Do you still feel "fat" mentally after a lot of weight loss?

christinet8504

YES!!!
I've lost 53 lbs and it doesn't feel like I've lost anything. I didn't "mentally" realize I lost weight until I did a before and after picture. Then my jaw dropped and it put everything in perspective. Our minds can be silly at times. :-)

THIS

momtimesone

I still list myself as BBW on the dating sites and just tonight went out on a date and was told I should not list myself in that catogory anymore. My sister tells me that my size 12 now is average for the american female but I still see the fat me in the mirror and still go for the big shirts and the huge jeans choosing to wear a belt instead of just getting my size. I see it in pics but still see the fat me in everything I put on and in the mirror hopefully it will go away but right now I am still the biggest member of my family in my brain even if I am skinner then my little sister now.

mSquared77

yes! even after 140 pounds.

Grimlock69

Mabey you have self esteem issues.

kimi131

It still happens to me quite a bit. There are days when I just feel fatter and days I even think I look fat in the mirror. There are days when I don't feel like I've lost anything or I haven't lost nearly enough.

There are also days when I feel really great about myself and even times when I think I've lost enough and don't need to lose anymore.

Usually it coincides with whether or not I've been doing enough to lose the weight. When my motivation is lacking, so does my confidence. It's not always that though. Sometimes I just feel blah.

I do think it gets less often though.

sdrawkcabynot

When I finally got help for my eating disorder 3-4 years ago - that is one thing that we worked on - body dysmorphic disorder. After I gained the weight after treatment - it got horrible... but now that I am losing and toning up - I actually like what I see. I may also go as far saying I am totally opposite. Weird how that works.

I found this article that lists the symptoms.

Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Signs and symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder include:

Preoccupation with your physical appearance
Strong belief that you have an abnormality or defect in your appearance that makes you ugly
Frequent examination of yourself in the mirror or, conversely, avoidance of mirrors altogether
Belief that others take special notice of your appearance in a negative way
The need to seek reassurance about your appearance from others
Frequent cosmetic procedures with little satisfaction
Excessive grooming, such as hair plucking
Extreme self-consciousness
Refusal to appear in pictures
Skin picking
Comparison of your appearance with that of others
Avoidance of social situations
The need to wear excessive makeup or clothing to camouflage perceived flaws


You may obsess over any part of your body, but common features people may obsess about include:

Nose
Hair
Skin
Complexion
Wrinkles
Acne and blemishes
Baldness
Breast size
Muscle size
Genitalia

The body feature you focus on may change over time. You may be so convinced about your perceived flaws that you become delusional, imagining something about your body that's not true, no matter how much someone tries to convince you otherwise.

When to see a doctor
Shame and embarrassment about your appearance may keep you from seeking treatment for body dysmorphic disorder. But if you have any signs or symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder, see your doctor, mental health provider or other health professional. Body dysmorphic disorder usually doesn't get better on its own, and if untreated, it may get worse over time and lead to suicidal thoughts and behavior.

fdavisdarthard

I’ve read several posts of women that have actually lost weight but may feel that it’s not an accomplishment. Ladies, the way your brain works isn't just psychological but chemical as well. From a physiological standpoint, your small intestine functions as your second brain. It contains more neurons than any organ but your brain (and as many as your spinal cord), and the physical structure of the small bowel most resembles that of the brain. After your brain, your small intestine experiences the greatest range of emotions; therefore, your feelings manifest themselves in the form of gastrointestinal distress. In your brain, you react to actions. Your small intestine does the same thing. It reacts to foods that enter its pathway, depending on their anti- or pro-inflammatory effect. Your foods dictate whether your small intestine feels mild annoyance (a little bloating), anger (gas), stubbornness (constipation), or temper tantrums (diarrhea). I hope this information helps. For all of you that are on the road to weight loss success, keep up the good work.

from Felicia D.

Elzecat

Sadly, yes, even after 40+ pounds and back to the size/fitness level I was in when I was in my 20s...I gravitate towards too big of sizes when I shop...and I've hung onto too-big clothes for way too long...

I have noticed that I can look in the mirror and think I look good (sometimes) but when I see myself in photographs I feel like I look huge...it's bizarre.

auntiebabs

Takes a while for your self-image to catch-up with reality.... It took me a while to recognize reality when I put on the weight and after 19 months I still check to make sure I haven't gained it all back while I was looking the other way.

lmelangley

I have lost 40 lbs and went from a size 14 to a size 4. When I look in the mirror I still see the size 14 body. I don't know what to do to change it.

I'm similar - went from a size 16 pants to a size 6. People are starting to tell me I need to stop losing weight, but all I see is my pudgy belly. When I try on clothes in the store, I consciously think to my self that stores angle mirrors to make customers look thinner in the clothes - I simply cannot fathom that I'm not overweight anymore.

Iansmommy123011

Yes I do! I still wear my husbands clothes to feel better. I don't know if it has to do with low self esteem that I have. I would like to wear cute clothes but they never seem to fit my body right and it makes me feel fat.

peacefulsong

My experience with this is really strange, honestly. In my head, I see myself as probably around 175 or so...still overweight, but nothing like the kind of overweight I actually am. And definitely not close to me at my heaviest a few years back. And that is really strange because I've struggled with weight my whole life. I was never a thin girl who just didn't realize she was getting fat. But this self-image doesn't keep me from suffering from a lot of the anxiety that a person as big as me feels. One of the reasons I decided 5 years ago that I needed to lose weight was that I was going to a tennis tournament that summer. I was about 325 then and kept thinking, in addition to how miserable I'd be at that size out in the scorching heat all day, was 'what if I have to squeeze into the seats??" I'd dread turnstiles, etc. I lost 60 pounds and aside from a brief time in which I gained 25 of it back and then lost it again, I've stayed at that weight (though have been starting to go down again with the help of MFP). But even then I'd still be horrified to see photos of myself (when I allowed them to be taken) and realize how big I really was.

What I wonder now is, when I get to my goal weight, will I still see the same picture of myself in my head that I do now, because then it will be bigger than I actually am! I'm hoping that won't be the case.

Danardeener

I still feel ridiculously fat, although I'm down 35lbs. I still have work to do and just about at the halfway mark. When I look in the mirror I feel that it's not me and I didn't lose anything. I swear each time I go shopping for new clothes I go straight to the big sizes XL / XXL section when I know I fit a Medium. Just yesterday my friend asked me what size I wear and she was going to pick up a shirt for me. I hesitated and said Large because I felt that a medium would be too small.

Anyone feel the same?

I was the same way...the first time I lost my weight, I lost about 50 lbs. I did the exact same thing with the clothes (going to the bigger size first). I had to train myself not to do that. I now go to the smaller sizes right away. However, I still have days where I see myself fat, but I'm not.

amikad

88 pounds down and i still have a very hard time with this. I went into a store that didn't sell plus size clothes and felt very self conscious like i didn't belong in there unless I had a skinny friend beside me. I get uncomfortable when people look me up and down once they notice I have lost weight...and i still feel like i am the same big girl and that the smaller clothes just run big. I don't know how long my mentality will stay like this...doesn't help when family members who are not supportive of your progress keeps making you second guess yourself while shopping, wanting you to pick a bigger size eventhough you know you wear a smaller size

Randins2006

I still feel ridiculously fat, although I'm down 35lbs. I still have work to do and just about at the halfway mark. When I look in the mirror I feel that it's not me and I didn't lose anything. I swear each time I go shopping for new clothes I go straight to the big sizes XL / XXL section when I know I fit a Medium. Just yesterday my friend asked me what size I wear and she was going to pick up a shirt for me. I hesitated and said Large because I felt that a medium would be too small.

Anyone feel the same?

i feel the same way the mind games have always effected me my whole life. (if you read my blog posts you'll understand more) its like no matter how much i lost i still felt i looked the same, then i would platue and think "well then wats the point" and quit. ut i keep trying and trying in hope one day i will lose more weight than ever and actually SEE the difference. idk but i guess we'll see...

peaceinside

Well, I have only read the first page and totally agree but it makes me sad that we are all this way. I have lost 47 so far and have made great strides, have no clothes that fit anymore and just ran my 2nd ever 5K yesterday. Starting a new program tomorrow so I took underwear pics this morning so I can track my journey visually. The first thing that came out of my mouth when I got it off the floor was, 'oh my gawd, I'm FAT!!!' I have been thinking about that all day!???????????:ohwell:
Peace! :flowerforyou:

ChristieStearns

Every time I take clothes out of the dryer, I panic because I think they shrunk. I have to put on my jeans and a shirt to make sure they actually fit me, and they do. They just look so small (and I am still a 16/XL/L). I can't imagine if/when I get even smaller.
I still find myself turning sideways to fit through a space when I don't need to. Or thinking I won't fit into a chair or spot somewhere and it's no problem. Even though I can accept what I see in the mirror, I can't stop thinking this way after years and years of it!
The biggest one... if anybody stares at me I assume it's because I'm fat. My husband says I'm hot and that's why they stare LOL. Hard for me to believe but I guess I am getting closer to an "acceptable" size in society now, so who knows.

MrsBigSmith

I've always looked in the mirror and still felt fat no matter what size I wore. But I've always suffered from eating disorders and things of that sort as well.

Elise_healthy4life

Ive lost over 100lbs and still think I look the same it's the toughest part of it all I'm due for progress photos soon so hopefully that will make my mind catch up

jching29

I think the only "fat" moments I have are when I walk into a store...and am astonished when I find a pair of jeans that fit. I was so used to being let down that it's such a relief to find clothes that fit!