When did you stop seeing yourself as fat???

Over the weekend I hit the 75 pounds lost mark. Yippee! Right? Well, not exactly. Here's my dilemma:

Evidence: My scale doesn't lie. I have lost a total of 77 lbs. The tape measure tells me how many inches I've lost in various places. I have gone from a size 26 to a size 20 (even able to do up an 18 easily but not comfortably). People comment on my weight loss. I move about much more easily. I'm less clumsy and don't bump into things like I did before. All the clothes I bought that were too big now fit me. I've purged my closet of everything that's too big.

The problem: I'm still HUGE!! This is especially evident when I look at myself naked. I see every single bulge that I did 77 pounds ago. Nothing looks different. It's a little better with clothes on but naked... I look like I need a couple more WLS procedures done.

My questions then are:

1. When (either what weight/size/pounds lost) were you finally able to see your weight loss?

2. If I'm this fat now, exactly how fat was I  77 pounds ago? (I'm so embarrassed by how fat I must have been.)

Anyone else go through this?

Thea

I struggle to this day at almost 6 years out. Some of us see it, some of us don't I guess. I'm still one of those terrible people who constantly compares herself to others and is never happy with herself despite the loss.  My husband always says that I am far more critical of myself now than I ever was at 290 lbs. It's weird the games that the mind can play.

Keep your biggest pair of pants. I need them on my "fat head" days. =0

Dawn

Im not even close to that yet. I sometimes still cant see the weight that I've lost. Today is a good example of that. When I left the gym, I passed by a mirror and I thought I looked as big as I did a year ago.

I kept a "fat shirt" and every once in a while I'll put it on just to remember how far I've come.
I think the head is the last thing to change with this whole process.

I often suggest people write a journal of memories of how they felt when they were larger, it's  so easy to forget where we came from.

I can't imagine being 135 pounds heavier!

I  notice it most with a close family member. I used to be much larger than she was and now she looks incredibly big to me. Then I think," omg how big was I ?"  I have acouple of pics on my fridge, and every now and then someone in the house will say, "I can't believe that was you." - I can't either.

I don't want to go back there.

I've been able to lose and maintain a 57 lb weight loss for 5 + years now.  Now, keep in mind, I'm still fat, but when I look in a mirror I still don't see the loss.  I know that extra 57 is gone, the scales say so, my clothes say so....I just can't actually see it!

I truly believe this is the most difficult part of the entire process.  I know back when I was a size 18 I thought I was fat, back when I was in grade 6 and taller than everyone else I thought I was fat.  I have been fat in my head all my life.  I simply fullfilled the brain thoughts by becoming morbidly obese.  I have (as all of us have) lost myself many times over only to regain.  So even if I was close to normal I still thought I was fat.

Most of us will always have the remenants to show we were in fact fat, loose skin in various places, however will we ever think we are not fat I know I do not know as I am only 2 months out and I am still fat....LOL

Good question, I will be watching the responses from those who are in fact no longer physically fat.

 This might sound odd, but I see it kind of but it still doesn't commute.  
Its hard to explain, logically I know I am down 105lbs but my mind plays tricks sometimes. 
My mind keeps telling me that this is temporary and I will be fat again. 
I am doing everything for that not to happen but our minds are a complex thing.

Char

 I had my surgery almost two years ago now and I still every day struggle with body image. I went from a side 24 down to a 10/12 and still view myself as fat. I k ow that there are a lot of positives from my choice and that I am much healthier now that I have been in years, however I can't get passed the image. Saggy skin and all naked stresses me out.

 Started as a size 24/26...currently a size 10 and headed for an 8. Total loss to date is 157 pounds. When I stop feeling fat, I will let you know.  

Last week I bought a pair of lounge pants to wear at the cottage. I picked a medium off the rack and paid for them without trying them on, I figured I would just bring them back if they didn't fit. 

That night I went and tried them on, they fit. I looked in the mirror at least a dozen times trying to convincing myself that they indeed did fit and that I wasn't that fat girl I was looking at in the mirror.

I went and sat on the bed and started the "self talk" with myself. I had to tell myself that I am a size 10 and that I have lost 106 lbs. It wasn't until I did the "fashion show" for my hubby that I believed what I was seeing. In some way I needed affirmation from someone before my mind would believe was I was seeing. 

Its doesn't matter what situation I'm in I aways feel like the biggest person in the room. I'm 9 month post op. I seem to have to do a lot of self talk to get myself in sync lol

Ann