I have lost 70+pounds over the last year, which is wonderful of course. but why oh why do I still see myself the same as I did when I weighed 230? I mean I see that I have lost weight but truly I dont see myself the way others see me. In the last two weeks people have really been complimenting my loss and telling me how awesome it is.

does anyone else go through this? will my brain catch up and let me see the real me

I think we all go through this to some degree... Some days I feel great - then I look down at my thighs and see the same thing that was there 50+ pounds ago...this is where pictures help, especially when they are taken with other people so you can see your progress.

The brain does catch up eventually, but it takes time, more than weight. It is one of the reasons I like losing and then maintaining for a bit, even though it can be a little frustrating. It gives my brain time to get used to seeing myself at a new weight, as well as time to practice maintenance and solidifying good habits.

Keep losing, maintain well, and then give it time. It definitely gets better, but the mental work of weight loss can be the hardest of all.

It takes a while for the brain to catch up... I don't feel like I look that different even when looking in the mirror. It's only when I bust out my old clothes or see myself in a photograph and then I realize there's a huge difference and then I'm amazed.

My brain has NEVER caught up. I have to see pictures (like, on a DAILY basis) to remind myself how far I've come. Otherwise, I just look in the mirror & there's that voice saying "good god woman! those thighs! that bra fat! and looka'dat belly!!!!"

So I keep several pictures of myself at different weights/ages, so I can LITERALLY see how far I've come (and how far I have to go) - it keeps it in perspective for me.

Yes. I totally get this. Even though I know I could not possibly look worse after losing this amount of weight, somehow I feel like I do. Maybe it's because everything is still there - the proportions are the same distorted ones only smaller. So because of that I still see the 88 lb heavier me. I do have to whip out the pics to remind myself.

And there are times like when I go to the bathroom and I'm expecting to see 386 lb me and there is 300 lb me and it's a "whoa" moment.

It's hard and truthfully, I don't think it's something that will ever 100% resolve for me. But I'm 36 and been obese for the majority of my life.

My brain hasn't totally caught up either. Going shopping for clothing is frustrating, and I generally avoid it (so I just wear workout clothes all the time!). I keep picking up clothing that is way too large for me and I can't reconcile that I need a smaller item. Even after going down in sizes several times, inevitably I end up leaving the store with a size bigger than I really need and look shlumpy all the time.