Nearly 100lb lost but still not seeing the expected results.

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SunOfMan
SunOfMan Posts: 67 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi there,

So after my weekly weigh-in today I am extremely close to hitting the big 100lb lost.

While I feel better and can definitely see a change, I certainly don't look at myself in the mirror and see what I was expecting to see at this stage in my weight loss. I get frequent compliments at work and from friends/family, dropped nearly 10 inches in waist size and gone from XXXL to L/1XL, but I still see the big fat guy in the mirror.

I was just wondering if anyone else had this too and how long it took before you started to see someone you were satisfied with looking back at you.

I sometimes wonder if it is because when we start losing weight we focus on the areas of our body that we are most unhappy with, therefore gauging our success on the development of those specific areas without appreciating what we are losing elsewhere.

Thanks for reading!

Replies

  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    Yeah, it happens. I honestly didn't notice much change in myself until I put some pictures of myself from August next to some pictures of myself from a couple of weeks ago.

    In all fairness though, I'm not in this solely for 'looking good'; that's just a nice bi-product. I'm more in this to eventually pick up ridiculously heavy **** and make it look as easy as possible.
  • Pentdad
    Pentdad Posts: 23
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    Brother 1XL would still be overweight unless you are full of muscles, so you still arn't seeing that flat stomach and flabby arm because it is still there (only much smaller than what it used to be). I hope you did a 'before' pic- this is awesome motivation and you can totally see how much has gone.
  • SunOfMan
    SunOfMan Posts: 67 Member
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    Brother 1XL would still be overweight unless you are full of muscles, so you still arn't seeing that flat stomach and flabby arm because it is still there (only much smaller than what it used to be). I hope you did a 'before' pic- this is awesome motivation and you can totally see how much has gone.

    Yeah, I'm aware that I am still overweight and I'm not looking for that ripped body just yet :wink:

    I suppose I'm still expecting too much too soon which has always been a problem of mine. I just expected to look a bit different than I do at this stage and was wondering if it was normal to feel like this. I do worry about drifting into some kind of obsession over losing weight and neglecting my nutritional health sometimes but I do my best to avoid it.

    Unfortunately I didn't take any before pics, I've always avoided the cameras! There are probably a few of me at a recent-ish wedding that I could dig up from somewhere. The biggest record of what I've lost is my old clothes though, they're starting to look absolutely ridiculous on me now.

    Thanks for the replies.
  • nannybubbles
    nannybubbles Posts: 55
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    Hi there SOM...

    Firstly CONGRATULATIONS !!! That is absolutely brilliant... well done! I can really relate to what you are saying BUT ... you are braver than I am!

    I have just broken the 100lbs too but I have absolutely no idea what I look like... and not in any hurry to see because I don't want to be disappointed. I don't have a full length mirror, not deliberate at first, I just changed my wardrobe which had a mirror door, so now I only have a head and shoulders view of myself.

    Throughout my weight loss I have bought new clothes and worn them because I like them, feel good in them and so I haven't been particularly bothered because if others don't like it TOUGH! but just in the last couple of days (and only just discovered the full MFP site and support) I realise that it has become an issue.... I am actually scared of seeing myself and for exactly the reasons you are posting about. ... and it is very emotional !

    Happy to be of any help, support I can be, but think that's enough about me for now.... u will think I am a real head case!
  • BigJza
    BigJza Posts: 116 Member
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    Totally feel where you are coming from man. And I totally agree with your thoughts on focusing on the negative things. I guess we are all our own worst critics. It's hard to take compliments seriously when youve never heard them before...at least thats how I feel. Hang in there!
  • nannybubbles
    nannybubbles Posts: 55
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    I guess we are all our own worst critics. It's hard to take compliments seriously when youve never heard them before...at least thats how I feel. Hang in there!
    Sad, but very true !
  • spanner112
    spanner112 Posts: 2
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    That's a fantastic amount of weight to lose. I've lost 22lbs and can't see the results when I look in the mirror either but I saw a photo of myself recently and the difference is a lot, there's more weight to lose but I am very happy - if you were to compare 'before' and 'after' photos you would be amazed. I think we all have a distorted image of ourselves in the mirror, after all anorexic's look in the mirror and see a fat person which couldn't be further from the truth.
    Keep up the good work!
  • jakidb
    jakidb Posts: 1,010 Member
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    We are our own WORST critics :( You have done an AWESOME job to have lost nearly 100lbs and are to be commended. That being said, I would have to say focus on toning and see if you can't achieve the results you're looking for. Keep up the gr8t work :):):)
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
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    I feel like that all the time. Just put on a pair of your old pants and take a picture.
  • hendinerik
    hendinerik Posts: 287 Member
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    Amazing job on the loss. Do you do strength training? Years back I lost 25 pounds and I got skinnier but not toned and this time around through incorporating strength training I saw much more of a difference. Since July it's a big difference - I may not exactly be on any magazines, but I feel the difference just in what I can lift and the muscle development for a 40 year old chap like me.

    You are also not going to be the most objective person about this for obvious reasons. Awesome accomplishment, sounds like you have had real results, you may want to do more strength training (if you are not already - I wasn't clear from your post).

    And I hear you on the "specific areas" - for me I get obsessed with my lower stomach as though it's an isolated entity but it's really about the whole picture and the weight is distributed... sometimes I see more results after rest days because my body has had a chance to process the "work" and sometimes my mood affects totally what I am looking at in the mirror.

    Good luck and inspiring results you've had!
  • masterschild54
    masterschild54 Posts: 13
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    I'm a person who is maintaining a 155 lb weight loss (since 2000) and I will tell you that it takes a long time and a lot of hard work (not physical but Spiritual) to allow your head to catch up with your "new" self...years of negative self talk and self loathing are unbelievably hard to "right"... As a woman there was soooo much of my identity which had feelings of worthlessness being obese. However in our society men have the pressure to be "cut" and have sixpack abs...either side of that coin is deadly! Try on a daily basis to think in terms of a healthy you. I went from 355 lbs with diabetes, high blood pressure, bad knees, high cholesterol and no ambition to do anything to being free from all those co-morbidities and having walked/run a marathon! (2002). Also, try to see yourself thru Heaven's Eyes. God wants you here and healthy and functioning. God bless you and keep workin' at it! Congrats!
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,735 Member
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    Brother 1XL would still be overweight unless you are full of muscles, so you still arn't seeing that flat stomach and flabby arm because it is still there (only much smaller than what it used to be). I hope you did a 'before' pic- this is awesome motivation and you can totally see how much has gone.

    Yeah, I'm aware that I am still overweight and I'm not looking for that ripped body just yet :wink:

    I suppose I'm still expecting too much too soon which has always been a problem of mine. I just expected to look a bit different than I do at this stage and was wondering if it was normal to feel like this. I do worry about drifting into some kind of obsession over losing weight and neglecting my nutritional health sometimes but I do my best to avoid it.

    Unfortunately I didn't take any before pics, I've always avoided the cameras! There are probably a few of me at a recent-ish wedding that I could dig up from somewhere. The biggest record of what I've lost is my old clothes though, they're starting to look absolutely ridiculous on me now.

    Thanks for the replies.

    it is normal.

    when you see yourself every day in the mirror, the change is so gradual that you don't notice it.
  • Fatandfifty3
    Fatandfifty3 Posts: 419 Member
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    I feel like that all the time. Just put on a pair of your old pants and take a picture.
    Brilliant suggestion btw.
    Wow. 100LBS lost is an amazing amount of weight off! That's 2 bales of hay. You do look better. It has made a difference.
    Take note of the small stuff.
    Have you actually measured yourself?
    How much easier is it to climb stairs?
    How different does your body feel and look to you? (I've noticed that I have more room under my arms. Who has fat armpits?!? Me apparently...)

    Great work but I wonder if you feel it's not been enough and that's why only you can't see the benefits.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
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    I was just wondering if anyone else had this too and how long it took before you started to see someone you were satisfied with looking back at you.

    Going on 3 years and I still have a hard time believing it. I have my good days and my fat days. It's getting better though.
  • RockaholicMama
    RockaholicMama Posts: 786 Member
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    I'm closing in on my 100lb mark as well. Though my clothes and photos scream out a difference, naked in the mirror reveals parts of my body that still need work. I just remind myself with photos just how far I've come to push me even closer to where I want to be.

    Congrats on such an incredible loss!

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