Pictures don't lie?

eat_hike_b33r

epido wrote: »

OP, I can totally relate to what you are feeling. I can't seem to make the picture in my head match what I see in photos, or in the mirror. My reaction isn't always negative though. Sometimes I can't believe I look that good/am that small, and other days I think look bigger than I thought I was. Either way though, I just don't think I have an accurate perception of where I am.

And looking at pictures of me when I was younger, I am always shocked. I can't believe how thin and fit I look in those old pictures, especially since I remember distinctly feeling as if I have always been huge. Of course, I had a lot of help in getting to the point where I felt that way in my teens and early twenties. It's amazing how family members will say things "because I love you" that are so incredibly hurtful and damaging to your self esteem.

I know at some point there has got to be a day where the image in the mirror/camera matches up with the image in my head. It's just a matter of being patient enough for that day to get here.

Congrats on your progress so far!

And, Bellodesiderare, I love the self confidence you are exuding in that pic! I can only hope to have that sort of self confidence at some point, and wish I could have been more like that when I was bigger. You rock (and you look absolutely fabulous now too)!

While my family never directly said anything to me to make me feel that way, I think it was more about comments my mom made about herself (being fat) and hearing people comment on the 'skinny' kids, and my little brain must have equated fat=bad and skinny=good... and since no one ever commented on me being little/skinny etc but they did to my sister and friends I guess I thought that meant I was fat.

Here is to hoping our brains catch up;)
Thanks!

girlwithcurls2

OP, you look great. Remember that you took the photos for progress. They're not you at your goal. When you start reaching goals, you can compare them to this picture that you don't like and you'll start liking the next few progress pics more and more. You'll get there. As hard as it is, remember to focus on your successes, your strength, the changes your way of thinking has undergone. You're doing terrific. You can't stop now. Imagine how crappy you'll feel by mid-January if you say "screw it" now? No good. You can do this. Keep it up. You look fantastic (even in your unders, and not many of us would choose to be photographed in our unders, even if we've met our goal!)

Hang in there,
~Curly