I understand how frustrating it is to not see the visible changes you had hoped for, but remember the good you have done on the inside. I know your vital organs and joints all appreciate the 118 lbs you have taken off. When you have a chance, try to pick up that amount of weight to remind yourself what you don't have to carry any longer. You have achieved a great accomplishment!
You've done a fantastic job so far. Just hang in there and wait for the mood to swing the other way! I have to agree that most people would probably see what you don't even though we are looking at the same photos. I'm sure the loss is very evident. Good luck the rest of the way down.
Do not give up! I was in your same spot a few years ago. The weight loss was getting harder and I still felt like a smaller fat person. I gave up around valentines day. Then a month later, someone posted a picture on myspace. I was blown away. I didn't look like a smaller fat person. I looked like one of those girls that looked a normal-ish weight with some extra weight. I had already thought I had ruined all my work and just stopped trying. You can do this! You've done such amazing work so far! Keep it up!
We can never see ourselves objectively; our minds immediately recognize the very basics of our appearance and fills in the rest for us, whether we like it or not.
Sounds like you were able to see things better in your second attempt. Something you can always try to do in the future when you're feeling uncertain about what you're seeing is to crop your head off in photoshop. Seriously, lol. Removing the head keeps your mind from filling in the gaps with what it already knows about yourself; if you've always known yourself at a certain weight your brain has a hard time seeing anything else. I think that's why it's so easy for some to gain and not notice, and to not see a difference when we've lost the weight.
I am so happy to hear you were able to SEE the amazing work you've done.
I'm a HUGE believe in the paper towel theory. Maybe you'll find it helpful. It goes something like this:
Think about a full roll of paper towels. Pretend you take off the first layer. Measure how long that layer was, lets say 10 inches of paper towel. Compare that roll you just took one "layer off of" and compare that with another new one. Not such a big difference, right? Even though you took off 10 INCHES of paper towel! Then think of a paper towel roll that only have maybe 3 layers on it. Take one layer off that roll. Measure it, and say its maybe 4 inches, because the circumference of a nearly empty roll is much smaller. Compare that with paper towel roll (which now has only 2 layers) with one that has one layer. You can see much more of a difference than the first two in the other example, full roll and a roll with one layer removed. Relating this back to our bodies, the cardboard roll represents our bodies, the paper towels our body fat, a layer represents a clothing size and an inch of paper towel are lbs. It takes more inches/lbs to take off the layers/sizes on bigger rolls/bodies. The good news though, is that you'll go from dropping big lbs but slow clothing size, to dropping smaller lbs but fast sizes.
You and I are about the same height, and I can tell you I couldn't really see much of a difference from like 260-230, unless I was in super tight clothes. Then under 230 I started to see some serious changes regardless of what I was wearing. My guess is that you are right on the cusp of really feeling and seeing those amazing results you've worked so hard for, every time you pass by a mirror - stick with it!!
If you're like me, those size 34 pants probably had some lycra in them. In fact, did they fit comfortably or were they a little snug. The fact that they don't fall off of you yet doesn't mean that you haven't achieved something significant -- it just means that your body is still adjusting to the weight loss. I remember you mentioned that the weight loss had been fast. It will take a while for your body to adjust. But like others have said, you have lost a small person. You're doing a great job. Focus on you and how much you've accomplished. I'm both envious and inspired by you. I hope you can be, too.
I'm glad to see that you've managed to see your progress. I can't say how important pictures are. There were (and are) so many times where I just couldn't see the difference—even when I was wearing different clothes and people were commenting. A quick picture would put me in my place—still does, actually.
Even if you never ever show those pictures to ANYONE, keep them for yourself. Take them regularly to remind yourself of how you've changed.
Also, as someone else said, try to think in terms of what weighs as much as you've lost. I know some people have donated food in the number of pounds they've lost, or they'll try to pick something up that weighs the amount of weight that they've lost. I've done that last one, it's kind of unreal to do that and realize: "hey, I carried this around for years..."
Or you could go with the fact that someone else mentioned—you've lost a person! That's totally AMAZING and you should be proud!
[QUOTE=coolacrity;4601207]You're right, I've taken SOMETHING off. My legs and my back used to have this UGLY brownish black scaly stuff on them all the time, it's gone now. Yaaaay. So I should celebrate that.[QUOTE]sorry, my quote didn't work!
That brownish scaly stuff was acanthosis nigricans -- a sign of pre-diabetes. Eliminating that is REALLY something to be proud of! Your body is infinitely healthier now that you've shed the weight. Some things you will never realize, but that one you can mark off your list!
Relish the good feelings of doing things you couldn't before. Don't TRY to see the difference. It will sneak up on you when you least expect it - in a window reflection while shopping, as you're drying off after a shower (when did my towel stretch?), when a child hugs you around the waist.
5lbs is equal to a 12 pack of canned drinks. Picture one carton for every 5 lbs stacked in the corner of your pantry... Yes, you've accomplished more than you know. SMILE!
QUOTE=AwShucks;4604590][QUOTE=coolacrity;4601207]You're right, I've taken SOMETHING off. My legs and my back used to have this UGLY brownish black scaly stuff on them all the time, it's gone now. Yaaaay. So I should celebrate that.
Quote:
sorry, my quote didn't work!
That brownish scaly stuff was acanthosis nigricans -- a sign of pre-diabetes. Eliminating that is REALLY something to be proud of!
Actually, I AM! That's pretty scary stuff now that I think about it. I also had that stuff on my back, I think.
EDIT: And my quote only half worked! LOL
Last edited by coolacrity; 01-24-2013 at 12:36 PM.
Something you can always try to do in the future when you're feeling uncertain about what you're seeing is to crop your head off in photoshop. Seriously, lol. Removing the head keeps your mind from filling in the gaps with what it already knows about yourself; if you've always known yourself at a certain weight your brain has a hard time seeing anything else. I think that's why it's so easy for some to gain and not notice, and to not see a difference when we've lost the weight.
SMILE!
