Help! My Body Looked Better When I Was Fat! Could MORE Exercise Help?

Hello and Blessings,

I have a major issue that I've pretty much kept to myself for a good while now. It concerns my sabataging my own weight-loss efforts due to my appearance - having loose skin and stretchmarks! I'm proud of getting healthier thru having had wls, and by following my doctor's diet and exercising program. However, I'm embarrassed by how my body looks on the outside! If my body looks the way it does now after a 150 lbs weight loss, how is it going to look minus the remaining extra 75 lbs! Exercise has done all it's going to do for my skin! I've been using a whole host of creams, lotions, and potions to fade the stretchmarks. Unfortunately there hasn't been much improvement! I tell myself that looks really don't matter but now that I'm at a more socially acceptable weight and look pretty good in my clothes, men notice me and at times even approach me for my number! I'm so insecure about my body that I run in the opposite direction! Sometimes even literally!

So lately I've been journaling and I had a real "Come to Jesus Meeting" with myself! I've been subconsciously sabotaging my efforts to lose the remaining 75 lbs that I need to lose but blaming my inability to reach my goal on everything else! I hope this doesn't sound too vain! I never thought I'd care so much about something like this but my "fat" body actually "looked" better then my smaller body is turning out to look like! Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of having plastic surgery at this point! Any supportive words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated? I just need to gain some perspective!

Thanks!
Cheryl G.

I know what you mean about how your body looks, I am not at all happy with how mine looks either, because of the saggy skin, I still wear clothes too large for me so that it covers up those rolls and bumps.

With time you may see some recovery, but really the only cure for the big time skin issue is plastic surgery.  Barring that compression clothing can help smoothe out some of the wrinkles, but that doesn't help much when you are wearing minimal clothing such as shorts or swim wear or intimate apparel.  With some muscle and toning gains, you may carry your weight loss better, but if you have excessive skin (whatever that is it's an individual perspective) surgery seems to be the only absolute fix for the issue.

I don't think it's abnormal to think about the problem, you have done a lot of great work to get yourself healthy, but part of that process is to feel good about yourself.  When you feel good about yourself and yes your appearance is part of that, you are going to be more likely to continue down the productive path.

I'm sorry you are having such a hard time with it, but be assured there are others out there going through the same thing and who are available to give you encouragement and support.

Scott

Thanks Scott! 

I really appreciate your wonderful words of encouragement and your much needed support!  I never really stopped to think that maybe guys had similar feelings about this subject!  So, thanks for being so candid!  I guess I should start saving up for plastics! 

Blessings,
Cheryl G.

omg!!!!!  I am so glad you posted!  I began feeling like a real freak!!  I too feel the exact same way!   So with that said,  I am following the words of my Dear Sweet 88 year old mother!!!  "Get the weight off, follow the rules, yes exercise and once you have that all in place, then take the next steps needed to feel better!!!  One step at a time!!"

LOL I am doing that and just staying away from the mirrors!!!

Good luck!!

I totally understand - Im look like a hot mess after almost 150lb loss, with another 100 or so to go, it gets real depressing.

But, I distract myself from those thoughts whenever I feel some muscles in my arms/legs that were never there before, and I realize I need to stop being so down on myself. I cant really say I looked better fat, but i definitely cant wait to cut some of this skin off!!

It's definitely disconcerting to lose a bunch of weight, workout like crazy, and not have a hawt body. And I know I look at my loose skin in the mirror and sometimes think I look worse than when I was fat.

But then I look at pictures of myself when I was at my largest and it's pretty clear that I don't look worse, especially with clothes on. I bet you don't look worse either. (I've never met anyone *****ally did look worse.)

However, I am definitely saving up for plastic surgery. It may take a while but I comfort myself with that thought whenever the loose skin gets to me.