Anyone else been blind to their own fat?

HippySkoppy wrote: »

I'm not sure that I was blind too being fat more resigned to 'living' with it and trying to ignore the severity of my obesity.

I topped out at 46.8 BMI OMG and only realized this recently the other day answering a question on the forums. I had no idea it was that bad. Sure I struggled to walk, tie up shoes etc but the amount of denial I must have been in was staggering.

Now at 18.5 BMI I have the opposite problem of still feeling like the 'fat' woman, such is the fickle nature of human perception.

I look back now at the rare photos of me at my heaviest (278 lbs) and have a feeling of such sadness and regret for the time I guess I wasted lumbering around so big, unhealthy and definitely unhappy. Photos of me now at 110 lbs still cause me to inwardly squirm and examine for minute flaws and bulges....but that's my negative body image talking.

@dykask I get what you are saying about the 'ongoing' extent of the fat that you didn't realize you had. Those A'Ha moments of knowing you have farther to go than you initially thought can be quite demoralizing but you seem to have the ever changing transition of weight loss under your belt.

kshama2001 wrote: »

dykask wrote: »

I hope that answers the question. What I haven't done is a really good job of measuring what I'm eating. I'm more concerned about managing my hunger.

Focusing on protein and fiber helps me feel fuller on less calories. Fat takes care of itself, lol. To find out how much protein and fiber I'm getting, I use a digital food scale for the vast majority of my meals. I use the calorie budget I get from MFP, and play around with my macros.

Understanding satiety: feeling full after a meal

...Tips on how to feel fuller

So how can we best try to enhance these feelings of fullness to help us control how much we eat? Here are some top tips for helping you feel fuller:

1. Foods high in protein seem to make us feel fuller than foods high in fat or carbohydrate, so including some protein at every meal should help keep you satisfied. Foods high in protein include meats such as chicken, ham or beef, fish, eggs, beans and pulses.
2. If you are watching your weight, opt for lower fat versions, using leaner cuts of meat, cutting off visible fat and avoiding the skin on poultry as this will help reduce the energy density of the diet, which can help to enhance satiety (see below).
3. Foods that are high in fibre may also enhance feelings of fullness so try to include plenty of high-fibre foods in the diet such as wholegrain bread and cereals, beans and pulses and fruit and vegetables.
4. Alcohol seems to stimulate appetite in the short-term and therefore drinking alcohol is likely to encourage us to eat more. Alcoholic beverages can make you forget about your intentions to eat healthily by making you lose your inhibitions. Alcoholic drinks are also calorific, so you should cut down on alcohol consumption if you are trying to control your weight.
5. The ‘energy density’ of food has a strong influence on feelings of fullness or satiety. Energy density is the amount of energy (or calories) per gram of food. Lower energy density foods provide less energy per gram of food so you can eat more of them without consuming too many calories. Low energy density foods include fruit and vegetables, foods with lots of water added when cooking such as soups and stews, and lower fat foods. Click here for more information on energy density.

Read more: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html