So so sooooooo frustrated!

[TurkeyBurgerThing]

Well I posted a few weeks back saying that despite losing 3 stone in the last year I am frustratingly wearing the same clothes and think I'm the same size (about a 16/18) I didn't take measurements before but I have now and they are 38, 29, 41. (I am 5'9)

The thing is, the last time I was this size and weight before DS2 I felt great. I also looked alot better.

I don't understand why I look in the mirror and still see the exact same body I had when I was 3 stone heavier! I'm not satisfied or happy with my weight loss at all. I still feel as podgy as I did a year ago.

I can't work out if it's down to just being where I was when I got pregnant last time (I still hadn't lost all the weight I had wanted to) Or if my body is just a completely different shape?

Does anyone else have this problem? I want to lose another stone to stone and a half and I desperately hope to feel differently by then but now I have reached a horrid plateau and I've shifted twat all for the last month.

Do you exercise? Muscle tone (or lack of it) can make a huge difference to your body shape. Muscle is heavier than fat, so you can technically weigh more but be smaller if you have more muscle and less fat. It seems almost like an MN cliche, but I'd really recommend the 30 Day Shred DVD to change your body shape and increase your fitness, if you think that would help. It's only 20 minutes a day but it really works.

Do the shred DVD.

I got down to the weight I was when I got married, but post children I looked totally different and saggy. I realised after the first week of doing shred that I had not engaged my stomach muscles for the last four years, as I went down a skirt size in about six days without changing my weight.

I have actually got it and have intended to start once again DD starts Nursery in a few weeks. I gave up after a while last year because I didn't really feel it did anything for me.

I do a fair bit of normal exercise like dog walking and I do alot of horse riding too but nothing on top of that.

It's just so frustrating that my brain doesn't seem to want to acknowledge my body has lost a fair bit of weight!

If you're 5'9" with a 38 chest and 29 waist, you SHOULD be able to fit into meaner shops' size 14s and more genrous shops' size 12s. I have a 39" bust and a 30" waist and my hobbs size 14 tailored dress is baggy. How old are your clothes? Are they from a less generously-sized era? Could they have shrunk? are you kidding yourself that they still fit even though they could be v baggy? Around the stableyard I wore jods and baggy shirts all the time - I could have been ANY size underneath.

Go wild - have a day trying stuff on in shops and amaze yourself! If you don't believe me, have a look at the sizing matrices on the John Lewis website or something.

either you're in denial, have body dysmorphia, haven't accurately measured yourself or your scales are lying.

Oh nooooo. There's just no way in anybodies imagination I'm anywhere near a size 12! You know a sausage dog? Well I'm almost the human equal of that. I get all my height from my back which is long (and why I have a narrow waist and underboob bit. My legs are normal/short so when you look at them naked they very much look like they could belong on a size 20 body!! A Size 16 fits well I could never squeeze my arse into a 14 I don't think?

I know my scales are ok and I'm sure my measurements are too...I have just remembered that I did have them taken a while back (I'm a bridesmaid twice this year hence the drastic need to slim down a bit!) and now I have to go and get them taken again so the lady can start on the dress. Hopefully she'll still have the old ones and I can can then see exactly what's been going on! That won't be for a few weeks though.

I think you need to do some more / different exercise - more intense than dog walking - ie something that really pushes you. Chances are your body is a totally different shape despite weight being the same - probably less muscle mass.