I've now lost 110lbs...but I'm still in the high 200s, so not a bombshell as of yet. It's so frustrating to think that I've done that much and, while I can stand not being hotness personified, I'm just a slightly smaller version of my former self, huge spare tire and all.

Does anyone have any ideas on dealing with that?

You keep on, knowing that if you get discouraged and quit you will NEVER make your goal. You WILL be healthier with weight lost, and things tighten up surprisingly well in my experience.

It took a good 20% of my original bodyweight being lost to really see some changes in my shape. But it happened! If I'd gotten frustrated and said "Never mind! I'll always be fat anyway!" I'd still look the same at 250 or more pounds, with fatigue and health problems galore, rather than still progressing and healthier and more energetic and sexier, too.

So my advice is what I do - keep going, and let the results take care of themselves. They WILL, but only if you focus on behaviors and not speed or outcomes. You can't control those, but you CAN control what *you* choose to do

^Nicely put. It was good to read that.

Arctic Mama said it all very well.

Losing the first 40 pounds was especially hard on me, since I was so relatively large that couldn't tell one lick of difference in the way my clothes fit! And even the first 100 pounds, although it's such a substantial number, still felt difficult since my sizes went down soooo sloooowly and it got me back to the "normal" range of weight I'd already carried most of my life (ever since my freshman year of high school, I was typically between 250 and 275 but went up to 360 a few years back, so the 100 pound loss left me back at 260). Being near the halfway point but still at an old set point made it feel like I was just beginning, and I struggled when I hit a low of 243 last year, completely losing it due to a lot of issues out of my control, and I mindlessly climbed all up to 267 before telling myself something needed to change.

I bit the bullet this year and promised myself that I was making healthier choices through eating more carefully with proper portion sizes, no matter what. Focusing on the amount of time and effort it's going to take gets rather depressing and overwhelming, but hypothetically speaking, even if I was at my goal now, this is the way I have to eat for the rest of my life. Might as well just eat with good habits anyway, right? The rest will take care of itself when you do. Not just your size of course, but any related health issues, the amount of energy you have, and just the way you feel period.

The number 250 actually seemed like a magical crossover for me, since whenever I get under that I actually start to feel "normal." And of course that's different for everyone, and in my case it may just be because I'm not used to ever being under 250 (this is currently only the fourth time in my entire life I've been anywhere under 250, not counting my childhood, and I'm 36). I'm still clinically obese of course, but clothes definitely started fitting better for me. I can comfortably wear shorter tops now! Nothing that shows off my belly, but it's something I'd never even thought about before. Right now I'm sort of on the edge of plus sizes, occasionally able to fit into clothes from the "normal" section of the stores.



(See, shorter shirt! )

For the record, I still hate my stomach. I'm an apple and it's the most stubborn part of my physique! I've often noticed I'd be able to wear much smaller jeans if only my stomach wasn't in the way (until recently, most jeans cut into my belly painfully while being insanely huge in the thighs and butt). Yet as frustrated as I still admittedly get, I also know that I'll never get anywhere near my goal if I focus on that frustration. Focus on the positives whenever you can! Think about how well you're nourishing your body rather than feeling like you're missing out. That was probably my biggest personal hurdle, letting go of the bitterness that I couldn't eat "like everyone else." Just keep up with the positives and actively make healthy choices, and things will definitely get better.

Hope this helps!

Well I haven't lost that much but I HAVE noticed a difference in the softness of my flabby spots.... I'm actually the same size... but squishier.

If I were you I would buy some shapewear (spanx) and put on a nice outfit, do your hair and make up ... then stand in front of a good mirror in a well lit room.

I am sure you would see a big difference and be so proud of yourself... you should be... you've been doing so well for yourself.

Boy, do I know where you are coming from. I remember clearly when I hit 100 pounds down. I was SO PROUD of myself and had a new dress and had DH take a picture and when I saw that picture I burst into tears. I had lost 100 freaking pounds and still looked HORRIFIC.

All I can say is just keep at it and the rewards will come!

Yes, you just have to keep going. I am FAR from svelt and a long way from goal... but I am trying to just focus on putting myself into my new 1X and 2X shirts now, instead of my old 4X... and happy about the bag of 3X ones I have ready to take out the door this morning to give to a friend.

I am a long way from thin but I am getting there. Fortunately I have very supportive friends, too, who do notice and encourage me. But if I think too much about how FAT I am, I could easily become disheartened and feel like giving up.

Trust me... since you have lost 110 pounds you DO look much nicer! There is no way you could NOT look better! Hang in there, and keep going.

I splurged a bit too and went out and bought a bunch of new clothes... in my current size, plus one and two sizes down. There have been fantastic sales at Catherine's and Lane Bryant... with a lot of $25 off coupons for future purchases. I have about $500 worth of them and am taking a friend on a shopping spree, as she has also lost weight. I got tired of wearing too large/too small/worn out clothes so decided to do what I could to at least look my best, even though it is still a "fat" best.

Keep going!!

Girl, you have lost A HUNDRED AND TEN POUNDS. That is a phenomenal amount of weight to lose and you've DONE IT! and you're still DOING IT! That's the greatest thing - you've come so far so you know what's working and you can just keep it up!

Do not get discouraged! Think of all you have accomplished. One day you will really "see" results - but I bet you can "feel" them by now!

I say - treat yourself! Get your hair done, your nails done, buy a new dress and just work it! Trust me - you will feel good - and you can think of how good you will feel when you're at goal.

Chin up!

I think it's something a great deal of us can relate to.

I am nearing a so-called healthy BMI and despite looking better in clothes and being smaller etc. I definitely feel very far removed from being anything like what I actually want to look like.

I know that I still want to shift more pounds and need to tone up etc. but I think a huge part of the journey is acceptance. Acceptance of yourself and recognition of your progress. I know I'll never look "hot" naked - but I look a lot "hotter" than I used to almost 70lbs ago.

You've lost a great deal of weight and as others have said, it's something to definitely be proud of! I think other people definitely notice the changes more than we do ourselves, so what might seem like a minor change to you will no doubt be phenomenal to others.

I think it's also important to remember that it's not just about what we look like, but also the improvements to our health that we've made a long the way. You've come a long way, well done