Body Image

bethdris
bethdris Posts: 1,090 Member
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
Am I thie only one who walks by a full length mirror (in the store of course, I don't own one yet) and execpts to see that obese person looking back? Being I"ve been "chunky, fat, etc" most of my life, I don't really know anything else.

On one hand I think I've done a great job, and yes Im proud, but on the other hand I feel like Im still obese inside. Not many talk about what happens after the weight is gone.

I am terrifed Im going to wake up and weigh almost 250 pounds again! Is that silly, and unrealistic if I stick to what Im doing,?? Well of course it is.

At what point do you feel "good" about your body and looking in the mirror at who's looking back?

Replies

  • Meyra77
    Meyra77 Posts: 5
    I have the same issue and it seems like the more I lose weight the more my body image is off. I still feel extremly big and that is the way I am dressing, too. I don't even know my clothing size yet, because I still go for the bigger stuff. I am trying to talk to my hubby about it or friends and they don't really get it, because they have not been there. I am working on my fear of getting big again though, by eating healthy and constantly reminding myself, as long as I do what I am doing now, IT WILL NOT HAPPEN!
  • ppiinnkkmmoonn
    ppiinnkkmmoonn Posts: 418
    i talk about it lot in person with people and at my group it a major adjuster and so many changes i became really clingy to my fiance for a long time just because i felt so expose. still tons of emotions im dealing with everyday. your not alone that for sure
  • sister_bear
    sister_bear Posts: 529 Member
    You're not alone. The diet/exercise part is easy, it's the mental part that's hard.
  • jameslucy
    jameslucy Posts: 85 Member
    I agree - I find it hard to see a difference when I look in the mirror. I still imagine I'm that person that is50lbs heavier. I find it hard to walk past a mirror and not look in it. Its not to admire myself , its simply to criticise myself and check how big my belly still is. Dont get me wrong I am within my healthy weight range now but am finding that difficult to believe as I dont see myself as being 'slim'.
  • littleali
    littleali Posts: 179 Member
    I still feel I look exactly the same as I did at my bigger weight. It's what makes the 'You don't need to lose weight!' comments so hard, because to me, they're just lying and it's so frustrating that they can't see how big I think I am. It'll take time, but the mental stability post weightloss comes after your body settles down!
  • farmgirlsuz
    farmgirlsuz Posts: 351 Member
    Yep- same feelings here...except I love seeing that thinner person smiling back at me in the mirror! Not sure who she is yet, but she looks pretty darn happy!
  • mageepilot
    mageepilot Posts: 289 Member
    Totally agree with this! I know I look smaller and enjoy the compliments, but when I look in the mirror I see big and fat. Plus I still have a long ways to go. I worry about maintaining. I have tried to friend a few people who are in maintenance so I can see what they are doing. I think about this a lot since it's always been the problem. I can get it off, but don't keep it off. This time seems different. I feel aware that I will always always have to be conscious about what I eat. And I am trying to do activities and walking that I will keep up for life. Please feel free to friend me and we can help each other.
  • Wolfena
    Wolfena Posts: 1,570 Member
    5+ years into maintenance here (not counting that last 10 pounds that I seem to have to keep re-losing)

    But in my case, I will never expect to see someone thin looking back at me.
  • haylz24
    haylz24 Posts: 225
    I hate hate hate my top half. Gross tummy and hips but caught sight of my legs today and was like wow. They're looking much better. I'm expecting my body to end up looking like when I was 16. I just worry that I won't get to that, or if I do, it won't stay like it.

    You'll be ok :) don't give up and don't overdo it
  • chrissym78
    chrissym78 Posts: 628 Member
    I feel the same way! Sometimes I have to look twice at my reflection if I am out somewhere b/c I think it's someone else. I also still see me as fat, especially when I get out of the shower.
  • cedarhurst2006
    cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
    When I shop my daughter yells at me for trying on clothes that are too big. I still wear my 4x pants to the gym and I have other pants that are XL but I wear huge tops. I think it takes a while for your head to catch up. That's true for me anyways.
  • ResilientWoman
    ResilientWoman Posts: 440 Member
    Am I the only one who walks by a full length mirror (in the store of course, I don't own one yet) and expects to see that obese person looking back? Being I've been "chunky, fat, etc" most of my life, I don't really know anything else.

    On one hand I think I've done a great job, and yes I'm proud, but on the other hand I feel like I'm still obese inside. Not many talk about what happens after the weight is gone.

    I am terrifed I'm going to wake up and weigh almost 250 pounds again! Is that silly, and unrealistic if I stick to what I'm doing?? Well of course it is.

    At what point do you feel "good" about your body and looking in the mirror at who's looking back?

    Been meditating on this very subject recently. Haven't lost a single pound since I hit 103 lbs shed on June 26. Got so terrified (of the unknown?) that I stalled out my weight loss. My body has dropped from burning 2800 calories at rest to burning only 2200 even when training.

    I believe that I tripped some metabolic switch because of a lifetime of practicing fear. I look in the mirror and see the evidence of 8 years of increasingly self-nurturing choices. I feel the healthier, happier new me in each motion. I wonder what cultural/familial messages I have internalized about being strong, attractive and healthy?

    I wonder what story do I need to tell myself, what truth do I need to embrace, what false beliefs do I need to release in order to make the next leap forward into complete authenticity???

    Let you know when I solve the puzzle. Till then back to breathing and accepting the 'me' I am right now.
  • helenium
    helenium Posts: 546 Member
    I get you. I mainly get it while NOT looking in a mirror. I KNOW it's psychological, but I feel the fat surrounding my organs, under my skin... it's yellow and greasy and slimy and bouncy, and it's THERE, and it's hanging around my belly and weighing me down, and around my thighs. It's around my heart, which I can't see, and it's in my belly pushing my lungs upwards as it invades my abdominal cavity. It's on my face, it's underneath my chin, and it's yellow and greasy and slimy and bouncy and I hate it and when I move too quickly I feel it jiggling and I grimace.

    It's dangerous, but I get the "Oh it'll go away in 10 lbs' time" thought. I know it won't though. I will always find faults. And constantly dropping weight to get rid of this self-loathing is not going to fix anything. I just need to be careful and I mustn't expect the feeling to ever go away.
  • 2pinks1blue
    2pinks1blue Posts: 50
    I had the same problem. When I lost weight before I got pregnant with my third baby, I weighed 127lbs (at 5'6") and I STILL felt fat, looking back at pictures now I'm like 'those people weren't lying, I was actually thin!'
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