body image

edith_t

i went to stay with my friend this weekend who i consider to be very slim, and i have always felt like double her size whenever i am with her. however we got onto the subject of weight etc and she started saying things implying we were pretty much the same size and i was like you have to be kidding! so she got all of her clothes out and was like 'try them on!' and i was absolutely convinced nothing she owned would fit me...and it all did. the the thing is, even though her clothes fit me and i only weigh a few kg more than her (i'm about 5 inches taller too) i still feel like the fat one. when i look in the mirror i don't see the type of skinny person i see when i look at my friend, even though if her clothes fit me i really can't be that much bigger. does anyone else struggle to accept they are no longer fat once they have lost weight? i think being 5'9'' plays a part in it as i am taller than the majority of my friends, but even so, how do i learn to see the real reflection in the mirror?

edith_t

anyone?

fetchfury

yea I always think i'm bigger than I actually am. I'll see my friends and think they have AMAZING figures, and find out i'm actually smaller than them. I have quite a large chest so they always make me look bigger than i am i think.
But ya I should really give myself a break haha.

CarrieHoumard

I have a similar issue (the chest thing.) I have lost 30 pounds from may 11- October 11, and have kept if off, but out of all of that my chest is no smaller... I feel so disproportionate.

simplyblessed5

I'm with you. I have a horrible body image from years of ED... no matter how much weight I lose, it never gets better. I'm working on it though! Lifting weights has helped me start to like the muscle I'm seeing, so hopefully I'll decide to like my body sooner or later!

Shriffee

Go to "thebodygallery.com"

It really puts it in perspective for you!

PinkEarthMama

I think I am huge, but I was able to fit into the dress I sewed for someone I thought was MUCH smaller than me...

2Bgoddess

I alwa6s feel bigcompared to my bff, even when she was heavy. I am 7 inches taller than she is, I think that will always make me feel bigger, regardless of my size.

robinogue

We are our own worse enemies... I always look at people and say I wish I was as thin as them. In reality, I probably am.

southernyankee716

I think more women than you realize struggle with body image. And they may not all deal with it the same way. Years ago, I remember asking my doctor for diet pills. He told me that I did not need them and I remember walking out in tears. Looking back (from the size I am now to the size I was then) he must have thought I was crazy. I'm 5'8 and then I was 140lbs. No wonder he told me no.

I have always considered myself to be overweight. But looking back at photos, I see it was mostly in my head. For me, I have to focus on the positive (pretty smile, outgoing personality, etc) and try to ignore any negative thoughts. It's a daily struggle for me but I have to keep telling myself "you do not look as heavy as you think you do" and continue to move forward.

You could also seek counseling. There's no shame in that. Set up standing appointments with a trained professional who can help improve your body image. I don't have insurance as of right now or this is definitely something I would do.

sexyminxinthemaking

I'm with you. I have a horrible body image from years of ED... no matter how much weight I lose, it never gets better. I'm working on it though!

this^

sarahbear1981

I mean this with the utmost respect and I definitely understan body image issues:
I don't get when fit people feel fat. I have a friend who is super thin and healthy but she is always complaining about being fat. It drives me nuts because then it makes me feel huge. There will always be someone bigger than you. Maybe you can use that as motivation.

unicornassassin

Go to "thebodygallery.com"

It really puts it in perspective for you!

I went there, but it's a website for a pilates studio... huh?

MaximalLife

Men have a much easier time lying to ourselves.
I pictured myself as some kind of Tony Soprano sort of sexy fat.

WRONG!
I just looked like a nicely dressed walrus.....

TheHorribleBlob

I've had that happen to me. My friend insisted that I wasn't fatter than her and she made me try on her jeans. They pretty much fit, aside from them being way too long (I'm a shorty lol). But I remember in my high school days, I HAAAAAAATED my body. My self-esteem was extremely low. I wore baggy clothes 24/7 and I wouldn't leave the house because I didn't want people to see how fat I was. I weighed between 108 and 120 lbs in high school. Now I weigh 145 and I have waaaaay more confidence now than I ever did then. I mean, I'm not the most confident person, but I've come a long way since then. It's really a matter of where you are emotionally than it is about physical appearance. I remember telling my brother than I wish I had a body like a particular female friend of his and he gave me a weird look and said, "You know, you're thinner than her, don't you?".

Poor body image is one of the first signs of an eating disorder. I hope you're being good to yourself.

TheHorribleBlob

Men have a much easier time lying to ourselves.
I pictured myself as some kind of Tony Soprano sort of sexy fat.

WRONG!
I just looked like a nicely dressed walrus.....

LOL!