Do you still feel fat?

Yep, I'm going through the same thing. I have lost 110 pounds and am wearing a 10/12 (I'm 5'7") and people don't recognize me, but it's only been recently that I FEEL physically smaller. It's scary, if you ask me. I am also very afraid of regaining the weight as fast as I lost it like I did every other time I lost weight. I have about 20 pounds to get to my doc's goal, but even he asked if I wanted to lose more. And no, I can't believe that it's been almost a year!! Marian 282/170

This may sound weird, but it's kind of like those things they do on the news once in awhile, where some skinny attractive girl (it's always a female) puts on padding and makeup and spends the whole day finding out what life is like as a fat person. At the end of the day, they think they have this new understanding of what life is (was) like for us. I've kind of felt like that in reverse. Like because of the surgery, I'm now kind of "disguised" as a normal (non-fat) person. I guess I still feel like one day I'll have to take the makeup off and go back to my old life.

I don't have a mirror in my house except for the one in the bathroom medicine cabinet. So I don't "see" what I look like on a regular basis. When I was so grossly overweight, I didn't WANT to see it and I avoided looking at any reflections when I'd go out shopping. Anyway, every now and then I catch a glimpse of "me" in a shop window or mall mirror and my first question to my husband or daughter (which ever one happens to be with me at the time), "Do I really look like that or is that image distorting the way I look?" They assure me most of the time it's "yes", I do look like that. It is taking me a while to get used to the newer me and yet, I still see flaws. I'm MORE self conscious of my body now than I was 100lbs ago. Even with seeing the apparent difference the weight loss has made, all I seem to focus on is the left over bulges and flab now that I have excess skin and gross puckering where the skin is sagging. Hmm --in my head I think I still look like I did 100lbs ago. In other ways I'm more confident and not so resistant to go and do things and been "seen" in public. I was so ashamed of how I looked that I was basically becoming a hermit and avoided doing things I once loved. That's changing -- I'm back to "DOING" the things I'd given up and I LIKE IT! I think eventually my head image will catch up with my true body image, it's getting there. Regina

Girrrlll, go get you a full length mirror ,you can get a cheep one at the Walmart under $10.00. Kim

I can beat that guys, I have a mind set that I don't look thin unless I'm in shorts, tank top, or neck bareing thing (my halter top shirts are my favorite now)....now mind you the girls are gone, and lets not talk about stretch marks, and bat wings, but I think my collar bones show the most weight loss....I truly don't have 5 shirts with sleeves....I just can't fathom that I look like I have lost weigth if I am wearing jeans and a t-shirt....Winter is on it way in about 6 months and I am going to have to get over it......