I still see the fat girl

rosehips60 · May 2014

Thanks to all for your encouraging and fabulous posts! I have not put on old clothes and unfortunately can't because I gave away ALL my clothes that are too big. i don't want to get into maintenance and think that it's Ok to let a few pounds creep up because I have pants that fit! Oh no! I just finished reading an article about how it takes time for the brain to catch up to the body after a significant weight loss. I know that 50 pounds isn't that significant, but it's MY 50 pounds and I lost it (hopefully never to be found again)!

Thanks again to all.

50 pounds not significant!! Ha!! Of course it is significant, it's a small bale of hay

Congratulations on your VERY significant weight loss, great job

denizfindigi · May 2014

I see a beautiful woman. A beautiful woman who is so dedicated to be perfect that she has forgotten to see the amazing accomplishment she made - the strong willed person she is.
Not satisfied? Ask those people around you who see the skinny girl why you cannot see what they see I am sure they'll show you what you are missing.

rhina23 · May 2014

Thanks to all for your encouraging and fabulous posts! I have not put on old clothes and unfortunately can't because I gave away ALL my clothes that are too big. i don't want to get into maintenance and think that it's Ok to let a few pounds creep up because I have pants that fit! Oh no! I just finished reading an article about how it takes time for the brain to catch up to the body after a significant weight loss. I know that 50 pounds isn't that significant, but it's MY 50 pounds and I lost it (hopefully never to be found again)!

Thanks again to all.

You look fantabulous! They say, we are own worst critic.
I guess we all need to learn to be nice to our own selves.

It will surely take time. But girl, you did inspire me!

I have lost but 7 lbs and my assistant kept telling me i lost a lot of weight.
I of course, refused to believe that.

I lost like 2 inches on my waist and i still see big difference.

brenn24179 · May 2014

50 lbs is pretty significant. I know I nitpick myself all the time but it sure feels good to wear size 10 and 12. I lost the same amount of weight but I am only 5'4. My Dad use to call me short and dumpy and I still cant get passed it. Always see myself that way but I know I am not as dumpy as I was!

naturesfinest4688 · May 2014

Ive lost 146 pounds and im almost 135 but im depressed still dont see the person they say I am .We are are worst critics and its so hard on us...be strong ladies we will never be perfect

JerseyChic76 · May 2014

You look amazing!

Keepcalmanddontblink · May 2014

Today must be notice Julie day! Since I am now just 3 pounds from my goal weight, I went out and purchased new clothes over the weekend. When I began my journey I weighed 210 (the last time I actually weighed myself) and wore a size 20 pants (I am 5'11"). I purchased size 10 clothing - I've never in my adult life wore a size 10. Today I wore a new outfit and boy have people noticed me! So many times I have heard today "you look fantastic!" "you should be done losing weight now, right?" "OMG what size are you because you look tiny!" "how did you get your arms to look like that?"

Here's the thing - I still see the fat girl. I got dressed this morning in my size 10 clothes and looked in the mirror - I saw the fat girl in new clothes! When I get out of the shower, I still see the problem spots - I still see the fat. I still FEEL like the fat girl - I don't FEEL slim, trim and muscular.

Why can't I see what other people see?

Have you done side by side pics? Before and after shots of your body and face? That might help drive home that you are not that girl anymore. Just keep looking at the new ones of you until you can see the difference.

katznkt · May 2014

Meh... I still get a pleasant jolt everyone every time I look in the mirror and see my new size. My brain hasn't updated its mental picture of me yet. So I hold up pants thinking they won't fit, but they do. And I think I'm going to break something by sitting on it. But I don't.

But I'll keep looking at myself and eventually I'll get it.

MinnieInMaine · May 2014

Sweety, you need to start being kinder to yourself and give yourself WAY more credit. Of course 50 pound is a significant loss!! That brought you from being obese to a normal/healthy weight range. Not to mention all the work and time you must've put in to accomplish that loss.

Hell, even a 10 pound loss is significant in my mind. That might sound odd coming from someone who's ticker shows a great loss but seriously, I've been on both ends of the spectrum and flat in the middle and know that it's tough no matter how much weight you have to lose.

You've done fantastic!

onematch · May 2014

I've experienced the same thing, but in the opposite direction. When I gained a lot of weight I kept seeing myself as the thin girl I used to be, and then I'd see a photo or catch a glimpse in a mirror, or try on a new top and would realize, I'm not the thin girl I used to be! And it broke. my. brain.

I agree with the others, it's going to take time for your mind's eye to get used to how you look now and accept your new body.

This is me too. I'm just starting my journey to lose the weight, but a big problem (no pun intended) has been that I still see myself as a size 10, when in reality I'm pushing a size 20. Only in photos do I see a BIG girl. I've started putting unflattering photos on my mirror as motivation.

halfpintpeggy · May 2014

Thanks to all for your encouraging and fabulous posts! I have not put on old clothes and unfortunately can't because I gave away ALL my clothes that are too big. i don't want to get into maintenance and think that it's Ok to let a few pounds creep up because I have pants that fit! Oh no! I just finished reading an article about how it takes time for the brain to catch up to the body after a significant weight loss. I know that 50 pounds isn't that significant, but it's MY 50 pounds and I lost it (hopefully never to be found again)!

Thanks again to all.

WOW!!! You look just beautiful! And hopefully I'm not stepping over the line here...but aside from looking so much thinner and healthier, you look years younger too!

JTick · May 2014

I think most people who have lost significant weight feel this way. I really struggle sometimes. There's days I look in the mirror and go wow, I look great! And other days that I don't see even 1 of the 85 lbs I've lost gone. It's normal. What helps me is to talk to someone about it...not to have someone tell me I look great, but a counselor to help me deal with body image issues.

ItsCasey · May 2014

It takes time. In my case, it took a very long time. I lost 100 lbs before it occurred to me that I wasn't fat anymore. And even then, I still bought clothes that were too big and wouldn't wear anything even semi-revealing because I thought I was too fat. I'm in the best shape of my life (physically, mentally, and emotionally), and I still have days where I feel like a fat girl. I look at myself and think "You're fat. Maybe you shouldn't eat very much today." And it's been 3 years since I hit the 100 lbs milestone. But 9 days out of 10, I think I'm pretty freaking sexy, so ultimately, I win. But it takes time.

msf74 · May 2014

Why can't I see what other people see?

What you are experiencing is actually quite common.

We see through the filter of our self perception. Our self perception is based on our belief of what reality is rather than what it is objectively (and why photos can be such a rude awakening.)

One of the most interesting books on this subject is "Psycho-Cybernetics" by Maxwell Maltz which although written some time ago still has relevance to this day. He was a plastic surgeon who noted an interesting phenomenon in some of his patients. Despite having had successful surgery and achieving what they thought they wanted they often remained dissatisfied and still saw themselves as flawed. He set about finding the reasons why and finding out how to change that situation.

JulieE1002 · May 2014

It takes time. In my case, it took a very long time. I lost 100 lbs before it occurred to me that I wasn't fat anymore. And even then, I still bought clothes that were too big and wouldn't wear anything even semi-revealing because I thought I was too fat. I'm in the best shape of my life (physically, mentally, and emotionally), and I still have days where I feel like a fat girl. I look at myself and think "You're fat. Maybe you shouldn't eat very much today." And it's been 3 years since I hit the 100 lbs milestone. But 9 days out of 10, I think I'm pretty freaking sexy, so ultimately, I win. But it takes time.

You are inspiring - thank you! I will give myself time and I will accept the compliments that I am beginning to receive with gratitude! The scale has stopped moving, but it's ok because this morning I buttoned and zipped my size 10 pants (I am 5'11")!

JulieE1002 · May 2014

WOW!!! You look just beautiful! And hopefully I'm not stepping over the line here...but aside from looking so much thinner and healthier, you look years younger too!
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Thank you! I will be 51 this year.

awesome_inferno · May 2014

Lady you need to go see a counselor. I'm not being sarcastic. I really believe you should. It could help. You should be celebrating and loving yourself, not looking at everything you perceive as negative or problematic.

DesDawn24 · May 2014

I know exactly how you feel! My sister was visiting this weekend, and she is a tiny girl. I took her shopping to stores that I have literally never been able to shop at. I always hated going into those stores with my thin friends, because I always felt like people were looking at me and judging me because I didn't fit in. Finally, at one store, I held up a dress that I liked and she convinced me to try it on. I of course grabbed the largest size, and it ended up being too big. I spent the entire rest of the day trying to wrap my head around that. I consistently grab the wrong size of clothing, because my mind hasn't caught up to my body yet. It's an amazing feeling, though, knowing that this whole new world of options has opened up! You'll get there eventually, and the "fat girl" will be a distant memory.

DayByDayGetStronger · May 2014

Jeezusss! You look so itty bitty now!. Try on a dress or pants in your old size....but LEAVE IT ON ALL DAY (hopefully you'll be loafing around the house and not in public since you will look absolutely ridiculous. Keep looking at yourself in the mirror ALL DAY. You'll need more days to repeat this.
Also keep a big photo of your before and after pics placed next to each other. Post them all around the house (the fridge, bathroom mirror, doors, etc. Other people get to look at us all day long. Who really stands in front of a mirror for hours at a time to get the same image burned in our brains?
Over time, you'll start to see what other people are seeing. Dang, you're almost invisible, you're so skinny!

leesyc81 · May 2014

I am the same. Strangely, when I was a lot bigger I still thought of myself as average size, I never realised how big I actually was. Now I am a stone heavier than before I had my first child 11 years ago, and I can actually fit into the jeans I wore then, but tops I'm finding a lot shorter as my bra cup size is 6 sizes bigger, but I now feel fat!!! Never felt fat before really until just before I started this journey when my belly started getting in the way like when your heavily pregnant lol! I sometimes look in mirror and I think omg I look alright, mostly though I think ugh, big belly! I gained 3cm and 8lb in 5 days last week when on holiday, now it's 2cm and 4lb difference and I'm really noticing the 2cm!!! Feels like 8!! I do think sometimes we see ourselves differently to everyone else.

I still see the fat girl

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