I am not quite sure how to explain this so please bear with me.
I lost a bunch of weight so far and I am getting very close to my goal of BMI 25. I set that goal when I started in January thinking if I get anywhere close to a normal BMI I am good. Since then I figured that I might want to drop to the middle of the BMI range so around 150-155.
Anyways, what I am struggling with is that my body is changing but I can't wrap my head around it. I still feel big. Not huge anymore but quite big. I look down and don't like what I see. I still grab bigger sizes in the stores because I can't believe a medium (or even a small *gasp*) will fit.
I just can't get the mindset to go along with my body. I have never been anywhere close to a normal weight and I don't know how to do this!!
I get lots of compliments and people are really astonished how different I look but somehow it doesn't click in my head.
I look at my boyfriend who has lost nearly 60 pounds and he looks like a different person!! I think I still look the same, I feel better but not really changed.

Comments? Experiences? Suggestions? Ideas?

the couple of things I can think of is to look at before and after pictures of yourself, and if you still have any of your bigger clothes around, try them on to see how big they will be on you now.

But I do think it's a process to come to terms with your new body and I have seen others posting about the same thing. Maybe see if there are any good threads on the Maintainer's Forum about it?

Mostly, I would say to give yourself time - you have done such a fantastic job of weight loss, that has clearly been your focus. So now you need to allow yourself some time to put some of that focus on learning to be comfortable in your new body and to develop a better sense of that body.

I ditto the comparing the pictures of before and after. I think that weight loss can be such a slow process and we see our selves in the mirror everyday that we do not always reconnize the changes.
I do not have a lot of full body shots but even just compairing my face and upper body is amazing. My face is so much slimmer looking and heck, I even have color bones, who knew?
What elses helps is getting an out fit that when you look at yourself, you feel great. I do not wear baggy pants anymore, if they get too big, I get new ones because it makes me feel better.
By the way, I have a ways to go and a lot of fat to tone up but my hubby loves my new body. Quite a boost to our relationship (wink, wink) after 16 years of marriage.

I've heard that it takes a good year for your head to catch up with your body.

I hope so, because I struggle with the same thing. I still feel "big," I still can't believe that I CAN'T shop in plus-size store, I can't recognize that I need to buy smaller sizes. I think I look the same as before, but others don't.

I look at photographs and I see the change, but even then it still doesn't click.

Thanks guys! I feel the same sontaikle. I look at pictures and I see the difference but I don't feel it. I mean I know I am smaller, I can see some bones I have never seen before but I still feel big. Shopping is confusing, I drive retail staff nuts with weird size requests. Meeting new people is confusing too! I wonder if they think of me as heavy. Or if the topic somehow brushes weight I feel odd because "I am new to this". I actually feel nervous about being not nervous anymore when size is discussed. It's just weird!! Oh and I think people treat me differently too!

Well, I guess you can tell what mess my head is dealing with. I should probably just relax and act normal.

I've been on this journey for nearly 3 years so you'd think my mind and my body would have had ample time to catch up to each other but really, they haven't.

The other day I fit buttoned and zipped (with minimal muffin top) into a size 8 pair of jeans from what was a dream store to me at my highest weight (Zara) and my first reaction was "Wow, I didn't know size 8 was so big." (i.e. for it to fit ME, it must be big). At my highest weight, my goal was to wear size 10 jeans. The funny thing is that somehow, I have more of an awareness of how big I am now, than I did at 275, where for some reason I didn't feel THAT big.

What does help is looking at pictures. I don't have many/if any before pictures but my mom does and when I can I look at her pictures of me and look at recent pics of myself, I am amazed at the difference. Also I sometimes checkout a site called my body gallery to get some perspective of what other people my height and weight look like because I always feel bigger in comparison even to people who are my size, so seeing other people helps give me some perspective.

Haha do you live inside my head? I swear I go through the same thought process every day!

It's actually refreshing to know I'm not the only one who can see the difference in pictures but not FEEL it.


Recently my fiancee's mother has been bugging me for a picture of the two of us because she said the picture she has doesn't look like me anymore. She has a really nice one from a few years ago from when we went on a trip. I thought her request was silly—I thought I still looked the same after all.

The fiancee and I went on a trip and I made sure to get a picture of the two of us. I looked at the picture and I had a hard time recognizing myself! I brought up older pictures and compared and really saw the difference. Even then, I didn't FEEL different...the pictures didn't really do much to make me feel like a smaller person.

All I can say is weight loss really messes with your head, haha.

We should talk, fellow geek!! ;-) Love your avatar btw.

Ha! Funny thing! My mom (living a continent away) is bugging me for a new picture. Can't send her one though. I didn't tell her that I am losing weight. She will be surprised when we visit in December and then she can have a picture. :-)

100% agreed. I SEE a huge difference. I don't feel it. We need some head wrapping exercises I guess. Any ideas?

PS: I just had a female colleague stare at me in the washroom. That was odd. She mentioned a few times that it is incredible how much I lost. Thanks but don't stare! Makes me feel even weirder!