I can't be the only one!

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GregJourney
GregJourney Posts: 80 Member
in Motivation and Support
I look at myself clothed and I really see the progress, but when I jump out of the shower and look in the mirror I still see the same body from 70 pounds agi and realize how much work I still have left. Please tell me I am not the only one fighting this vanity battle.
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Replies

  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
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    Not at all alone. Our minds take longer to catch up to us than our bodies.
  • NickyLynnDoll
    NickyLynnDoll Posts: 9 Member
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    It's not vanity, Greg. It's facing the reality of how (enter your verb here) we actually were, and realizing how much farther we have go to get to where we want to be. I know I am in the same boat as you as far as seeing a clothed difference and then being faced with the reality of the mirror. Just keep doing what you are currently doing, and one day you will look in the mirror and be like, (enter your own phrase here)! :tongue:

    So to answer your question...you are NOT the only one!
  • auzziecawth66
    auzziecawth66 Posts: 479 Member
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    I still felt chubby after losing 50 pounds and getting down to a healthy weight. It really is a mental thing and you just gotta try and learn to change your thought process as much as your external habits...

    Congrats on the 70 pounds!! That's a big accomplishment
  • valmegb
    valmegb Posts: 38 Member
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    Your not alone! I lost about 30lbs last year and when I look in the mirror I still see the lard *kitten* I once was. It doesn't matter how many times I am told that I look great and really slim I just can't see it.

    I'm continuing with losing weigh as I'm still not happy but I'm hoping that soon ill start to see what everyone else does, but it'll take time and patience.

    Keep going and it'll happen soon.
  • yurika975
    yurika975 Posts: 71 Member
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    You aren't the only one! I think it's because we often think that the goal weight or weight loss will be the be all end all goal. When it doesn't live up to expectations, then we feel let down. Maybe instead of feeling that way. Maybe break it down into specifics so you can reach your goal. This can make you feel more successful as you meet your mini goals. For example I'd like to be able to do xyz pullups, pushups etc.
  • grdnr03
    grdnr03 Posts: 547 Member
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    like many say the mind takes a while to catch up, keep working at your healthy self, also you probably have many Non Scale Victories that you can reflect on!!

    Congrats on your weight loss!!!
  • Trilby16
    Trilby16 Posts: 707 Member
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    Greg- a few days ago, I was going to post "Which should I believe-- my scale, my mirror, or my clothes?" The answer for me is my clothes. They are looser! I feel terrific when I get dressed in clothes that have been tight for a while (making me feel like the Hulk when he starts to get angry) and they fit comfortably. Still don't like what I see in the mirror however, and the damn scale is sometimes out of its mind!
  • fatbirdslimming
    fatbirdslimming Posts: 5
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    Greg, it might help if you measure around your thighs, bum, tum and chest area and your arms so you can remeasure once a month. Then your mind will realise that you are shrinking so you can start seeing the difference. Also, your clothes will get looser. Keep up the good work :)
  • bigcle82
    bigcle82 Posts: 134 Member
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    You're not alone. I feel the same way. I can have certain out fit and feel like damn looking good. Then get home to undress and I don't feel like the same guy who had that outfit on. Don't stop. Keep it up and you will benefit from all the rewards and your goals
  • tommygirl15
    tommygirl15 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    You'll find that most people feel this way. I'm only about 10 pounds from my goal weight and I still look at all the parts I have to work on. Don't worry, little by little we'll get there!
  • EricCowperthwaite
    EricCowperthwaite Posts: 450
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    After I had lost 20 lbs (a lot on my 5'8 slender frame) everyone who knew me was telling how great I looked - and I was thinking in my head how awful I looked. If anything, at that point, I liked my body less than when I was 220 lbs. weird, huh? Now, under 190, over 30 lbs down, I am starting to feel better. I can see the old me emerging, finally. Even so, I still have a gut and the remnants of man boobs and I hate that. But I look tremendously better and I can see that too, finally.

    It's a very complex process to change ourselves and it's a struggle both physically and emotionally.
  • KimberlyinMN
    KimberlyinMN Posts: 302 Member
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    I hear ya! While I know I've lost weight, it hasn't really sunk in yet. There's more room in the recliner (the dog can now lay beside me instead of on me), clothes have been replaced a few times, etc. (And I can cross my legs again!) But the image of my body in my mind is still the same. In fact, I was shocked this morning on my drive back home after being at the gym - I had glanced down and my legs looked so THIN to me. And NOW I understand the need for an adjuster string thing in winter jackets at the waist! My current down jacket is a bit too big and I sure could use one of those strings to pull it tighter. I am NOT going to get a new winter jacket until next year. (We've still got a couple of months of winter left in NW Minnesota - in a winter storm warning right now.) Boo.
  • xTJSx
    xTJSx Posts: 106
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    I've gone from a UK size 26/28 to a UK size 18/20 and when I look in the mirror clothed or unclothed I still see the elephant me looking back!
  • mightdomightnot
    mightdomightnot Posts: 181 Member
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    I'll let you know when I get to your stage :)
  • _Josee_
    _Josee_ Posts: 625 Member
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    I feel the same :S My brain know that I am far from being fat, but I sometime see the same girl I saw a year ago in the mirror.
  • GamerLady
    GamerLady Posts: 359 Member
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    It helps if you take pictures along the way. You see yourself everyday and don't notice even the small differences while you're trying to lose weight.
  • akp4Him
    akp4Him Posts: 227
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    I've lost 90 pounds. I look good in clothes...but after a shower...I can still see all the areas that still need work!
  • Autumnsun26
    Autumnsun26 Posts: 83 Member
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    I feel this way too. Granted I have only lost 15 lbs. I have went down one pant size but really don't feel like I look any different. I do feel different though I have much more energy, and just have a different personality.I just try not to get upset and keep moving. I didn't gain it over night & I'm not going to lose it over night either.
  • NeashasJourney
    NeashasJourney Posts: 9 Member
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    You're not the only Babe. I feel self-conscious about my body all the time, especially since I have so much more to lose to be at the ultimately healthy weight. We're in this together, so we'll share the successes and challenges together - even our insecurities. Lean on me and the other MFP buddies to help with your confidence. Take my hand and we'll keep walking that journey together to feel the confidence we deserve. Love you.
    Neasha
  • nancycaregiver
    nancycaregiver Posts: 812 Member
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    Exactly!! I'm only about 8 pounds from goal and I think I look pretty good in clothes but then, just like you, I see the mirror when I get out of the shower and it is such a slap in the face. This is where exercise comes in! I think this is what they call "skinny fat"! I'll just keep working on it and in the mean time, I'm keeping my clothes on!!

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