Why do I see the old me ?

Why is it 8 months and 80 lbs lighter I look at pictures and see the same me. I know I have lost weight and I dropped several sizes in clothes. People say I look different but when I look at pictures I see the still heavy me ? I hear, can't you see the difference and sometimes I can but my mind and eyes are trained to my old self. I try to explain to my daughter but it's hard to explain because they have never been in my shoes. When you have been heavy forever my eyes see me differently. I know it will get better the more I lose I still go to the bigger sizes because it has been my life so I'm shocked when I can get into smaller sizes than before I was 30/32 now 20, not small like a lot of people but one day I might get there. Has anyone had the same experiences so I can explain to my daughter that it's not just me?

Your brain sees what it expects to see;  take photos of yourself as you go to see the difference.  Often it isn't until we catch an unguarded glimpse of another person in a shop window or a mirror and don't recognize ourselves that we can re-order our self-image.

I think it is called body dysmorphia and it is not being able to see the real you.  That can be seeing yourself as smaller than you are, or larger than you are.  Think about anorexics that are very underweight and still consider themselves fat.

For me, I always saw myself smaller in the mirror than I really am.  I think that contributed to my denial of where I really was healthwise.  It was only when I saw a picture that I could see just how large I was.

Even now, I do not see myself as smaller in the mirror, but when I see a picture, I almost do not recognize myself.

So yes, some of us do have the same general issue.  

Taking pics hopefully will help.

And sometimes, we just have to fake it till we make it.  That is, trust other people, trust that your sizes are smaller and just keep trying to see the new you.

I have heard many pick up a pair of their new pants and wonder how someone else's clothes got into their house, cause this was way to small.  And then realize, that is the new them.

Best of luck on this journey.

I totally hear you on this. I don't not recognize myself in the mirror, but I automatically think of my weight as starting with a 3, even though it hasn't for several months now. When I look at pictures from a year ago, I am amazed at how my face looked because now my thinner face looks normal to me and my old one looks distorted. 

Take lots of pictures and don't feel bad for looking at yourself in the mirror.  Take the time to get reacquainted with how you look. Your brain will catch up! :D

Jen

Try taking progression pictures.  Once a month, on your surgery date for example, take a photo of yourself.  You can compare the pictures side by side and will be able to see a definite difference.  It's hard to see the changes in our bodies after having looked the same for so many years, but eventually you will be able notice the changes.  

It takes the brain a while to catch up to what's happening. Most of the time we think we are not losing fast but we are actually changing pretty rapidly there in the beginning! 

Give it time. And try to enjoy the little surprises. Congratulations!

I totally get where you are coming from here. This has been a big part of my journey. For a while, I couldn't see the changes. Then, I could see the changes but didn't recognize me as me. Then, I saw a side by side photo and no longer could identify with the old me. It was at that point that I knew that I had beaten it.

I got through it through the photo of the day project. For 30 days running, I took a photo of myself. Dressed, not dressed, looking good, looking ratchet, didn't matter. These were all sides of me. My intention was to post them on my bathroom wall to force myself to look at them but I never got around to getting them printed. I looked at them on my phone instead. it really did help me.

Laurie

Thanks everyone ! I appreciate it. It's a journey.

Wow well congratulations on your 80 pound weight loss I have yet to get to this stage, an i cant wait !!! I wish much continued success 

In my minds eye I was never fat, so losing weight for me was finally a way to make the mental image in my head and my actual image agree.  It is amazing what tricks our brains can play on us.  But I do understand still feeling fat, I still look in the mirror some days and see myself as fat and then I look at my size 4 clothes and think I can't be.  Its mind games, unfortunately I don't know the answer other then change up your look completely so you force a new image in my head.