Losing Weight = Becoming Critical???

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SweatinSammie
SweatinSammie Posts: 126
in Motivation and Support
The more weight I lose, the longer I spend picking out clothes and staring at my body in the mirror. I've lost 35 lbs and I'm loving all the compliments from people BUT all I can think about is how fat I still look. I have to lose another 17 lbs to get to my goal and it seems so far away.

If 35 lbs ago you would of told me that I'm going to hate the way I look now - I would've thought that was crazy.

I was wondering if anyone else is becoming more critical of their bodies as they lose weight??? I guess if you live your whole life as obese or over weight, it's hard to mentally accept that you're not like that anymore.

My other theory is that when I was at my heaviest, I just didn't look in the mirror for very long because I thought it was hopeless. Maybe now that there's a little hope that I can look good, I'm OBSESSING over it.

Any advice?

Replies

  • ChrisWag
    ChrisWag Posts: 169
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    I think that is pretty normal! I am at goal and still beat my self up in the mirror and nitpick about what needs work....I think as women we are just prone to being super critical of ourselves!!!

    Congrats on the 35lb loss!! That is EXCELLELNT!!!
  • angie_melissa
    angie_melissa Posts: 2 Member
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    I am in your exact same situation! I'm really looking forward to the advice..
  • Kellyr107
    Kellyr107 Posts: 43
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    We are our own worst critics. You look GREAT! Congrats on the HUGE loss! :)
  • jamievolner
    jamievolner Posts: 35
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    Hi there!

    We don't see what other people see. I lost 140 pounds went down to a size 4/6 from a size 26/28 and I STILL thought I looked fat. The longer you are overweight the more head games your mind plays on you. The best way I can help you is for you to take photos of yourself and compare them to an old photo at your highest weight. That often helped me. It turns out my family and friends and even my doctor was telling me that the size 4/6 was not right for my body. I was as they said "looked like a cancer patient".

    I am here now after keeping the weight off for 7 yrs to lose 40 I have gained back. To ME I am HUGE .... my family wants to whack me over the head lol.....pictures of old and new is my best tell tale...photos don't lie.

    Hugs and my best to you!
    Jamie
  • choley222
    choley222 Posts: 57
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    I am the same way. I will stand in the mirror for what seems like forever picking at what I feel still needs improvement. I have people telling me all the time how tiny I am and I just laugh because I still see myself as a fat girl. I am hoping one day I will over come this.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    Well...I'm partially a conceited, egotistical d-bag that has good taste, aesthetically. The other part of me is trying to figure out how to make it so that I'm a totally conceited, egotistical d-bag.. *back to the mirror*...

    In all seriousness, I like to assess for improvement whether it's needing to tone or build more mass in a specific muscle area...or just check myself out. I really see nothing wrong with it. It adds to my astronomically high confidence.
  • annacataldo
    annacataldo Posts: 872 Member
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    i try to stay away from whole body mirrors cuz it makes me depressed to see myself naked and i know im doing good and dont want to feel defeated. I often times wonder if I will be happy with my goal of 170 because when I was in 5th grade (the last time I was at 170) I hated my body. I havent grown any taller since 5th grade, just wider; but 170 is the correct weight for my height 5'10/11" and body type... You always hear about people who are stick thin thinking they are fat and end up becoming belimic or whatever... so just cuz youve met your goal weight, doesnt mean instant happiness for everyone. If you have these feelings now, start working on your mind as well so that you dont continue to feel overweight even when your skinny. Take it easy and remind yourself that you are doing good and dont let a mirror tell you otherwise!
  • sh3lby03
    sh3lby03 Posts: 193 Member
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    I think it's because you are focusing on losing weight so you are just paying more attention to what you perceive as your imperfections. I do the same thing!!
  • legacysh
    legacysh Posts: 464
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    I went to my surgeon because I am having some reconstructive work done on the girls next month(they didn't survive the weight loss). While I was there, I was toying with what other things I might look at fixing...My surgeons assistant made me go in a private room and disrobe. Then she took pictures of me and the body parts I hated. Next she brought them up on her computer and had me review them in comparison to people that had really needed work done (having lost a hundred pounds or more) and she really made me look critically at myself. She emailed me the pictures so I could absorb it better.

    That was HUGE for me. I was 279 pounds about 6 years ago, and in my head I will never be where I am in reality. I still see that person staring back at me from the mirror. But when I could remove myself from the mirror and look at the real pictures of myself (no face/head attached) I finally saw what others were saying. I really had changed so much, and I didn't look as bad as what I felt when I looked in the mirror, in fact I thought I looked pretty good, and I had never felt that way before.

    So I say this, because we all have a period of time that we have to adjust to what we have acheived. Body dismorphia is alive and well in even the person who has to lose only 10 pounds.

    Take a camera and a really good honest friend and get some pictures you can look at. Review them honestly (remove yourself emotionaly from them) and then determine what you really look like. I think you might be suprised. Then pat yourself on the back for a job well done. And get to work on the rest knowing that it only gets better!
  • SweatinSammie
    SweatinSammie Posts: 126
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    Oh my gosh ladies (and gentleman) - these responses are making me feel so much better! I was expecting to hear 'get over it'... but I'm glad I'm not alone!!!

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