What I think I look like vs. what I look like

Options
phizzylizzy
phizzylizzy Posts: 94 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm here because I know I need to lose weight. But a lot of the time I feel pretty good about myself and how I look. I feel really strong and even graceful, if a little thick, on good days. Some days I will get dressed and think, OK, you got this. But then - I am presented with photographic evidence. Evidence that I don't look like this (at my goal weight of 133 in 2008):
888011bd.jpg

But actually, I look like this (about 30 pounds heavier last week at the biggest performance of my life):
53f92b48.jpg

Yes, picture #2 could be worse....but wow. It's just crazy what a little dose of reality will do. If I could perform at the same event next year, I could guarantee I wouldn't look like that! And then of course there is the flip side: those days where I feel 100 pounds heavier than I am. Those are less frequent in recent years as I have learned more about how I talk to myself and how much that affects me.

Do you have a distorted view of what you look like?
«13

Replies

  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    Options
    I do but in opposite.

    When I see myself in the mirror I see a girl who is cute, plain and thick but not HUGE.
    When I see pictures of myself I see a mammoth with two chins, bad skin, bad hair, etc. etc. etc.

    I don't know if my internal vision is messed up or if I'm just unphotogenic.
  • evansproudmama
    evansproudmama Posts: 496
    Options
    I do but in opposite.

    When I see myself in the mirror I see a girl who is cute, plain and thick but not HUGE.
    When I see pictures of myself I see a mammoth with two chins, bad skin, bad hair, etc. etc. etc.

    I don't know if my internal vision is messed up or if I'm just unphotogenic.

    I;m right there with you.. When I look at myself i think im cute, yes a little thick but still cute face cute smile nice hair.. than i see a pick and i look eww lol i think i wasnt blessed with being photogenic :-( but i know i have some weight to lose also
  • 3LittleMonkeyMom
    3LittleMonkeyMom Posts: 259
    Options
    I do but in opposite.

    When I see myself in the mirror I see a girl who is cute, plain and thick but not HUGE.
    When I see pictures of myself I see a mammoth with two chins, bad skin, bad hair, etc. etc. etc.

    I don't know if my internal vision is messed up or if I'm just unphotogenic.



    I feel this way too. :cry:
  • wildcata77
    wildcata77 Posts: 660
    Options
    I do but in opposite.

    When I see myself in the mirror I see a girl who is cute, plain and thick but not HUGE.
    When I see pictures of myself I see a mammoth with two chins, bad skin, bad hair, etc. etc. etc.

    I don't know if my internal vision is messed up or if I'm just unphotogenic.

    I often say I have the opposite of "Body Dysmorphia" where I think I look smokin' and then I look in the mirror like 3 hours later and I'm like, "WHOA"!
  • mindiek2
    mindiek2 Posts: 21
    Options
    Absolutely!!! I have the same problem as you exactly. I think, "I got this, I look great"... then I see a recent picture and I am like "holy S&^t, I am not even close to being done this journey" so frustrating and disheartning.. but I try to flip it and use as continual motivation.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,248 Member
    Options
    I had it happen in reverse. I thought I looked great when I first wore my pirate costume in 2010.

    [img]http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q139/lorinalynn/april2010-pirate.jpg[/quote] When I wore it last year, I realized that I[/img]NOW look how I THOUGHT I looked then. I couldn't get over how much smaller my waist looked.

    IMG_2483.jpg

    Side by side.... my face shrunk a lot, too.

    pirate-ba.jpg
  • charityateet
    charityateet Posts: 576 Member
    Options
    That happens to me too. I think I look pretty good - and then get a pic. taken of me and bam - I look like *kitten*. I had someone send me a pic they took on their phone at a company meeting, thought I looked pretty cute that day - and when I got it I was like "woah!!!" said if that isn't motivation to lose some weight, I don't know what is - his reply, lol. Yep, time to kick it in gear!
  • Im_NotPerfect
    Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
    Options
    Absolutely!!! I have the same problem as you exactly. I think, "I got this, I look great"... then I see a recent picture and I am like "holy S&^t, I am not even close to being done this journey" so frustrating and disheartning..

    Definately this!!
  • 4newtsmom
    4newtsmom Posts: 29 Member
    Options
    I do but in opposite.

    When I see myself in the mirror I see a girl who is cute, plain and thick but not HUGE.
    When I see pictures of myself I see a mammoth with two chins, bad skin, bad hair, etc. etc. etc.

    I don't know if my internal vision is messed up or if I'm just unphotogenic.

    This is how I fell too. I find a nice outfit, think look pretty ok in the mirror, and then BAM I see a picture of me, and ewwwwww.....
  • stefanieanne14
    stefanieanne14 Posts: 119 Member
    Options
    I think I look gross and overweight in the mirror but then I'll see a pic of myself and realize I'm not all that big. I'm sure it annoys my husband because I'm constantly pointing out girls I think are WAY smaller than me and asking how much bigger I am only to have him tell me I'm smaller or the same size. Always a fat girl at heart :tongue:
  • katierechgomez
    katierechgomez Posts: 77
    Options
    I feel the exact same way, too. I will get dressed, look in the mirror and think everyhting is OK, I look pretty cute...then I will see a pic of myself from that day and be like, WTF!??! It is super depressing. But before, when I was in great shape, I would do the opposite...I would think I looked gross and fat in the mirror and then I would see pics later and say, WOW! I looked pretty darn good! It is super frustrating. I wish everything was consistent.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    Options
    I had it happen in reverse. I thought I looked great when I first wore my pirate costume in 2010.

    Lorina, you look amazing! Super cute pirate getup. :D
  • stefanieanne14
    stefanieanne14 Posts: 119 Member
    Options
    I had it happen in reverse. I thought I looked great when I first wore my pirate costume in 2010.

    april2010-pirate.jpg

    When I wore it last year, I realized that I NOW look how I THOUGHT I looked then. I couldn't get over how much smaller my waist looked.

    IMG_2483.jpg

    Side by side.... my face shrunk a lot, too.

    pirate-ba.jpg
    [/quote]

    Yep, you can tell in your face for sure. You look beautiful in both though!! Good job on your hard work!
  • m3dreamer2011
    m3dreamer2011 Posts: 73
    Options
    I do but in opposite.

    When I see myself in the mirror I see a girl who is cute, plain and thick but not HUGE.
    When I see pictures of myself I see a mammoth with two chins, bad skin, bad hair, etc. etc. etc.

    I don't know if my internal vision is messed up or if I'm just unphotogenic.

    I feel the same actually (except I don't see a girl :). Some days I see myself and think yeah you look ok and then others I wish I could find a plastic surgeon to fix up the scars, lines and marks on my face.
  • bowties_r_cool
    bowties_r_cool Posts: 66 Member
    Options
    I have the perception that I am still much larger than I am. When everyone comments on how healthy and fit I look I feel thrown off.:huh: I don't see any of what they see. Sometime I think it may be that my family (who say these things) are so unhealthy that they think that I am healthy.... :grumble:

    Then I worry that my view of myself is distorted. I really do not try to go by what I see but my body fat percentage and fitness level. I will be happy when I can run a full marathon! :drinker:
  • CharlieJuliette
    CharlieJuliette Posts: 459 Member
    Options
    Completely understand where you are coming from. I thought I was looking ok but looking through my recent holiday snaps I couldn't find a single pic of myself that matched my mental image! It's a dangerous situation when you are getting close to goal because unless you keep reminding yourself of the reality then there is a risk that you think you've done enough and don't reach your target weight.
  • itskristymarie
    itskristymarie Posts: 8
    Options
    Yep! All the time!!! I avoid pics at all cost! I wish it would motivate me but instead I totally deflate and get discouraged. Guess I should just get over it, it is what it is. I can't wait for the day when I'm like dam* I look great in that picture!
  • RebmaGe1sha
    RebmaGe1sha Posts: 61 Member
    Options
    I know how you all feel! Sometimes I feel so confident and sexy and then I realize that my clothes look horrible on me..it is frustrating. Especially now that I'm in this in between stage. I have clothes that I wish weren't so tight, but most of my clothes are way too big right now. I don't want to keep buying clothes that I'm will just fall off in a month.

    Also, seeing other people that are thin and sexy makes me feel like I'm still a whale of a person. I can't help but think my boyfriend prefers looking at them. *sad face* I know I'll get there though. We all will!
  • Restybaby2012
    Restybaby2012 Posts: 568 Member
    Options
    I have a horrible distorted body image. I dont think Im as big as the pictures tell me I am. Whatta shocker. Some day maybe my sense will equal what is......

    I dunno
  • Behl9
    Behl9 Posts: 95 Member
    Options
    I have the same problem. Even when I was 192 lbs (i'm only 5'5) I always felt like I looked pretty good still. Or I'd spend time with friends that I thought were about my same size and then I'd see those disturbing pics of us side by side and realize how wrong I was! I've lost close to 40 lbs since then and still catch myself feeling that I look better than I really do, which I guess is good... until reality hits lol!

Categories