Mirrors at home vs. mirrors elsewhere...

[aphil]

I have now lost a total of 82.9 pounds in the past 4 years, and have went from a size 20W at my highest, to a size 8. I am having a lot of trouble, however, viewing myself as a thin person.

I mean, I take my measurements every single month, and I have written proof that yes, I am smaller. I see the scale. The issue is, when I look into the mirrors at home, I see the smaller chest/arms/waist and thinner face...but I still see my lower body as it was. I am a pear, so I am always stockier in the lower body. I guess no matter what I do, I am having trouble seeing my lower body as it truly is, in our home mirrors. I went to the tanning salon a few days ago, and caught a glimpse of myself walking out in a mirror, and it took a second for me to realize it was my own reflection...my hips and legs I didn't recognize. Yesterday, I went swimming at a family gathering, and I was terrified of wearing a swimsuit in front of people (first time since the weight loss) and I was dressing in the spare bedroom of another home, and after I got it on and looked in the mirror...it didn't look like me. I swear, I looked a size or two smaller than I do at home.

Is my mind playing tricks on me...has anyone else went through this? Why am I still seeing a fat girl lower body at home in the mirror? I swear when I am doing my laundry, I look at my size medium undies and think "I don't see how these go around my big butt".

[bargoo]

I love to go to the mall.......mirrors everywhere ! I go into the stores and stand in front of the 3 way mirrors pretending I am checking the fit (not) . I can't beleve that person is me, I do look better than my mirrors at home, but then of course I don't have a 3 way mirror at home.

[Mudpie]

I have 3 different mirrors at home where I can see myself full length. I look quite different in one and fairly similar in the other 2.

Dagmar

[saef]

Scientific Explanation: Maybe the way your mirror is placed in your home requires you to view yourself at a certain angle, and it foreshortens you in an unflattering way.

Psychological Explanation: Maybe you don't really see yourself anymore at home in familiar surroundings. What you see is, instead, what you remember seeing, what you saw for years. It's the same background setting, the same mirror, the same frame, so your mind just "corrects" the anomaly automatically, sort of like when reading over a misspelling.

Supernatural Explanation: Maybe the old version of you is still living deep inside the mirrors in your home, like a drowning victim that hasn't surfaced yet.

[hatethesweatpants]

Once again, Saef with the perfect explanation. I whole-heartedly agree.

[aphil]

Originally Posted by saef

Scientific Explanation: Maybe the way your mirror is placed in your home requires you to view yourself at a certain angle, and it foreshortens you in an unflattering way.

Psychological Explanation: Maybe you don't really see yourself anymore at home in familiar surroundings. What you see is, instead, what you remember seeing, what you saw for years. It's the same background setting, the same mirror, the same frame, so your mind just "corrects" the anomaly automatically, sort of like when reading over a misspelling.

Supernatural Explanation: Maybe the old version of you is still living deep inside the mirrors in your home, like a drowning victim that hasn't surfaced yet.

Well, the scientific explanation doesn't work...the bathroom mirrors are normal bathroom mirrors, but I am a dancer/dance teacher, and I have large full length mirrors that cover an entire wall in one room. I can see myself at ANY angle, both close up and further back.

I am thinking it might be the psychological one...but how does one stop seeing themselves as fat?

[JayEll]

One thing that I've found helps is to get some new clothes, that fit the new you. I think the mind tends to "fill in the blank" if the image is too much like an older image. Sort of the way that a browser will use the cache instead of loading a web page. So, if you are in your home context and wearing clothes that you are familiar with, your brain loads that cache (so to speak).

Well, it sounded like a good hypothesis!

I like the supernatural explanation--because then all we have to do is get rid of the old mirrors mwa ha ha haaaa

Jay

[Shannon in ATL]

Same thing happens to me, too. I'm thinking it is Saef's 'psychological explanation'. I just don't see me as I am in front of my normal background.

[k8yk]

That's really interesting. I never paid attention before, but you're totally right. I always think I look thinner in dressing room mirrors or the mirrors at the gym than at home.

Maybe if we get new mirrors at home and put them in a different place, it will change this!

[saef]

Originally Posted by JayEll

Sort of the way that a browser will use the cache instead of loading a web page. So, if you are in your home context and wearing clothes that you are familiar with, your brain loads that cache (so to speak).

Yes, now that's a very good metaphor for what I think can happen in body dysmorphia when someone has lost a large amount of weight. I also think it happens when one gains weight & keeps thinking one isn't so heavy. And I think it happens with ageing as well: Often we don't perceive ourselves as being our actual chronological age.

[Lylitu]

I don't know what else to say but...SAME THING. Glad I'm not the only one! I love seeing myself in other mirrors! At home I look the same as I did 30 lbs ago.

[hatethesweatpants]

The only exception is the mirrors in the dressing rooms at Target. UGH! I don't think anyone looks good in them! You'd think they'd find more flattering lighting to help their sales. I have never bought anything that I tried on there!

[ann71]

Unfortunately I have sort of an opposite problem. My full length mirror at home is slimming, so when I'm out I think, oh, no! Is that me? i guess I'll just be happy that I'm skinny at home.