For Successful Losers: Do You Still See Yourself as Fat?

13

Replies

  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,148 Member
    My body is smaller than when I started, but I'm still pretty fat.
  • bennettinfinity
    bennettinfinity Posts: 865 Member
    I don't know that i 'see' myself as fat, but I still objectively see myself as overweight (still looking to lose about 15 pounds).

    What still gets me is that I'll pick up a shirt or sweater and think 'there's no way that'll fit'; but not only does it fit, it LOOKS right! It's those moments that help keep me motivated for the home stretch!
  • Maryaly40
    Maryaly40 Posts: 551 Member
    yes
  • tristaj90
    tristaj90 Posts: 330 Member
    I've lost 98 lbs and maintained that for a year. I'm around 136 at 5'4" and am told I'm skinny by everyone around me. I was always overweight and when I graduated high school 5 years ago I was around 178-180 lbs at 5'4".. My highest weight was 234 pounds in March 2012.. I still see myself as fat and am in awe and wonder and also confused when I go clothes shopping and am buying smalls/mediums tops and size 6 jeans. I feel that I should still be in Large/XL clothes and I feel like the sales clerks are judging me when I purchase my small clothes like "you can NOT fit in that, what are you thinking??"
    So I definitely have not adjusted my mindset to my "new body".. Plus seeing the excess skin/stretchmarks/extra flub in my problem areas does not make me feel skinny either.
  • Efflictim
    Efflictim Posts: 147 Member
    I definitely still see "fat fat fat" in the mirror. I'm still very slightly overweight, but nothing like I was before. I think it just takes time to let your brain catch up.

    ^^
  • The_Angry_Fish_Guy
    The_Angry_Fish_Guy Posts: 40 Member
    Sometimes I do.
  • Redhead_23
    Redhead_23 Posts: 58
    I went from 180 to 135 (lowest), currently 145. I don't really see a difference between 145 and 180. I did see a little change at 135. Not sure if it helps but I'm 24 and 5'8. I want to get to 120-130.
  • clsindc
    clsindc Posts: 23 Member
    bump
  • 00NL
    00NL Posts: 171 Member
    i have never felt fat because i never ate like a fat person. i always gained weight due to hypothyroid. So i am not made up of burgers or coke or food. i am just in a medical condition.
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
    some days i see a difference. most days i dont. i still have 50 more to go. maybe thats why. but other people are seeing me different then i am seeing myself, thats for sure.
  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
    It's obvious I'm smaller than I was at 265ish, but when someone calls me skinny, I seriously think they must be on crack, because when I look at myself in the mirror or even a photo all I see are areas that still need improvement, my tummy and my thighs. But sometimes, I'll put on on outfit and think...damn, I look HAWT!!!
  • wolfsbayne
    wolfsbayne Posts: 3,116 Member
    well, when I lost 50 lbs a few years ago (I've put 20 of that back on :grumble: due to not staying the course), it was very hard for me to look in the mirror and not see the fat girl I once was. It was even hard for me to not shop in the plus size section of the store. I always found myself starting there until I realized that my size wasn't there. I'm sure that once I get back down and ultimately to my goal size, I'll still see the fat girl somewhat. It's how I am, I guess.
  • thekyleo
    thekyleo Posts: 632 Member
    every day, I still think i'm fat
  • TravelinChiGal
    TravelinChiGal Posts: 216 Member
    Even though my clothes are getting smaller, I am always going to be the fat girl. But I'm OK with that because the fat girl has a ROCKING personality - outgoing, supportive, friendly, and has very little that she fears.

    So maybe I will look different to people, but I will be just me :)

    1529060.png
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    yes!
  • KateEMD
    KateEMD Posts: 101 Member
    I never realized how big I was. Now I look at pictures and see that my weight was more of an issue than I let myself believe. I guess that is a strange way of seeing that you had a problem. Now I do see myself as big because now that I realized the issue, I don't know if it will go away.

    Does that make sense? The brain works in odd ways.
  • ktaylor1188
    ktaylor1188 Posts: 141 Member
    yes...sometimes i do still look in the mirror and see much more of the old than the new. its frustrating... however when i look at old pictures, try on my now size 8 jeans, or maybe even walk by a store window...i catch a glimpse. i am very proud of how far i have come. and i know i am a million times better off! the biggest thing i focus on are the things i cant distort with my mind, like the fitness. the fact that i can actually RUN multiple miles lol...which i could only do multiple seconds before :P i think it will just take time, after all i knew the "fat" Kelsey a lot longer than the "fit" Kelsey :P good luck to all of you! enjoy your successes!
  • zilfig64
    zilfig64 Posts: 71 Member
    No.
    I see myself as overweight and not in the shape I want to be. I have already passed my original goal (I lost 20 lbs before I started on MFP) of 65 lbs, and my secondary goal of 80 lbs. I am now on my way (weigh?) to my third (and final?) goal of 116 lbs - which would be 1/3 of my starting body weight.
    Mainly I realize just how fat (not big boned, or heavy) I was before I started on this Saga, and a realization of where my body should be. Sometimes I do get down if the weight doesn't come off during a week - you know - work out every day, eat at your macros each day, and weight stays the same or goes up - but then the next week doing handstands (yes, I can do that now) when the scale drops 4 lbs.
    But everytime I feel like that I pull out an old picture and look in the mirror with it to see the changes, or do 20 pushups (when I started I could do 2-3).
    While I still track everything, I also look at weightloss and working out/getting stronger as another part of the great saga that is life - and I still live - you can bet I will have fun and not over worry about what I will eat and drink this Sunday as the Broncos trounce peter the cheater and the seachickens!
  • Nancy33333
    Nancy33333 Posts: 32 Member
    I've lost about 30 pounds and am pretty much at goal. When I look in the mirror, I do not see any difference, it's like the mirror has retained a photo of me from 30 pounds ago and just keeps showing that. I've gone from sizes 14 and 12 to sizes 8 and 6, and when I look I just don't see it. I have to rely on the scale and clothes sizes to know that I'm at goal--because otherwise I might keep going and that would not be healthy. It's totally weird. I wish I understood this better.

    That said, I don't "feel fat." But I didn't feel fat 30 pounds ago when my BMI was in the overweight category. I sort of couldn't fully see that either.
  • sugarkissprincess
    sugarkissprincess Posts: 2,595 Member
    Yes, because I still have the "same" look to my body just smaller. Until I tone up, I'm sure that feeling will always be there :cry:
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    No. I still have fat on my body but do not see myself as fat at all.
  • ascrit
    ascrit Posts: 770 Member
    I know in my head that there is a huge difference in the way I look and that I am a "successful loser." But when I see myself I still see someone who is disgusting and fat.
  • Escloflowne
    Escloflowne Posts: 2,038 Member
    I still see a fat guy in the mirror, not sure when that will go away, I hope when I have abs I'll finally be able to let go!
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
    I look the same to myself in the mirror no matter what I weigh. I can see the difference in pants sizes though!
  • brewji
    brewji Posts: 752 Member
    Yes I still do.

    I was bullied about it for over 10 years, so I guess it just sticks in my mind
  • silver_arrow3
    silver_arrow3 Posts: 1,373 Member
    I haven't reached my goal yet. I actually still have another 20 pounds or so to go before I get there. I think from about my highest weight I've lost about 50 (I lost 33 since I started using MFP), but when I look in the mirror, it doesn't look to me like I've lost anything. I really have to look at my face to notice differences.
  • SexKittenlovesitrough
    SexKittenlovesitrough Posts: 486
    yup. i do
  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 Member
    I don't look at myself as fat but when I look in the mirror, I'm either really hard on myself because I notice the flaws that I do have, or other times I don't recognize myself and can't believe how far I've come. When I look at old pictures, that's when it really hits me. The biggest eye-opener lately has been when I buy clothes. I've never been able to fit into a small and now that I can, it's mind blowing to me.
    Interesting, I still have a lot of size medium and small clothes, I just could never see myself as a "fat for life" person, especially since I always exercised, now I won't be. I don't think I will have any problem seeing myself as a thin person when I get there, just as I have no problem thinking of myself as a non-smoker, not an ex-smoker, it has been many years. It was some book I read back when I quit smoking, and basically it said calling yourself an ex-anything sets you up to "fall off the wagon". If you can teach your brain to think "I am a thin and healthy person", it would be easier to stay that way. I tried it with smoking, and even if I bring it up in an example like this, to me is like I never smoked, like I am just not that person anymore.
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
    I always saw myself as thin. I was in serious denial about my gained weight which is why I was 30lbs past ideal before I realized that I needed to do something about it. I say realized, but I never internalized that size as ME. Now the mirror is just starting to reflect my inner vision more and more.

    Maybe its the weight/size that you were at the longest? Or the one you went through puberty with?
  • daw0518
    daw0518 Posts: 459 Member
    I have the opposite problem, Big lady who sees herself as lean, guess thats why its taken so long to do something

    This is so true for me. I haven't officially lost anything yet, but I've always liked my body & how I look in clothes, even at a size 16/18. Sometimes I think this positive self-image was a bit of a detriment because it kept me from being motivated to change something, but hopefully it continues to be positive when I lose weight & hopefully I love my body at whatever size I end up.

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