Do you still feel fat?

[LittleLinda]

I was trying to imagine what it would feel like to be slim, and then it hit me. What I still think and FEEL fat after I've lost all this weight??

So, I was wondering, you folks who have lost all, or most, of your weight. Do you still think and feel like a fat person? Does your mindset change along with your measurements, or do you still struggle with fat feelings?

I think weight loss is more than just losing weight. I'm starting to wonder if it's as much of a psychological change as a lifestyle change.

[Whatsername]

Re: Do you still feel fat?

At times, yes I do. I am not at goal yet but have lost enough weight to go down a few sizes. When I go shopping, I still want to take a bigger size off the rack. When I do take the right size, I am doubtful that it will fit. Due to my budget, I can't go out and buy all new clothes as I lose weight. So, I am often stuck wearing older clothes that are too big. Even though they are big, I feel fat. I definitely feel better wearing newer clothes that actually fit me.

It is definitely very psychological for me. I will say my self confidence has improved a lot as I have lost weight. I have been happier overall. For the most part, I have felt better. But I do still have those moments of being insecure and feeling fat. After feeling that way for so long, I realize it isn't going to go away overnight. Losing weight is a changing process in so many ways.

Jane

[PeteinVA]

Re: Do you still feel fat?

Sometimes I feel REALLY fat, other times totally lean & fit. Go figure

I'm fascinated by the psychology of it all really. I do have a few more pounds to go to reach my initial goal but know I'm gonna want to up the ante once I'm there. At a certain time in my life I was 25 pounds less than I am now (145 pounds) and I was a RAIL and still felt fat (but not as much!)

Thanks for the post, again I'm very interested in this subject.

[chinadoll]

Re: Do you still feel fat?

Well, I have lost 65 pounds but I am still fat. But I don't feel fat some days. I am thin in my dreams and although fat I am very fit even now.I exercise regularly and feel healthy. I think that has a lot to do with how I feel about myself, maybe even more than the mirror or the scale. But if you ask me tomorrow I might give a different answer.

[barrnone]

Re: Do you still feel fat?

I've only lost 20, but there are days, I actually feel thin. I think because I've lost a lot of my stomach, I just feel better. I haven't even gone down a size yet.

But, then other days - I feel fat as ever.

[sham]

Re: Do you still feel fat?

I have lost around 106lbs and have transformed totally in size and looks.I have gone down many sizes and sometimes I feel slim and proud but when I get compliments like "wow look at you your so skinny", "wow look at your thin hands" stuff like that Im not used to it or have never been called slim before so I dont feel comfortable and at that point I think no Im not skinny and find it strange people see me to be slimmer than I see myself.

[liv]

Re: Do you still feel fat?

I think it is psychological for some us for sure. It is about liking who we are and have realistic expectations to ourselves. I know I go back and forth on this a lot. Some times I think it is great that I have lost this weight and am keeping it off and then I have moments where I am very dissatisfied with where I am at. - and yes this latter feeling is silly because there is not that much I can do to change who I am. I should like who I am. So many pressures out there about image and look and we do internalize those for sure.

[somethings gotta give]

Re: Do you still feel fat?

The funny thing is that even when I was at my highest weight I was totally in denial that is until I looked in the mirror and believe you me that was not very often. Right now I am very self-conscious of my weight since everyone seems to notice and comment on it. I have always seen myself this way and was forever recalling the good old days, you know when I used to rollerblade, waterski, snow ski and when I was a cheerleader I keep forgetting that the people I know now never knew me then. so to me the biggest thing that has changed is that I know have a healthy body to go with my healthy mind...

[niko772]

Re: Do you still feel fat?

I have been a size 26, a size 6 and currently a 16. Needless to say, my weight has bounced around my entire life...and I can count the number of times I felt thin on one hand. DH says he can see a massive difference, the scale says I've lost the equivalent of my 12 yr old, but I look in the mirror and still see the same old roly-poly person as always.

[jake1970]

Re: Do you still feel fat?

hi
i still feel fat and catch a glimpse of my self in a window etc and still see myself as fat ,i was 21 stone and am now 16 stone ,people comment on how much ive lost even in the last month since ive started atkins but i dont really see it myself ,i havnt really got loads of weight left to reach my goal about another 8lb so perhaps ill always feel big

[not2late]

Re: Do you still feel fat?

I was trying to imagine what it would feel like to be slim, and then it hit me. What I still think and FEEL fat after I've lost all this weight??

So, I was wondering, you folks who have lost all, or most, of your weight. Do you still think and feel like a fat person? Does your mindset change along with your measurements, or do you still struggle with fat feelings?

I think weight loss is more than just losing weight. I'm starting to wonder if it's as much of a psychological change as a lifestyle change.

Sometimes I do feel fat, sometimes I don't.

When I can do stuff I wasn't able to do at my heaviest, like sit in the middle seat of a train or plane----and have "plenty" of room, I don't feel fat.

But there are times, when I get the feeling that I haven't lost any weight because I still look the same. That is when I do my reality checks---like put on my pre-Atkins clothes and see how they look like on me.

But I've found that I HAVE to think like I'm still fat/losing weight, when I go to parties. If not, I find myself thinking "go ahead and take a larger portion of that food, you can afford it now." The reality is, I can't afford it.

[saoirse]

Re: Do you still feel fat?

I have lost 108 pounds so far and am still surprised when I look in the mirror or see a reflection of myself. It's hard to believe it's me looking back, though I too was in denial about how big I was. Definitely a psychological switch. The complements are great but I too almost instinctively reach for bigger clothes. That is changing slowly so one day it really will be me and not that other much bigger person looking out.

[rosie321]

Re: Do you still feel fat?

I feel fat very often actually. Self-perception is crazy, isn't it? When I was a size 28 I thought that a size 6 was teeny tiny. Having reached that size now though, I still feel too big. In fact sometimes I think I'm even more self-conscious now because I feel like there's more attention placed on me physically. It's weird though, I find that when I look in the mirror I'm dissatisfied but when I look at pictures of myself I'm happy with what I see.

[jmzieg82]

Re: Do you still feel fat?

A couple years ago I lost 100lbs on Atkins - went from a size 24 to a comfortable 12 and still felt horrible about myself. Despite constant compliments, I still felt too fat. I made the mistake of letting it get to me... if I was still going to be "fat" then I might as well eat whatever I wanted.

There's a disorder out there call body dysmorphia or something where what you see in the mirror doesn't match reality. I remember hearing that it takes about a year for your brain to catch up with your new body.