I don't spend a lot of time looking at myself in the mirror because I don't yet see the way my body feels (I feel fit, still look like a dumpling), but I have noticed something.

When I'm on plan, the times I do look, my eye immediately goes to the visibly improving areas. However...

My beau was staying with me for 12 days, and while I stayed on track calorically and my monthly weigh in was on track, I knew I was not eating as healthily as I had been and many of my workouts had been replaced with helping him pack for a move to another state. He left Tuesday morning and while getting dressed that morning, my eye went to the still floppy bits.

So now for 3 days I've been back to my usual eating and exercise plan and tonight while undressing for shower, saw the good parts again. Now intellectually I know darn well that my body 14 days ago vs 3 days ago vs today could not possibly have had any visible changes, but amazing how attitude adjusts the focus.

Anyone else experience this?

I know exactly what you mean, and I've only lost about 14 pounds. I can see that my waist is getting thinner and have discovered that I truly am pear shaped, losing on top before bottom.

HA! That happens to me all the time, but it doesn't reflect whether or not I'm on plan-- it's just a quirk of my mood. Sometimes I think WOW-- that's when I'm holding the image of how I used to look in my mind's eye... and other times I see all the flub and think "am I really any smaller?"

Today, I actually dug out my "fat" jeans to look at them.

I keep thinking that I'm staying the same, but stuff like pants are getting bigger.

I hear you! I haven't lost enough weight this time around so that there has been any difference, but I do remember feeling really good about how I looked when I looked in the mirror. I also remember really loving to go shopping. When I was on my way back up, though, you couldn't drag me in front of a mirror. In fact, I finally bought a full length mirror for my room so that I could not so easily avoid the mirror. (Mostly it was a recognition, though, that even if I avoided the mirror, other people would actually see me, so it's important to know if things are tucked in properly, etc.)

I know exactly what you mean. Although there are definitely times when just being on plan for 2 or 3 days can produce a REAL visible difference, there are also times when I know my perception is being filtered through my feelings and imagination.

I agree. It may be just my tummy - not being bloated or distended from overeating. I can tell. Just feel lighter on my feet.

Thank you for saying that. I've actually been thinking my jeans are just stretched out, not that I've lost more inches when I'm in one of these "I'm not doing enough" phases.

I just last night was looking in the full size mirror and flexed my biceps then giggled at myself!