I still think i'm fat, others say I'm thin

KittieLea

LIFT HEAVY.

stumblinthrulife

hey, so my whole issue is that i used to way 2010... currently i am 148 and I am 5'10. I know on paper is says that I am average weight. But when i look at myself in the mirior I still think that I am over weight. And i keep pushing myselg to lose more. I''m worried that this might turn into some mental eating disorder. what are ways that i can pervent that? any tips?

It could be an eating disorder if that's the case you should probably speak to a doctor or psychologist/psychiatrist.

It could also be that you're unhappy with your body composition in which case I would say eat at maintenance and lift heavy.

After a month or so when you see results you'll be able to determine whether you need to continue to eat at maintenance or a moderate deficit.

^^^ This sounds like good advice.

OP, based on what little can be elicited from your picture, I'd say you are far, far from being fat - you look great.

1ConcreteGirl

hey, so my whole issue is that i used to way 2010... currently i am 148 and I am 5'10. I know on paper is says that I am average weight. But when i look at myself in the mirior I still think that I am over weight. And i keep pushing myselg to lose more. I''m worried that this might turn into some mental eating disorder. what are ways that i can pervent that? any tips?

It could be an eating disorder if that's the case you should probably speak to a doctor or psychologist/psychiatrist.

It could also be that you're unhappy with your body composition in which case I would say eat at maintenance and lift heavy.

After a month or so when you see results you'll be able to determine whether you need to continue to eat at maintenance or a moderate deficit.

Best answer. I'm guessing it's number two here.

Offical

I go thru the same thing ppl say wow man ur muscular! I look in the mirror and its like, ok what are u talking about? I just dont see what everyone else see's.

RiannonC

I think a problem a lot of women have is that the fleshier parts of the body, like the thighs and tummy, are the absolute last places to lose weight. Meanwhile the parts people see everyday, like the face, can end up looking too thin while you're trying to get rid of the weight in those other places. So my advice would be to focus on toning those problem areas rather than cutting calories, and also accept the fact that a flat stomach with a 6-pack is probably unattainable.

Wait what? Why does having a flat stomach with a 6 pack have to be unattainable? Too many people sell themselves short. Yes it's important to go about reaching your goals in a healthy way, but why can't she have a flat stomach or 6 pack if she wants?

My advice is always to focus on how you feel. If you start feeling tired, run down, hair falling out, less strength, then you're probably not eating enough. Otherwise you're probably okay. Eat to fuel your body, and exercise because you love your body enough to take care of it, not because you hate it and you're trying to change it.

And it might be helpful to have your body fat percentage tested. Weight isn't as reliable an indicator of whether you have more to lose. Women shouldn't go below 14 percent. Up to 24 percent is still considered quite healthy.

Hellbent_Heidi

Have you really looked at photos of yourself? Maybe you need some side-by-side comparisons of where you used to be and how you look now...so you can see how you look from the outside.

The mental part is the hardest to get past....but keep working on it. At your height, you shouldn't need to lose any more weight. As others said, if you aren't happy with your body composition, start working with weights....

crystalflame

You've gotten to a weight where you expect to be thin, but you've probably lost a lot of muscle in the process. I'm with the "Lift heavy" crowd - start picking up some really heavy weights while eating at a small deficit and your body should start to turn into what you were expecting to see. Also, if you're having anxiety over food, therapy might be in order... But definitely try the weights.

sunshine_gem

I'm the same height as you - but I'm at around 200 right now. I had gotten down to 174 but kind of fell of the wagon, got lazy, and am back up to 200.

I'd say, one way to avoid getting yourself into a mental eating disorder is to do a couple of things -
1. You've already recognized that you have the potential to develop a more serious problem. That's great. See if talking to someone, like a close friend who is a good listener, or even a professional would help.
2. Instead of looking in the mirror and going "oh god, I'm fat", pick something you like about your body. It can be the stupidest thing ever - but if you like it, celebrate it. On me for example, I love my neck. Stupid right? Don't care, I have a pretty neck. Think about that when you look in the mirror over the next week. Then the next week, notice something else. Like, "hot dang, my right elbow is SMOKING hot. My left one is pretty adorable as well." Again, sounds stupid, but keep adding on those things you like about yourself and you'll feel better mentally.

This is perfect advice and exactly what I was going to say. If you've been overweight and you're used to seeing you a certain way then it takes time to adjust. Like we say in weight loss, make small goals and when you reach it make another one until you get where you need to be. So start small. Eventually you'll love more about you than you'll hate :-)

AmazonRDH

once you've been overweight, it's hard to see yourself any other way. I lost 211 pounds back in 2000 and even though i was super skinny and had all of my bones showing, i was a fatty on the inside and couldn't see myself any other way. my dad begged me to put some weight back on. it's very difficult for the mind to wrap itself around the new you. i'm 6'0" tall and because I didn't wear a size 2 like the supermodels, I was still fat in my mind. It's a very difficult thing...........

WilsonFilson

Maybe stop weighing yourself, and start taking body measurements. Who cares what the scale says. What matters is whether you're getting the shape that you want. Its not about the weight - its about the measurements.

And I disagree with what some said above about 6-pack not being attainable. Of course it is, but you have to know what you're doing. Resistance training - start building muscle. You don't need to get all bulky (that takes ALOT of work anyways), but with muscle tone you'll start seeing the shape that you want to attain. Good luck.

smilesalot1969

im exactly the same height as you and 3lbs heavier. im pear shaped and still think i look fat on my lower half. i do weight train and im hoping in time it will shift the fat but im back dieting again too to see if dropping more weight will help. trouble is im quite slim on top and it comes off there more so my ribs are starting to show and my collar bones are quite pronounced and my face has thinned a lot

ANewLucia

Well, honestly many times when we lose weight we lose muscle along with some fat. Even at a lower weight we see more fat than we would like. If your main form of exercise is cardio, try strength training. It makes the difference and tends to give the look we want. Now the scale may say more because of the lean muscle tissue gain and loss of fat, but you will look smaller, more firm and fit.

dmw45

lay down on a huge piece of paper and have someone draw around you. Or on the driveway with chalk. Then get up and look at the outline to get a better idea of what size you really are.

My best friend from high school just came to visit. Told me on the phone how she was trying to lose weight so I expected her as I remembered her but maybe with a few extra pounds. Instead I didnt recognize her because she is significantly thinner than I'd ever seen her, and she was never fat. Then shes telling me how she must work out to lose all the flab on her butt, but there isn't any. It's not solid muscle but its by no means flabby. She spent the weekend not eating much and trying to convince me to go to the gym.

It is not healthy if you aren't seeing your body for what it really is, whether that's too big or too small. Take this time to take photos and try other ways to look at your body from the outside. It could be you just got too focused on the part where you needed to lose and you can't see that it's time to maintain your weight now.

tj1376

Way back when, when I was 19-20 I was a size 5-6 and I used to spend hours staring at all the "imperfections" in my body. I had cellulite even then, and I exercised constantly. I hated it, constantly thinking I was fat, I wasn't formed right.

Everyone has body issues and knowing that they are there you can overcome them. You just have to consider where you want to be and is it really worth it to kill yourself trying to be some size you may not have been meant to be.

Personally, I would KILL to have that body back, even with its imperfections. (well truthfully I don't actually want to be that small, I like the curves I have when Im a size 10-12) And that's my goal - to reach a point where I know I was most comfortable, and ignore that little voice that says you should be smaller.

Bankman1989

You gotta start LOVING yourself! Even when you were bigger you should always be thankful for what you have. We forget sometimes that we are fortunate.

148 is a great weight for 5'10 if anything you can stand to put on 5-10lbs. Hit the gym!

cynthiaj777

It's time to hit the gym and lift heavy!

This.

I would agree. I'm 5'3" and roughly 130 lbs now that I am lifting heavy. I am seeing my body change even though the scale isn't going down. I am smoothing out on my stomach and love handle area. My saddle bags are smoothing out. I may not be wearing a different size or going down in "weight," but I am making myself look as smooth as possible. It is fun to see the changes.

It is that whole skinny fat concept. I am "skinny," but I know I still have tons of fat to burn off....and I want to replace that fat with muscle. I don't want to be squishy and blah at 121 (where I was)....I want to be tight and hard and strong!

So, lift. Lift heavy. :bigsmile:

rashidi731

If you where overweight for most of your life it hard to readjust your image of yourself.

Tuala42

I'm having the exact same problem. I think I have a hard time really seeing myself in the mirror as others do. I've reached my goal weight and trying to decide if its enough or not. Never thought I'd be a size six again, and now some of my size sixes are getting a little loose, but I'm still not happy with my hips. And I'm really curious if I can actually get a six pack for the first time ever. I think the idea of lifting heavy is a great idea. But can I trim my hips and get a six pack without losing more weight--will lifting weights do that,or do I need to lose a few more pounds? Kinda clueless and need to experiment at the gym I guess.

carrieous

if youre not lifting weights you could have a case of Skinny Fat which isnt pretty no matter how little you weigh.

MireyGal76

i totally feel the same, and blogged about it today - so rather than repeat it here, I'll post a link (in case you're interested)...
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MireyGal76/view/it-s-not-about-the-feelings-489861

I am trying to learn to love me right now. Some may think that is easy, but for me it is not. I pick flaws for a living, and I've honed my skills on myself.

The steps I am taking is self correction. When I start putting myself down, I correct myself. I take pictures, and reference them often when I start tearing myself to bits.

Good luck though, because even now, sitting at my desk, I FEEL like I'm about 40 pounds overweight, when I KNOW I'm just right.