Phantom fat syndrome

[howmanydaystillxmas]

It's taken me a long time to realise this is what I have.

I've lost nearly 50 pounds but when I look in the mirror I still see the same fat woman I was 2 years ago. I can't seem to accept the new me.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Yeah. I have lost 42 pounds but feel I look the same. I know I don’t because people have commented and my measurements have decreased but I can’t seem to see it myself. I think I look large still and I remember thinking that before so in my head it’s as if I am the same.

I lost 2 stone - from 13.5 to 11.5. I don't think I feel or look that different to be honest, though my clothes fit a little better.

Perhaps in the medium and upper weight ranges it doesn't make such a big difference? If I were to get down to say 10 stone, I might look more different?

The thing is, it probably is visible but once you have become used to being overweight it’s hard to change how you view yourself. One thing that helps me is looking at before and after pictures because there I can see some difference but it doesn’t translate to seeing it when I walk past the mirror.

To me that looks quite drammatic change Shedtheload, but you have dropped quite a few dress sizes. Perhaps you are also right that you get used to viewing yourself in a certain way. I always get "large" jumpers, am size 16 etc etc. Now when they are a bit too big I feel genuinely confused! A size 14 seems weird to me somehow ...

All the time. I had weight loss surgery and lost fourteen stone. I still don’t recognise what I actually look like.

@shedtheload you look amazing!

Anyone else feel quite miserable about it? I thought after losing the weight I would feel ecstatic. I just feel disappointed now.

hmm ... I was thinking about this thread this morning. I was trying on some jumpers as weather getting colder. A couple of them were hanging off me, and it wasn't a 'good' grungy look either. So possibly I am underestimating how much I've lost - 2 stone is quite alot really.

The thing is none of this stuff is really "life changing" - unless perhaps its on a medical basis if you are very overweight. You just look slimmer, maybe healthier (though not necessarily - extreme weight loss and poor diets can make people look ill/ gaunt), your clothes fit, hopefully there is a feeling of more self-control, and um, thats it really. After all that, quality of life is not affected in reality that much whether are a size 12 or 16.

Is that what you mean OP, or something else? 50 lbs is quite alot to lose ...

But I know what you mean about not feeling "ecstatic".

Sometimes mildly pleased. Other times, more puzzled.

I feel the same, changing my exercise routine helped a bit. I know I’m using 10kg weights instead of 2Kg ones, so it’s a noticeable and tangible difference.

My friend calls it reality lag. It took my brain a while to catch up to my body.

Me!

I lost 8 stone and 5 years later I still feel like I'm 18 stone. I look like I'm 18 stone when I look in the mirror. I don't recognise myself in photos and when I wear my jeans I hold them up and say "these are never going to fit me", but they do and I'm always amazed.

Thank you @howmanydaystillxmas. I can definitely see the difference when comparing photos. It’s more the mirror. I think part of the issue was also that I avoided mirrors when I was bigger so perhaps I didn’t have an accurate sense of what I looked like then either.

I also totally agree with @PixieBest. Although I definitely feel better at a lighter weight, it’s not like my size was crippling me before so it’s not a huge change in my life. I’m very glad I did it though.