I've seen a few people feel this way as well.
I have lost over 70 pounds and I have to admit. I like being in smaller clothes and like being able to run and not lose my breath and have more energy.
But then I look in the mirror and I still feel like Im that 313 pound person who began this journey.
I dont get it. There was a time I gelt good about how I looked but then it was gone and I dont know where it went.
My only reason I could come up with is that I have been stalled for about 2 months or so. I havent gained but I havent lost either. I simply maintain. Thats because when the cold set in I havent rode my bike up to the gym and in my mind a workout cd is not going to give me the same workout I was doing at the gym. But its better than nothing.
But back to topic. Its really strange how the mind has such a powerful hold over us. Yes its the main force behind all our motor actions and body functions. Im going to buy some lower size clothes and keep trying them on. That seem to work with me when I was trying ot fit back into clothes that I could not wear any more. Since I fit into all of those I dont have anything else to relate what I want to wear and what I need todo to get there. So yeah.. This was a good thread for me. im going to hit the store and buy some smaller outfits. Maybe like a pair of pants and a blouse I think is really cute.

First, congrats on that weight loss!!!! I don't think we say it enough -- we can start to take it for granted! I don't have any words for wisdom, and it sounds like you're figuring it out on your own, but I bet this is a common phenomenon. I'm coming up on 50 pounds lost, and that feels great some days. But other days I look in the mirror and see this woman who is still fat! And technically still "morbidly" obese. That's depressing somehow.

Do you have any of your starting clothes left? Maybe trying them on will help you see how far you've come.

Good luck!

Having something new to shrink into sounds like a good idea. So does trying on fat clothes and seeing how far you have come. I enjoy clothes as much as anything and they are a great motivator. Another thing is to introduce something new in your workouts, get excited about something new, maybe a resistance band workout with jumprope intervals. I find that if I get moving a lot of other things fall into place. You have done great up to now by the way. Do you ever read other people's weightloss blogs, I can find inspiration in reading about someone who is doing really well with their efforts. It reminds me what it takes to be successful. I bet a real push to lose the next 10 lbs. would get you feeling good about your smaller body again.

Hi Morticia

I can definitely relate with "not feeling it," although lately that's been changing. I think one of my problems was that I was so focused on losing that I didn't take the time to actually get used to my new size. I kept waiting for people to comment -- and kinda gauged how I looked based on what other people said. Which (LOL) is how I've lived my whole life, so it shouldn't have been all that surprising to me! I hit a plateau at 141 lbs, and I was there for a little over 3 weeks. At first I was bummed, and then I decided to maintain (while thinking "maybe this is where my body WANTS to be.") And during that time, I forcused more on what I had achieved so far, and slowly started to really "see" how I look now.

I think another problem (for me at least) is even as you lose the weight, your body (well, MY body) has stayed in the same proportions -- meaning, my belly is still bigger than I think it "should be" compared to the rest of my body. So I see THAT, and I focus on it -- while *forgetting* that even though my belly looks big compared to other parts of my body, It's still significantly smaller than it has ever been in my adult life.

I don't know how helpful this was...I think I was just totally babbling .

Point is, I can completely relate, and it DOES get better...you DO start to see the difference. Like everything else weight-loss related, it just takes time.

Congrats on what you've lost already! That is a FANTASTIC achievement!!!

Thanks I found some pants that I used to have to lay on the bed to be able to zip up and I can zip them standing up with some room left over so that felt good. I guess I forgot what those moments felt like since its been so long since I had one of those moments.

Morticia, I just had to comment on your before/during pics--you are a good looking couple and that is some major transformation you guys have made. Sometimes I wish we could see ourselves through the eyes of others. After all, we are our own worst critics right? You look mah-velous on your progress thus far.

I've come to realize that fighting a plateau can be counterproductive. There is nothing wrong with trying various tricks to see if you can get the scale moving again. But, in the meantime, we tend to focus on the fact that we aren't making progress when we could be taking the opportunity to adjust to how far we've come.

I am convinced that the reason so many people who have lost a significant amount of weight still see themselves as fat is due to the fact that we fail to give our minds time to catch up with our bodies. For as slow as weight loss seems sometimes adjusting to weight loss takes much more time. I also believe that not taking the time to really see the strides we've made plays a part in regaining weight once we've finally reached goal. Think about this - if you have trouble staying the course through a plateau, how in the world are you going to manage once you've reached your goal and you don't have scales, clothes, etc. to motivate you? Even if you don't have any trouble eating right and exercising once you reach your goal do you really want to struggle with the mental and emotional strains of still believing you are fat? I am a firm believer in taking the time to learn to maintain along the way rather than waiting until we reach our goal to figure it out. Plateaus seem to be the most logical time to do just that.

Jaws, that was a very insightful post. Even though I am nowhere near goal, I try to keep these tidbits of information in my mental rolodex. Yours though I'm going to make sure I put into my journal so that I don't forget it. Thanks!

jawsmom -- I agree with teahoney -- nice insight. I don't know how my weight loss is going to proceed, but I want to be able to not only "deal with" a plateau, but make it a worthwhile experience. I, too, will keep it in my "mental rolodex" (nice term!)

ditto - that is good advice and something that I haven't thought about before

Wow! There is some really good advice here. Y'all are a bunch of smartypants

I've experienced this, too. At almost 45 pounds gone, and a lower weight than I've seen since 11th grade, I still can't see a difference when I look in the mirror. It's bizarre, because at this point, people who haven't seen me in a while aren't recognizing me. Something's gotta be different, right?

I find that if I'm looking at pictures of myself (at my heaviest, and now) side by side, I can REALLY see a huge difference in my appearance. It's totally wack-o, I know - but it's a trick that's worked for me. Give it a shot and see what you think.

And, to echo everyone else, big CONGRATS on all of the work and your success so far. You look great!!

cheers!
paula