Self-image changes?

CaliforniaRower

I'm 100% committed to MFP and eating right. I completely see that it was my lack of commitment that kept me screwing around not losing weight and blaming it on imaginary forces outside my control (e.g., "Binge Eating Disorder" and "maybe hormones")

But here's what's weird. I've lost 5 lbs since I made this commitment, 4+ of them on MFP. Suddenly, I have a whole different image of myself. I forget I have 20-25 more to go. Today I got the "skinny clothes" out of the box and hung them up, like I think I'll need them this week. I'm starting to think of myself as an attractive, slim woman again.

Over just 5 lbs? I mean, really...

So I just have to ask: are any of you experiencing this weird shift in self-image...for the positive? Just because you're in progress but before there's much noticeable? Strangest thing!

cecelebe219

I think your positivity is awesome! I just started (again) MFP and have lost only 2lbs and I feel ecstatic. Yes I need to lose more but every bit counts. Go ahead with the positive thoughts, it will keep you motivated and confident.

Childfree1991

After reading this, it seems you are on the right track but lacking a bit patience and are overly excited. You need to be patient and must not rush weight loss.

CaliforniaRower

cecelebe219 wrote: »

I think your positivity is awesome! I just started (again) MFP and have lost only 2lbs and I feel ecstatic. Yes I need to lose more but every bit counts. Go ahead with the positive thoughts, it will keep you motivated and confident.

Thank you!

benjam2421

still see myself as a 145 lb 15 year old

CaffeinatedConfectionist

Childfree1991 wrote: »

After reading this, it seems you are on the right track but lacking a bit patience and are overly excited. You need to be patient and must not rush weight loss.

While I agree that patience is the key to long-term success, I don't think there's anything wrong with being excited or with feeling an increased self-confidence/attractiveness. Plus I think that hanging up your old "skinny" clothes sounds like a good way to keep yourself motivated and remind yourself of your goal. (But I do agree to be patient and think in the long term of months, a year, etc, because weight loss is not going to be linear, and the first 5lb are typically the fastest, as much of that is going to be water weight).

My sense of self-esteem and self-confidence can do a 180 in a couple of days, depending on how well I'm sticking to my exercise routine and the quality of my eating. If I go off the rails for more than a week, I feel physically crappy (bloated, heartburn, etc, because when I go off the rails, I don't do it in half measures, lol). It's hard (for me) to feel sexy when I'm bloated and retaining so much water that my feet look like a pregnant lady's and my esophagus feels like the interior of Mt. Doom.

But when I'm doing well, consistently completing all of my workouts and eating at a reasonable deficit, I feel amazing and self-confident and attractive - even if it's only been 2 days since I last let myself get derailed and there is a negligible physical difference in how I look. That sense of positivity that I get from taking good care of my body has a lot to do with why I enjoy exercise and being fit in the first place.

Whitezombiegirl

Yes- but the opposite. I'm starting to understand that I'm not skinny anymore and can't eat loads of chocolate without gaining weight- and that i don't dance as much as i used to. At 8st 5lb I'm still technically 5lbs above the top end of ideal weight for my height (I'm a shorty). I tend to think of myself as that slim 15 year old that has never been overweight in her life - when the reality is that I am overweight-and I'm at least 14lbs heavier than I was at 15. At 38 I'm accepting that I can't get away with 2 day chocolate binges any more.

lindsmayf

I think your excitement is great! If you wait to lose a bunch of weight before you get happy about it, at what point do you get to just be proud? Half the battle is staying motivated, and being proud of yourself is key to that. No matter how much the scale says you've lost - you let yourself feel that joy!

lindsmayf

Whitezombiegirl wrote: »

Yes- but the opposite. I'm starting to understand that I'm not skinny anymore and can't eat loads of chocolate without gaining weight- and that i don't dance as much as i used to. At 8st 5lb I'm still technically 5lbs above the top end of ideal weight for my height (I'm a shorty). I tend to think of myself as that slim 15 year old that has never been overweight in her life - when the reality is that I am overweight-and I'm at least 14lbs heavier than I was at 15. At 38 I'm accepting that I can't get away with 2 day chocolate binges any more.

Honey, if you are only 15 pounds heavier than you were at 15, kudos to you! Most women would kill to be that close to their high school weight. Try not to let yourself get too discouraged. I'm a shorty too, and it just takes a little bit longer for our bodies to shed the weight.

CaliforniaRower

lindsmayf wrote: »

Whitezombiegirl wrote: »

Yes- but the opposite. I'm starting to understand that I'm not skinny anymore and can't eat loads of chocolate without gaining weight- and that i don't dance as much as i used to. At 8st 5lb I'm still technically 5lbs above the top end of ideal weight for my height (I'm a shorty). I tend to think of myself as that slim 15 year old that has never been overweight in her life - when the reality is that I am overweight-and I'm at least 14lbs heavier than I was at 15. At 38 I'm accepting that I can't get away with 2 day chocolate binges any more.

Honey, if you are only 15 pounds heavier than you were at 15, kudos to you! Most women would kill to be that close to their high school weight. Try not to let yourself get too discouraged. I'm a shorty too, and it just takes a little bit longer for our bodies to shed the weight.

Ha ha! What she said! When I was 18 in college, I know for certain I weighed 124 because I could bench press 125 and that impressed all the jocks I hung out with.

Now, well, I'll be grateful to see 150 again.

CaliforniaRower

CaffeinatedConfectionist wrote: »

Childfree1991 wrote: »

After reading this, it seems you are on the right track but lacking a bit patience and are overly excited. You need to be patient and must not rush weight loss.

While I agree that patience is the key to long-term success, I don't think there's anything wrong with being excited or with feeling an increased self-confidence/attractiveness. Plus I think that hanging up your old "skinny" clothes sounds like a good way to keep yourself motivated and remind yourself of your goal. (But I do agree to be patient and think in the long term of months, a year, etc, because weight loss is not going to be linear, and the first 5lb are typically the fastest, as much of that is going to be water weight).

My sense of self-esteem and self-confidence can do a 180 in a couple of days, depending on how well I'm sticking to my exercise routine and the quality of my eating. If I go off the rails for more than a week, I feel physically crappy (bloated, heartburn, etc, because when I go off the rails, I don't do it in half measures, lol). It's hard (for me) to feel sexy when I'm bloated and retaining so much water that my feet look like a pregnant lady's and my esophagus feels like the interior of Mt. Doom.

But when I'm doing well, consistently completing all of my workouts and eating at a reasonable deficit, I feel amazing and self-confident and attractive - even if it's only been 2 days since I last let myself get derailed and there is a negligible physical difference in how I look. That sense of positivity that I get from taking good care of my body has a lot to do with why I enjoy exercise and being fit in the first place.

Thank you for this encouragement! I had a slightly wobbly day yesterday - by accident, I ate something before looking at its package to determine its calories. When I found out, even though I was at a deficit yest, I felt dumb. Today, I modified and I feel like I'm on track again. It's amazing, like @WhiteZombiegirl said, how bizarre it is to adapt to one's body not processing food the same ol' reliable way. Now in peri-menopause, I'm adjusting again. Crazy!

SnuggleSmacks

I've been on here for a year, doing the world's slowest recomp Truthfully, I've been dicking around, not taking it seriously since I don't have much to lose, and although I have made visible progress, I have NOT made a year's worth of visible progress.

Yet...I decided to try 5:2 fasting, did my first fast yesterday, and felt so good today that I pulled out a little summer dress to celebrate the change to warm weather and went out for a doughnut with my fiance. Then I promptly ate way too much shrimp in garlic sauce for dinner. But I feel ya. I get it. I lost 1 pound in the last few days. One. ONE. And I was looking all cute today because of it.