I wasn’t at my ideal weight to begin with, and knowing that I was going to be pretty pregnant at the time of the wedding (and knowing we were poor because we paid for the wedding ourselves, lol), we made the decision to buy inexpensive, temporary wedding bands. The intention was to save up some money for nice wedding bands in the future, after I’d had the baby and had lost the baby weight (and then some!).
It’s five and a half years later… two children later… and I’m at my heaviest weight. I’m still wearing that temporary ‘fat’ wedding band.
I found you via SparkPeople, where I am currently endeavoring to lose a lot of weight and get healthier… thanks for the reminder that I have one more reward to look forward to when I achieve my goals! Can’t wait for my healthy person forever ‘thin’ wedding ring!
.-= Kristi of Million Dream Mom´s last blog ..I Need A Spark =-.
So funny – I swear you and I are on the same wavelength! First the Christmas pictures and now the rings – I have that same topic coming up! Really cool picture, btw.
Except for jewelry and one sweater (another post topic, lol), I didn’t save anything to fit back into…I was overweight for sooooooo long that I gave up and packed all my smaller clothes up for Goodwill.
.-= Shelley B´s last blog ..Monday Morning Giveaway! =-.
Who would have thought that we could carry so much in our fingers! Our fingers! I am in the same boat as a previous commenter – I got married at a high (not all time high, but high enough!) and look forward to having them re-sized at goal!
This really resonates with me. During my first pregnancy I ate like there was no tomorrow (or no calories in the food!) and gained 50 lbs. I had to have my wedding band cut off. I can still feel the sweat rolling down my back and can remember how embarrassing it felt to sit there and have some strange man cut off my ring.
.-= karen@fitnessjourney´s last blog ..A New Year’s Resolution: Don’t Let Fear Stand in Your Way =-.
oh yes, the rings! I forgot that one! My original engagment ring didn’t fit my finger for years and years and years. It sat in a jewelry box the whole time. My hubby got me a new set for Christmas in 2003 that fit my ‘bigger size’. But after I lost weight 3 years ago that set was way too big.
It’s funny how much weight can be gained in the fingers and feet isnt it?!
.-= brenda´s last blog ..clutter in the brain=pounds on my hips =-.
I can’t wait til I can wear a “normal” ring size. I’m on the higher end right now, which means I can find rings but not always. It will be nice to be in the size where I KNOW I can find what I want.
.-= Mary :: A Merry Life´s last blog ..My Starting Point: Half A Mile =-.
I am glad you saved your rings and can wear them now. I have had to have my ring sized down once already and will need to do so again soon. My husband has dropped about 40 pounds since we got engaged and recently lost his wedding ring because it was too big. We are hoping it is at his work….
.-= Kat´s last blog ..long weekend /semi homeade Chicken Veggie Pasta =-.
My ring size for years was a size 9 or 10. After the weight loss I started wearing my promise ring on my middle, then pointer and then thumb. Now my wedding set is even too big. And bonus I can now wear my grandmother’s wedding band along with my set.
.-= Cynthia (It All Changes)´s last blog ..Always Connected + Goals =-.
I love this post, because it’s another reminder that our weight can affect us, even down to the seemingly insignificant areas of our lives. I’m glad you kept the rings, the one to shrink back into the other as a reminder of where you never want to go again.
When I was pregnant with my twins (whom I conceived at 195 lbs.) my husband made me a second wedding ring to wear the last few months of my pregnancy because my original set no longer fit. My ring is also a 6.5 and that pregg-o ring was an 8. I still have it, though thankfully I never needed it again – not even with my second pregnancy.
.-= Leah´s last blog ..Day One and Motivation =-.
What a great story
I am so happy you got the rings to fit after all 
I do not have a jewelry related story, but my wedding ring is getting a bit loose now
.-= kilax´s last blog ..What’s your blogging style? =-.
That is an awesome story, Diane. When we got married we did not exchange rings. I know, the horror! So, I’ve been without one for three years. My husband recently told me that he is wanting to go ring shopping…it’s a great thought, but maybe now I should wait until I reach my weight loss goals. Now, that would be a great reward!
.-= josie´s last blog ..Week 14 – Weigh-In =-.
I got married when I was bigger than I am today and I remember one day making an extravagant gesture and my ring went flying as my fingers had shrunk! Fortunately the ring wasn’t lost and I have had it resized since.
I have a sapphire ring that my dh bought for me on our honeymoon. It’s so close to fitting again and that makes me happy.
Well, I’m happy you never resized your rings then, it must have felt great to put them on again
I worked with a guy who had to have his wedding ring cut off. That’s gotta feel awful 
I don’t think my fingers have changed, but I swear my feet have shrunk at least half a size!
.-= Susan´s last blog ..New Year, New Job =-.
So great! I do have a similar story. First my wedding bands fit again, a little too loose actually! And the ring my husband gave my for our 1 year dating anniversary (I was 16 yrs old) fits again! All the NSV’s are so fun and exciting!
.-= Laura´s last blog ..Hmmm…how ’bout mind your own business? =-.
awww yay! I actually selected my rings hoping to size them down when I lose weight. I can’t wait for them to get smaller!
.-= mackattack´s last blog ..Sausage Bean Casserole =-.
I stopped wearing rings at one point, they were too big. My underwear is mostly too large for me, my gym clothes are too large for me. This is expensive, but worse things could happen.
.-= julie´s last blog ..I’m making YOU feel bad? =-.