Do you still feel "fat" mentally after a lot of weight loss?

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Replies

  • heatherloveslifting
    heatherloveslifting Posts: 1,428 Member
    I am walking around in size 4 jeans right now. Size 4!!! And I still feel fat and am very surprised by pictures of myself lately. I don't think I look like that.
  • fit_and_fab_after_kids
    fit_and_fab_after_kids Posts: 43 Member
    i to still see the fat me :( friends and family always tell me how good i look but everytime i look in the mirror i still see the bigger me! hoping after a while i'll be able to see the new me :)
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    Yes.
  • P05T5CRIPT
    P05T5CRIPT Posts: 285 Member
    Yes! I've lost 56lbs in the past 5 months, but when I'm out shopping i still pick up the size I wore months ago 22/24, even though I'm now 16/18. It's like my brain hasn't adjusted to the fact I'm alot smaller. If I'm out shopping with friends they'll pick me up a top in size 16 and say 'that's cute, try it on', and I'll look at it and immediately go 'that won't fit me, it's too small'. Then I'll try it on and surprise surprise it fits me no problem!

    When I look in the mirror i still see a fat person, I'm smaller sure, but I'll still see that large person looking back at me, I'm hoping as I get closer to my goal that my brain will catch up!
  • helyg
    helyg Posts: 675 Member
    Yes!

    I have lost 38lbs and gone from a UK size 20 to a UK size 14. Obviously I still have a way to go, but I feel just as fat as I did when I started. I can't even see it in photos as I dressed to hide the fat when I was big and so I can't see the change when I look at photos now. Although I can try my old clothes on and see how much bigger I was it doesn't really sink in :frown:
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
    yep...I've lost 53 pounds....pretty much to my goal weight, 8 pounds to go, and in my mind I am fat, and always will be....its weird, my brain keeps saying I am still fat :ohwell:
  • AmberJo1984
    AmberJo1984 Posts: 1,067 Member
    I have only lost 21 pounds so far... but, yes, I still feel "fat". I don't see where I have lost any. It's an everyday battle to keep moving in the right direction.
  • ShaniWulffe
    ShaniWulffe Posts: 458 Member
    I've lost more than 30 lbs so far (which looks like a lot more because I'm short), but I still feel like "the fat friend". Some of the girls in my dorm were saying the other day that they wish they were as thin as me, and I was like... What are you even talking about XD
  • shammxo
    shammxo Posts: 1,432 Member
    I feel like this a lot of the time. It's a really hard mindset to get out of!
  • mhorn2142
    mhorn2142 Posts: 319 Member
    I have lost 90#s and my head has not caught up with my body. I have 65#s more to go but still don't see the changes when I see myself in the mirror. Even though I went from a size 26W to a size 14W when I look in the mirror, I see size 26. I still walk around a "normal sized" store assume all the thin people are wondering why the fat chick is looking at clothes that are clearly to small for her. I don't know if your head ever gets fixed from body image issues. I think we always have things about our bodies that we don't like. We always say if only I was a size (blank) I would be happy. When that size comes up we are still not happy. It is all part of the self hate that we give ourselves from the time we are young. Do you ever look at old pictures of yourself and say " I can't believe I thought I was fat! I would die to be that size again." well I don't think we will ever be happy especially if self esteem is what got us in this mess to begin with.

    Exiting soap box now! lol
  • Brittaura
    Brittaura Posts: 29 Member
    Yes :cry: it blows too. Mine may just be b/c I still have so much left to lose that it's daunting and discouraging though. It is hard to be positive and proud when you've lost a ton of weight and still can't wear "normal" clothes and are ashamed of your weight. It's a tough ride.
  • Metspride129
    Metspride129 Posts: 122 Member
    over the last 11 months, i went from 283 -> 217, size 40 jeans to size 32, and am getting a lot more attention from ladies....especially ones that i never thought would show me any attention (including my girl that i've been talking to for almost 2 months now..she's drop dead gorgeous). I still have "fat guy syndrome" and still see a fatass everytime i look into the mirror. I know i look better, but still dont like how i look. It's quite frustrating cuz my cockiness and my confidence do some out and show at times, but is smashed when i see myself shirtless in the mirror. i want to drop this last 30 pounds like its nobody's business, but am stuck at the most annoying plateau ever
  • lingading
    lingading Posts: 258 Member
    YUP.. i'm down 88 pounds from my high weight and some days i have myself convinced i still look the same as i did then.. I think it's because I still have so much left to lose and my weight has been the same for quite some time now.. but don't worry, that'll go away, especially when several people make comments about how amazing you look that don't know you're losing weight
  • jammiezene
    jammiezene Posts: 83 Member
    Every day
  • veggiehottie
    veggiehottie Posts: 590 Member
    It does get better, but i fear it will always remain in some ways. (I lost 80+ pounds about 10 years ago... but I was heavy for 20+ years before losing it. I have recently lost another 20 pounds.)

    For instance, when I have to squeeze through a group of people. Someone will move ever so slightly out of my way, and I will be thinking in my head " what a jerk, can't even be nice to move out of the way for me"... And then I slide right past them, with room to spare.

    Or when I complain about my size to my friends, and they look at me and tell me " you KNOW you are skinny, right?"...
  • veggiehottie
    veggiehottie Posts: 590 Member
    I am paranoid more about putting pounds back on.

    Every day. :(
  • jennielou75
    jennielou75 Posts: 197 Member
    I feel more unacceptably fat now I am just obese than when I was morbidly obese. I weighed 148 kilos at my heaviest and I am 5ft 3. I now weigh 98 kilos so still have a way to go. Now I feel I just look fat and lazy rather than ill. Weird I know. Still feels strange when I catch sight of myself in a window or mirror.
  • darbest
    darbest Posts: 22
    I use to feel that way. When I lost weight one time of many, I was at my goal weight size 6 and I still felt over 200 lbs. I do not look into the mirror any more, that was just beating my self up. I am not going to weight myself one a week, it will be once a month. All the things that you are saying I use to do. I am 58 years old and this has been going on in my life for 45 years that a lot of years to make my body and my weight an issue. I have learned to love myself just the way I am. Loosing weight now is for extending my life. This is my last attempt in trying to get the weight off. I will exercise everyday min 30 mins max two hours. I will not beat myself up anymore. You're a beautiful girl remember that. Please don't beat yourself up like I did. Go to the store and pick up a 35 pound of fat and then you will smile. Have a wonderful day, God Bless.
    Dar
  • darbest
    darbest Posts: 22
    I do not know kilos what is that in pounds? :smile: Hello my name is Darlene and this is my second day on this site. Have a wonderful day God Bless. Dar
  • darbest
    darbest Posts: 22
    That statement makes me cry. All of my life I felt that way. What was told to me was: You have spent so much time losing your weight and concentrating on weight, when it is all gone what do you concentrate on. Find a hobby, have fun and just love yourself and keep up the good work. God Bless
    Dar
  • marciat100
    marciat100 Posts: 61 Member
    In 2008 I lost all the weight I wanted. Keep it during 2009/2010. After this started getting some back (hormones treatment).
    Now, working on my treatment and getting back to my 2009 weight.

    During all the time I was in my real weight in 2009, I had this feeling of being fat.

    Many people told me it's normal, but it's hard to change this to the New Normal.

    What I learned: the "feeling fat" is a trick: better to work to develop the "feeling thin" while we are in the process of getting to the new weight and shape. This is what I am doing now.

    While having this "feeling fat" sensation, we can easily fall into binge or unhealthy habits.

    This is what I am trying to do this time. Having this forum and all MFP community is helping me a lot. THANK YOU ALL!!
  • divacat80
    divacat80 Posts: 299 Member
    After losing 90 pounds (40 kilos) and almost at my goal weight I have mixed feelings. I feel lighter than a feather and so well physically, but I'm struggling to get my mind to realise that I don't take that much space anymore XD. I used to be BMI 40 and I'm two pounds away to be on a normal BMI (i know BMI shouldn't count). I went fron an XXXL to an M in clothing size but my mind is still stuck in my old weight. I guess I'll get used to it after a while :)
    What bugs me is that I still have a lot of body fat around my waist and hips, and I'm not exaggerating. My muscle mass is almost intact, and I gained muscles in many parts of my body that were weak at the beginning of the journey. i guess I'll have to live with the extra fat because I don't want to get too skinny or obsessed :)
    So yes, I do still feel fat! I guess it happens to everyone, and the faster the progress, the worse the feeling gets. In my case it's been a year and a half since I first started in June- august 2011.

    Best of luck!
  • cappri
    cappri Posts: 1,089 Member
    All the time, more so on MFP sometimes because so many seem to have so little to lose and are starting out weighing less than I do now. I really can't wrap my brain around the fact that I'm so much smaller than I was 9 months ago. I do still think of myself as fat. Maybe once I get into the healthy weight range in another 12 pounds?
  • JuliesZenpuppy7400
    JuliesZenpuppy7400 Posts: 127 Member
    I have always said that weight loss is 90% mental including the way we see ourselves. I have lost almost 160 pounds and was in a 5XL shirt and now I'm in a 2XL shirt BUT I haven't had the courage to get rid of my 3XL shirts because I have not accepted that I can wear a 2XL. In fact most days when I put on a 2XL shirt I am a bit surprised that it fits. Give yourself some time it will come around. But you have to accept yourself in your head before you can accept yourself on the outside : ) Keep up the good work!!!!
  • becksmarie14
    becksmarie14 Posts: 1
    I'm glad I stumbled upon this! Just today I'm having an off lazy day, which has been happening frequently. I've just recently lost 65 pounds, but struggle so much seeing it! I feel one day of no
    Work out, or a few or more meal slip ups that weight will fall back on. Somedays I feel amazing! Other days I look in the mirror and can't focus on anything but the 10 or so pounds left that of liked to lose. It's a struggle I've been having, trying to become mentally skinny! But congratulations to all of you! I read lost of the posts, and every pound is a victory (:
  • Fugeela
    Fugeela Posts: 96
    As of yesterday I've lost 62 pounds and I still feel extremely heavy. More so, I feel ugly, which is a completely separate issue. I used to hope that weight loss would give me all the health benefits internally and mentally, and make me beautiful but I still feel disgusting.

    I've spoken to a therapist about this. i'm only 20 but I hate feeling this way, it ruins my life. Some days I wish I could drop to about 110 pounds, as it may be the only way I don't "feel overweight"
  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,686 Member
    Well - it's a few months on from when I first posted in this thread - I'm now down 157lb's from where I started. I'm maybe 30-odd lb. short of my target weight. I've dropped from 52" waist stretch jeans to a pair of rigid 501's in a 38". I now shop from "the middle of the rail, rather than the far right hand side". I've got stretch marks that a mother of triplets would be proud of, and enough loose skin around my waist that I doubt I'll ever remove my shirt in public again. I hit the big 5-Zero next summer, and feel fitter today than I've done since I turned 30. So far this year I've ridden over 6,600 miles on my bicycle, climbing 11.6 times the height of everest in the process.

    And you know what - I still feel fat. :ohwell:
  • Katt1320
    Katt1320 Posts: 94 Member
    I'm afraid it's goingto suddenly reverse on me. At the time of this post, I'm 15 down and that feels amazing. But I'm worried I'll slip up and suddenly I'll wake up and all my hard work will be gone.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    I still feel ridiculously fat, although I'm down 35lbs. I still have work to do and just about at the halfway mark. When I look in the mirror I feel that it's not me and I didn't lose anything. I swear each time I go shopping for new clothes I go straight to the big sizes XL / XXL section when I know I fit a Medium. Just yesterday my friend asked me what size I wear and she was going to pick up a shirt for me. I hesitated and said Large because I felt that a medium would be too small.

    Anyone feel the same?

    Yup it take the mind a bit more time to catch up. For me it took about a year. I'm finally visualizing myself as the lean fit person, but I must admit having been fat and obese for so long I still have a fear of going back to that, just enough to keep me motivated to keep working at maintenance and being an example to those around me in my life. I would feel like a total failure if I ever allowed to let myself slip back. It's not like you get there and it's the end, you still have to manage your calorie budget when you reach your goal. I love working out but it's not enough, calories must be managed. But it's no big deal, I just do it because it's part of who I am now and I'm enjoying life and enjoying food. I can still have everything I want to eat, just not all at once. It's still a balancing act.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    I'm afraid it's goingto suddenly reverse on me. At the time of this post, I'm 15 down and that feels amazing. But I'm worried I'll slip up and suddenly I'll wake up and all my hard work will be gone.

    I felt this way for a long time! LOL just remember it took years to put on that weight and it won't come back over night. Even if you have one day of big eating it's not the end of the world, just don't do it every day, get back on track. It's the every day, year after year, of a little too much food that put most of us in the over weight and obese category, and for me it was just not being aware of my calorie needs.
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