Posts: 11,385
1/19/08 3:34 P

You mad a comment about loose clothing too, you may want to try to find some clothes that really fit you, it will help you see how you really look. I found myself surprised by seeing my reflection and not realizing I was the thin person I was looking at!

current weight: 0.5  over

5 2.5 0 -2.5

-5

SparkPoints: (93,307)
Fitness Minutes: (71,549)
Posts: 7,522
1/19/08 11:57 A

I don't think I have any before pictures of myself. I've avoided the camera for years, but that's a good idea to try to see what I looked like before the weight loss. I think I'll check out My Virtual Model and create a model of the old me and the new me. At least it would give me an idea of what the difference is. I can print out the two models and I can hopefully see the difference. That should help. I also read that Prevention article, very interesting. I'm sure I would be one who picks the wrong picture of myself.

Posts: 4,088
1/18/08 4:16 P

If you have cable, try watching "How To Look Good Naked" a few times. They really home in on the distorted views we have of ourselves in realation to the seriously underweight models that appear in magazines and on TV. Why are we females so susceptible to self-loathing??? Can you imagine a guy saying "I hate the way my arms look"?

current weight: 151.0

151 145 139 133

127

Posts: 19,646
1/18/08 4:13 P

Felina - Do you have a before picture of yourself.

A while back I was looking at someone's sparkpage and she had a before picture. This lady weight about the same as I did before she and I had lost weight. She now weighed about the same as I did...the difference was just incredible.

It did make me wonder. I set off looking for a picture of me before I lost weight. It wasn't an easy task because I pretty much stayed away from the camera. I finally did find it and I was just about floored when I saw the difference.

I encourage you to check my sparkpage out. I then would encourage you to find a before picture of yourself, you will be impressed.

gail

Pounds lost: 4.4

0 3.85 7.7 11.55

15.4

Posts: 13,624
1/18/08 3:02 P

Good Afternoon Ladies!!!

Here is an article I posted on the 40 Something Maintainers team.

www.prevention.com/cda/article/how-do-you-
see-your-body/9b549c777f803110VgnVCM20
000012281eac____/health/emotional.heal
th/body.image?cm_mmc=Spotlight-_-12052
007-_-Health-_-How%20Do%20You%20See%20
Your%20Body&print=true&url=http%3A%2F%
2Fwww.prevention.com%2Fcda%2Farticle%2
Fhow-do-you-see-your-body%2F9b549c777f
803110VgnVCM20000012281eac____%2Fhealt
h%2Femotional.health%2Fbody.image%3Fcm
_mmc%3DSpotlight-_-12052007-_-Health-_
-How%2520Do%2520You%2520See%2520Your%2520Body

Hope this gives you some comfort!!!

Jackie!!!

Posts: 5,997
1/18/08 2:09 P

I think this is very common. We have had this discussion here and on other boards too. I have the same problem.

What you see in the mirror is a distorted view of yourself. You have to just make up your mind to accept the new you. Even if you don't see it, everyone else does.

Congrats on the new you!!!

Posts: 327
1/18/08 1:41 P

I totally agree with OOC. I'm not there yet with being able to see myself as fit and healthy, but I defintely don't see myself as being quite as fat as I used to.

SparkPoints: (83,341)
Fitness Minutes: (73,076)
Posts: 11,620
1/18/08 1:20 P

It will take time, but it will happen. I lost several sizes, but I still felt like I looked the same for a long time. I had to constantly remind myself that I had to be smaller because I was fitting into a much smaller size. Now that I have been maintaining for almost a year, I am starting to feel like the real me is skinny.

SparkPoints: (93,307)
Fitness Minutes: (71,549)
Posts: 7,522
1/18/08 1:03 P

I've lost almost 40 pounds in the past year, only 5-10 to go. I know I've lost weight, the scale says so, and my clothes are all too big. But when I look in the mirror I don't see it, I see fat me. As a result I still avoid mirrors. Will there come a time when my eyes catch up with the rest of me?