I spent two years In denial about the weight creep. Here are some of the lies I told myself. What lies did you tell yourselves?
This Spring my Birkenstocks that had previously been perfectly moulded to my feet felt so tight and were giving me blisters where they never had before. Did I consider I had gained enough weight to make my shoes tight? No, of course not. I told myself that I must have bought the wrong size in the first place and maybe I had not done as much walking in them before so maybe I just didn't notice.
I do a lot of shopping (bad I know) so my clothes don't tend to stay in the rotation for a long time. I gradually went up in size but i would tell myself "vanity sizing is out of control! All stores are different. This store must just run small. I'll try out a medium." Really I was gradually getting fatter. I recently tried on some old favourites from the back of the closet and I could barely get them on and I definitely wouldn't wear them out!
Thigh rubbing! Thigh rubbing has always been a sign for me that it's time to hit the gym. I love to wear dresses and this summer I started to feel the thigh rub happening. I brushed it off as a result of the extremely hot summer weather we were having.
At work I regularly have to climb three flights of stairs. When I reach the top I am out of breathe. That never used to happen. I blamed it on an increased heart rate from my morning coffee.
I can feel my stomach jiggling when I run and engage in other 😉 activities. I blamed it on getting older and not doing enough crunches.
My wedding rings are tight! I tend to swell a lot because I'm sensitive so I blamed it on heat, on salt intake, on lack of sleep- no my fingers are just fat!
Not acknowledging is hard! My clothes have fit the same for the past many many years, like 5-6. But...I've gotten comfortable there, enough that I stopped paying attention. I've been winded going up stairs for so many years I stopped even denying it, ya know? But....I spend so much darn time sitting, between work and school, that I decided I"m going to have a heart attack by the time I'm 50 if I don't fix something. So I'm actually trying to get back to where you're at. Awareness!! Even if I'm excusing it away at least I'll notice myself, ya know?
My big one is that what I saw in the mirror wasn't what I really looked like. I used to be skinny, so I'd look in the mirror and not really see how big I'd gotten. I could see it in photos, though. But I made excuses. I remember kind of a "cold water in the face" moment at the doctor where I asked, "I'm not obese, am I?" and my doctor was like, "Oh, yeah. You are." He'd never brought my weight up, but when I did, he pulled no punches. I never went beyond a size 18, but it was a tight 18 so I know I was realistically a 20 or 22. And I had a lot of pants that were just XL so I have no idea what size they really were.
Having lost weight now, my husband will say things like, "I think even your wrists are skinnier." They are- I've had to tighten my watch band up by two notches.
I was in denial about my weight gain as well. I was a size 12 and when I could no longer fit my interview outfit I went to the Goodwill to buy another outfit for interviews. It was a size 16. I was in super denial because I refused to be a size 16. I would do my interviews over the telephone because I would refuse to put on a size 16 interview outfit and go out in public. In my mind I was still a size 12, not a 16.
For the longest time, I told myself that I am not "that fat". I would do my hair and make up and dress nice. I was in denial. The turning point was when I saw pictures of myself at friends wedding. It was the most hideous thing ever. I was 'tagged' in the pictures and i was so incredibly angry that my friend tagged me. I said to myself "how the heck could she tag me when she knows thats an awful picture of me?" . Thats when it clicked...i was overreacting to a picture of myself of how i really looked.
Now i am no longer in denial and I can see a real true reflection of myself when I stand in the mirror. Im learning to love myself again.
My big one is that what I saw in the mirror wasn't what I really looked like. I used to be skinny, so I'd look in the mirror and not really see how big I'd gotten. I could see it in photos, though. But I made excuses. I remember kind of a "cold water in the face" moment at the doctor where I asked, "I'm not obese, am I?" and my doctor was like, "Oh, yeah. You are." He'd never brought my weight up, but when I did, he pulled no punches. I never went beyond a size 18, but it was a tight 18 so I know I was realistically a 20 or 22. And I had a lot of pants that were just XL so I have no idea what size they really were.
Having lost weight now, my husband will say things like, "I think even your wrists are skinnier." They are- I've had to tighten my watch band up by two notches.
I was in complete denial for years.
I'm new here; I just want to say congratulations to you. I see that you are so close to your goal weight and that you have come such a long way. I am inspired.
I wasn't in denial that I was gaining; I was in denial that I could do anything about it. I chalked it up to "I don't have time to cook," "I don't have time to go to the gym," "I can't afford healthy food or a gym membership," "I'm too stressed..." etc.
Once I tipped 170, I just got to the point that I needed to take my life into my own hands. I've been at it in earnest for about a month.
I'm new here; I just want to say congratulations to you. I see that you are so close to your goal weight and that you have come such a long way. I am inspired.
I wasn't in denial that I was gaining; I was in denial that I could do anything about it. I chalked it up to "I don't have time to cook," "I don't have time to go to the gym," "I can't afford healthy food or a gym membership," "I'm too stressed..." etc.
Once I tipped 170, I just got to the point that I needed to take my life into my own hands. I've been at it in earnest for about a month.
Carnadine- I wish you the very best of luck! It is easy to get complacent or be in denial, but it's life changing when we stop and start taking control.
I was always shapely and slim .. I loved to take pictures ... I do not do them ... I'm afraid of what I see though I tell myself that nothing has changed but changed ... I put on 25 kg .. I have twice the size and my mouth like a pulp
LittleKitty, I've experienced denial in various forms, some already mentioned here including:
--Tight watchband and bracelets when before they were loosey-goosey (water retention )
--Having several different and almost complete wardrobes in my closet
--Yep, tight shoes (and more water retention )
--Loving to walk, and still doing a lot of it, but often choosing to take the elevator in buildings even if I only have to go up one floor
--Achy joints--surely it's all age relatef, right? RIGHT??!!
I know and have always known better. It's because I'm fat/obese/overweight. It does no good to be in denial and once I stopped there was a tremendous sense of relief. Thanks for starting this thread and letting others chime in. There is comfort knowing we're never alone.
Mine is mainly that I feel good about myself so why worry about the weight? Which is all well and good until you end up too tired to do anything thing at the end of the day, or you end up crying on the floor of your bedroom because your boobs don't fit in your bra cups because you binged on chips and dip the night before.
I might not care what other people see, but I do care how I feel. And I have to remember that.
Why Keep on Denying?
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