Is it just ME...or do I still feel fat?

Carb-Lean

Carb-Lean

Well-known member
Just putting it out there... I don't need pep talks, just sharing an experience. Maybe someone else can relate and not feel so weird. I'm 5'5" and I've gotten down around 134lbs from a much higher weight. I felt great for a while, like I was finally seeing my body as slim. I'm aiming for 125, but whatever, it's not a huge priority.

But I bounced up to 136. No biggie, happens before my period. But suddenly, I feel HUGE. Like I haven't lost a single pound. If I saw a photo of myself, I'd swear I was back where I started. It's SO not true, though. I'm in size 6 jeans, small shirts... things are objectively smaller. But looking at other women, even ones bigger than me, they look way thinner. I'm not all emotional about it, I had body image issues as a kid, and I'm good at telling myself it's just a trick of the eye. But it's like looking in a mirror and seeing green eyes when everyone swears they're brown. I'm sure when my period hits and I drop those couple of pounds, I'll feel skinny again... until the next time. Thought this would stop when I wasn't heavy anymore. Nope!
 
I can relate! Since I hit my goal weight, it's a trip. My partner says I look great, but I mostly still see the same old me in the mirror. Then sometimes, I catch a glimpse and it's like, whoa, is that really me? It messes with your head. I guess our brains just get stuck on old images and don't update properly.
 
I get it completely. Carrying the extra weight for so long, wardrobe headaches, nonstop negative self-talk about my body - it wears you down hardcore. I've yanked off perfectly good shirts because they made me look terrible, hurled them in anger at myself. What you've accomplished is massive and you deserve to feel genuine pride. The moment's coming when you slip on that dress and it just feels right and incredible. You're gonna make it.
 
I can only speak from a male perspective, but optimizing body composition with peptides might be worth researching. Also explore options for collagen and tissue remodeling. I am not at my goal weight yet, so I don't have a lot of information on many of these things.

Good luck, and don't let external things you can't influence get to you too much.
 
Totally understand what you mean. Being shorter, sometimes it feels like every pound is magnified. I took before and after pics from 134 to 120, and honestly, I barely see a difference, even though I went down two belt sizes! Maybe we just carry the weight differently, or we're too focused on our 'problem' areas. Plus, old habits die hard. Maybe we are holding ourselves to too high of standards!
 
I know this might sound strange, but I'm relieved to hear others are feeling this way. I've dropped 70+ pounds and I still struggle to see it. My wife tells me all the time how different I look, but it doesn't register for me. I'm convinced I have some form of dysmorphia. It only clicks when people comment or when my clothes are suddenly too big. I think because I've been overweight most of my life, my brain is just stuck on that image. I wonder if people who have been heavy for a long time are just stuck with that image? Maybe we have to become gym rats or super skinny for our brains to catch up. I'm not upset, just confused. All I can do is keep tracking calories and lifting weights, and hope my brain eventually gets the memo.
 
Exactly! That's why I posted it; figure if I'm feeling it, others probably are too. And that's why I'm not fighting it. Eating disorders can start from trying to be perfect. If I look fat to myself but know I'm not, I'm just gonna shrug, tell myself it's not real, and not worry about it. That's my plan, anyway.
 
I think the brain will catch up eventually. Thanks for sharing your experiences. It's good to know what to expect. I've been heavy my whole life, and it's been so gradual I couldn't keep up.

I might try spending more time looking at myself in the mirror. It might feel weird at first, but I'm basically dealing with a fat version of phantom limbs 😂
 
That mirror idea sounds like it could help! It's also a good time to think about *why* you're working towards a healthier body. If you can't trust what you see, it can't be just about looks. I'm glad I have a strong reason for wanting to change my health, or I'd have given up by now 😅

GLP-1's just move the timeline; real change comes from sweat and watching what you eat. Perfection doesn't exist, but being happy with yourself is worth chasing 😁
 
I hope it does catch up! It'd be nice to appreciate the work I'm putting in.

Nothing wrong with some mirror time 🤣! Take progress pics! I didn't, because I still don't like how I look, but when I see others post them, it's powerful!
 
Yeah, that fat phantom limb thing is great!

I def have some body dysmorphia going on. I've been fat my whole adult life, and even though I'm objectively not fat now, I still think I am. I'm at a weight I used to dream of, but I still feel fat. It's weird.
 
I've lost over 70 pounds. I'm around 125-128. It's hard to believe I need small or extra-small sizes. I have a special event coming up, and I've had to return and reorder almost everything I bought. I still see myself as the 190+ pound, 5-foot-tall almost-60-year-old I used to be. I've been overweight for maybe 40 of those years.
 
So relatable. I sometimes look at old pictures just to check myself. The 320lb me reappears in the mirror. So I look at those before pics to see how far I've come!
 
Update: period started today! Scale dropped to 134.4 (previous low was 134.6, not rounding up). And now I look slim again in the mirror.

You'd think 134 is my 'slim' weight, but I know better. It used to be 157, then 149, then 143, then 139. My brain is messing with me.
 
PMS does that! Tell your brain to shut up and remember how far you've come. 50lbs is HUGE. Imagine carrying a 50lb bag of rice!

I'm the same height and want to lose 50lb to hit 125. Nothing's worked yet, so remember that people want your success.

Mine started today too! 🥳
 
Started May '23 (186), on tirzepatide in late July (176). I've been lazy since the low 140s. Loss for a week or two, then coasting. Could've been done sooner if I pushed harder, but once I hit 'normal weight', it stopped being a hobby.
 
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