Lost almost 80 lbs! Here to find supportive buddies...
 

Hi!
I am a 23 year old from Ohio currently living outside Washington, DC in Fairfax, VA. About 2.5 years ago, I set out on a life changing journey to lose weight. I am about 5'5'' and at the time weighed about 230 lbs (I'm not sure exactly, scales weren't exactly my friends). I was starting to get physical in a relationship and I decided that I wasn't happy with myself so there wouldn't be any way I would be happy being physical. The first summer I just ate salad and water and grilled chicken pretty much. I lost about 30 lbs just in that summer. After that, I worked out nearly every day for the duration of my senior year in college. I kept on track and now weigh about 150 lbs. I'm not in that relationship anymore but I think I got something way more valuable out of it. =)

Anyway, one of the big issues I still have is body image. I still see myself at a size 18 to 20 even though others see a size 10 woman. I act confident most of the time but in fact I am not about my body. I hope to lose about 20 more lbs and I am very critical of my body still. I was wondering if anyone went through this and how they responded. This whole thing has changed also the way other people see me. People are not afraid to sit next to me on long air plane rides or on the Metro. I also get defensive when men hit on me, because I keep thinking "they can't really be serious!"

Let me know if you struggle with any of these issues! I look forward to hearing from you! :)

Hi there
I was nice and thin once upon a time. In fact I lost 23kg. But I was married to a man that was jealous and told me he did not see the difference. Now I have a wonderfull fiance who encourages me to lose weight. Only 17 kg to go. But I know how you feel. You need to fall in love with youself. It helps to wear daring clothes etc. n Feel sexy, then you will walk sexy and the more comment you get about your looks, the more you will believe it. I actually take time to put body lotion on and tell myself I look great. It is all in the mind. I am 43 years old and I speak myself young and sexy. I tell myself that no ways the other will get more attention than me. Be a bit daring and find that other woman lurking inside you...

:welcome: Lindsey4884! Firstly, Congrats on the lifestyle change & becoming healthier! Secondly, you are certainly not alone. Perhaps you should check out the Maintaining or Featherweights sections for people in your situation?

Best wishes!

Lindsey, :welcome3: to 3FC! Congratulations on your wonderful weight loss! I'd like to invite you to check out our Maintainers forum -- a wonderful group of people who are just like you, working every day to keep the weight off for life. We'd love to have you join us.

We have a subforum there called Body Image and Issues After Weight Loss, where members post about their distorted body perceptions after weight loss, as well as other body issues. Poke around there and I think you'll find a lot of posts on topic. Feel free to start a new thread too!

We're looking forward to hearing lots more from you! :)

Thanks everyone for your support and the info :)

Your weight loss is a true inspiration to us beginners. You just hang in and persevere.