Do you still feel "fat" mentally after a lot of weight loss?

I've only lost 11lbs, but some days I look at myself in the mirror after a shower and say " who's that hott mama " and others I say " eww look at that fat cow "! So I think it just depends on what side of the bed you wake up. No matter what size we should all realize we are beautiful ppl :flowerforyou:

I've only lost a fourth of the weight I need to lose but that's 40 pounds and I really don't feel thinner. I know that I've dropped sizes but it's like I'm always trying to convince myself that I look the same and those sizes fit me the same. I'm definitely happier with myself but that's because I'm working towards a goal, not because I feel like I actually look different.

I think I'm still heavy, but I've dropped 20 lbs and I've gone from a 14 to a 10, and a L to a M. Still, when I try things on, I automatically think 'oh, it's a fluke in the sizing, sizes are never consistent.'

My mom told me yesterday that I have to realize that I'm not a heavy girl any more.

I actually have the opposite problem, which is probably how I gained so much weight. I was all "I'm a skinny HPOA" as I was stuffing Doritos into my face and didn't even realize how fat I'd gotten until I ran out of pants that fit.

Now that I'm losing weight, those old pants are starting to fit again and I'm still not even noticing the changes - just yesterday I easily used the zipper and buttons to close a pair of pants that I've been safety-pinning since my heaviest days (buy bigger clothes? No.), and realized that I probably could have done away with the safety pins weeks ago. All this time I've still felt like that skinny thing from two years ago so no matter which way my *actual* weight goes, I just plain don't feel it.

I'm so oblivious to my own size, how embarrassing.

My mind plays games with me....when I was younger and very thin all I could see was the fat areas....then as I really got fat I did not see just how fat I had become, even my mirror lied, it was in pictures that I truly saw what I look like and even then I always thought they were a really bad camera angles...Now 80 lbs lighter I am amazed how such a big girl can fit into these small sizes....I know in time as I keep the weight off I will begin to see the real me....

Yes. I still pick up sizes that are too big. Even when I don't, most of the time I feel like a beached whale.

I've lost 85lbs and have kept it off for over 3 years and yes I still feel fat. I still see fat. I still need to lose fat, my bmi is still higher than I want it to be. It is very upsetting!

I hear you. I'm only 5 pounds away from my goal, yet I still see the same girl from 10 pounds ago. I suppose the mind can be cruel sometimes!

Yes!!! Even though I've lost 39lbs when I look in the mirror I STILL SEE THE SAME BODY!!! I feel as those nothing as Changed even though my clothes are much looser , ppl telling me I've lost alot of weight , I'm still not satisfied I'm hoping when I reach my GW this will change

i always feel fat. im 5ft2.5in and about 118/120lbs and pretty fit. my bf, friends, coworkers, etc always talk about how thin i am and i just dont see it. my bf actually told me this morning that i should eat more. what ?! =/

I still list myself as BBW on the dating sites and just tonight went out on a date and was told I should not list myself in that catogory anymore. My sister tells me that my size 12 now is average for the american female but I still see the fat me in the mirror and still go for the big shirts and the huge jeans choosing to wear a belt instead of just getting my size. I see it in pics but still see the fat me in everything I put on and in the mirror hopefully it will go away but right now I am still the biggest member of my family in my brain even if I am skinner then my little sister now.

Mabey you have self esteem issues.

When I finally got help for my eating disorder 3-4 years ago - that is one thing that we worked on - body dysmorphic disorder. After I gained the weight after treatment - it got horrible... but now that I am losing and toning up - I actually like what I see. I may also go as far saying I am totally opposite. Weird how that works.

I found this article that lists the symptoms.

Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Signs and symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder include:

Preoccupation with your physical appearance
Strong belief that you have an abnormality or defect in your appearance that makes you ugly
Frequent examination of yourself in the mirror or, conversely, avoidance of mirrors altogether
Belief that others take special notice of your appearance in a negative way
The need to seek reassurance about your appearance from others
Frequent cosmetic procedures with little satisfaction
Excessive grooming, such as hair plucking
Extreme self-consciousness
Refusal to appear in pictures
Skin picking
Comparison of your appearance with that of others
Avoidance of social situations
The need to wear excessive makeup or clothing to camouflage perceived flaws


You may obsess over any part of your body, but common features people may obsess about include:

Nose
Hair
Skin
Complexion
Wrinkles
Acne and blemishes
Baldness
Breast size
Muscle size
Genitalia

The body feature you focus on may change over time. You may be so convinced about your perceived flaws that you become delusional, imagining something about your body that's not true, no matter how much someone tries to convince you otherwise.

When to see a doctor
Shame and embarrassment about your appearance may keep you from seeking treatment for body dysmorphic disorder. But if you have any signs or symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder, see your doctor, mental health provider or other health professional. Body dysmorphic disorder usually doesn't get better on its own, and if untreated, it may get worse over time and lead to suicidal thoughts and behavior.

Sadly, yes, even after 40+ pounds and back to the size/fitness level I was in when I was in my 20s...I gravitate towards too big of sizes when I shop...and I've hung onto too-big clothes for way too long...

I have noticed that I can look in the mirror and think I look good (sometimes) but when I see myself in photographs I feel like I look huge...it's bizarre.

I have lost 40 lbs and went from a size 14 to a size 4. When I look in the mirror I still see the size 14 body. I don't know what to do to change it.

I'm similar - went from a size 16 pants to a size 6. People are starting to tell me I need to stop losing weight, but all I see is my pudgy belly. When I try on clothes in the store, I consciously think to my self that stores angle mirrors to make customers look thinner in the clothes - I simply cannot fathom that I'm not overweight anymore.