Maintaining motivation when you see yourself as overweight even when you’re not

What are you doing to lose the weight? Two years ago I decided to get healthy for many reasons. When I say that, I’m talking physically; mentally, and emotionally. I’m 43yo, 5’-10”, and currently 203. When I started this journey I was closer to 230 and over 27% body fat. My low point was 198 and just over 16%.

Go back 2, 3, 5 years ago and the 200lb mark scared me. I’d look at the scale and it bothered me a lot. Now, 200 doesn’t worry me. I’ll admit, when I start seeing 205 I have to sit back reevaluate what I’ve been doing and get on track. I goto the gym (or use my home gym) regularly, I watch what I eat and the quantity.

Now I see the muscle tone in my arms and chest. I know muscle mass weighs more then fat mass. I know I have put 10+ pound of muscle on. I can look at myself now, and even when I’m “up” in weight I can “see” the whole package. I can physically see my size/number on the scale. I don’t dwell that’s it 2lbs from last week, but I’d still done 28 from where I started (physical health). I can “see” the effort I put in (mental health). I know I haven’t given up. I let that aspect override the “oh my god, I put on 2lbs” worry. Combining both parts helps relax and keep moving (emotional health).

I’ve coached athletes for over 20 years and LOVE the mental side of coaching/motivating. If there is anything I can do to help, don’t hesitate to reach out.

I have had to take the focus off of looks to keep the weight loss going. I went from the 190s to about 140, and I honestly look a lot worse without clothes. I am focused on health markers like blood pressure, resting heart rate, and how easy running and other exercises are now. I look horrible, but I feel healthier.

You have to take a different approach to weight loss and food when you suffer from dysmorphia. Here to help if I can.

Beware. As a friend used to say in a different context- the eye can fool the brain.

And this- the brain will try to pursue contradictory ideas at the same time. But because it can really go only one direction at a time, we get jerked back and forth minute to minute. Hope that makes sense.

It can be a bad problem. Well, I made it into a bad problem. Telling myself I was fat at 185 lbs opened the door to weighing 285 lbs. It seems crazy to me now, maybe it was. And note, for me it really wasn’t what I saw, it was what I thought. What I needed at 185lbs was fitness, not weight loss.

What I pursue in weight loss is the number on the scale. That’s all I’m going to get. How I look? Separate issue. How I feel? Separate issue. I know there are things I can do at a lower number that I can’t do or are difficult at a higher number. The number has benefits but they are limited.

You have access to counseling or therapy? Consider it. Like I said, your brain will latch onto bad ideas and run wild if you let it. Try to sort this out.