How do you make yourself realize how much you've changed?

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  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,143 Member
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    You look fabulous....if that helps. ;)

    I can see some difference in myself after not even 20 pounds. But I know I have a LONG way to go. Nobody is saying anything to me yet, so that's a clue. :D
  • SoViLicious
    SoViLicious Posts: 2,633 Member
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    You look wonderful. I know the feeling. I've lost 40 and sometimes I don't think I see anything.
  • Mama_Mila
    Mama_Mila Posts: 511 Member
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    Lookin' good girl, but you don't need me to tell you that! Keep up the good work!!
  • sunshine_gem
    sunshine_gem Posts: 390 Member
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    I think that it takes a while for our brains to actually *believe* what we see in the mirror.

    ^^ This! Your brain gets so used to seeing the bigger you that it just can't quite accept the changes. Try looking at an old picture and then look at yourself now. Pick 1 feature that you think has changed. Just 1. Take a while to get used to that then pick another 1. Eventually you'll see it all. :-) Hope this helps.
  • islandnutshel
    islandnutshel Posts: 1,143 Member
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    I don't know how to get the brain to catch up. I've lost 35 pounds. It's put me into a different size. I am having a hard time letting go of my bigger cloths, and I am hoping I will find a solution. Last night I was looking at my legs as if they were not mine. They are smaller and stronger. Maybe it just takes time.
  • jtakingcareofherself
    jtakingcareofherself Posts: 144 Member
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    I think journaling goes a long way. You are different! I can see it - you look great!
  • islandnutshel
    islandnutshel Posts: 1,143 Member
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    I keep two containers in my room.
    One is my pounds to lose, the other is my pounds lost. As I loose weight I take one stone for every pound from pounds to loose and put it in pounds lost. Its a clear way to see where you are and how far you've come.

    What an awsome idea. Maybe I will have two rock piles in my garden.
  • mymelody_78
    mymelody_78 Posts: 657 Member
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    Amazing job! I tend to try on old clothes to make sure that I see the difference.
  • vguynes
    vguynes Posts: 794 Member
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    You really look AMAZING! Congratulations on your success! I seem to have similiar body image problems. I have gone from a size 12/14 to a size 4/6, and I still see the overweight person. The things that help me "see" the new me are comparing pictures and listening to EVERYONE else (because they can see the difference)! Good luck on your journey!
  • Itssojen
    Itssojen Posts: 73 Member
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    I think the most significant indication of the change in my body is my clothing size. I was in an 11/12 pushing a 13/14, and now I bought my second pair of size 7 bottoms this weekend. I haven't worn a size 7 since my freshman year of high school. I wear a S/M top (depending on the type of top or whether it's Juniors/Petite/Misses). Most of my clothes sag now, and I'm having to rebuild my wardrobe, which is definitely fun! I still look in the mirror and see myself as bigger than my friends, but apparently I'm the only one who sees myself that way. I still have more work to do, and when I tell people that, they can't believe that I want to lose more. When you've set a goal for yourself, it becomes increasingly important to reach that goal rather than just settle for what seems okay to everyone else. I know I've changed - sometimes, I just have to reaffirm to myself that I have.
  • GnochhiGnomes
    GnochhiGnomes Posts: 348 Member
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    It's a flaw in womens' DNA that we can't see what is really there.

    I'm pretty sure its not just woman. I struggle to see any change even though everyone tells me I look so much slimmer.
  • BlueRattie
    BlueRattie Posts: 3
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    I still see the person I was 150lbs ago. That is who I am, who I always was, who I always will be. I may be a lot smaller now, but when I look in the mirror, she is who I see.

    It's still difficult for me to get rid of clothes that I know I will never fit into again...and I think about getting a size larger when I buy new clothes on the off chance I'll need them. It's habit. It's how I lived my life for 30+ years.

    I hope eventually I'll see myself as a thinner person, but it hasn't happened in the two years I've been losing weight (I had RNY surgery April 2010).

    I do know that I FEEL better, and that I can play with my kids and run after them in the backyard. And that's what matters to me.

    All the best to you!!
    Karen
  • OhKelsey1
    OhKelsey1 Posts: 139
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    Well, first, you look EXCELLENT! I would even say I don't think you need to lose anymore. I think it's less about what you actually see and more about how you feel about yourself. I don't think you should work on forcing yourself to see your body differently so much as building up your self-esteem. Go shopping and buy clothes you never tried before. Go out, have a good time. Wear a dress and heels--look hot and take in people's compliments. Let yourself THINK you're beautiful, and maybe you'll start seeing it.
  • SoViLicious
    SoViLicious Posts: 2,633 Member
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    !
  • ziggy5621
    ziggy5621 Posts: 44
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    I have had the same problem.....but I did hang up a picture of myself....and it did help me realize how much I have changed and all my hard work has paid off.
  • gaylynn35
    gaylynn35 Posts: 854 Member
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    I can see a huge difference. You look amazing!! Keep up the good work! :drinker:
  • Helen_Luvnlife
    Helen_Luvnlife Posts: 230 Member
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    It is easy for me to see the difference in you, but I have the same problem seeing the difference in me.. Its good to know I'm not alone. I try to pay attention to how much better I feel. My knee doesn't hurt all the time and I am alot more active. I keep a starting photo of me on the fridge. It helps me remember where i was before I eat. Maybe I should post a current picture next to it to train myself to see the difference.
  • gmoneycole
    gmoneycole Posts: 813 Member
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    Here's the thing. You didn't get overweight overnight, so don't expect to get looking "perfect, just right, etc...." overnight either. I'm glad you posted this, because I was sitting there this weekend still looking at all of the fat I still need to lose from around my waist. BUT, look how far we've both come! You look much different in the second photo and I look much better after losing 40 lbs. So let's be happy and keep doing what we've been doing and let the process slowly get us to a place we want to maintain.

    Best of luck to you!!
  • macsgirl526
    macsgirl526 Posts: 80
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    I was having the same problem last week. Self esteem was horrible.Work starts back for me this week(I work at a school) so I decided to get a cut and color. Wow.I did a diff cut from what I have had before...I could see the beginnings of a new me. I could see the change. I was shocked and happy.It was the boost I needed. Not sure if that could work for you but thats what helped me. :)
  • trinitylyons01
    trinitylyons01 Posts: 126 Member
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    I have the exact same problem. Everyone can see the difference but I still see the old me. For me, I think it's a comfort thing. I've seen the old fat me for far too many years and that's what I know and have gotten used to. To actually see the new you can be scary. I often wonder if I'll go back to my old habits and then gain all the weight back (as I've done SO many times before); even though this time I made lifestyle changes instead of fad diets or get-small-quick schemes. (That's what I call them). Anyway, it's even hard to get rid of my clothes that are way too big because I've done that before and then had to buy new, bigger clothes later. It is definitely something that many people who have been overweight for a long time - in my case most of my life - can relate to.

    What helps me is looking at recent pictures and comparing them to old pictures. Also, I'm working on the mental part of things. I try to tell myself daily that I've lost weight and I'm much smaller (and healthier) now. It's kind of like an affirmation - you say things enough you begin to believe it. Try these things as well as embracing what others tell you about how much you've lost. Trying on your old clothes and seeing how baggy they are now helps too. Ultimately, as someone else said, it will come down to getting the mental you to catch up to the new physical you.

    Congratulations on your weight loss! You look awesome and that's something you should be so proud of!

    Good luck on the rest of your journey!

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