How to help your brain catch up

TheVirgoddess

So I'm 49 pounds down. I've been at this for 161 days. Obviously my body has changed a lot. Nothing I wore previously fits at all, and I can see the changes in individual parts of my body (my hands, arms, legs, etc). I even shrunk an entire size in my shoes.

But I still see the 232 pound me in the mirror. I saw my shadow this weekend and it didn't register as mine. When I catch glimpses of the body parts that are obviously smaller, I honestly get a little weirded out - like they are alien.

I can look at my progress photos and see the changes, but I can't seem to make myself accept that this is me.

I'm still obese according to the BMI scale. And even if I hit a weight I think I'll be happy at (160 - a fairly arbitrary number), I'll still be in the overweight category (healthy for me, at 5'4" is 145). I'm wondering if this is partially to blame (I'm not allowing myself to see me, because I'm still obese).

Any tips on stopping this behavior? I'm at the lowest weight I've been in over 10 years and I really want to see it!

Cortneyrenee04

That's such a big change, I think it just takes time to get used to it. I know what you mean about the smaller shadow. That's happened to me and I was shocked! My weight loss has been slow (to say the least) so I don't get too caught off guard by those changes.

JtKeil

I just want to say congrats on your progress!

Also I'm in the same boat as you so unfortunately don't have much advice. I'm guessing it may depend on how long you were overweight. For me, I was always the chubby kid, then the obese adult and my brain still hasn't caught up. But it's only been 4 years since I've started losing the weight and I only entered a healthy bmi range this year (in the summer). When I look at it that way, it makes sense that my brain hasn't 'caught up' with my new body yet.

Maybe taking more photos of yourself would help though, placing them around your house as a way to get used to the new you.

TheVirgoddess

Thank you ladies.

numinousnymph

i know your EXACT issue, i even made a topic about it a few days ago. one guy, ndwildbill, had some really good advice on there. the topic is http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1457428-the-death-of-your-heavier-self if you want to see.

i've always been overweight/obese since i was a kid, and in the last year have gone from the higher end of the overweight BMI to now currently the very slightly lower end of the healthy BMI. i look SO different and i know the exact feeling of my body, even face, looking alien. it's unsettling and even a little scary. sometimes i feel like a different person and like i need to "find myself" and who i am all over again. and sometimes i'll look at myself and still think it's someone else. i think it really must just take time to get used to it. just have to wait it out and really take a hard look at the parts of you that have changed and appreciate them for what they are.

Kalikel

It comes later.

I started with a BMI of about 37 and didn't really see much difference at all until my BMI was around 29. Now, though, BMI is 27 and every five pounds, I can see small differences. It's awesome! But even now, I still am just beginning to get an idea of how I might look when I'm thin. (And it's very depressing to have lost 60 pounds and still be THIS FAT.)

I think the reason we don't see much difference is because we see ourselves every day, so the small changes just aren't noticeable. Then, one day you get up and say, "OMG, I really do look better! Look at me! Holy crap! I've lost a LOT!" There is also the fact that when you're Obese Class II, like I was, losing twenty pounds really doesn't make that much difference. There's still so much fat.

I'm really lucky that I relocated and visit with friends and family on occasion, because they see huge changes every time. If you can visit someone you haven't seen for a while, I highly recommend it.

You'll get there. Stick with it and you'll see it! Promise!