I feel that I have a major body issue problem! I look at pics of me when I was thin in high school and I remember not liking my body then either! So I lose the weight? Thats not going to make me happy! I know I need and want to lose the weight but what's the point of going through the dieting and excersize if I am not gonna like myself either way. How can I like my body?

Personally, this hits home for me. After overcoming an eating disorder, reaching a former goal weight, and having my body fat in a healthy range, I still am not a fan of my body. Some days I love it and think its fab but others i hate it. I think the key, atleast what has helped me make the little progress I have, is to fake loving my body or when I'm having a day where I'm like "I HATE my body!!!" I think about all the wonderful things my body can do. That way I take a negative focus off of my body and put it in a positive perspective. I don't know if I'm making sense but it seems to help me atleast. haha.

I remember being in high school thinking I was soo fat, and looking back now I realized how wrong I was.
I think just because you were unhappy with your weight then, doesn't mean if you got back to that size it means you'll be unhappy with it now.
I think in high school we have a very different outlook on ourselves, and criticize way too much because we were young and quite honestly, dumb.
you can do it! and you should do it, and I think the self confidence will come along with it

I find that getting stronger makes me like my body more.

When I was in HS I was a thin little thing, but of course absolutely didn't appreciate it. AND I was very out of shape. Thin, but couldn't run a mile to save my life.

Now I'm much less thin. But can almost run THREE miles. I look at my body as a machine now, and it's AMAZING - and capable of doing incredible things! So while my belly may have a muffin top, and my thighs are the size of something rather large - I feel better about them, love them more, and appreciate their ability to actually DO things!

I think you all are right I think I will appreciate it when I lose the weight.Because I know what it is like to be fat now

i understand what your saying my problem is that in high school i weighed 120 pounds and now im 190 only 5 years later and it so depressing i dont even want to see people i knew in high school but thats why im loseing it!

Everyone seems to gain weight after high school. I did and my second year of college I lost it. I use to hate my slender body in highschool but looking back at those pictures I wish I had that body back. When I dropped down to 140 my proper weight and was toned after my second year of college...then I gained it all back. I personally love my body it was back then, even though I hated it back then...if that makes sense. You need to find a common ground with yourself. You're always going to have flaws and you're always going to have a part of your body you hate or multiple parts...the thing is we all need to stop being so critical of ourselves because we are our own worse enemies believe it or not. Find a common ground and be happy with yourself. Highschool mentally should be out the door now that you are more grown up. I know mine was once I left that **** hole lol.

I second Torito's sentiments- I lost 90 pounds in high school went from 265 my freshman year down to 175 my senior year. I was virtually batteling an eating disorder to do it, I hated my body so much. For me it was the same in college I never appreciated my body, although I did learn to deal with it in a healthier way-- even though now looking back I think I was smoking hot in college. Last year I got back into my old college jeans and I was happier with myself then, than I think I ever was in college
As I get older I appricate myself and my body more than ever. For me, I think a lot of it had to do with finding someone (my current b/f) who has literally loved me through thick and thin-- he's seen me at 250 and he's seen me at 190 and he's loved me no matter how much I weigh. For me, seeing that someone can love me the exact same no matter what my body looks like has gotten me to the road of accepting and learning to love my body in any state. Back in H/S and college there was so much pressure to be accepted by your peers and a lot of that is on a superficial level. I have found that as I get older it only really matters if i accept myself.
Sorry if that got a bit preachy...

I'm totally in the appreciate your body's strength camp. I just stumbled across a diary entry I wrote in high school, when I was thirty pounds lighter, whining about how "enormous" and "massive" I was. Sure, I weigh more now and I'd like to at least get back down to that weight, but I've also ran some races, had knee surgery, and hiked over Europe... so I've learned to appreciate my body's ability to do things. Yes, my thighs are bigger than I'd like and I hate the jean size I'm in, but I love that I can climb a huge hill or do an hour on the elliptical or go dancing for hours with friends.

Good luck on your journey!

When you're younger, you don't have any perspective. When you become aware of the weight and body types of those around you in the beginning you're very negative. In my opinion, children, especially girls, are not taught young enough about differences between people. Rail thin isn't healthy for everyone, just because you're not that way doesn't make you unhealthy. It's not all about the numbers on the scale.

When I was in the 6th grade, I weighed 130 pounds but I was already 5'6". I was by no means fat but I remember thinking so because I was heavier than all the other girls (some of which barely hit 5'). That summer I gained like 20 pounds and that weight was never seen from again.

When I get to Onderland this time around I know how to appreciate it. For me, it's one of those things where you don't know what you had 'til it's gone. I mean, I have other self-esteem issues but only about half are tied to my weight, so if I can deal with one it helps.

Recognize that one thing is a body workout thing (lose weight, be fitter, etc) and that the other is a brain workout thing (building good self esteem, liking yourself as you are, etc.)

I think you have to workout BOTH sides to be in healthy balance.

Otherwise, as you have discovered, you can be as slim as you please and totally fine body wise but still be all down on yourself brain wise.

Or like in my case -- have the brain stuff be fine, good self esteem, like being me, etc. But have work to do on the body side of it because obese is obese. No matter how much *I* like myself, my knees don't like carrying this extra weight!

GL!
A.

This hit home for me. When I was in high school, I had anorexia. I remember obsessing and thinking all day every day about food and weight and my body and the way other people looked and looked at me. I was hospitalized because I passed out during a track meet and had a feeding tube because i wouldn't eat and I still thought that I was disgusting and needed to lose more. They never would tell me my exact weight, but i think it was somewhere in the 85 - 95 range.

Thinking back now it makes me so angry because when you're that age, you don't realize how...trivial it all can be. i'm not saying weight loss in itself is trivial, because we're obviously all here to lose weight (even me, which seems weird given my past) but we're here to get healthier, and to gain self esteem. back in high school everything was so petty and competitive. like you wanted to be thinner than the other girls. now, it's about YOU. you want to get healthy for you. you want to feel better about yourself. and that's not something that most high school age people understand.

you're twenty-one. (i am too) and now is the time to regain control of your life.

it's not an easy road, but it is so, so worth it. good luck.