I am not sure if this is the place for this post, but "support" sounds like a great place to start.

The last few days have not been kind to me, mainly due to a depression fueled monster binge. Ok, that's done. I am trying to put myself into a more positive frame of mind. I don't want to be in total denial about what my goals are and such...I am able to say that my eight pound in one week weight gain is probably much more due to do sodium and water weight than it is to calories ( I _know_ I did not eat that much food! ), but when I look at my self in the mirror, will I ever be happy with it, or am I trying to achieve something totally off the wall, ergo, setting myself up for disapointment?

My main area is my thighs. When I stand facing one way, and looking at myself from the side, they seem so huge, but not when I am facing forward. That's a big muscle there and I am a pear shaped person, so maybe that's just my thigh...maybe it's not even as bad as I think it is? I just want to make sure I have a healthy goal to strive for....but it's not like I can go online and look up pictures of healthy thighs with out ads for liposuction coming up (that helps ).

Does this make any sense?I've learned that lbs. alone do not always give a clear answer to helping with goals, since depending on how much of an individual is muscle or what thier general make up is is going to make a difference...

I have a huge tendency of being way to hard on myself, so I am never happy, and I am trying really hard to get out of that mindset, but now I'm just kind of stuck. ( sigh.)

I lost 65 lbs, I weigh 127 lbs, I am a size 6. I have saddle bags (my left thigh is in fact noticeably bigger than the right) and a tummy (and loose skin and stretch marks from my weight gain/loss). I realize that I am a real, 36 year old woman - this is a real woman's body. I realize I will never look like a swimsuit model - but few women actually do - even the models themselves (gorgeous though they are naturally) are airbrushed to an unreal state of perfection.

I read something in a diet journal on another board I read, it was something like "Live your lifestyle, accept the body." My eating habits are stellar, I am exercising, I feel great, my body is strong, my legs can run up the stairs, my arms can easily open a jar of pickles. I am learning to accept and love my body

I will never look like a model in a bikini and that's okay.

Greetings, Optical Goddess! You mention goals, but maybe you need to think about what exactly your goals are. If your goals are to lose weight, be healthy and strong, then you are doing that--look at how much you have lost already! If your goal is to change your body's basic plan, that's another matter. We don't have a lot of control over that, although of course some changes are possible with exercise. So if one of your goals is to have "perfect" thighs--well, you might not be able to reach that.

I think you're a hero because of the great things you've done with weight loss. Stop picking on yourself! Get back on plan! Lighten up!

Jay

I love it .... and congrats on the 65lbs

Exactly! And neither do the vast majority of other women LOL. But even if they do we are "us" and that is okay too!

If you feel like your thighs are icky-nasty, have you tried lifting weights? There are lots of weight machines at the gym I go to that work the legs and they make a noticeable difference to me. I'm inbetween a pear and an hourglass shape (strange as it is, lol) so I understand where you're coming from. Thighs are rough.

And about being a supermodel in a bikini. Yeah, forget it. Even if you could get yourself to supermodel weight, your legs would still have to be airbrushed and you'd have to use artificial tanning lotion (or use a tanning booth, but those are bad for you). I do pageants and I've got leg airbrushing spray and fake tan cream to make my legs look good. I know that without them my thighs are icky-nasty. Then again, I am a lifeguard so I'm pretty used to being seen in a swimsuit!! Still, most of those girls do not have perfect thighs and the ones that do have obviously been doing a lot of weight lifting.

You've made awesome progress so far so don't stress Be proud of yourself! Sure, last week was bad but it's now Sunday. It's a new week and a new start. Realize that everyone has slip-ups. I used to be waaaaay too hard on myself, too, which is probably what caused my depression/anxiety issues, but through the hard times I went through I realized that there was no point. Not only do I feel better about myself now, but my friends actually like being around me more when I'm not beating myself up constantly. Learn to love yourself and look at your strengths and accomplishments rather than your failures because everyone's got failures but nobody has your strengths.

<3

I can totally relate to what you're feeling. I've dropped 75lbs so far and although I'm a comfy size 10 I still feel large and don't like what I see in the mirror. My thighs were almost 30" around when I started and although they're 'normal' now I see the extra skin and they still look huge to me. I believe that in time my brain will catch up with the physical changes and I'll see myself as I am now. Quit being so hard on yourself. You've done wonderful!!

Yes honey, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Reese Witherspoon has stretch marks and Tyra Banks has cellulite, so even the people we're supposed to want to look like have imperfect bodies. And I guarantee you that you will never find a woman who is perfectly happy with every inch of her skin, which is a very sad fact.

Also, I know when I see an attractive girl (not that I'm checking her out or anything, but you can't help but notice) I never think, "She could be a lot cuter if she lost 10 pounds" or "She might be pretty, but her butt's a little wiggly"! You've worked very hard and come a long way, are at a healthy point in your life, and should know that when people see you they have no reason to be judging your thighs.

even if you got down to 100 lbs you'll never be satisfied. I know, my friends hate me all the time because I shop for sizes like 0, and my "fat pants" are sizes 2 or 3. I don't like to think about sizes because it makes me feel like I should always be thinner. That's why I worry about health. Even the slightest bit exercise will improve the way you LOOK and FEEL (most importantly) about yourself. So don't worry about unreal expectations; just do what you need to do to make yourself feel great. Besides, swimsuit models are airbrushed, and celebrities are larger than they really are in paparazzi photos because any picture taken fom an elevated angle by a high quality lens-zlr camera does that.

Funny I should read this today. I have been feeling the same way even though I know that I look and feel great. Somehow though even after trying on all my shorts this morning (switching out wardrobes)...the ones I couldnt wear for the last 2 summers, and they all fit, I couldnt help think "they should be looser." Silly Junebug.

Just exercise and keep doing whatever you are doing! look how far you've come!!! I bet you look FABULOUS!!

Thank you to all who replied to my worry/question. I am not doing that much better today, but it's more so part of being bipolar, so I'm just trying to seperate what I see vrs. what's really there.

To give an idea of what i look like :
Height: five seven
weight: 160 ?
thighs: 25 inches around each
waist: 30
hips: 41
bust: 40

What do I want: Prefferably to weigh what my liscence says, or less: 148, the last time this happenned: 2003

My issue w/ my thighs: They just seem to be huge. I believe this is probably more of a body image issue.

Well, I am doing better, slowly but surely. I'm forcing myself to the Y today. If anything, it'll distract me from being me for awhile.

PS...my ultimate goal currentlly is to be able to sit on a chair with out grabbing something to cover my stomach up. It could be much worse, but to me it looks like I am either pregnant or slightly inflated.

I am also 5'7"

I don't think your thighs are huge at all. My thighs were 26" inches when I started my weight loss journey (well, my left thigh was 27"). Now, at 130 lbs, they are 20" each.

When I weighed 160 lbs, my thighs measured 23". (I have measurements saved in an excel spreadsheet). Interestingly enough, my thighs might have been smaller than yours at 160 lbs, but your waist is MUCH smaller than mine was - my waist was 33 inches at 160

I definitely do not think your thighs sound too big, keep going!

How big your thighs are or aren't has nothing to do with anything except how big your thighs are or aren't. They don't signify your worth, or lack thereof, as a person.

Besides, some men like big thighs. :-)

Check out Beyonce or Serena Williams to see that even (hot) celebrities have big thighs: