Hi everyone-

I've lost a bit of weight, and I feel good about that. But I feel...weird about my body. It isn't drastically different, but obviously it is changing. I find myself worrying MORE about what to wear or how my clothes look than I did 20 lbs heavier. I am a broke college student, so I'm wearing some very baggy pants with a belt. Some of my smaller clothes seem to fit differently, but not necessarily better. Also I seem to be losing most of my weight in my legs, when my belly is my most bothersome area. I find myself frustrated with which changes my body is deciding to undergo and in which order, I feel frumpy in my baggy jeans, and I feel like an awkward teenager with my body all over again.

Has anyone else been dealing with this? Ideas or advice?

Well, I definitely think I look better now that I've lost 40-45 lbs., but I understand what you mean in one sense: I seem pickier now about clothing than I was when I was heavy. When I was heavy, I was satisfied to find something decent and presentable that fit and covered most of my major rolls. Now, though, I'm finding that I am unwlling to buy clothes unless they almost perfectly fit. So, I hold out until I can find a petite size in what I want so that the sleeves and shoulders fit. Now, it seems like I not only want to look "presentable"; I want to look good. But I'm finding it difficult to actually find clothing I like (I despise the latest styles---who on earth thinks that ruffles, frills, and horizontal stripes look good on all women!!!). As such, I'm wearing bargain clothes to get me by, and I've been quite dissatisfied with how I look lately.

I think many of us raise the bar on ourselves when we start losing.

I'm running into this. I spent about 20 minutes last night trying to find a shirt that fit my stomach well, when before I would not have bothered to try because there was no way to hide the spare tire.

I think part of it is that we had a long time to figure out how to dress our larger bodies, and when we lose we have to figure out how to dress each new shape. And because we don't lose evenly, the shape can be unfamiliar for a while while everything settles down.

As for finding clothes that fit, try consignment shops. They will often have cute fashionable clothes for little money.

I so agree with this Lin! I haven't been shopping for awhile now and the idea both attracts and repels me. I don't know what that's about. I can always find something in style that I like, but you're right, the fit is a challenge. I think we're about the same size but it doesn't matter--it's hard to find things that look good no what size you are.

Give yourself some time to adjust to the changes in your body and confidence level. You will find your what works for you as you become more comfortable with the changes in your body. I spent many years trying to find the biggest sweatshirt and t-shirts to cover myself up and hide my ever expanding self. After I lost the weight, I went through several style phases before I was able to finally become comfortable with my new shape and see myself as confident and attractive. It takes time to find out what makes us look and feel good, regardless of our size and shape.

In the meantime I would strongly suggest thrift stores!!! Cheap and you will find all kinds of things. Try on a few items that you normally wouldn't feel comfortable with....you may find that you actually like the way it looks on you. Another thing to do, if you have friends close in size.....try on some of their clothes just to see how you look and feel in someone else's style. One more thing......although you can't afford to shop at this time, go to the stores anyways and when you find something that catches your eye...Try it on!! You don't have to buy but it gives you a good idea of what suits your shape and then you can look for similiar items when thrifting ;-) Good luck, you will succeed!

you are def not alone in this
what helped me threw this stage was the ongoing reassurance to myself that I was in transition, and no matter what I wore I would look better than I did before weightloss. The thrift store was a great idea....or maybe ask friends/family for clothes?

I can relate to this. When I was at my heaviest, I rarely wore makeup, did a quick and dirty blow-out on the way to work, didn't maintain my haircut, and wore whatever was most comfortable but still professionally acceptable. I just didn't care...
When I started to lose weight, I became really self-conscious. I struggled, but I used my new feelings of awareness about my appearance to fuel my self-improvement project. I learned a lot about how to dress myself and how to shop for my own body.
I really recommend thrift stores and discount outlets. Ross and Goodwill are still two major stops for me, because it's FUN to find that perfect top for $3. But while I was losing it was a necessity - I couldn't afford all new clothes every 20 pounds.
There is no quick fix for body-image concerns, but don't let your new feelings overshadow your success, and don't let them derail you. When you are feeling blue, eat a salad and go for a walk. Really revel in the progress you've already made, and remind yourself that you're going to finish your journey, and then you're going to maintain.
For a lot of people, myself included, the fat is a shield, a barrier between you and everything bad in your world. Of course it feels awful when your safe, secure walls start melting.
You can do it.

I think weight loss makes many of us hyper-aware of our appearances... I would say, just focus on and celebrate the victories you have made this far!

As for the baggy pants, I would recommend wearing more dresses or skirts. They're much more flexible because, as they start to get too big, you can just put a belt around the waist and make them look good as you continue to shrink.

If your family has a sewing machine you can borrow, you can even buy dresses that are too big (but have a really nice design or fabric) at the goodwill or a consignment shop and sew them down to size by just taking in the side seams. It's pretty easy. And this way, you can control the fit.