Scared of being slim??

It's not that I was scared of it, but my mind permanently sees myself as when I over 200. Maybe you're young and won't have this problem.

The good news is that you won't get there instantly. You will have time adjust, and probably won't be scared, since the change is incremental. It's only scary when you think of suddenly being fit, I would guess. Am I right?

Yes, I totally get this. I'm in the middle of losing 70 lbs, and I kept wondering why I sabotaged myself after every major loss. Oh, because I was actually afraid of being a normal weight. I was afraid that I wouldn't have an excuse for some of my behavior if I was in shape and slender. I *think* I'm finally moving past that, because I officially gave myself permission to behave any way I want after I lose the weight. That means I can still wear baggy clothes and be a hermit if I want. My choice. So far, that thought is helping me to keep losing.

Hi there, and congratulations on your progress so far!

To be honest with you, I don't exactly have these issues. I am working on fear of success but not specifically related to my body or weight loss. But, I am responding so this will show up on my feed. I've got some really smart and successful friends who have dealt with this anxiety and hopefully they'll follow me in here to drop some awesome for ya. Good luck!

YES! You are not alone - it's one of the main reasons why you shouldn't be too worried about taking the weight off slowly. Lose it quickly and it's a big shock to the body, both physically and psychologically; lose it slowly and your body (and psyche) has time to adjust to the changes.

One of the main issues for me that I discovered about why I was scared of getting slim because as soon as I did, I felt better and more attractive - and that was scary because I felt more vulnerable. I then realised this fear stemmed all the way back to a sexual assault I had made on me when I was 14. I saw my fat as 'protection', because nobody would fancy me if I was fat. The fact I was married and had 2 children obviously belied that - but the psyche is a funny thing, and that was what I had ingrained in my head. I went to a counsellor and got that dealt with. I also found out that my fat represented 'power' to me and that when I got smaller I felt 'diminished' by being smaller - so I got that dealt with too.

Once I had dealt with these blocks in my head, then I was able to move on and lose the weight and keep it off.

Maybe explore inside what your fat means to you. Although there are a lot of negatives to being heavy, if your brain is hanging onto it as a positive thing, then it may be preventing you from succeeding.

Change is a terrifying thing, even if it's a change we want. I took a long long long time to get over the change from being the chubby girl I was to the healthy girl I am now, and I did get nervous. I think the big thing for me was being noticed. When I was a bit larger I could cover up and apart from a few 'ugh, fatty' looks no one would bat an eyelid, but as I started slimming I felt really uncomfortable because I was becoming more visible, I guess. Friends would comment (not always pleasantly) and I started to notice strangers talking to me more often (like in bars and things).

I know it's a different situation because my fears were other people, but I guess we get used to ourselves being a certain way, and I lost a lot of my protection from the world as I slimmed down because I lost what I was used to being. It was only recently I realised how much more there was to me than being the chubby friend, or the chubby sister, the chubby junior, the chubby waitress... I think you just have to give everything time. 100lbs is a huge change, and it's a journey that's more than just eating right. This is all about getting to know ourselves and our motivations and our goals and it's not an easy journey by any stretch. But you know we'll be here for you every step of the way

On a less serious note, even though I'm literally half the size I was I still think I take up the same amount of space. Surprisingly awkward

I totally understand...see heavy people have a different mindset than thin people, and its just because of societal trends not some mental disorder. Most of us have a withdrawn, introverted personality because of our experiences and its totally normal. I still cringe when men look at me or approach me, leftovers from thoughts of self-disgust. One day at a time you will get over this. I read this amazing book by Cynthia Occelli Resurrecting Venus and I recommend it for all women, especially shy, quiet types like me. (I'm really quite goofy and nutty when around loved ones and family). She does this 21 day fast against negative and critical self-talk (look it up, fantastic!) and I'm on day 7. Never have felt better in my entire life. Lots of love and light to ya!

Wow - after reading this I feel as though you verbalized something I have been feeling and carrying around with me for years, without ever being able to articulate, why I have yet to succeed at losing weight and keeping it off.

Thank you for the enlightenment!

I have had a hard time with adjusting to my new slimmer body. I was a size 20 for many years and I just got use to being overweight. I was raped when I was a teenager, and I think I used my weight as a way of avoiding intimacy and close relationships with people after that happened. Now that I have lost 94 pounds, I get a lot more attention which is sometimes uncomfortable, although flattering. I think it will take some time to adjust to my new body image.

I've felt that.

For a lot of the reasons that others have stated.

I know that I have sabotaged my own efforts in an effort to not be disappointed by my imminent and unavoidable failure. Kinda stupid, right? But it made perfect sense to me at the time and I have put on 20lbs since then.

For me, the whole weight loss journey has been mental. I love exercise and healthy food, and I also love my fat body. Oh, believe me, I hate it too, but I cant bear to be smaller so I lose thirty and then gain 20 and then lose 10 and then gain 20...

Once I deal with my issues, I know I will be able to lose it and have it stay lost.

Thanks for sharing. You are definitely not alone :flowerforyou:

I feel it for other reasons. It's uncomfortable to be finding yourself becoming the target of attention (people being attracted to you) when it hasn't been familiar for so long.

I can never hate on celebrities who go crazy from the constant exposure.