i just saw a photo of myself from a party a couple weeks ago at which i thought i looked nice, but my stomach and arms looked huge. i am really sad now

i so want to get rid of all this extra weight and im really trying to.. i feel like its never going to happen.

It will happen! Really it will!

I feel the same way about my wedding photos from 2 months ago. I was 15 pounds heavier and almost 2 sizes bigger and I look at them and see nothing but fat arms and a chubbier face. I came on here though and everyone told me to look past that and remember how happy I was and that I looked beautiful no matter what.

We are always more critical of ourselves. I bet you did look really good. I know it seems like it will take forever especially at the beginning. I often think to myself "GOSH CAN I JUST BE SKINNY ALREADY!!" I hate waiting! Even yesterday I was grumpy because I have 10 pounds left to lose and I am going to Florida on Friday so I will be down probably (hopefully) 17lbs by then but no the full 26lbs. I know that it is stupid to be upset about because I have made such progress but I am impatient.

Basically what I am trying to say is we all are more critical of ourselves than we should be and that a lot of people are impatient and hang in there you will get there! We can be impatient together!

Ugh. that's kinda how I feel at the moment. I'm having these horrible thoughts that I'm gaining ever so gradually, but I CAN'T STOP IT.

You just have to put your foot down. I know it's hard, especially when you see a picture you don't like and you just want it gone right now, but we both know it doesn't work like that. You just have to keep on keeping on and eventually it WILL be gone.

That's why you come here, right?

Squirrelygirl- I felt the same way about my wedding pics. I was at about 143-ish and I nitpick everything from the backfat to my arms being huge. I'm seriously going to dig out the dress and the tux to redo the pictures in 2 months when I'm at my goal (of course there are pics where I think I'm one hot mama, but I *know* I can do better).

I'm sorry you are feeling bummed about the photo. You will lose this weight and we will all be here for you while you work hard at accomplishing your goal. I hope your day goes better and just know that as humans we are more critical on ourselves so I'm pretty sure you looked smokin' hot in that photo

Paula, I bet you looked amazing, you are such a beautiful person! It is so easy to subjectively see the negative (especially in photos!) and much much harder to see the positive. I bet you had a confidence that night that made you even more beautiful, regardless of what the photo is telling you... they can be so unflattering even to the hottest people! Isn't that what tabloids are about?

If you really feel that the photo is bad, can you use it as motivation? You are trying so hard to get rid of the extra weight and you WILL be successful! Plus, that photo is from a few weeks ago... you are already further along your journey now, and healthier. Every day is a step in the right direction and before you know it you can look back and see the huge changes you have made.

I know you can do it Paula! It is going to happen! The fact that you are posting on this board is being proactive. Just keep at it and we can all support each other through to the end!

Oh, you'll get there, you really will! We all have these moments, even 15 pounds from goal. But they pass. I don't know if you were ever at your goal weight in the past, but if you were, I'd bet you had days even then when you felt fat and bad about your body. All of us who have been at our goal weights before can attest to that . And we all have bad photos, no matter what! Just hang in there and stick around on 3FC!

I absolutely understand. When I started this process 3.5 months ago I was like, Why am I bothering? Nothing is going to happen.

A lot has happened since then! It will happen. It can be very slow (says she who has lost one pound in the past 3 weeks). But you need to keep at it. This process is not for the next week or the next month -- it's for the rest of your life!

yeah i hear that girls. totally!

ive never been slim. ever. my whole teen and adult life. (damn steroids!)

i know it will happen if i truly commit to doing it. im just so sad that ive spent so many years being disgusted with myself.

i know how you feel. I try to remember that we are all our own worst critics, while other people see our progress, we just see what else needs to be done i understand feeling sad having spent so many years being disgusted (why did i let it get like that??), but i try to think of atoning for that through my decisions today