For those who have achieved your goal weight or who have lost a lot of weight, do the image of your "fat self" ever go away once you lose the weight?
I have never been thin or very fit, so its hard for me to imagine being thin....
Any comments?

I have lost 40 lbs and I am seeing myself as a thinner person.

I can sit in a strangers dinning room chair and not fear it breaking or sticking to my butt when I get up.

A regular sized bath towel fit my arounf my whole body. I had used bath sheets so long I had no idea.

I can take 24 flight of stairs in an emergency with out dying or becoming ill.

I know I don't look good as Tami or Halle Berry but I also don't work out 5 hours a day, have a plastic surgeron, personal trainer, hair stylist, and make up artist. So I don't stress about measuring up.

From my experience.. the picture of myself being a lil fat girl has never gone away. when i lost 25 pounds i thought i was so fat it was unreal yet i was fitting into a size 2.. now ive gained back weight and i wear a 4 or 5 and i cant believe i ever thought i was fat.. im not fat now but i cant believe the size i was before.. i WILL get back to it one day and i wont complain.. but no matter what i cant get fat me out of my head.... i think its holding me back quite a bit too :( hellllp

I still have some negative stuff going on as well, even after losing over 200lbs. I don't see myself as "horrible" or anything, but I also don't see myself in a positive image either. I constantly see what needs to be changed, fixed, tightened, etc. I'm never at "peace" with my body and that's something I need to work on because for better or worse, it's mine and I need to be able to appreciate it.

Donna

This is a post that could go deep into my last 30 years of being blind to my image, how best could I explain, IE well if I woke up and stayed in bed for a short time my brain or thinking process never viewed myself as fat and grossly overweight, yet when I got up and tried to do certain activities in an average day I got sharp reminders of my limitations, but even then I never really let such a message get through, driving the car etc my inner thoughts never sent me signals of my true size, yes if I passed a shop window and caught my reflection it sunk home and I did mostly avoid mirrors, so you could say I was blanking out mentally how fat I was, coupled with an attitude and confidence that did not normally belong to a fat person I went through life content , that changed however in my mid forties when the shape changed due to getting older and more and more I viewed my true image and also mentally it registered.
So I was the opposite and was fat but thought myself as average,
So when I get to a level of size ,image health and fitness that I believe is very acceptable for a 51 year old, ? I will learn to be content, it would be a crime to myself to chase rainbows and what should have been, the prime physique years are gone, so I aim for now making the best job that I can,
Now maintaining will never be easy it will be lifelong and now a huge mirror dominates my den/room.

We dont have to be no film star just be happy and content and I wish everyone luck in finding the path.

Acey

getnfit@@38 Donna on reading your above post, and in looking at your stats ,am I correct in assuming 160 lbs is the lowest you have ever been in your adult life if so and with a total of 215 lbs dumped through hard work, lots of great sacrifice and this is not even counting all the working out and specific exercise you do, then be positive there ain't a mirror or reflection in this world that would not scream out
" Wahl look at what I have achieved " I understand that in your childhood food was so natural in type and quantities, but those were not your choices , but since I found D/T Your journey exemplifies what can be achieved ,
I know you are still working to wards a final goal and you will make it, but you are 95% there already, ? don't confuse the fear of reversing with the success you already have, I hope I am not speaking out of turn for my intentions are well meaning,
We all will battle daily and we must remember to constantly focus on our lifestyle changes, conquer our fear of gaining but we all at the same time some day come to terms with the fact that we have arrived.

Acey

Thank you Acey, your post really means a lot at this moment, I'm having a really difficult time emotionally right now which is probably why I can't get it together to tell you how much your post really touched me.
Thank you so much, and I will try to remember how far I've come and how much I've accomplished. :hug:

Donna

what we need to realize is that the person on the street doens't know us. They don't know where we been and where we are going.

A lot of people still call me fat at ( 204lbs) . THat is ok with me ( I was there when I wieghed 244lbs). So I dance a jig at this 204 with a pleasure. But I know it is a practice jig because when I get to 160 or lower I will dance all of river dance. Those people calling me fat now just ain't hip to the plan.

You got to except what you have done and look at that. then keep with it and when you lose more except that. do not keep looking back. go forward and keep moving forward and respect what you have done. i have seen some large wt losses here. that is great be happy for that and go on. this is just my opinion. i take it one day at a time.. if i gain i figured hey this next day is a new one go for it... its helped me this thinking. LaDean:)