Success Messing with your Mind???

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bootsiejayne
bootsiejayne Posts: 151 Member
in Success Stories
I've lost 73 lbs over the past year and a half. I am super proud of that...however sometimes when I look at myself I don't see what everyone else does. I still see the girl I was 73 lbs ago. I think if "If I could just lose 10 more lbs I'd be happy." And then I do, but I'm still not happy. I have about 40 more lbs to lose to put me at my "Goal" weight, but I worry that even then I won't be satisfied. I think still constantly obsess over my body because I'll still see myself at my highest weight. Does anyone else have this issue? How long does it take for your mind to catch up with your body when it comes to your body image? Does it ever?

Replies

  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
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    I have issues similar this sometimes, too. I am down 47 lbs from my all time high and down 25 since starting mfp. I find that when I shop I still pick up larger sizes to try on and then feel confused when they're huge on me. Recently I tried on a pair of shorts that I thought would be one size too small. I thought for sure I'd be bulging out of them. I held them up and thought it would take forever to fit into them - they looked so small. But they fit. I felt that same confusion. Like the shorts didn't match up with my body in my mind, but yet I was wearing them comfortably. Weird. Obviously I've made progress that I should be happy with, but at the same time I feel that I have so far to go. Especially my "problem areas". :ohwell:

    Gotta work on balancing having reasonable expectations and being happy with my accomplishments.
  • PolacaFL
    PolacaFL Posts: 213 Member
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    Who are you comparing yourself with? Look at old pictures of yourself to serve as motivation to keep going. 73lbs is a great accomplishment! Congratulations! I haven't lost that much yet but I do feel better than I did 23+ lbs ago and yet I know I still have a long way to go. You have done a great job with your body maybe you should start working on your body image.
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,311 Member
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    I know EXACTLY what you are saying. I was there. I actually let it screw me up and I quit. You have to realize...Being proud of the current is not completion. Its like getting half way through a marathon and stopping and saying wow look what Ive done. And every one around you is proud and they all say good job and you begin to feel comfortable, until you realize you have another half marathon to run before you are done.

    You havent Arrived yet and hopefully you never will because as soon as you feel like you have arrived you are wrong you need to learn maintenance and scaled back daily fitness. Being Healthy is a FOREVER attitude.
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,311 Member
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    Dont get so obsessed with your body image it will come it takes a long time to realize how how truly look.
  • MissAnjy
    MissAnjy Posts: 2,480 Member
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    Yes, I have struggled with body dysmorphia. Before I had kids I was 155lbs (5'10) and I was SO confident and looked amazing.
    After kids, I hit 152lbs and I felt gross and fat.

    Definite issue with my mentality and my thinking.

    To combat it I started to lift weights. I realized that I just didn't look what I had expected to because I was becoming 'skinny fat". I picked up the weighst and my body composition changed drastically.
  • StacyRenee77
    StacyRenee77 Posts: 2,732 Member
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    I think it is a hard habit to break
  • AtomicOvary
    AtomicOvary Posts: 32 Member
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    Who are you comparing yourself with? Look at old pictures of yourself to serve as motivation to keep going. 73lbs is a great accomplishment! Congratulations! I haven't lost that much yet but I do feel better than I did 23+ lbs ago and yet I know I still have a long way to go. You have done a great job with your body maybe you should start working on your body image.
    I agree with this. It really takes a while for you to grasp how far you've come along. What you've done IS a GREAT feat! I love how you wrote in your profile that you want to set a good example for your children. That should be a great motivation to love yourself for coming this far. You might not physically where you want to be but you're a lot closer than you were before you started. Keep at it!
  • corgicake
    corgicake Posts: 846 Member
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    The fun only gets better when you take it clothes shopping. My stomach skin didn't shrink up after last time and isn't shrinking up this time either so I keep thinking 'fat' never mind that some places' smalls don't work for me and my work uniforms are well on their way to tent-dom... work uniforms that may be the smallest sizes they have.
  • lonnieh2
    lonnieh2 Posts: 28 Member
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    I don't think of losing weight as a destination or as a solution to my problems. I think of it as whether I'm healthy or not healthy. When I'm healthy..I have more energy, my skin is clearer, I fit in clothes better, I have more confidence, my cholesterol is lower, my blood pressure is normal, my arteries aren't clogging, diabetes isn't starting to take effect, I'm more clear headed, I sleep better, I can enjoy more activities, I get more done around the house and on my job, and (sad to say) people generally treat me better.

    To me...staying healthy is a life-long pursuit. Losing weight is a deadline driven pursuit. Anyone can lose weight if they put their mind to it. But staying healthy and active your whole life never ends and has so many more rewards beyond the simple numbers on a scale.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    I have lost 121 lb from my highest weight and I still have days when I don't "see it" or feel EXACTLY the same as ever. Right now at 186 lb, I feel roughly the same as I did at 260-270. And for me, that is not actually a bad thing because I had my usual tons of energy and felt great once I got to that range - I only felt bad when I was at 300-ish. It just seems like I should feel more different than I do, y'know?

    Mostly I remind myself how much better I fit into the world around me and that makes me feel better. It's easier to stretch, bend, cross my legs, etc. I don't feel as awkward when sitting Indian style, crossing my arms in front of my chest, etc. I fit into booths and chairs and roller coasters like an average person instead of an obese person (I'm still definitely overweight and technically right at the bottom of obese, but you know what I mean).

    My biggest issue though, to be honest, is other people (family, friends, even neighbors and cashiers in stores I shop in) being so proud of me and praising me. I feel like it has not been all that difficult to lose the weight, especially the last 75-80 lb. I have just followed the rough guidelines of MFP and stayed under my calories. I know I should be more appreciative that others notice and care, especially people who have known me since I was an obese teen and were concerned about my health & wellbeing. But it's more frustrating to me, most of the time. In the past I feel that I've accomplished other things in my life that I am more proud of and worked WAY harder for, but received little to no recognition.

    I am not the person who needs constant praise and pats on the back, but it's weird getting that for losing weight instead of for reaching my professional, academic, financial goals, or overcoming obstacles in my personal life. It just makes me feel all icky.

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