Why do I keep panicking when losing weight?

I'm not sure if I understand. You..."panic" when you lose weight? Why? Knowing that you're getting a step closer to your goal/to being healthier makes you panic?

I have felt like this for a long time. I think (in my case) it is because I am used to a certain perception of myself, and when I start to change in my own eyes, and in other people's, I feel like I don't know who I am anymore. So much of my 'personality' is hung up in my weight, if I haven't got my weight to worry about, or feel bad about, or challenge me ,constantly, then who am I suddenly free to be ??? Scary thought - you would think you're be so happy, but it makes me feel quite insecure, as though I don't know who I am anymore. Having a 'weight issue' is such an intrinsic part of me now - unfortunately.

There is also the battle of feeling like you're worth it. So you've lost weight, you've achieved, you have got to the main goal in your life, but then the little voices start asking, do you deserve this? Maybe you're not this person... I feel like I am in an abusive relationship, in which I am constantly choosing to stay in. Which I am not proud of, If a real person made me feel like I made myself feel, I would stay away from them. So I don't know why I let myself believe all the horrible things I tell myself.

I am considering getting some help with this through cognitive behavioural therapy. As I am very aware of why I eat, and succeed and then fail again (2 weeks ago I was near goal at 9 stone 12, I have injured my foot, so haven't been able to run for 2 weeks, and have put on 6lbs - back to where I started!) But having an awareness is only halfway to solving it I think.

Best of luck to you, and if you find the magic answer, please let me know!

I'm no physiologist, but I like to analyse myself and you can decide it you're dealing with some of the same issues. I start freaking out when I lose enough weight that men start to notice me. Not that any one has ever said or done anything. Just looks in parking lots, shopping malls etc. It is so easy to hide behind the fat and not deal with anything. I think I use fat as a shield to keep from confronting things I don't want to deal with. As I lose weight and I feel stronger, more confident, sexier, more like a woman than a girl some part of me goes "Who are you kidding?" and the chow down begins. Clearly I need to work on my fear of having to be a "grown up" and take responsibility for myself and all that entails. I mean, I'm past 50 being an adult should not be an issue.

Good Luck keeping the weight off, I hope my comments helped. If nothing else, at least you can say, well I'm not as crazy as that lady! :laugh:

Why am I scared of losing weight? What is wrong with me? Why do I panic when my numbers get lower and lower? This is very strange!!

Anyone else have this problem? Or am I the only weirdo?!!
Thanks :laugh:

Well, I'm going to assume this is an emotional or psychological problem, since you use the language "scared of losing weight." It's not your body doing it to you, but your brain.

Soooo... what have you promised yourself that you'll do once you lose the weight? Because I know a lot of us do that. We say, "Once I lose this weight, I'm going to ..." So what was on your list? Is it possible that you're afraid of what you've told yourself is going to happen once you're skinny?

Because I'm there. I've been in this stupid on/off relationship with a workaholic. Guy works 100+ hours a week, never has time for me. I really love him, but about six months ago, I acknowledged that I have to move on. He's always going to be this great guy who just doesn't see me as a priority. Upon acknowledging that, I said to myself, "Once I lose the rest of this weight, I'm going to go back to dating. Find a new guy."

Boom. After successfully losing 30 lbs in a year, I hit a stall. Then I wasn't just stalling. I was regaining. I regained 12 of the 30 lbs I'd lost. Did that twice. I am FINALLY back to losing weight, because I realized that I was sabotaging myself because I was afraid of going back to dating. Even dating while skinny is a pretty traumatic, emotionally draining experience.

I finally had a breakthrough and changed the official line. I told myself, "Hey, you can go on losing weight. Once you reach your goal weight, you don't have to go back to dating. That's totally up to you. You can just lose the weight and go on reading and walking dogs in the evenings instead of meeting strange men."

Just like that the pressure is off. No need to sabotage myself, because I'm not on a weight loss race to misery. I'm just losing weight to be healthier. That's it. Nothing else.

So what are you afraid of, if you lose weight?

From your initial post, I was pretty sure you were going to end up concluding that it's a combo of using weight as a crutch/identity crisis of having trouble separating you from overweight you. I think this is very common in those trying to overcome something holding us back physically or mentally.

I think this is totally normal. This is the kind of problem where it can help a ton just to regularly speak to someone who will be impartial and talk out the uncertainties and insecurities, but I don't think they completely go away until you reach your goal and see how your life changes and doesn't change. I guarantee it will be for the better.

OMG, I can totally relate to this. My "fear" is getting below 200. I think the pressure (given to me by myself) of staying under 200 is what keeps me from getting to onederland and staying there. I recently made my husband hide my scale so I wouldn't get on it every single day. I was hiding it from myself until May 1st. I am thinking, maybe I should do away with it altogether and see if I just keep eating healthy and maintain my level of exercise and see what happens. I bet you I will get under 200, not even know it and get over it! Ooooooooo. Thank you so much for posting your question and for all the comments. I think I am having a real breakthrough here.
To the original poster, I hope you find out what your fear is and look at it straight in the eyes and find success. Let us know what happens!

I really needed to see this, too. I freak out when my image in the mirror changes a lot and it seems to change suddenly.

When I was out running the other day, I had this very clear thought: "this is who I am now." It was so strange! I do like the new me, but it's hard when you see yourself one way for so long and then you start making changes.

I've gotten better about seeing the big changes and running to food to "fix it back" but I think it's something that will happen less frequently as time goes on.

My biggest problem is people start noticing and commenting when I lose weight. I am very much an introverted person so all the attention whether it be good or bad gets to me. The next thing that starts bothering me is I start looking deflated because I have so much fat to begin with that any loss makes me look oddly hallow and some what like a burning wax candle.

All of the issues are because I am not proud of myself and secure with myself. I think that's the biggest thing we forget about weight loss, some of us just aren't ready to be the awesome people we can be.

I do best when I just focus on tasks instead of other people's thinking of me. If I pay attention to the scale, I go nuts. If I just focus on trying to work on me a little, I do okay.

I know a lot of that wasn't a solution to the issue but maybe you are having some of the same feelings.

I experienced something like this after my mother died of pancreatic cancer. She literally wasted away before my eyes rapidly in just 5 weeks. For several years I found weight loss rather alarming in an existential sense... I'm better now. I have a less emotional response with some distance from that particular time.

I will throw my two cents in although I dont know that I will add anything new or different. Years ago, I, unfortunately got sick and lost a lot of weight. Once I got well I decided to continue with the weight loss. I would get comments and compliments, then one day my neighbor saw me and told me that I had lost so much weight that I was skinny. In reality, I have never been anywhere close to skinny, but that comment freaked me out so much that I convinced myself that something was wrong with me and that I should not be losing weight. So I stopped eating like I was eating and gained all the weight back.
Fast forward to today. People comment on my weight loss and I just say thank you and I put it out of my mind. I try not to focus on my weight too much, but I know I am losing weight and working hard at it. To piggyback off what someone else said, I believe it is all about believing that I am good enough to be healthy and that it is okay to be a healthy size and receive and appreciate the rewards of my hard work.