Hey guys, I just need to rant a little bit. This has to do with body image issues.
First off, there’s this thing that happens when I go to the gym. When I am stretching in front of the mirror, I visibly notice how my body has changed since I have started working out and it’s encouraging. But then I sit down to continue my stretches and I see a stomach roll, and ginormous calves, that are about twice the size of anyone else around me, and it discourages me.
And then today, I was at home trying on clothes for my big Christmas date with my bf and I tried on this dress I haven’t worn in a month or two and it fit MUCH better than it did last time, and I tried on this coat that I had bought back in October, that had looked good in the store but then when I got home, it wouldn’t close properly over my boobs and looked super awkward, so I never wore it… and it fit pretty nice! I was feeling all sassy, twirling in front of the mirror and did my hair real cute, I was feeling really good about myself. Then I went outside and as I was walking down the street, I caught my reflection in a shop window and my inner jaw just dropped as I thought “omg, I look huge”. And just like that, all my good happy vibes evaporated…
Maybe I’m just having an emo day…
Do you guys feel like that too? I mean, I know I’m just starting out. 10 lbs, there’s so much more that needs to go… and I’ve been doing good and I’m proud of myself and I’m like “yay I look hot” but then it’s like someone pops my balloon as I remember I’m still fat :/
I feel the same way! I can see the changes and I feel good, but I saw a photo of myself dancing and in it I look nothing at all like the slim woman I thought I saw in the mirror before I went out that evening. It made me realize how far I have to go.
I generally only get sad about my body when I'm on my period or if I catch myself having a double chin in the mirror or something.
Otherwise I just accept that this how I look now and that I'm not a gross or disgusting blob, I'm just bigger than I'd like to be. When I'm thin I still have worries. Loose skin, small boobs, cellulite on my thighs, the skin on my face being clear or not clear...
You have to love yourself right now. Why wouldn't you? Big or small, sick or healthy, flabby or firm...You're really all you've got for the most part.
yup, every night I go to yoga I feel like I look okay, and I look okay in certain poses, but man when we do anything sitting I see my calves look bigger than my head and notice all the perfectly skinny other girls with normal-sized calves and bodies and I just lose my yoga high.
Or sometimes I will wear an outfit and even in the mirror it looks good, and then I will see a picture of myself in said outfit and see how fat I look and just feel so stupid.
I felt like that my whole dang way down and I still feel like that. I thought it would go away as I lost weight, but there are still times I feel huge and still times I feel tiny.
I can relate. Sometimes I feel mega happy about how far I've come, but other days, I feel massive.
I know that I am substantially smaller than I was but I still feel big and I know I have a way to go (definite toning up required!) but I just have to reassure myself that my clothes labels say UK12 (US8) and that I'm no longer obese or even overweight. Although whilst that is the case, I am still far off where I want to be.
Self perception is a problem for a lot of people, you certainly aren't alone!
You girls read my mind and I was coming in here to post a topic that basically says the same thing!
I know I've gotten smaller. I've dropped a pants size, hit a weight I've never seen in my adult years, and overall feel much better and am still going at it BUT when I look in the mirror, I don't see a huge difference. I still see my gut. I've spent all day at my grandmothers house getting it ready for Christmas dinner tomorrow night and everyone that came over commented about my weight loss and I ended up asking my brother if I actually look smaller or if my mom has put people up to make mention to make me feel good about myself. His response was for me to look at my thighs and tell him that I wasn't smaller.
I dunno, I can't push out that feeling that people are just trying to be nice because they know I've been working so hard because I don't see it. I also don't really talk about it with most people but you know how moms are, bragging on their babies. haha
You guys should all remember that generally cameras make people look worse. Bad lighting, odd angles, the way the lense captures you...especially since most average people aren't photographers and we're taking pics with ours phones and stuff.
And, it really doesn't matter what the mirror or camera is saying because through our eyes our vision of ourselves is warped anyways, and someone else will always see you differently. Maybe a stranger on the street thinks you're beautiful, or sees you and doesn't really have a thought other than 'person', or they might even think you're unattractive but that happens to everyone.
I'll bet when you reach your goal weight your friends will still manage to snap unflattering pictures of you where you're thinking 'holy crap is that what I looked like?!'.
Last edited by thewalrus0; 12-23-2012 at 08:06 PM.
it's good to know that most of you guys feel or have felt the same way at one point or other. i guess we just have to remember that everybody gets fat days, even at goal weight.
thewalrus, i think you're missing the point of the post a little bit. i usually think i look pretty hot, even when i am flabby and fat. and i think everyone on here is proud of their progress. but sometimes we just have those feelings, you know?
frustration
