Does anyone not see themselves how much weight they have lost?

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AmyE26
AmyE26 Posts: 43 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hello :)

In the past year I have lost nearly 4 and a half stone, going from 18 stone to 13 and a half stone and I am now in sizes 14-16, which I haven't been since I was a teenager. Everyone can see it, apart from me.. I see myself as exactly the same as I was before I lost weight, I still have a few more stone to lose but worried that even when I get to my target weight I just won't see it at all, I know that it's psychological but does it get better?

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  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,174 Member
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    IME, eventually it does, but it's a process, and it takes time. Even in maintenance, there have been times when I still think I look quite a bit bigger than I am, but it comes and goes . . . eventually, it's mostly gone.

    Do you do tape measurements or occasional progress photos? Sometimes a loss is easier to see in a photo than in the mirror, especially if you make it a point to wear the same clothes, in the same place, in the same lighting. (Do front, back and side views.)

    It'll be OK, long-term, really. I know it's hard at the time. You're doing great! Eventually your brain will catch up with reality.
  • jaguy16
    jaguy16 Posts: 3 Member
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    I lost about 60lbs the first time around, and it took a while to see the difference. I kept thinking I just wasn't looking like I had lost much weight. It wasn't until I pulled my hair back and took a face selfie that I could see the weightloss.

    However, I never felt like the person I looked like. Even losing the weight my self esteem did not change much.
  • sriley721
    sriley721 Posts: 68 Member
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    this! I am so struggling with perspective tonight. The scale sees it, my clothes see it, friends and family see it and I thought I saw it but, tonight I wanted to cry. I lost a total of 50lbs over the last 2 years with 10lns over the last 2 months but I saw a picture of myself from a party over the weekend and was devastated at how big I looked.
  • Mama530
    Mama530 Posts: 605 Member
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    But, do you FEEL better? I still have a lot to lose and I was talking with a friend that has had a lot of success lately and we started talking about all the things that are better in her life since she lost about 3.5 stone.

    Her joints don’t hurt as much, she isn’t out of breath as much, sex is better and her muscles are sore because she’s using muscles she couldn’t access before.

    It’s hard to identify our success in the mirror. What we see is how much farther we need to go to the new us, we don’t see the old us standing there patting us on the back.

    Great job on your success! Your brain will catch up with the reflection in the mirror, just wait and see. Give it time. We’re all very proud of you!
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,042 Member
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    I have just the opposite issue. As I lose weight, I see and feel the improvements almost daily. It's when I slack and gain weight back that I am blind to the changes. Gosh! These pants that fit so well three weeks ago are now feeling too small to button. Oh well, I think I still have a larger pair in the back of the closet. La la la la

  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,466 Member
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    Agree that it’s better to focus on how you feel. I lost 100 lbs and spent years getting rid of fat clothes. I’d go into the closet determined to get rid of clothes that were too big and end up keeping most of them. It was like my eyes were defective.

    Another thing is to consider the limits of weigh loss. We won’t find perfection at goal weight. Beware of your brain. That voice in our heads is always looking for ways to convince us that our program isn’t worth the effort.

    Personally right now I’m working on my posture. A lot of what I don’t like when I look at myself in the mirror has to do with years of poor posture. Its more than just bad habits. Its like I have muscle memory that’s invested in slouching. It involves a lot of specific stretching that I find pretty boring but the program is working.

    Last thing- do your clothes fit properly? A lot of people view buying new clothes while trying to lose weight as a waste of money. But I found getting clothes that fit right on the way down was a big source of motivation. The whole idea of taking pride in my appearance was completely foreign to me. It change a lot of things for me.

    Losing a significant amount and keeping it gone takes a lot of adjusting. There are a lot of little things involved. Keep going. Good luck.

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