Body Image Issues

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Joanna2012B
Joanna2012B Posts: 1,448 Member
in Motivation and Support
I know that I am fit and healthy, but I am having body image issues. I bought a size 6 jean in the spring and it seems to be loose on me this fall. I know that I am not fat, but when I look in the mirror just recently I still see myself as fat. It is confusing to me because not that long ago when I was heavier I felt so skinny. Has anyone else experienced this? I don't want this to become a problem. I am not sure how to deal with it right now. Giving up is not an option, but I also don't want to feel like this.
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  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
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    I feel like this often. I have days where I feel confident and like I am oh-so strong, have come so far from where I started and am at my "dream body" and then there's also the days where I feel like a giant lard and need to be in the gym for 3-hours everyday or else I'm not nearly as strong as I should be. A lot of this stems from social media. Comparing our beginnings to someone else's middle. It's tough. But take a moment to breathe and look at photos from your start. See how far you have really come. It's just a bad day, not a bad journey.
  • Joanna2012B
    Joanna2012B Posts: 1,448 Member
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    Thanks @peacout_aly !
  • wils5150
    wils5150 Posts: 149 Member
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    when I lost 50 pounds everyone was saying I was to skinny but i didnt see it I still felt chunky at times. well after all the skinny talk I put on 15 pounds and was miserable lol. I am back at it now using how my clothes fit as a measuring stick
  • Joanna2012B
    Joanna2012B Posts: 1,448 Member
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    It is just recent for me that I have felt so fat and overweight! 50lbs is impressive @wils5150 !!! Welcome back and I wish you much success!
  • Joanna2012B
    Joanna2012B Posts: 1,448 Member
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    120 lbs is extremely impressive! You should be so very proud of yourself @Little_Miss_Kriss

    It is rather frustrating when you don't see yourself as others do! I still have about 30lbs to lose I hope that feeling disappears.
  • wils5150
    wils5150 Posts: 149 Member
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    Joanna2012B wrote: »
    It is just recent for me that I have felt so fat and overweight! 50lbs is impressive @wils5150 !!! Welcome back and I wish you much success!

    funny thing is it feels much different this time around. maybe because its only 15 pounds.
  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
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    Joanna2012B wrote: »
    120 lbs is extremely impressive! You should be so very proud of yourself @Little_Miss_Kriss

    It is rather frustrating when you don't see yourself as others do! I still have about 30lbs to lose I hope that feeling disappears.

    You're wearing a loose size 6 and have 30 lbs to lose??

    But to answer your question, yes, I feel like this a lot. I feel slim at 120...because I am. That's where I can start slipping into size 2s, so it's a pretty big difference on my body. I don't feel so good at 125. I'm sitting at 130 right now, and I actually feel better than I do at 125 because the extra weight is mostly in my boobs and thighs. My proportions look a little more balanced, and I can still fit in my size 4s. I also struggle with body dysmorphia, so I have a lot of angsty fat days.

    When you're not making progress very quickly, it's hard to see changes in the mirror. It's a lot easier to focus on the things you don't like. Then TOM comes around and you bloat and you feel like you're going backwards and it's all so blah. Two things help: I weigh daily and measure weekly so I know what my body does after I eat certain meals or at certain times in my cycle. That way I know it's a normal fluctuation and not anything I'm doing "wrong." I also try very, very hard to find three positive things to praise about my body every day. This is easier said than done some days, but it keeps me from slipping into a world of dark, ugly thoughts about myself. We're our own worst critics.
  • amandasquist
    amandasquist Posts: 26 Member
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    Yes!! Definitely an emotional roller coaster. Some times the mirror is my best friend, other times my worst enemy. Hard to believe that being a size 4/6 (my current size) makes me feel anything but proud 100% of the time. I just had a breakthrough this week though. I am proud of myself and ready to rock my new body and put its strength to work.
  • BarbaraJatmfp
    BarbaraJatmfp Posts: 463 Member
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    Have you looked at self-help books? I'm old so I found all my books just by looking on the shelf at the bookstore and comparing them to each other. It is harder for me to do that on Amazon, but you young folks have it figured out by now. lol

    Part of losing weight is changing how you think of yourself. I am no longer a 300-pound woman, or a 200-pound woman, or whatever. But your body image is a little different. You can see that you have lost weight because your clothes are loose, but you still see yourself as fat. This is a common body image problem. Check out the books on Amazon or in a bookstore. A digital copy is more affordable than a hard copy.

    Good luck. And keep us posted. We all struggle with the same problems.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,574 Member
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    Yep. I feel very fat. I can't be fat. I wear a size extra-small shirt and am probably about a size 6 jeans. I just want to be the best and am upset when I look and see that I am not.
  • Joanna2012B
    Joanna2012B Posts: 1,448 Member
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    Thank you all for responding. Sometimes it's nice to just know we are not alone and you have made me feel less lonely!

    @CoreyColwell I am especially grateful for your words . You are so right! I give the same advice to people and feel foolish when I can't see it in myself.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    I think I have booty dysmorphia. It is definitely better than it used to be but it needs to grow. Even just a little more. Gah.. I'll probably never be happy either
  • Joanna2012B
    Joanna2012B Posts: 1,448 Member
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    @sardelsa I hope that one day we can both be happy!!!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    Back on track........@Joanna2012B, my concern is that you say in your first response you say you are a loose size 6, then further down you say you still have about 30 pounds to lose. Did I read that right? If so, why are you trying to lose so much weight?

    Gosh, I can only offer my own experience because body image issues are a tough deal. Even though I am within a normal BMI now, and I feel fantastic and know I look fine, I still struggle with picking on myself when I look in the mirror. I have been doing this my entire life, and I especially did it as an obese teen and young adult, and as an overweight adult, but my self image has gotten much better over the last several years. However, it is a constant learning process for me to love and accept myself as I am now and now is good enough. I am good enough no matter what stage of my weight management I am at now.

  • Joanna2012B
    Joanna2012B Posts: 1,448 Member
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    @SLLRunner I am still weighing in at 154. Ok so realistically I would be happy with anywhere between 20 & 30lbs. I am 5'3" and I am still classified as overweight in the BMI chart. My "healthy weight" is said to be between 115 and 130. I suppose part of my problem is that I still have yet to lose from my stomach. I am hoping for the acceptance of what I look like! I really appreciate your words of encouragement!!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    Joanna2012B wrote: »
    @SLLRunner I am still weighing in at 154. Ok so realistically I would be happy with anywhere between 20 & 30lbs. I am 5'3" and I am still classified as overweight in the BMI chart. My "healthy weight" is said to be between 115 and 130. I suppose part of my problem is that I still have yet to lose from my stomach. I am hoping for the acceptance of what I look like! I really appreciate your words of encouragement!!

    @Johanna2012B, I see. I'm a size 4-6 at 140 some odd pounds, and pretty small, so I guess I saw you that way as well. See, that's the problem for me, comparing myself to other women. :)

    Keep your chin up and reward yourself with daily love and acceptance for doing so well!

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