Body image: feeling weird about the "new normal"

stagmania
stagmania Posts: 6
in Motivation and Support
So I have lost about 40 lbs, which is more than I ever thought possible when I started this thing. I'm still going with no specific goal, but my loss rate has slowed down (losing 4-6 lbs per month versus the 8-12 I was doing at the beginning). So my body has looked roughly the same for the last couple months, and I've adjusted to the "new me". Which should be a good thing, right?

Lately, though, I find myself dissatisfied with my appearance. I'm not getting that positive jolt when I look in the mirror, or that "wow, I can't believe this fits!" thing anymore, and I guess I miss it. So for those of you who have had to adjust and settle into a new-sized you, how do you deal? I feel like I'm being ridiculous; I only need to look at a picture from 6 months ago or put on my old clothes to remind myself how far I've come. Why is maintaining a positive body image so difficult?

Replies

  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
    i am feeling somehat the same. i was losing quickly. then the last month i lost 4 pounds. between pounds 30-and 40 i saw a big difference in the mirror, in my face. now i see no change. the last 6 pounds have come off slowly. lol. thats all i got. i still have at least 54 to go. so i know ill see many more changed along the way.
  • kellenas
    kellenas Posts: 154
    I had the same problem. I lost 50 lbs a few years ago and it was hard for me to not shop in the plus size section. It's so hard to not see the fat girl in the mirror. I've put 20 of that back on, and am starting weight lifting to change my body shape. However, I was looking at myself in the mirror after doing deadlifts and found myself not being seriously disgusted with my image. Of course, I still get disgusted looking at myself naked in the mirror, but hopefully, the weight lifting will change all that :)

    Good luck on your journey!
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
    Surveys have shown that only about 10% of women (some surveys show as low as 3%) are satisfied with their bodies. It just doesn't seem to be a state that many of us can achieve or sustain. The reasons are too numerous to go into.
  • erinbeth85
    erinbeth85 Posts: 34
    I completely understand. At my heaviest, I weighed 268 about three years ago, then lost 40 pounds over the course of a few months. For a short time after that, I felt lighter and felt happier with how I looked in clothes. I stopped remembering how that felt though, and stopped working for it; I wound up gaining back about 15 of those 40 pounds. I started back again about a month ago, and am now almost exactly where I was after losing those 40 pounds, but under my current tracking I'm only seeing a 12-13 pound difference, which seems negligible. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm 40 pounds lighter than I was a few years ago, but it's hard for me to remember what that was like. I feel now (at 229) like I did at 268, so it's almost a surprise to me when I remind myself how far I've already come.
  • stagmania
    stagmania Posts: 6
    That's it exactly. It's odd how the goal posts shift, so that what once felt like a major accomplishment now feels commonplace or not that great. I guess I just need to keep reminding myself that for me, getting to this place takes a lot of hard work, and I should be proud of it. And so should you!

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