I think I am realizing part of my problem. With clothes on (without clothes is a another story) I think I appear TO MYSELF that I dont look that bad or really that fat. I think I have a distorted view of what I actually look like. Its like my eyes are in denial....

Does anyone else have this problem?

I definately do! I look at myself in the mirror and am like, hmm, I wear a size what?!?! but I think that my problem is that I was actually avoiding looking into mirrors for so long (which is next to impossible in our house) that when I finally did, I didn't recognize who I was. I don't let people take pictures of me or anything...

BUT it's getting better!

It depends on the day. There are some days where I look in the mirror and think I'm looking particularly cute and not that fat. Then there are days I look in the mirror and all I see is the fat and I feel like I'm 600 pounds.

Then I'll see people out in public and wonder "Am I bigger then her?" Or there are times where I've just felt so much huger than people, but then I see pictures of us next to each other and see that I'm not that much bigger, or we're about the same size. It's weird how we distort our (and others') body shapes.

I am sure I am really a size ten - it's the damned mirrors. After 50 years of dieting, it's probably a good thing.

When we look at ourselves in mirrors, we automatically adjust to our best angle. Cameras don't lie though and videos are really unfair. It's a conspiracy!
I know I'm really a size ten.

I do the exact same thing!!! I see myself in the mirror, but I can't really compare myself to other people, because I know what I look like in the mirror, but I feel like it's different when I see pictures of myself.

[QUOTE=Gretchy;2651201]It depends on the day. There are some days where I look in the mirror and think I'm looking particularly cute and not that fat. Then there are days I look in the mirror and all I see is the fat and I feel like I'm 600 pounds.



YUP!!! It does depend on the day. I have my not so fat days.. and other days when i am the elephant in the room.

My eyes are seeing what I want it to see....

I remember feeling smaller than I looked but now it's more of feeling bigger than I look. I turn sideways & suck my stomach in to get by people then wind up with way more room than I need....it's funny

I have thought the EXACT same thing!! I look at myself in the mirror everyday, and though I can admit that I'd like to be a little thinner, I never thought I was as big as photographs tell me I am. I have always thought that some of the most beautiful women had a bit of weight on them. Then I realized that there were people I thought were very large who were THE SAME SIZE AS ME. I always felt pretty ratty about comparing myself to other people. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who wonders if they are at least not THE largest person in the immediate vicinity.

I look in the mirror most days and think that I look somewhat thin, or at least not too fat. But then I see pictures of myself at the same weight and think I look terrible. The same goes with videos of myself. I guess maybe the camera really does add 10 pounds (or 20...or 30...).

Same here..that's how I got into this mess, lol! I never think I look that fat until I see pictures of myself. And then I think "is that how other people see me... THIS fat?" Do I really appear that fat? Because the way I see myself in the mirror, and the way pictures make me look seems like at least 50 lbs difference. Those pictures are sometimes the only thing that keeps me motivated!

I was thinkin about this the other day because I was looking at a picture of some girl in glamour who was lighter than me but I said something about feeling like I look smaller than her. My co worker was like "well I think we all have distorted self images".. It got me wondering if I think I look smaller (or bigger) than I really am in comparison to the girls I normally compare myself to (school/work friends).

I know I always feel smaller until I walk by a mirror or something then I'm like "WHOA is that really me". Although lately with about 40 lbs gone....I'm feelin like I like the mirror and that it is reflecting more of how I feel on the inside

I have the same problem. I have times when I don't feel as big as I am but then I look at a picture and I am like whoa how did I get that big? part of the problem could be that I don't have any full length mirros so all I see is my face .

I do, until I see pictures...and then I think to myself "yikes".

Even though I've lost quite a bit of weight, I still have a long way to go - and every picture I take reminds me of that. Especially from certain angles - I tried to take a profile picture of my face and couldn't. My double chin still exists. From the front, you can't see it that much, but from the side...it's scary.