over this again

Ok I know we have all lost a lot of weight and we all know we look good...but do any of you believe you are "skinny"? Everyone keeps telling me you are so skinny...and then I say skinny I weigh 157 and then they act like they don't believe me...I think I look good for my weight but no shape form or fashion do I believe I am skinny...am I in denial or are people in such shock to see me smaller?

It's not you. I don't think we yet see ourselves as we are. And as they say we may never see it. I am now 185, at about 195 somone had told me they didnt believe I weighed that, that they thought I was about 150 or so. I was "I love you". LOL I've had comment that I was thin, and I'm like yea right. I know I am not thin, not by any means, but somehow I am not as big as I was. DUH LOL I just feel like me, and me inside is/ always was way overweight! So in my mind I still most of the time feel like Im walking around and people are viewing me as a fat person. I catch myself worrying if something will hold me, or if I'll fit through that spot. etc. Even though I know they will, or that I can fit, that I can shop in regular sizes now, it just doesn't quite register. I don't know if you were obese your whole life, but I was from day one, so I do not know any different. I am an obese person. So I may think that way for ever and a day. Yes, I can look in the mirror or look at pics and see the difference, but I don't always feel different. My mother thinks Im too thin. Every time she sees me she says she hopes I dont get anorexic. She says I've lost enough. I still weigh 185, it's not enough yet. LOL And she doesnt have to worry, I LOVE TO EAT and I do, so no chance of anorexia. I think people just are not used to seeing us in this smaller size, so to them we look skinny.

Ok ihave to laugh...when I was talking to my pysch for my eval he asked how long I had been over weight or heavy and I said the day I was born and he kind of rolled his eyes and goes well we know that can't be true, about what age did you start gaining weight...and I replied ...I told you the day I was born I came out 9lbs 13 oz and 22 inches and it never stopped! at 9 my mom put me in gymnastics thinking the extra activity would help...my coach was so small she couldn't spot me by herself for me to do a back handspring she had to have a parent help. By 8th grade I was wearing a size 18. sO YEP...LIKE YOU BEEN BIG MY WHOLE LIFE!!! Even when I wasn't big I still thought I was big....and shopping for regular sizes....my mom finally got tired of listening to me complain about my undies so she went out and bought me several size 6 and I laughed going my big butt is not going to fit in those...I wear an 8 or large ... she goes no you don't you just think you do...guess she was right the 6's fit perfect.

Ah, the baby stories! LOL My mother was told to feed me "real" food as soon as we got home. Not just bottle, but to give me cereal right away. So I was pretty much born with a spoon in my mouth. LOL And... you know mother's are always right! At least in the end. No pun intended. LOL

I had to keep looking at your picture and name to make sure I wasn't reading a post that I wrote! I still feel I look like I'm 180 and when people say you're so skinny I don't see it! Yes, the numbers are down, but I just got into a large shirt so do I feel skinny, no.. I've been staring at my last picture I took (I take one every month to see the difference) of course theres a difference from the beginning, but the last 7 or 8 all seem the same.. I agree about not knowing differently when you've been obese your entire life. Its hard to just change those thoughts over night and wondering if you'll fit through that small space or will you fit in the booth at a restaurant?? I'm with you, I sitll think that way, hopefully one day it will all go away for us.. maybe many years down the road I actually started reading a book called Passing for Thin, its a woman that lost half of her weight and what she went through to get there (she didn't have surgery, she went to OA and lost). Interesting book it deals with the physical and mental differences she goes through before, during and after. I'm at the part in the book where everyone is telling her shes getting to skinny, its great to relate to people who are going through the same thing, which is why our message board is so wonderful , great advice and ideas, plus we've made an outstanding group of new friends!

I have had people tell me I'm looking too thin too. Someone at work even called me "Twiggy". I just tell them they were so used to seeing me so heavy that that's why I look thin to them. I am "thinner"......but by no means "skinny"!!! Laura A.

Someone I saw last night for the first time in a month told me I was looking good. So of course, not used to compliments, I said, "Well, I'm still 21 pounds away from my goal." She looked me over, front and back and said, "I don't know where you plan on losing it from." Of course, because I'm way too critical of myself (and I see myself naked everyday) said, here, here and here. I still can't wrap my head around being in a size 12. I wasn't even in a size 12 when I was 12! And when I look in the mirror I sure don't see a size 12. I still see really wide hips and large thighs. It takes looking at pictures for me to realize how much I've lost and how thin I'm actually becoming. Of course, the bones that are appearing help more and more every day...hip bones, collar bones, really tiny wrists and cheek bones. Oh, and I can tell when I'm sitting in a hard chair, I can feel my tailbone now. I was beginning to think I was either growing a tail or had a never-ending wedgie because that's what it felt like... I'm starting to ramble...goodnight! Kim 359/169/150

The few people who know how much I weigh say they can't believe I weigh 212 pounds. And when I say I'd like to lose another 50 pounds, I really get comments. I don't know that I'll ever think of myself as skinny. But maybe someday I will understand that I am thinner. Mimi, when I look at pictures of you, I do see someone who is "skinny". I don't think it's denial really. It's just so hard for us to see ourselves as others see us. Hugs, Stephanie

Someone told me the other day that if I didn't stop loosing weight, I was going to blow away. And another person said they wished they looked as thin as I did! No-one believes me when I tell them I weigh 200 at this point and still need to lose 50 more pounds. I've always been able to carry my weight well (unfortunately!) I still can't get past the point of not wearing baggy clothes. It is really tough for me to wear something that actually fits. I have always been so used to wearing things that cover all the bulges. It certainly is a psychological challenge! But a wonderful one to have! Tamara

I too have had similar comments like the others who have posted here. I had someone tell me the other day that they didn't know where in the world the last 18 lbs was going to come from. I laughed and told them that clothes hid a lot! I am finally starting to see me as I am, most days. When I am feeling good about myself and my life and things that are going on, I "believe" that the mirror is telling the truth. On days like the past two days I have had, I don't feel so confident so I start to doubt the mirror again. It's twisted I know but it is true. I think that I will always battle my self image in some shape or form. But I hope that the number of days that I believe what the mirror shows will become greater than the days that I don't believe. Hugs, Robin