Hi chicks,

I am having a strange problem. I have lost almost 25 lbs so far in my journey. The changes have been quite noticeable to me. I am wearing smaller clothes, I feel thinner and healthier... I can feel my hip bones and the muscle tone in parts of my body.

But I was looking at pictures of myself at a recent wedding, and I kind of got discouraged...

I think up until now I had thought I looked BETTER than I actually do. I feel so much thinner and smaller... but looking at these pictures, and comparing them to my old pictures... I looked almost exactly the same...

It's the complete opposite problem that I have had in the past. What does this mean??? lol

I don't know what it means, but I know what you're feeling! Maybe your brain is playing tricks on you!

I'm feeling the same way! I'm down 40 pounds from what I weighed 9 months pregnant (5.5 months postpartum). I bought a new dress this weekend and wore it out to my boyfriend's ball game. I felt HOT. Later, I saw a picture he had taken of me and my son, and felt really discouraged.

I've had the exact same happen as I just saw a bunch of photos taken for an engagement shoot. I thought my legs/hips were gigantic! Of course both the photographer and fiance say otherwise but that's what I saw and I considered the pictures to be proof.

BUT, then I saw a picture posted by a fellow 3FC chick that was proud of her accomplishments. She looked stunning! and guess what... she was my height... and my weight. So I really had to think critically of my own views of myself. If I think she looked amazing and she has the same stats as I do, then how can I look so vastly different? The answer is that I likely don't look that much different and that I have to let go of that critical voice in my head that says otherwise.

This whole weightloss thing seems to prove itself as such a head game with each passing day. You're learning how to take care of yourself properly, but the mental side of it needs just as much care or even more.

I don't know how helpful this post was except to say that you're not alone and to just keep doing what you're doing because eventually *and hopefully* our minds eventually catch up to our bodies and we can truly enjoy our accomplisments.

I know EXACTLY what you mean.
I have lost almost 40 lbs. Last weekend I ran in a 5 km race.
I put on my running pants & a T Shirt which both felt loose. I was thinking to myself before the race.... "WOW my body has changed so much, I feel fantastic, my muscles have definition, I feel smaller, more compact" I was so proud of myself for having come this far already. This time last year I couldn't walk around the grocery store for 10 minutes without my back and legs aching in pain and here I was about to run a 5 km race.
That feeling of being thinner and looking better has carried me on a bit of a high for the last week until this morning. I got an email from "Action Sports International" that I could look up my race pictures on line.
So, I did....and guess what....I was soooo disappointed. I see a fat girl running with everyone. It totally deflated the image I had in my mind of myself.
I'm still proud of myself for doing it. I'm still proud of the accomplishments I have made. But I'm disappointed that the image I have of myself in my mind is so far from what the pictures actually show. I feel like I'm back where I started and I'm trying really hard not to let those pictures throw me off course or get me discouraged.

I just read an article on why the camera adds 10 lbs (or more) - we are three dimensional, but cameras translate that into a two dimensional photo, so the camera really does spread the image out a bit. It's worst in straight-on shots, which is why photographers have you stand slightly sidewise and slightly tilt your chin and cock your head - they're all tricks to improve the accuracy of the image.

The distortion is slight enough, that you generally don't notice it as much in other people - unless you are looking at them and have the photo in your hand to compare directly (and probably not even then, because people tend not to be as critical of anyone but themselves).

I think we are all critical of ourselves. It is discouraging to see a picture of yourself and think you look so much better, but this is what I think: You look as good as you feel...always. I've told this to many people who ask how I managed to keep going for so long. After the first day of my journey I felt better about myself. It's very hard to describe, but I think those good vibes radiate to all around. Even after 20 pounds lost and I was still well into the 300's I just had a glow (inside and out) because I was doing it. You might not see it in a picture, or in a video, but others truly notice your beauty when you feel good about yourself. I think you can just feel the positive energy of anyone who feels good about themselves, no matter their physical appearance. You do look as good as you feel. You do.

Thanks for your post Lori Bell. It really hit home for me.

People have been telling me over and over lately how great I look & I think you are correct.....they think I look great because I think I look great.

Seeing the pictures after the run was very disappointing, but I believe that if I can just focus on what I've been able to accomplish and keep telling myself that I do look great I can move forward and not dwell too much on what the camera shows.

Thanks!!

I appreciate you guys chiming in. I am glad I am not the only one going through this. It really is one big head game.

It depends on what mood I'm in. Sometimes we look at magazine articles or TV, and we think "thin person = celebrity." But of course the [female] celebreties are not normal sized, they're really skinny. So when we see ourselves, and we don't look like the celebrities, we think we look awful, even though we look normal.

Don't forget camera adds 100 lbs....

Seriously cameras can be so unflattering- don't be discouraged! If that's you in your avatar I think you look great

lol i did a little dance the other day.. shook my booty cos i was happy about something; my husband decided he had to tape it to show me... I almost cried.

I think generally its how you carry yourself. If you slouch, dont hold your head up high, every camera is going to catch an unflattering pose. Look at A-list celebrities, when they're out being photographed (say red carpet) they have poses that flatter them.

Its not so much how you look but how you carry yourself - even subconsciously

Oh man, those race photos are the worst!! I've also had a lot of really disappointing experiences. I keep looking at them, hoping that maybe I'll finally get one that I like, but no, I always look like a huge clumsy ogre in all of them.

But... I get over it, and in general I do like to tell myself that I look better than I probably actually do... I figure it's good practice for when I get to goal! I'll already have the "I'm thin!" mindset down pat by then.

I loved how you put this. I go this kind of head stuff too, even though I know it's a waste of my energy.

Littlemoon - Totally know what you mean! The good thing is that other people seem to respond more to how you feel about yourself than anything else so I'm sure everyone around you at the wedding was picking up on your inner glow and self confidence. I would bet you were the only person who would ever find anything to criticize in those photos : ) We're definitely our own harshest critics.