Heh, Ruth Ann, I must be projecting. I will be knee-deep in Easter candy for at least a week around here. And, being the Easter-Bunny-In-Chief around here, I am the one to blame! (I just don't have the heart to put carrots on a bed of greens in my son's Easter basket, though! )
It does all seem so unreal at times. Dak, I totally feel like someone is going to chase me out of the "normal" section all the time. I feel like an imposter . . . and then I start at the very end of the rack, in sizes I know are too big . . .and I slowly inch my way down to the 8s and 6s . . . and I can't believe how far down the rack I am!
Speaking of trying to get our heads around our new bodies . . . I have taken up this very dangerous little practice lately. It started out of an honest effort to try to reshape my mental image of my body. When we are out somewhere or in the car or wherever, among other people, I will pick out women of various sizes and ask my husband, "Am I about her size?" Now, my husband is my biggest supporter and always seems to come up with the "right" answer. So I thought I would try it on my 13 y/o son -- he is "dumb" to "women" and how complicated they can be. He will answer completely honestly, because he is innocent and pure and completely unaware of the game of emotional roulette I am playing with myself. So far, I have been pleasantly surprised by his honest answers . . . clearly, I am smaller than I picture myself. Now I need to quit while I am ahead, because I will push it until I get an answer I don't like and then that is what I will dwell on. My son is like a fountain of truth . . .and sometimes too much truth is a dangerous thing . . . like the time I told him that J.Lo and I are the same age. His shock and exclamation of, "No way!" said it all. -ouch-
It's still weird to go shopping and try something on and it fits but I don't like the way it looks on me. Before it was always - yeah! I can button it! Now it's - well, I can button it but it really isn't a style I like. So many styles to choose from and I have to try them all on because I have no clue what will look good. Some things I never would have thought of wearing actually look good and some that are similar to styles I wore 100 lbs ago don't flatter me at all. Makes me dizzy.
Speaking of trying to get our heads around our new bodies . . . I have taken up this very dangerous little practice lately. It started out of an honest effort to try to reshape my mental image of my body. When we are out somewhere or in the car or wherever, among other people, I will pick out women of various sizes and ask my husband, "Am I about her size?" Now, my husband is my biggest supporter and always seems to come up with the "right" answer. So I thought I would try it on my 13 y/o son -- he is "dumb" to "women" and how complicated they can be. He will answer completely honestly, because he is innocent and pure and completely unaware of the game of emotional roulette I am playing with myself. So far, I have been pleasantly surprised by his honest answers . . . clearly, I am smaller than I picture myself. Now I need to quit while I am ahead, because I will push it until I get an answer I don't like and then that is what I will dwell on. My son is like a fountain of truth . . .and sometimes too much truth is a dangerous thing . . . like the time I told him that J.Lo and I are the same age. His shock and exclamation of, "No way!" said it all. -ouch-
You have done such a spectacular job - what an inspiration to those of us who still struggle, although I was happy to get into my first pair of size 14 jeans, ever! Never thought with my backside that would happen.
I have something of the same issue, not being able to trust/believe in the mirror, or more precisely my eyes and how I perceive what I see. I know that I did not see myself correctly at nearly 300, so I worry when I see this much slimmer person that I still am off the mark.
Your comparison to other women nearby is an interesting experiment and it shows that you trust your husband incredibly. I do not know that I would have the courage to do as you did - kudos to you.
I might ask the same question of a daughter or girlfriend, maybe. The line between honesty and tact might be a challenging thing, though.
This does beg the question of body image and perception, though. How DO we know what we really look like? I worry that I might be so happy with what I see at this lower weight that I grow complacent...or that I do not know when to stop (will cross that bridge when I get there_.
Anyway, again, congrats to you and I will continue to follow your fascinating posts as daily inspiration to kick me in the pants (size 14!)
Location: Frederick Colorado (about 20 miles north of Denver)
Posts: 417
S/C/G: 265/see ticker/145
Height: 5'5"
Hi all. Been absent for the past week. Been busy getting ready to go visit my friends in Atlanta.
Everything is ready and my flight leaves at 245 today. I have to get cleaned up and drop the dogs at the kennel. Looking forward to seeing friends and being away from the stress at work.
My friend is an IP coach so she will pick me up some food so I only have to take today's food. She is on P1 for a while again so I can stay 100%.
This does beg the question of body image and perception, though. How DO we know what we really look like? I worry that I might be so happy with what I see at this lower weight that I grow complacent...or that I do not know when to stop (will cross that bridge when I get there_.
Anyway, again, congrats to you and I will continue to follow your fascinating posts as daily inspiration to kick me in the pants (size 14!)
Schenectady -- I was just talking to my husband about this last week. I feel like I do not/will not know when to start phasing off. I mean, I am already beyond my wildest dreams with this weight loss. (To be clear, though -- I hardly think I am a hot number . . . I am far, far from it, and I know that, and I have been working hard on being okay with that. I have, and will always have, some issues, some wrinkly skin, loose skin, etc. My mind started really honing in on that and it started bringing me down. I am really working on accepting those things about myself, because I don't want to simply trade one body-image problem for another.) Anyway . . . comparing how I am now to how I was = I am already further/better than I ever thought I would be . . . so do I stop? Keep going? I am really kind of working in the dark now. I don't know what I am "going for" body wise, so it all feels a bit random now. I do know that I want to be well within the "normal" BMI range so that I can give myself a 5 lb range for fluctuation before bringing down the hammer. That's what I'm going on now.
When I set my "goal" at the beginning, I could not bear admitting to myself that I had more than 100 lbs to lose, so 147 was my goal. Now I moved it to 128 . . . didn't want to admit I had more than 20 to go at that time. Now, I'm thinking more like 120 or 115, if I build back in the 5lb projected gain when phasing off . . . to be at 120 - 125 . . . then, with the 5lb window of leeway I would like to have, that makes my real weight around 125 - 130.
Ruth Ann -- I KNOW! I now put things on -- and I, too, have to try on every style because I have no idea what looks "good" -- and then I feel myself getting picky . . . such a new feeling! I used to be happy as long as something fit -- no such thing as "flattering!"
I recently found a couple pair of my old jeans from my tip-top weight. I thought I was down on myself then and that I was completely in touch with how huge I was. When I held up those jeans, I about fell over. I could not believe these were my jeans -- and I remember wearing them a lot! I could almost get both legs in one pant leg now. Instead of being happy with my progress, I had to sit down and cry over how horribly I had been living and not even quite realizing it. What was I doing? What was I thinking? How in the world was I a good mom to my young son at that size??? It was really, really sad and upsetting. And it really rocked my trust in myself as far as seeing and knowing what size I truly am. I must have been in some measure of denial at that size . . . so how do I know that I'm still not? I have kept those jeans. Not sure why or that it's even healthy, but I have.
Ahhh, it's all such a heady journey . . .
I'm talking too much this morning . . . sorry . . . I'll let you get on with your lives now.
There is nothing magic in the IP packets! As lisa stated the protocol came first...based on the science. (The IP label became a brand that sells food that fits the nutritional profile, and did some fancy marketing and franchise development). The secret is following the plan...and YOU GOT that part!
Good luck in the new place!
That's a good way to think of it, of course the coach would disagree! LOL, I've been really nervous about switching to alternatives so I'm going to do a combo until I'm comfy.
OMG OMG OMG - what a great tool! Thank you so much for posting this.
Why was it so surprising? I started out with my current weight and then my goal and I was happy to see that for once my mental body image was pretty accurate.
Then I put in the weight I was when I started IP and what a shock! Shock both good and bad...good because I am not like that now and bad because I was clearly so oblivious to how I appeared nine months ago.
I guess our brains or our psyche protect ourselves from what we truly look like when deep down we know what we weigh - had I a truly accurate idea of how I looked according to this site, I never would have walked out of the house, no matter how neatly I thought I had prepared myself. Self delusion extraordinaire!
I am going to bookmark that site and keep checking on it as I continue this journey.
Last edited by schenectady; 04-16-2014 at 10:34 AM.
That's a good way to think of it, of course the coach would disagree! LOL, I've been really nervous about switching to alternatives so I'm going to do a combo until I'm comfy.
Your coach is in the business to sell a product. Of course he will find ways to say IP's product is superior.
There are only a few items I feel are superior and I still buy them. The potato puree (simply due to the fact that I can't find it elsewhere) and the Milk Chocolate pudding. I prefer the thickness/consistency of the IP pudding. I don't use vanilla or Dark chocolate due to containing either soy protein or gluten.
Speaking of trying to get our heads around our new bodies . . . I have taken up this very dangerous little practice lately. It started out of an honest effort to try to reshape my mental image of my body. When we are out somewhere or in the car or wherever, among other people, I will pick out women of various sizes and ask my husband, "Am I about her size?" Now, my husband is my biggest supporter and always seems to come up with the "right" answer. So I thought I would try it on my 13 y/o son -- he is "dumb" to "women" and how complicated they can be. He will answer completely honestly, because he is innocent and pure and completely unaware of the game of emotional roulette I am playing with myself. So far, I have been pleasantly surprised by his honest answers . . . clearly, I am smaller than I picture myself. Now I need to quit while I am ahead, because I will push it until I get an answer I don't like and then that is what I will dwell on. My son is like a fountain of truth . . .and sometimes too much truth is a dangerous thing . . . like the time I told him that J.Lo and I are the same age. His shock and exclamation of, "No way!" said it all. -ouch-
That's hilarious! I thought I was the only person who did this! I usually ask my hubby. Perception of ourselves is a hard thing as our brains take time to see ourselves in a different way, I have had a couple people recently tell me that they didn't recognize me! And in my mind, I look the same! I love those reminders that we don't! I agree, pictures help!
That's hilarious! I thought I was the only person who did this! I usually ask my hubby. Perception of ourselves is a hard thing as our brains take time to see ourselves in a different way, I have had a couple people recently tell me that they didn't recognize me! And in my mind, I look the same! I love those reminders that we don't! I agree, pictures help!
After years of being so large, I think my husband is afraid of making any comment about my body or weight. Doesn't help that he is Mr. uncommunicative, anyway!
In all the many years we have been married, he has made only two comments and it must be testament to my love for him that I let him live with both of them. Part of my drive to succeed, admittedly, is to show him up from those long ago made comments....one was incredibly hurtful and not forgotten by me; he probably was unaware of just HOW much it hurt.
So I guess I will take not asking or talking to him about it although he has become more supportive although never verbally. I will do what I will do.
What a great discussion! I still find it hard to know if what I'm seeing is real - pictures are a great help, even if I don't like looking at the "before" type pics. I never thought I looked that bad but comparing then and now is a real eye-opener. I can't believe I let myself get into that shape.
I kept 1 pair of pants - actually the ones I was wearing the day I first went into the clinic. Pulled them out the other day and compared them to the 4s I just bought - that really brought home to me just how much I've changed in the past year. I think I will keep those pants for times when I need motivation to continue to control my eating.
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