Perception is in the eye of the beholder, to hijack an old saying. Here are a few things I've learned about others and about myself:
I thought I looked OK at 250 pounds. No bad self image here! I KNEW I was heavy, but when I saw myself, I didn't look too bad. Now, when I look at photos, I think I was VERY FAT and that my head looks tiny in proportion to my body.
Other people are comparing you to your former self - not the self you think you are, not the self you want to be. Think of it this way. A regular order of fries at McDonalds is just the size it is. BUT - it is small compared to a super-size order of fries, and it's large compared to the fries in a kid's meal. I'm so sorry for comparing us and our weight loss to orders of fries! But I figured everyone could relate
We will always see our own imperfections and are critical of them. Learn to accept the shape of your body the same way we accept the color of our eyes or the shape of our ears and nose. Some things just are what they are.
I try to think of how I feel about these things by turning the tables and changing roles with the person who made the comment. You might not use the words "skinny" and "tiny" when complimenting someone else because you are more tuned in to the weight loss process. But others who have never done this might see this as a really sincere compliment.
This self image thing really is a process we have to learn to live with. I really think how we feel about ourselves is critical to our success. We want to look good. We want to be healthy. We want life's day to day tasks to be easier. I think age has a lot to do with this and I wish there was a way to put an older perspective on this for you younger members. Accept the fact that you look good now. And remember that you - personally - want to look even better and work toward that goal. Those same people will still make the "tiny" comments. they'll get used to the new look and it will again all be relative.
Keep up the great work. You're doing a great gob.
Lin
