Does anyone else feel this way??

Cherese1983

It's crazy because the beginning of last year I was in the upper 170's and got down to 147 and I felt great about myself and loved the way I looked. Well, over the course of time I gained some weight back and got back up to 167. I am now 151 and although it is close to 147 I don't like the way I look as much as I did the last go round. Don't get me wrong, I am proud of myself, but I don't get why I am not as happy as I was before?? I see people on here that weigh the same or a little more than me that seem to be around my same height and they look great to me. Maybe I am my own worse critic. Anywho, does anyone else feel this way?

Marig0ld

Maybe I am my own worse critic.

I think this is it :-) Be proud, it's a great accomplishment!

skinnylizzard

I know how you feel. I'm not at my goal weight yet, but I was so proud to lose 13 pounds, now I gained back 2 and I feel like I'm so fat! I can't even imagine weighing 11 pounds more!!! I think we are too critical. We need to remember our accomplishments. In a way it good though because we know there is always room for improvement!

FTIM2015

I think we all see ourselves differently to what others see. I still see a blob, the OH thinks I look great:huh:

do you have a pic of you then and one of this time around?

I'm sure you look fantastic though!

ChantalGG

I look down at myself and dont see change it is only when i look at pics do i see some change.

kfitz10103

Yeah I think as I get older my body doesn't look the same at the same weight. I was exstatic in 2004 to be 178 lbs. and I LOVED my body. Now that I am 165 I still don't feel I am as good looking as I was when I was 178. Plus I have had 2 kids that have added a c section pouch and lots of stretch marks. I'm still working to get to 148 lbs.

nibblerbigcat

Maybe your expectations this time around were unrealistically high. You probably look the same, but you just remember how great it felt to lose that weight and now this time you know you've been there before so it's not so different in the mirror (in your head).

I don't think I'm explaining myself eloquently. But I know how you feel - I was 123 at one point, went up to 137 in college, and now I'm 124 again.... but I'm not feeling as skinny as I did when I was 123, even though I probably look the same.

sweetiebelle

For one, you have to learn to be happy about your body no matter what. Everyones body looks different. I've done all this about 10 years ago. I after losing I was down because, I was small but still looked the same. I exercised 2 hour a day. I gain everything back in a four years time. : ( . I didn't care anymore. I went from 156 to 130. This time I stated at 158 and now 122. I it doesn't bother me that I look the same but smaller. Im ok with me. I promised myself at the begining of my jurney. I can't afford to go to a gym, barely afford to put food on the table. So I have to live with my loose skin. But it better than being heavy. I can breath, I can run and do so many other things. I can live like this!. Don't be so hard on yourself!

aippolito1

You don't always lose weight or gain weight the same each time so you might have had more muscle last time you were around this weight. Start lifting if you're not and get that muscle packed on! It'll help you burn fat and you should be able to get to the place where you were happy with your body like last time.

CARNAT22

I went from 153lbs to 112lbs in 2006.

I gradually put half of this back on...

I am now just 3lbs away from being back to 112lbs but I do not feel the same.....

Last time round I was radiant, glowing and so confident. This time round I am a lot more self critical I guess? Maybe because deep down I know that after losing 41lbs I should have never been so complacent and put 20 of those lbs back on!

On the upside I do feel more prepared this time to maintain my weight!

clw_888

I personally don't think I see my body the way others do. I think of myself as larger than I am. Not sure why that is! I saw a great website in another post similar to this on MFP.

http://www.mybodygallery.com/

You enter your height and weight, even body shape and clothes sizes, and it shows pics of women who are the same. I found it interesting as I see myself fatter than those women look in the pics.

CARNAT22

I personally don't think I see my body the way others do. I think of myself as larger than I am. Not sure why that is! I saw a great website in another post similar to this on MFP.

http://www.mybodygallery.com/

You enter your height and weight, even body shape and clothes sizes, and it shows pics of women who are the same. I found it interesting as I see myself fatter than those women look in the pics.

I just had a quick look (typed in my height and weight) every single person that came up weighed the same as me or even a few lbs more but I would def say I am bigger!!

cshore54

Yes, yes, yes! I thought I would be thrilled to weigh 165. It was my original goal weight when I weighed over 270. I got to 165 and yes, I can buy decent clothes, but when I look in the mirror, I am not thrilled or even close. I look and compare pictures and see a huge difference, but complete satisfaction evades me. Maybe I will never find the satisfaction I seek, but I sure can do more now, shop more and I do feel much better. Overcoming my mind will also require a lot of work. Congrats on getting back on track. Yes, we are our own worst critics.

Qarol

All that gaining and losing, you never gain it back in the same spots. So while I've been at this weight before, I can tell the fat is sitting in different spots, and I'm not as happy about that.

elizabethblake

Wow, I am totally the opposite. I am so happy to be getting my body back! I am thankful for every pant size I go down and it makes my day when a new pant size starts getting baggy. I am loving the muscle definition I'm beginning to see! The only person I'm competing with is myself yesterday, not myself ten years ago when I was in the best shape of my life. If that was my focus, I'd lose that competition every day! I may never get back to a size 4, but you know, maybe I will! And if I don't, it's okay, because I'll never be a too-tight 16 again.

Seriously, you guys are too hard on yourselves!

cherubcrnp

I think that most of us are our own worst enemy. I still think that I look horrible but then I see a picture of myself when this journey started. I realize that I am looking so much better. The NSV that I get are so motivating! I realize that I am not quite half way to where I want to be, but I know that I am starting to look really good. The compliments don't hurt either.

Pam

Cherese1983

Thanks everyone! It's good to know that I am not in this boat alone, but at the same time sad for people that are as hard on themselves as I am. I am going to try to take a more positive approach and be happy for every ounce lost and muscle gain I get. Reading some of these posts make me thankful that I am not where I was and even more thankful for where I am going. This quote from Elizabethblake is awesome!

The only person I'm competing with is myself yesterday, not myself ten years ago when I was in the best shape of my life. If that was my focus, I'd lose that competition every day! I may never get back to a size 4, but you know, maybe I will! And if I don't, it's okay, because I'll never be a too-tight 16 again.

Seriously, you guys are too hard on yourselves!

clw_888

I personally don't think I see my body the way others do. I think of myself as larger than I am. Not sure why that is! I saw a great website in another post similar to this on MFP.

http://www.mybodygallery.com/

You enter your height and weight, even body shape and clothes sizes, and it shows pics of women who are the same. I found it interesting as I see myself fatter than those women look in the pics.

I just had a quick look (typed in my height and weight) every single person that came up weighed the same as me or even a few lbs more but I would def say I am bigger!!

I thought the same thing when I looked. We all carry weight differently but I think sometimes we are too hard on ourselves! I know I am!

elizabethblake

Aw, thanks! :happy: