Lost 5 stone but still struggling to feel slim at size 12

[Fiddlesticks1]

Anyone else feel like me. I’ve lost 5 stone on mounjaro but I still feel fat even though I’m size 12. I can sort of understand anorexia now as I don’t feel size 12 and it’s only when I look in the mirror that I see myself thinner.

Yeah, it's a bit hard to explain in a few sentences but I've been bigger and smaller and a lot of it is to do with body composition and also your brain not recognising the changes.

When you lose scale weight, you lose muscle and fat, so you do need to add in the exercise to protect your muscle mass.

So the reason a lot of people want to be the same weight as when they were younger, get there but aren't the same size as they were then is that muscle density is at its highest when younger and then disappointment sets in and that's not good for maintaining.

I think the issue here tho is disappointment and the other reason to suggest gentle (or even some more high intensity) exercise is to get to love what you can do with your body and let your brain be happy with the new shape and scale weight.

Sorry to be ‘that’ person, but have you put the data into AI if you feel comfortable doing so? I’ve found it really useful for breaking down all the various stats I have between my fitness watch and gym machines.

@ohtobethin you don’t even need to use an AI, just do an internet search for women’s body composition and you’ll find loads of explanations. Bear in mind that the machines you get in gyms will be inaccurate and use algorithms to estimate. The only way of really knowing your body composition is to have a Dexa body scan.

🤣

My BMI is in the normal range (higher end but normal) and I”m size 14 in jeans, 16 on top (sometimes an 18 depending on brand/fit).

Sure, currently I'm 5ft 3 bmi 22 weigh 8st 11lbs and my body fat ratio is currently 28%, subcutaneous fat (fat under skin) is 26.5% and muscle is 38%.
My muscle started off at 44% 6 weeks into my journey at 12st so I have lost some muscle, but not a scary amount, my body fat was 43.5% and subcutaneous fat was 39%. if you look at the ratio, ive lost a lot more fat than muscle, which is what you want.
My friends muscle was around mid 20s few months after we started losing, her fat was over 50% and we started in the same month. I weighed 10lbs more than my friend starting off but had less fat and more muscle.
I checked my app at 10st 7lbs my muscle was 40% my body fat was 36%. Basically you want as high muscle mass as possible as it makes you look leaner and burns more calories allowing you to maintain at a higher deficit and feel stronger. For women it's recommended to have around 20-30% body fat to produce hormones for a healthy menstrual cycle and fertility.
Look into your waist v height ratio too as that is important. It should be less than 0.5.

No it's not! What are you talking about??

To be overweight at 59kg a woman would have to be 5 foot tall or under. You surely know that most women are well over 5ft tall?!

I promise you it isn’t.

I've lost nearly 3 stone just by eating less over a few years, the worst thing is the loose skin so although I am 2 to 3 sizes smaller, I don't like the way my body looks. When I was this size many years ago my body was tight now it's floppy! It is getting gradually better. But I do also feel much more healthy and my back and hips feel less likely to give up on me.

Size 12 is definitely slimmer than size 20, and depending how tall you are it might be considered slim, I was pretty slim at a size 10 as a teenager (mind you sizes were smaller then too). My DD isn't really slim at a size 8 although she isn't very tall and I would say she is a very healthy weight. All things are relative.

Very much doubt that, I'm not very tall and at size 12 I'm in the middle of the healthy BMI range.

I get what you are getting at OP. When I was larger, 3.5 stone lost in all, I’d look in my mirror and think I looked ok, then I’d catch myself walking past a shop and see the window reflection, or someone would take a photo and I’d be horrified. Now I see the same size person in my mirror as I always did, but now I get a pleasant surprise when I’m caught in a random mirror or photo. The mind definitely does play tricks.

Absolutely this. And if you’ve had a poor relationship with food, especially with binging, you can feel ‘fat’ just because you are full! For those of us who have struggled with over and under eating, just having a normal appetite or indulging in a treat can make us see something very different in the mirror than in a day when we have had less to eat.
It can be a real struggle to try and see a truthful reflection of yourself.

Well done. I’m in my low 70s( age) and I’m fitter than I have been for too many years to remember. Yes I have saggy skin in places which I absolutely hate but on the whole am amazed at how I now look. It is funny how you can still see yourself as being over weight and honestly to the poster who says size 12 is overweight all I can say is thank goodness you are not my friend being so judgemental. Those who questioned my comment on anorexia let me clarify- this was based on programmes and articles I have read where anorexic people have stated that when they look in the mirror they see themselves as fat. Not for one minute am I trying to compare myself to them.