Lost all this weight and feel I look bigger than ever. Photo included

[MissAdvantage]

I know I probably need to get outside of my head and I also know that precisely nobody is giving me a second glance but my husband took this photo of me earlier on holiday and I recoiled a bit.

I’ve lost over 5 and a half stone and I’ve maintained at this weight ever since. I’m 9 and a half stone

maybe it’s because it’s the first time I’ve seen a photo of myself in a swimming costume but I was really quite shocked at how flabby I look. I can’t expect miracles as I’m in my 50s but ugh - I think I expected 9 and a half stone to somehow look slim? I look fine fully clothed. I’m a size 10. I just wanted to look better!

anyone else struggling a bit with a newer body and still seeing a lot of faults or just me?

I’ve attached a photo but it’s currently under review. Maybe it’ll be considered indecent?!! 😅

Don’t lose heart - losing the weight will show more in 3-D and photos are often dreadfully unflattering (you’re comparing yourself with people who post online only their best posed and edited photos taken carefully at good angles).

the photo hasn’t appeared yet but I would say if you’ve lost that much weight, there might be spare skin rather than flab - as you age it doesn’t shrink I remember someone saying.

Do you do weights at home/ gym? You could target a few areas and see if it helps.

I haven’t lost weight but I’m seeing the difference in my arms and shoulders from doing a lot of arms-only front crawl at a slow pace, mixed in with fast lengths.

I think you look great. Not for a 20 year old, but you aren’t 20! For that sort of loss you have been really lucky I think with the resultant skin quality/sagging dangers.

well done - enjoy that you can days around in a swim suit looking svelte now !

Photo has appeared you look GREAT truly. Your tummy is really flat and legs are perfect. I think it’s just your upper arms you’re probably focusing on (we are all our own worst critics) - and you could definitely work on that.

Clearly losing 5+ stone wasn’t also going to make you 25 again but for a mature lady that silhouette looks really good.

You do look slim!
Do you go to the gym? I am now half a stone heavier than I was in my 20s (thanks Mounjaro) but my body looks better (with clothes on) as I workout now and have muscle. It might give you the shape you're desiring.

I think you look great. Slim and even toned.

Yes! That’s it! My upper arms. They are pretty big. I’m also blessed with some weird large ribcage which was never apparent before and I just look so unlike how I expected to look

like I said, fine in my usual jeans and t shirt. Not so fine in a swimming costume

I don’t do any exercise bar walking 10k steps or so a day. I’m not unfit I don’t think - pretty agile really considering! But I have zero strength and know it’s crucial I now start lifting some weights

You look absolutely great, Enjoy your wonderful body and your achievements of a healthier you.

You look slim and a healthy weight. Don’t over analyse the photo and look for imperfections, I promise that in real life when you’re moving and animated, you’ll look much better than the one still shot captured in a pic.
Well done on your weight loss!

You look great! You could get a better shaped swimsuit to lift boob's and suck bits in, but you have to wrestle those things on and I don't think I could be bothered. Honestly you're being too critical of yourself.

Honestly you look great, better than me at 37 (just started WLI). Be kinder to yourself! You look amazing!

You have great legs!

OP you do look slim and fit in that picture. Congrats on a great weight loss

PP has a point about the swimwear, mind. Boden have some lovely swimsuits often in sale which give a flattering shape. OP try a swimsuit with a halter neck, under bust seam and with a geometric pattern. You’ll look sensational

You’re all right. Thank you. I’m focussing on the faults and my eyes zoom in on my upper arms and tops of my legs

i think it’s all about body composition too. I started WLI in April 2024 so was quite early to the game and I’d reached target by December 2024. I take a maintenance dose now. I spent all of 2025 just thinking ‘ I’m a size 10 now in everything!’ And I didn’t consider lifting weights

I’m now aware that 2026 perhaps needs to be a year of gaining strength - it’s important as you age and it’s probably what I’d say to anyone starting ou now- you really do lose muscle mass if you don’t protect it

@Holymolyrigmorole yes the swimsuit isn’t great for my chest i agree! I’m only small up top but have a wide back / rib cage and am a bit .. saggy so perhaps this is the wrong choice of style for me? Halter neck is a great idea

How old are you OP? I need to lose that much but am worried about skin.

You look fine.
I have lost 8 stone and my legs look much the same.
It is so much better than they used to look so I can easily live with this.
Nothing is going to ping back when you are 50 plus. I think everything dropped post menopause for me.

I’m your age and similar shape. I’ve started going to a few classes and trying to lift weights. Not a lot!! And it does make a difference. Not to weight but to shape. Although after a LBT class yesterday I hurt all over - my fault for missing a few.

PS you look great!

Yes I’m broad backed and halter neck is so flattering. I also feel it balances out the width of the top of my arms. I have this one in green and feel like a 50s film star in it (and I’m a generous size 16)

(may be a delay for image to upload)

I used to be 55kg, running three times a week and lifting weights - I still recoiled at photos of myself in swimwear!

You look great, start working out if you want because muscle strength and bone strength are really important as you get older.

@ShrimpBoilim 54 so there’s limits to what can be achieved really! I was 15 stone and I’ve dieted a lot over the years. Didn’t stop me wanting to ‘bounce back’ but an impossibility at this age.

the loose skin isn’t catastrophic - but you can see it on my bottom and my arms are particularly bad

i also told myself that fretting about loose skin when I was losing weight was a form of self sabotage so I never really thought too deeply about it

it’s just when I was confronted with the reality in a photo at 11am this morning! (Currently on hols and 4 hours ahead!)

Remember a camera adds 5 to 10 pounds to a photo so you look as if you’re 9st 12 or 10 st 3 which you’re not.
You look so slim (I’m seriously envious of your tum and jaw line). There’s absolutely nothing wrong with your arms.
Well done on the weight loss. I’d love to be a size 10.
Not having posed facing the camera suggests your DH took it because he’s proud of you and proving a point about how good you look. Take the compliment.

That’s wasn’t the photo I was expecting- you look great ! You could always get a slightly more structured type swimsuit if you were really worried - I think honestly swimming costumes are just not good for most people but you look really good!