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

WOW - I just posed this exact question to my MFP friends... now I see this old topic showing up in my feed. While reading through many of these comments, a thought came to my mind. Yesterday, I was at the consignment store, bringing some clothes that I don't fit into any longer. When the gal held up a pair of my old jeans, I honestly gasped at the size. Now, I remember wearing those jeans; I remember how they looked on me and how I felt in them. I also remember the tub of smaller sized clothes I kept tucked away under my bed "just in case" I ever fit into that smaller size again. I remember once going through that tub, holding up one pair of the jeans and thinking how small they looked, compared to the larger sized jeans I was currently wearing.

Today, I can't wear either pair of jeans (the larger sized or the smaller sized). They are BOTH TOO BIG for me!! Although I do struggle with how I view myself, I have to choose to remember from where I came. I do have a pair of my favorite old jeans in my closet saved for this exact reason.

I have just crossed the 50 pounds lost mark. I know I have a long way to go before I am "skinny." However, I am healthier, I am stronger and truthfully, I am skinnier this month than last. Many blessings friends!

I sure do. I know how hard I've been working and I know without a doubt that there has definitely been changes to my body but most of the time I can't see it. Every so often I'll catch a glimpse in the mirror (before my brain has a chance to delude me) and i'll think wow - look how much better my so and so looks.

I also think now I'm much more aware of all fat on me. I ignored it for so long but now I'm acutely aware of it.

I am still fat even though I have lost 50 pounds. The only way to know that I am lighter is to look at the pictures I have of before and the ones I have now. I can't tell any difference. I feel like when as I continue to lose weight I will still feel fat. I mean, I have never been thin so I don't know how it will feel nor will I know how to feel. I think that it's going to be quite a mental journey just as it is a physical journey.

Yes.
Everyone is constantly complimenting me on my weight loss. I have lost nearly 60 pounds after my pregnancy. I reached my first goal which was to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but I still want to lose 10 pounds. a lot of people look at me crazy when I say that. They try to tell me not to lose any more, but my BMI is still considered overweight. I have always struggled with being self-conscious and I'm hoping to break myself of that, but oh the things a baby does to your body..or at least mine

I absolutely have this problem. I've lost 65+ pounds and somedays I feel like I haven't even lost 5. Taking pictures does help see the difference.

I'm down about 60 over a few years. Some days I feel as big mentally as I did when I weighed that much. I guess being larger than normal for so long it wears on you and it takes awhile for your mind to catch up

I was goal weight for seversal monthes before I really saw me. I visited a church for revival at wand the bathroom had a wall that was a really big mirror. As I was leaving the bathroom I saw a tall, slim, attractive ( I winced typing this but it is what I thought)well dressed woman traveling at the same rate of speed as me. For a second I didn't understand it was a mirror. Then in an instant it clicked. I stopped, backed up, and really looked at me. Although, I didn't see me the way I did in that split second of time, I did take a closer look at my stomach. No longer poking out. I looked at hips. Yes, narrow. I spun to look at my butt. Thank goodness! It's thestill there just BETTER! I noticed I stood straighter and the dark circles under my eyes were all but gone. I am always slightly taken back when someone says something like I wish I was skinny like you, or you can eat whatever you want and it won't hurt you. I don't know if it will ever permanently click for me.

I have lost really 89 pounds so far and when I look down I still see this big belly but when I look in the mrror it doesn't look like hardly anything but still when I look down I see my belly and think I am still just as fat as I was. I hope this goeas away.

Yes. I hold up my size 16 jeans and just KNOW they will not even go over my thighs, even though I actually know that they are too big to wear without a belt, and my newer stuff is now a size 14...

That is so wierd.. I could have written the exact same post..word for word. I feel your pain!

Absolutely! I've lost bout 25 pounds and still feel the same. My hubby tells me i look so much smaller but i still can't see the difference yet ...but when i go shopping for cloths and i always try to try on a size smaller pair of Jeans and to my surprise they actually fit ....but yeah i totally feel you on that.

Absolutely...

I feel the same way and I'm almost at my goal, 2 pounds away but i find myself on mybodygallery.com all the time looking at women who are the same height and weight as me and it make it a little better. but i hate to be the skinny friend that says " I'm so fat, i need to lose weight" and everyone looks at me like "where"?

I really, really get this. I'm down 43lbs since June 18th and I've been shopping twice for new clothes and each time my friend will pick up a medium and I'll go 'no that's too small and pick up the L or XL', I just don't see myself mentally as having lost weight. Whenever I do fit into something that's not a large, I'm always stunned and surprised!

It's like my brain hasn't caught up to my body yet and I'm still just under half way to my target weight!