Body image during your weight loss journey

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fayefayee5
fayefayee5 Posts: 87 Member
in Motivation and Support
So, this may sound weird, but has anyone else 'felt bigger" during their early weight loss. I am in the 2nd week of my official MFP weight loss, but have been losing for a few months. I lost 20 lbs slowly, and have lost almost 10lbs in the last 2 weeks.

I have lost a total of 5 inches overall in these 2 weeks, and feel great, pants fit better, and I feel like its coming off. However.... looking in a mirror almost seems worse then before.

I guess I just got so used to my size, it was the norm to look in a mirror, see me, accept it and look away. But now that Im losing weight, I look in the mirror and just feel icky. I feel like I look bigger than I did. Maybe its because Im so determined this time, and im doing so well with my eating right and exercising, that My mind just wants to see a noticeable change, however because im only 2 weeks in, its not really visible yet.

Im sure in a few months when im down 20-30 lbs It will be noticeable in the mirror and I will be proud of the changes, but right now its just weird. Perhaps The realization of how big I was is kicking in, Im no longer just "accepting" my size, but doing something about it, and thus the reflection disgusts me? I dunno. I was trying on a new workout top tonight, and just felt huge, I felt like I looked 30 lbs heavier than what I was. It was odd.

Anyway rant over. Just wondered if anyone else has experienced this weird feeling.

Replies

  • theos_human
    theos_human Posts: 21 Member
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    Firstly: KUDOS on the inches and weight lost! You're rocking it!

    I definitely know where you're coming from! Now that fitness is becoming a bigger part of my life, I'm noticing myself and my body more- not necessarily becoming more critical of myself than I used to be, but the increase in attention has certainly brought up some self-image issues I struggle with. Even though I've lost a few lbs and I feel like I'm on top of the world, the image in the mirror isn't quite matching up to that.

    Knowing from previous weight loss attempts- this goes away eventually and when you start to see changes it motivates you even more!

    To combat the mirror I like to take monthly selfies in my sports bra and shorts- you can really see progress in a profile body shot, even if you're not satisfied yet!
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    I assume it is because I am actually paying attention, whereas I ignored/ distorted what I saw in the mirror in order to let myself get to this point.
  • babyweight331
    babyweight331 Posts: 9
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    Yes! Sometimes I even feel bigger than before, and I know I'm not. It is so weird. I think we are just hyper aware of our weight loss now. We got this!
  • ChickenmommaMich
    ChickenmommaMich Posts: 60 Member
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    Congrats on your weight loss so far! I know what you mean. I've lost over 65lbs from my heaviest and sometimes when I look in the mirror, I see the same person I was when I was a lot heavier :-/ I think your mind has a lot to do with that. We need to learn to love and accept ourselves <3
  • fayefayee5
    fayefayee5 Posts: 87 Member
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    Yes! Sometimes I even feel bigger than before, and I know I'm not. It is so weird. I think we are just hyper aware of our weight loss now. We got this!

    Yeah I think so too. Glad to hear im not alone in the weird feeling.

    I know chnage doesnt happen overnight, but its like Im trying to hard and pushing myself as much as I can, and its tough when my body doesnt keep up with my (unrealistic) expectation. I gained this weight over the course of 6 years, Its not going away overnight lol.
  • rms705
    rms705 Posts: 8 Member
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    I am so glad I am not the only one who feels/has felt this way. I too am fairly new to the journey and have been using MFP for about 2 months now and have lost 4kg. My clothes do fit better and friends and family have commented on my loss but I can't see it and on some days feel as big as I was when I started or bigger. Soooooooo glad this is a common thing. It can be quite de-motivating.
  • VioletNightshade
    VioletNightshade Posts: 197
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    I still experience this, though I'm 50lb into my weight loss journey. I know in my mind that I've pretty much lost a small child's worth of weight (or roughly two small-medium sized dogs) and if I put on the jeans I had from the beginning of my journey, that I can't keep them up any more without physically holding them, much less wear them, but I still feel absolutely, ridiculously huge. Granted, I'm by no means tiny. I'm on the larger side of average now, but that makes no difference in my mind when feeling like that.
  • hbwright74
    hbwright74 Posts: 36 Member
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    I remember after my first time losing 55 pounds after my daughter was born that somebody told me it takes about a year for your self image to catch up with your weight loss. You still see the same person in the mirror that you saw a year ago. I think this was true for me both losing and gaining weight. After I started gaining, I still saw the skinny me until I had gained 40 pounds and didn't even recognize myself. I consider that we are in this for the long haul, a year from now, 3 years from now I want to see the lean, fit me.
  • lucylousmummy
    lucylousmummy Posts: 348 Member
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    no still see my old fat self, and this is my 3rd year of dieting so had plenty of time to get used to it, i also (whilst shopping) still pick clothes up in my size, look at them, think no way is that ever gonna fit, grab a larger size, try them on and have to go back and swap them, i am also constantly asking my family if i look fat when i've bought something new, it isn't fishing for compliments, i genuinely think i look fat, and even if they tell me i look great, i still won't accept it unless my mum says the same, think this mistrust of my familys opinion stems from them telling me i looked ok when i was at my biggest
  • mstrhck
    mstrhck Posts: 5 Member
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    Try to be kind to yourself.
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
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    I'm more critical of minor imperfections now that I'm so focused on changing my body. When I feel that way, I remind myself that regardless of what I look like, I am so much healthier now. That helps.
  • paperfiish
    paperfiish Posts: 52 Member
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    1.) Your body is amazing and awesome whatever the size, not disgusting, so like the poster above said, try to be kind to yourself. Loving your body and wanting to do what's best for it is far better motivation-wise than getting stuck in the self-critisizing cycle that's so easy to fall in to in our culture.

    2.) The brain has a "virtual" body map in our minds, and it really doesn't update very well or very often. Significant bodily changes take a long time for our brains to process or adjust to, so don't be surprised if you have a hard time adjusting your mental body image for a long time after changes begin to occur.

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