Why do I still feel massive?

Agreed! congrats on your success so far! Lots of people feel just the same way - sometimes everyone (even teensy people) feels fat. Maybe it was one of those times. I hope you get to feeling better. And congrats on calling out your mind for being mean to you!! Keep it up!

This sounds crazy but I think it's the media making you feel 'fat' even though you clearly are not . Pictures of 'skinny, slim, thin' women are everywhere and I think we feel we should all be the same! !. Size uk 12 is fantastic achievement. .

You are doing great.

There can be a definite time lag between your body changing and your perception of your body changing. It is a common and normal part of losing weight. It's also hard to see differences when you see yourself every day.

Keep up the good work!

I have often felt like this myself, even though I'm much further along in my weight loss. I've lost nearly 100 pounds, am less than a pound from my goal, and have gone from size XL to size XS (and sometimes children's sizes). Yet sometimes I still think of myself as a fat person because I spent my entire adult life until now as a fat person. It takes a long time for our self perception to catch up to our new reality, and when you're still losing weight, your new reality is constantly changing. Try looking at some old pictures and comparing them to what you look like now, or try on your old clothes. That helps me remember how far I've come.

We are our own worst critics.
Even after going fron a size 18-20 to a size 8-10, I still look in the mirror at times and feel huge. I, too, was overweight/obese for the majority of my adult life. The trick mentioned above about trying on some of your old clothes certainly helps put things into perspective.
I don't know if that feeling ever really goes away.

It's attitude. If you won a million dollars, then tried on those same jeans you probably would have thought "Damn, I won a million dollars and now even fit into smaller jeans! How awesome!"

There are days in the gym I'll have a good lift, but won't acknowledge it because I was pre occupied with something else on my mind bothering me. Lol, usually it was my daughter's grades in school.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

amc2509 wrote: »

I know that a size 12 wouldn't have gone past my knees in January, but I still think I look huge! Bloody mind games

This! I went shopping for a bathing suit yesterday (fun right?) I tried on a size 16 and it was huge on me (I used to be size 18), tried on what I thought was a size 14 it was tight but fit..when I took it off I realized it was a size 12! Yet I was so focused on it being too tight that I didn't realize until later that ummm a size 12 wouldn't have fit past one of my thighs last summer! So after some pep-talking I got two new rocking bathing suits that actually fit and I plan to rock them in a few weeks... keep your head up!

storyjorie wrote: »

Talk to yourself the way you would a good friend or even your kids. You would never say to them, "You're massive!" You'd say, "But look at the great progress you made! I'm so proud of you!" I find that when I'm nice to myself, I'm much more motivated to keep on keepin' on!

This was literally what I was going to say.

Be a good friend to yourself. Talk kindly and lovingly. Your body has carried children, worked through weightloss and habit changes with you, and woken up with you anew every morning.

Focus on the good things, focus on the positive things, focus on what you've accomplished. You have a gift: an able body. You can do anything with it you set your mind to.

It takes your brain some time to catch up with what's really going on. Over the past several years I have lost nearly 60% of my total body weight, yet yesterday I sat down slowly and gingerly on a stool that could clearly handle my body weight, as I know someone who has a good 100 lbs on me is able to sit on it without issue. That came from years of gauging what space I could fit in to or whether a chair was going to handle my weight, etc.

I echo the suggestion to grab some of your big clothes and try them on, you'll really see the difference then!

Sometimes you have to fake it 'til you make it. Honestly, when I was much bigger there were days where I turned heads (in a positive way) because I was holding my head high and strutting with confidence. Sometimes the hippie-dippie stuff really helps...you have to speak kindly to yourself. ROCK those size 12s!

Progress pics help too. I don't have a side by side of me now versus me at maximum density but from time to time I'll take a last year/this year side by side to remind me. You can do that on MFP or on piccollage.

Lastly, GREAT WORK! What you are doing is NOT easy, be proud!!!