How do YOU see yourself?

fatoldladyonamission

It wasn't until a family member tagged me in a picture on Facebook and I scrambled to remove the tag that I realised just how bad things really are. Somehow you just don't see yourself as big as a picture makes you! I hated my sister in law for posting that picture, she too struggles with her weight and won't allow any pics to be taken so I can't help feeling doing so to me without warning was exceptionally cruel.

However, that pic is now my profile pic, and because of that pic I am now 32lbs down. Actually I owe her one, not that I'll ever admit it! Lol!

HeyGoRun

I was also not seeing how i was looking, until my husband took a full body pic of me back in june without me knowing, that was a wake up call!! I hope he still has that pic, need to compare to now!

narwhalpr

I'm 5'5" tall and currently weigh 307 lbs. When I look at myself in the mirror, I don't see a 307 lb person. I see myself as if I weight a lot less. Not skinny, just not over 300 lbs. Its when I see pictures that I'm like, "WOW! What happened? I don't look like I did in that picture from a few years ago..." I know I'm fat. I don't think I'm skinny, or thin or anything. I'm still very self-conscious about my muffin-top, and my rolls behind my back and my double chin. But my "vision" of myself is about 60 lbs less than who I see in my pictures. Is that weird? Does that make sense?

I feel the same way. Also when my picture is taken it's hard to believe I look that way. I feel less obese than that! So when that happened, that's when I stopped taking picture of myself. I am glad you brought this topic, I finally feel I can find commonality with other people.

4ever420

This was me to a tee. I knew I "technically" was obese but seemed to always believe that I hid it well and others couldn't really see just how big I was. When I looked in the mirror I thought I didn't seem all that big but when I would later see a picture of myself in the exact same outfit I was blown away at how huge I looked. Was that what I really looked like????

JewelsinBigD

I totally understand - I have lost about 60 pounds (almost) and I now look the way I thought I looked 60 pounds ago. I sometimes see myself thinner than I am - but I think I am closer - maybe about 30 pounds off now instead of 60. I think once you cross 300 (which I have more than once) our vision is no longer valid. I still have a long way to go - at least another 60 but I sure hope my vision gets better the closer I get!

sassabella

I'm still really self concious despite only being 60kg now. Mainly because I have always had reservations about my legs and trying to make them toned. I'm getting there but I still see them as huge and flabby. Despite the fact that I won't let myself get back to the way I was, I still feel scared that I will.

Frankie_Felinius

I always tell people I think I look like a boy dinosaur...

cwolfman13

When I was overweight I didn't really see myself that way. I'm currently right around 180 Lbs which is the weight I maintained for years before gaining. I always saw myself as this weight despite the fact that I put on about 40 Lbs in 8 years. My highest weight was around 220 at 5'10" and I was really in denial and thought I looked pretty good.

At my current weight, this is pretty much how I've always seen myself regardless of the reality.

Timshel_

I see myself as average. Always have. Average looks, average build, average skills - no worse or better than others.

I know I could lose a few pounds for sure and certainly get toned.

I know I do look older anymore, and that kinda bugs me.

Aside from that, I dunno.

Tessyloowhoo

I look in the mirror now and think wow i am so big, look at this bulge or this roll... and if i see myself in a photo i think i can't be that thin... no way i am that tiny
I hate my brain.

renatewolfe

I THINK of myself as I was when I was 125lbs, but when I look in the mirror, I see a 353lb woman, and think, OMG, what happened. I KNOW what happened, but it's still hard to believe sometimes. I literally put on 50lbs the first month my late husband was ill. I get really discouraged looking at clothes too. No matter how cute it looks on the hanger, it looks awful on me. So....I try not to look in the mirror or shop. Not shopping is hard. I used to be a clothes horse. One day, I will be again!

mathiseasy

I still see myself as over 200 pounds. Dropping the weight didn't necessarily fix my self esteem issues like I thought it would. I have come a long way from crying after looking in the mirror but I still have some pretty bad days, especially after gaining about 10 pounds back. This time while I get rid of those 10 pounds I'm going to do it because I want to be healthy, a much different frame of mind than why I did it before.

blackcloud13

I've always looked the same to me. I was a skinny kid, and I never really thought of myself as fat, no matter how big I got. When my BF % passed 30%, I still didn't feel fat; and although I was defined as obese, I just figured the definition was wrong!

Now I can see a big difference when I compare pictures to a year back .... but in the mirror I still look the same as ever to me!

jeanamarshall84

Mirrors...what Mirrors * loud crashing sound behind me from the window* I never look in the mirror!!...Okay I do and just as most of you it seems crazy or complicated. Standing on the other side of the mirror I don't feel the the dangerous bumpy curvy lady I am. I feel curvy and chubby, and sexy. Then when I see "her" in the mirror, hair not in the sexy tussled look I thought it to be and from a side profile there is a shocking bigger belly than I thought there should be. Don't get me started on how good looking I think my legs are and then a picture emerges showing more dimples than a orange possesses. *ah*...sorry for the scare.

This is what I am here for, and what I am working on. I'm gonna try to be nicer to that girl in the mirror and not be such a *witch* critic and make her smile lot more. Being big is not a "bad" thing in some ways and if you dress according to your body type ( okay blah blahs)

Hell Rock your curves but be a lady about it.. when you feel you are standing taller you are usually showing it as well.

paeli

I can relate to what everyone has said. I've plateaued at an 80 lb weight loss for nearly 2 years while struggling to reach my goal weight. During that time my body image has changed immensely. I know when I was actively losing I had no idea how much thinner I had gotten. Take progress pictures once a month! It helped immensely to notice the differences in my body. I can't even imagine how long it'll take my body image to adjust once I get to my goal weight .

lharris6993

I see myself as old news, I use to think I was hot then I gained weight and turned into a hot-mess

jenmck5

Speaking of facebook - I have all these bigger pictures of myself on facebook and I'm ok with that but yet I haven't posted a single picture of myself after 50 lbs lost. I'm a little nervous to. Not sure if I feel vulnerable or just not time to or what. I too do not like looking at pictures of myself. Although I feel good about my jaw and chin now : ) Working on it and myself.

maQmIgh

Ive lost 28lbs since I started actively using MFP (almost 4 months ago)... I know I've lost the weight (I've had to replace my wardrobe, and i recognise it in pictures taken of me)...
...
But when I see myself in the mirror... I still "see" me 28lbs ago
...
I feel so much more confident in myself, but doesn't stop the years of self doubt and bullying received...
...
I keep an up to date picture of myself in my phone at all times, and I try to avoid mirrors of any sort...

If I accidentally glance at myself in the mirror, I re-cap with the picture on my phone... Its worked for me so far

swhiteism

I know exactly what you mean, as I've been on both sides.

At 180 pounds, I was always shocked and embarrassed every time I was tagged in a FB photo or caught my reflection in a full length mirror. I think I saw myself as being somewhere around 160 pounds.

At 145, I still do a double take when I see my reflection, but only because I'm surprised at how much thinner I look these days. I know this isn't a great thing to admit and I hate that I'm always comparing myself to others, but I saw a recent picture of me with a friend the other day and was amazed at how I looked skinnier than she did. It's always been the other way around. I still imagine myself as a fat person. When shopping, I always go for the L or XL tops because that was my size before. I'm a medium or a small now and it just blows my mind.

lina011

i look at photos and use ta think WOW I was HUge" now 3 yrs later and 10 kilo heavier i think i was so stupid for thinking that. I now still have issues" with taking pictures of myself and my reflection