[LynseyLikes2Lose]

After I had my first daughter I lost about 30 pounds and my low weight before I got pregnant again was between 173-175. I don't actually remember the last time I was below the 170s. Anyway, I liked how I looked there. I know there was more to be lost still but I felt pretty.

Now this time I have been bouncing from about 177-183 and I feel gross. Does 5-10 pounds really make that much of a difference? I know I've come a long ways already just by looking at pictures but I don't feel like I've done much at all.

Why would I feel good a a certain weight at one point in my life and feel disgusting at the same weight now?

[dancingirl81]

I'll be honest, even 4-5 pounds can make a huge difference in how I feel - not only about how I look, but how I feel physically. Just those couple pounds can make me feel sluggish or my clothes feel...weird. I'm currently at the same weight I was in HS, or I should say, my lowest weight in HS. However, a few months back, I dropped about 8-10# lower (stress after the death of a family member, plus a very active job) and after spending some time at that weight, returning to what had been normal to me now feels, as you said, gross. As strange as it might sound, I've found that drinking more water than normal can help ease that feeling a bit... even if it doesn't change the numbers, it makes me feel healthier, and with that goes some of the sluggishness.

[Jennifer 3FC]

When you lose weight, you don't always lose in the same spots as you grew! After having my son, although I was at pre-pregnancy weight, my waistline was about 4 inches bigger than it was before. None of my skirts or suits for work fit me anymore! But my boobs and butt were much smaller. Go figure!

You're so close to where you want to be - just remember that. Best of luck to you!

[Ellen]

Could muscle tone have something to do with it? After my second child was born, I seriously doubted if I even HAD abs... Doing strength training always helps me feel like I look better, even if I don't lose anything.

[Janie Canuck]

I also find that I feel bigger, bloatier, and just generally yuckier if I've been eating poorly/not exercising, even if my weight and measurements are the same. On the flip side, if I eat well and work out, I feel thinner and fitter, even if I haven't lost weight (though that is definitely frustrating!) I think some (a lot?) of "feeling fat" happens in our heads, and has surprisingly little to do with our actual body size.

[almostheaven]

Yup, 5 or 10 pounds can make a HUGE difference. And as was mentioned, you could be simply carrying it differently. Our shape can change as we age. And our perception of ourself can change easily too, whether actually warranted or not.