Still see myself as fat

Rondaofmordhiem

I have lost 45 pounds in a little less than a year. When I look in the mirror I can see the changes and that I am thinner but, When I look down at my body I see myself as still big. Thick thighs, wide hips. Family and friends assure me that I look good but I can't see it in myself without the mirror. Anyone else have this issue?

pridesabtch

Are you at goal weight? If not, maybe you just have a little more work to do to get where you want to be aesthetically. Vanity pounds are tough to lose. Maybe your initial goal weight isn't your final goal weight. Maybe you need to add strength training to firm up certain areas.

Either way, you need to be proud of how far you have come. 45 pounds is a lot. It is okay to be happy with your progress. Give yourself credit for your accomplishment and continue along your journey to a healthier you.

Body dysmorphic (disorder is a mental health disorder in which you can't stop thinking about one or more perceived defects or flaws in your appearance — a flaw that appears minor or can't be seen by others) it is a real thing. Often times it just takes time for our brains to catch up with our bodies. Other times there are underlying issues that therapy can help with.

Best of luck

TakeTheLongWayHome

I have the same thing. I lost 80 and have gained 10 back on purpose. It wasn’t until I seen a full body picture of myself that I looked skinny. I would look in the mirror and see the loose skin and curse the old me for letting myself go. I’m slowly getting past it, but the saggy skin is still there. Don’t know if I can build enough muscle to ever be rid of it naturally. All we can do is keep moving forward. Good luck on your journey.

marissabakescakes

This is a very interesting one. I was overweight my entire life, lost 70 pounds and did not feel any different about myself. If I gained 5 or 10 pounds over Christmas or whatever, I felt like a WHALE. I was at 135 pounds at 5'5 thinking I was huge.
Flashforward a year, I started a new medication and gained 40 pounds. NOW I realize how bad my body dysmorphia was back then. It does take therapy and work to change your mindset. Now I am off the medication and ready to get the weight off again, but my mindset is different.

A therapist can be really really helpful

AnnPT77

Honestly, it's pretty normal not to see the changes in ourselves clearly.

Technically, that is "body dysmorphia", but it's so normal for it to take time for self-image to catch up with reality that I fear using that term can turn a normal cognitive speed-bump into a worrisome "syndrome".

I think we get used to a certain idea of ourselves. We look at our body, see "me", that self-image, not the actual physical details.

It took many months for my self image to catch up with my actual appearance, consistently, after losing 50+ pounds in under a year. (I'd been overweight to class 1 obese for decades, beIf fore that loss, and saw that overweight me.) I couldn't fully see reality in the mirror, even in photos, let alone when looking at my body. Over time, I internalized the new image more, but would still have epeerisodes of not recognizing myself reflected in a store window or something, or folding my laundry and wondering about the tiny-looking clothing.

Yes, for some people this problem can be very severe, lead them to excessive weight loss, and other bad health consequences, result in a person looking worse to the world in pursuit of looking better to themselves . . . but severe self-criticism means they can never get to a happy, realistic self image. That scenario will benefit from therapy, and there should be no stigma in getting therapy, ever, for anyone. It's no different from going to a registered dietitian if we need help with nutrition, or even calling a plumber if a pipe is leaking.

If that extreme isn't the case, if it's more just your brain saying "WTH" silently to yourself if someone says you're thin or something, I'd say it's fine to wait it out, maintain your new healthy weight if you're at goal, give yourself some kindness and grace. Your self image will eventually catch up, mostly - it just takes time.

therealme_lissa

Perhaps you have body dysmorphia; what you see isn’t an actual representation of what you actually look like.

I think this happens to a lot of us. We’re so used to being overweight or seeing ourselves in an unhappy way; that when we finally make progress & change, it’s like our brains have a hard time realizing that. I almost feel like it can be a safety net as well. As long as we never see ourself as thin/ thinner, then we don’t have to worry about “failing” if we gain any weight back.