I wish my body looked like what I was expecting it to :(

I am extremely disheartened. I have lost 27 pounds. I have taken measurements and I know that I have physically shrunk in size. I am just so disappointed in my appearance. I thought I would look a lot less jiggly and gross at this point. I have lost 5 inches off my waist and all I can see is what I haven't lost. It's such a mental struggle. I am 5-6 and weigh 167. I have to keep lowering my goal weight. Ugh, I'm just really frustrated and needed to vent. My family doesn't get it.

Does anyone out there feel like this?
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Replies

  • I can relate. I'm 5-10 and 225. I have lost about 24 pounds in six weeks . After about three weeks I could tell I was losing weight and felt good,since then the weight has continued to come off but to me it does look lke I have made any progress. One of the first goals I thought I would make was to go down from a 40 inch pants to a 38. After losing 24 lbs I still can't come close to comfortably wearing the 38 pants.
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
    The single best thing that I have ever done was starting to lift heavy weights. It has changed my body and also my views on my body
  • kmkgurl
    kmkgurl Posts: 321 Member
    bump
  • jake14armstrong
    jake14armstrong Posts: 7 Member
    "a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step" you might have expected to be where you wanted to be now, but youve lost 27 pounds, and that's effin' awesome! no matter what, you're way closer to your expectations then you were before you started. So chin up! You've done great and you can keep doing great!
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
    Have a look at a photo of before and after the 27lb loss

    If you think you look and feel better now then you did when 27lbs heavier then it's been worth the hard work and sacrifices. I'd be surprised if you didn't
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Lift heavy weights.
  • 98777
    98777 Posts: 108 Member
    I think the first pounds lost are the hardest to see. As you get closer to your goal and a weight considered a healthy BMI, you will probably be much happier with how you look.
  • blushpeonies
    blushpeonies Posts: 101 Member
    i feel the exact same way.
    i had an interview the other day & needed proper clothes && nothing fit. it is so disheartening.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Tagging to respond when I get to a computer
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
    Lift heavy weights.

    That's very general and not necessarily what's right for everyone

    It's spot on for 99.9% though
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    +1 for lifting.
    Seriously. It does great things!!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    First off, keep in mind that it will take your brain awhile to catch up to the changes in your body. Mine brain runs behind by about 6 months. So give yourself some time to adjust and be patient with yourself while that process is occurring.

    Second, I would also recommend that you lift weights or do some form of resistance training while you continue to lose weight. Resistance training and proper protein intake (1 gram per pound of lean body mass) will help you retain your muscle while you lose weight. That means when you get to your goal weight you'll have a lower body fat percentage than you would have had if you had just dieted.

    Find some exercise that you love. Set goals for yourself. Think about your body in terms of what it can do rather than solely what it looks like.

    Understand that there are things that you can change about your body and things that you can't. I have a large ribcage. When I first got to my goal weight I was very self-conscious about it. But that's not something that can be changed so I had to make my peace with it. I started focusing on things that I love about my body, like my arms/shoulders. There are other things that can be changed. Since I didn't lift weights while I was losing my butt ended up somewhat flatter than I'd like. But that can be fixed with hard work and patience. There's nothing wrong with wanting to improve, but you can still love the body you have now during that process.

    Be kind to yourself and try to be patient. I think more than half the battle is mental. Make sure you're not neglecting your psychological health in addition to the physical. Practice positive self-talk. And hang in there. :flowerforyou:
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
    First off, keep in mind that it will take your brain awhile to catch up to the changes in your body. Mine brain runs behind by about 6 months. So give yourself some time to adjust and be patient with yourself while that process is occurring.


    Yes, this is also very important! I still sometimes see a completely different version of myself in the mirror lol
  • sheldawg
    sheldawg Posts: 3
    Some of the words they were said in here were very comforting and are also very motivating for me to hear. I have lost good chunk of weight and have been very discouraged with how my body is looking. It is awesome to see the scale go down and to feel the difference in my knees and back. I just want to see the difference physically as well. My wife told me that it is just going to take time and I know that is true, but I also I know I should start some kind of lifting program. I am just not sure where to begin. There is so much info out there and everyone has the "right" way of doing things.790888.png
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  • kk_140
    kk_140 Posts: 518 Member
    The single best thing that I have ever done was starting to lift heavy weights. It has changed my body and also my views on my body

    This. When I lost weight and hit my goal I wasn't happy with my appearance. But once I started lifting and working out, my body started changing very quickly!

    It will slow weight loss on the scale, but you're body will be changing drastically. Be sure to measure and take photos if you go this route!
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    The single best thing that I have ever done was starting to lift heavy weights. It has changed my body and also my views on my body

    ^^^ totally this.

    lifting heavy weights totally firms up the jiggly bits.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    There seems to be an echo in here.

    Lift heavy weights.
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,854 Member
    It's such a mental struggle.
    The answer may lie within your question. There is so much advice about the physical and nutritional aspects of weight loss and fitness (not the same thing) and yet it is the psychological part that is so difficult.

    Anyone can have a problem with body image, motivation, overcoming discouragement... the weight lifting advice is good but you may still find that it takes time to mentally adjust.

    There is another consideration: Heredity and body type. We can only optimize what we were born with.

    You have lost weight. Don't forget to celebrate the success along the way. It can help with motivation. :drinker:
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
    The single best thing that I have ever done was starting to lift heavy weights. It has changed my body and also my views on my body

    ^^^ This.
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
    I think it's very common at least in the western cultures to view only what's still left to do. But if you were to take a more wholesome approach and in a fair manner would look also at what you've achieved already, maybe you wouldn't feel so disappointed in your current appearance? It's a bit like the glass that is either half full or half empty. Just look at how people word their tickers; it's either "to go still" or "done already"; I prefer the latter for this very reason.

    And the advice you've received above are very worth paying attention to.
  • fificrazy
    fificrazy Posts: 234
    You can't control your shape or your set point, and you can cause a lot of damage by trying to shapeshift through restriction...
  • elbaldwin0525
    elbaldwin0525 Posts: 159 Member
    I have always wondered how people who lost the weight they wanted to but didnt like how they were expecting to look handled it? Anybody know of topics already covering this?
  • ChristineinMA
    ChristineinMA Posts: 312 Member
    First off, keep in mind that it will take your brain awhile to catch up to the changes in your body. Mine brain runs behind by about 6 months. So give yourself some time to adjust and be patient with yourself while that process is occurring.

    Second, I would also recommend that you lift weights or do some form of resistance training while you continue to lose weight. Resistance training and proper protein intake (1 gram per pound of lean body mass) will help you retain your muscle while you lose weight. That means when you get to your goal weight you'll have a lower body fat percentage than you would have had if you had just dieted.

    Find some exercise that you love. Set goals for yourself. Think about your body in terms of what it can do rather than solely what it looks like.

    Understand that there are things that you can change about your body and things that you can't. I have a large ribcage. When I first got to my goal weight I was very self-conscious about it. But that's not something that can be changed so I had to make my peace with it. I started focusing on things that I love about my body, like my arms/shoulders. There are other things that can be changed. Since I didn't lift weights while I was losing my butt ended up somewhat flatter than I'd like. But that can be fixed with hard work and patience. There's nothing wrong with wanting to improve, but you can still love the body you have now during that process.

    Be kind to yourself and try to be patient. I think more than half the battle is mental. Make sure you're not neglecting your psychological health in addition to the physical. Practice positive self-talk. And hang in there. :flowerforyou:

    I love this! I would also recommend that you check out www.mybodygallery.com Enter your height, your current weight (or goal weight) and body shape (I am pear-shaped, for example) and see the variety of bodies. It is really eye-opening to see that we all carry our weight differently.
  • monikabenoit
    monikabenoit Posts: 43 Member
    Like all the people who already said this - you need to lift weights. Heavy enough so that you can only do 6-8 reps before muscle failure meaning you can't lift with proper form any longer for that muscle group. I would recommend a weight-based fitness routine like the Beachbody DVD series Chalean Extreme - that will change some of your fat to muscle and give you more of the physique you are looking for. You need strength training with heavy weights to get the changes you want.
  • bignat716
    bignat716 Posts: 18 Member
    I thought the same thing. What I've found is that even though you may not "look" like what you were expecting, every pound you lose is getting you closer to your goal and removing inches from your body. Soon, you will be able to fit into the size you were expecting. I've lost 17lbs, look no where close to what I thought I was going to look like. I realize that I've got to work harder and try some new things. Don't get discouraged. Continue to fight and it will pay off. You'll look great and most importantly, you be healthy.

    12602173.png
  • ChristineinMA
    ChristineinMA Posts: 312 Member
    Some of the words they were said in here were very comforting and are also very motivating for me to hear. I have lost good chunk of weight and have been very discouraged with how my body is looking. It is awesome to see the scale go down and to feel the difference in my knees and back. I just want to see the difference physically as well. My wife told me that it is just going to take time and I know that is true, but I also I know I should start some kind of lifting program. I am just not sure where to begin. There is so much info out there and everyone has the "right" way of doing things.

    Starting Strength, 3rd edition and The New Rules of Lifting (in my case for Women) have been recommended to me
  • doctorsookie
    doctorsookie Posts: 1,084 Member
    Yes, especially around TOM. I just look back at where I was and know I'm making strides and its going to take time and a lot if hard work. Don't let it get you down you much. That's a huge weight loss and you should be super proud.
  • awebster2
    awebster2 Posts: 40 Member
    Echoing heavy lifting. Been lifting with a trainer for the last two months. The difference in my body is astounding. They always say to find something you like and do it. Never expected it to be weightlifting - although I was a shot putter in high school so it's not like weights were a foreign concept. I've got another 8 pounds or so to make my initial goal of just not being overweight. Once there, the sky's the limit! Excited to see where my body ends up with the lifting.

    /Good girls tone. Bad girls deadlift
  • brevislux
    brevislux Posts: 1,093 Member
    Heavy weights are your friends!
  • Tracey_B_72
    Tracey_B_72 Posts: 1,021 Member
    I hit my goal of 147lbs and for 6 months I was happy but then I started noticing the jiggly bits and became less and less happy, I still was covering up but wearing a more figure hugging clothes, then I thought this won't be good in the summer, so I started my own toning programme at home.

    Now I kept reading about people saying lift heavy weights but I wanted something I could do at home so I downloaded an app that did 5 mins on areas of the body and I used 1kg dumbells, then I moved on to 1.5 kg and then 2.5kg within 3 weeks, I now have a set of proper dumbells and I'm doing a 30 day dumbell challenge, I'm 2 weeks in and I'm see in changes in my shape now and my body is feeling tighter, my dumbells are at 3.8kg for upper body and 4.8 kg for a leg day, I log my exercises on an app called Jefit and I'm going to use this when the challenge is done.

    Right now I do 2 sets of 10 reps and doing

    Week 1 - Arms, back and shoulders ... Mon, Wed and Fri
    Legs and Bum ... Tues and Thur

    Week 2 - Legs and Bum ... Mon, Wed and Fri
    Arms, back and shoulders ... Tuesday and Thur

    Mon to Fri - I do a 5 min ab routine on an ab roller as I can't do sit ups as I hurt my neck but I do try them on my challenge and I'm getting better at them.

    Now this is working for me and the proof is showing in my jeans and work trousers becoming a lot loser on me and this week I've lost 2lbs but I'm on 1660 cals a day I dropped 40 as I decided to lose another 7lb and I changed my macros to 45% carbs, 30% fat and 25% protein, that was all I've done differently.

    I ent to have the body I wanted, a body I could be proud of, I didn't want to look skinny fat and so I'm doing what I can to get it, I'm never going to have a bikini body, I've had 3 kids but I know my jiggly bits are less jiggly and my arms have the start of some nice definition to them.

    Hopefully my experience may help you, by no means am I an expert this is still all a part of my journey and I'm still in the process of learning and reading a lot of information and I'm doing everything gradually so I don't injure myself this is why I have rest days on Sat and Sun.

    ETA ... Sorry for waffling on, didn't realise I'd gone on so much!