[maydaymayday911]

OK good! Although for a second, I was just hoping you were dealing with really out of whack expectations so we could solve this for you really easily! Well, not really (bwah bwah...)

I took a picture at my starting weight (153) and my weight after 1 month exactly (142), and I didn't see a SINGLE difference. A month of suffering and NADA. I was really bummed out and studied those pictures for probably 15-20 minutes trying to compare them.

Then the other day, on a whim, I tried on a pair of jeans I haven't worn in years and they freaking FIT. I pranced around my house in them for about 15 minutes singing "I AM SKINNY LA LA LA LA", which drove my boyfriend CRAZY. This happened ~8 days after the second set of pictures; I weighed 139.

Hang in there. You are going to be the worst judge of what you've lost, because you will keep seeing it in the mirror. But if you stick to your plan and the numbers are moving, one day you will put on a pair of shorts, stand up, and feel them fall off. But do not sing that song because I've been told it's really aggravating.

[niafabo]

Originally Posted by doopdoop

I do appreciate your concern! There's really no need to worry, though. I have no binge/purge habits...heck, not even the binge half of the equation. I treat myself now and then, and have a healthy relationship with food. Well...I'm learning to have one, as my unhealthy food relationship got me here in the first place. I really do appreciate you looking out for my mental health, though, and having a few friends who have dealt with eating disorders in the past, I'll be the first to talk to someone if the dieting gets to a debilitating point.

Okay dear. Best of luck.

[Nola Celeste]

Egad, did you say you're losing "the standard 4-5 pounds a week?"

Because if so, then you could definitely afford to up your calories. That kind of weight loss usually happens only for those who have significant, triple-digit weight losses yet to come, not for people who are within a couple/few dozen pounds of their goal weight. That would be stunningly fast weight loss.

Everyone deserves to look in the mirror and say, "I love my ____" where those blanks could be filled in with at least half a dozen different things. You're right that everyone carries weight differently, but I hope that you don't see different as bad. Unless you carry your weight all in your nose, I'm 100% sure that you look great as you are--and that you'll look even better as you tone up.

(No offense to anyone who has 30 extra pounds of fat in her nose. )

Edited to add: Ahhh, per MONTH! Okay, that's good to know.

[bellaella]

hang in there!!! its the damn hormones! those things drive me crazy every month! for some reason, the week before, i feel bloated, i "FEEL' like i just "LOOK' bigger and i just want to eat more (even though everyone says that i am not).

once the week passes, all will be well!! good luck! while 1200 /day may be ok, what you eat is important too! i hope you are eating healthy!

[JohnP]

Originally Posted by doopdoop

Woah woah woah buddy, WHO is carrying 60+ pounds of fat? The **** I'm getting to 107, lol. I'm going for healthy, not Kate Moss :P

If it makes you feel better I was once carrying around well over 100 lbs of fat.

Notice I didn't say you were carrying around 60 lbs of extra fat just a total amount. The only way to know for sure is to have your bf tested via hydrostatic measurement but my 60lbs was a conservative estimate.

If you're going at a 4-5 lbs a month clip you're doing fantastic. When that slows down I'd suggest a diet break rather than lowering calories further.

As for how you look ... it's important to take pictures because you look at yourself ever day in the mirror so it's easy to forget where you started.

[Nola Celeste]

Originally Posted by JohnP

As for how you look ... it's important to take pictures because you look at yourself ever day in the mirror so it's easy to forget where you started.

This is SOOOOO true!

I regret only one thing about losing the weight, and that's the fact that I didn't document my "before" appearance with photos. I have some "during" photos and I know my waist alone is down five inches from my starting point, but it's not the same as actually seeing it.

Not that I'm about to gain it all back, then start over just so I can see pictures, of course.