I can't see it

katycapp · March 2017

I have read many posts on here about how you can't see the changes in yourself when you look in the mirror, but they are apparent when you put pictures side by side.
I have lost 50lbs and I get comments/questions every day about how much I have lost, how did I do it, etc. I have also gone from a size 22/24 to 16/18. So, I know that it is apparent that I have lost weight.

I just can't see it. In the mirror, of course not. In pictures, only if I analyze little parts and even then I feel like I am just finding things to make myself feel better.

I am just curious if I am the only one with this issue.

amtyrell · March 2017

Have you moved away from an area and then visited back? You see all the changes but a friend who stayed feels like it is just the same. This is the same you don't see it because the changes happen gradually.

bizgirl26 · March 2017

Well I can see a difference ! Sometimes its the way you carry your weight as well. Some people lose 50 pounds and drop 10 sizes and some drop 2 . We are so hard on ourselves. I think taking measurements or photos are so important to see what we have accomplished and you have definitely accomplished something to be proud of. Tell that woman in the mirror " I am awesome ". You should feel better and not feel guilty about feeling better , I know it can be hard but chin up and be proud

prettygirlstorm1 · March 2017

wow good for you!! I certainly see it in your pictures you look great!!!! I have not had this issue I lost 30 pounds and I saw it so much that I went out a bought a whole new wardrobe and I still have about 20 to go. My mother would say "one day you will wake up and see just what you have always wanted to see"!! Good luck to you on the rest of your journey!

katycapp · March 2017

Thank you all.
Hopefully one of these days it will kick in to where I can realize the changes that have happened.
I appreciate your kind words. :-)

sbrandt37 · March 2017

I think the problem is that you see yourself in the mirror every day, so you never really see the big change. Plus you have a mental image of yourself that is only partially connected to your actual weight and changes at its own pace. I found that as I was losing weight I could see the change and not see it at the same time. It was very odd. Pictures help, but it is hard to overcome that fat self-image, even when confronted with the evidence.

My conclusion is that the scale, measuring tape, and other people's perception of the differences are more reliable than our own perceptions as we lose weight. I encourage you to trust them. Your perception of the changes will catch up in time. Just stick with it.

treehugnmama · March 2017

I've lost 65 and feel like you described. some days I get my biggest underware out lay them on the bed and put my current ones on top and I see that huge difference. people tell me how good I'm looking. gone from a tight 20 to a too big 14 I see less rolls in pictures but to me don't look that much different. I save one complete bra underwater shirt and jeans from each size and when I feel like I haven't changed I compare them to what I'm wearing and that helps.

ddveedub · March 2017

I know how you are feeling. I've lost 30-40 pounds and I have a real hard time *seeing* things. I do better with photos, but I really have to examine specific areas to see whats going on. You are not alone!

Sheisinlove109 · March 2017

I've lost 65 and gone from a 26/28 to a 22/24 but I'm sticking with it hoping this changes. First goal, be healthy.

Do you take a daily selfie? I take a daily post workout pic. Yesterday I pulled up day 1 and 60 days later. Big difference but the clothes don't show it yet.

Keep it up, it will come.

amanda_deanne · March 2017

I lost 70lbs and didn't see it. I went from a size 16 to a size 8 and still didn't see it. I spent 2 full years at that weight and didn't see it. What made me finally see it, was gaining weight during my pregnancies and seeing my body getting bigger again. It's like something clicked and I finally saw myself for how I am now. I'm still losing the last of the baby weight, but I definitely see it now. Keep at it, one day it will just click and you will be amazed with what you see!

JeromeBarry1 · March 2017

I see it every day when I walk into work. I work in a big mirrored building and every day I see a tall, slim, damned good-looking man. Oddly, I see me at home and don't see me in such a favorable light at home.

BlueSkyShoal · March 2017

I can see a difference--with you. And other people. But not with myself. So I'm having the same issue.

I think it's because the changes are gradual. But even though they're gradual, they're real.

ShrinkingViolet1982 · March 2017

I get it. It's almost like vanity to even think that something has actually changed, unless someone else says it first.

lost4words_ox · March 2017

Oh me! I was just having this arguement with myself. I'm done 40 and people have started to comment on it, but I just can't see it. I even rationalize my clothes are loose because they've relaxed after washing.

So I'm telling you, I can see it in you, but not in me. You're not alone in that thought for sure.

tinamarie6624 · March 2017

I started out at 378 Lbs and I have to admit that for a long time all I saw when I looked in the mirror was fat. I knew when I lost 50 Lbs, 100 Lbs and so on that I was losing the weight and that my clothes were bigger and that my measurements were smaller. When I looked at pictures I could see the big change and everyone was telling me that I had lost a lot. Logically I knew that I had lost lots of weight but it took a long time to look in the mirror and say "Wow, I've lost a lot of weight." I'm now 182 Lbs down now and just broke the 200 mark and now I'm seeing the changes every week. Every 5 Lbs is a huge change. I have to admit too that am my own worst critic. Don't be too hard on yourself and try to adjust your thinking. I wish you the best luck on your endeavor.

katycapp · March 2017

Thanks you all!
I feel so much better knowing that I am not just crazy. lol. I am going to keep moving forward and take more pictures/measurements in the future. Hopefully my brain will catch up at some point so that I can be more proud of what I have accomplished.

I can't see it

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