Anyone else have trouble "seeing" the loss?

Hi there! Hope everyone is having a great Friday!! I'm just wondering if anyone else is having trouble telling that you've lost weight or if it's just me?? I haven't weighed in over a week and at that point I had lost 100 lbs. (and I've been sick all week and haven't wanted to eat anything so I'm sure it's more than that now) and I just don't see it. I have a new pic posted on my profile and I thought I would see it when the before and after pics were side by side but I swear I just don't see it. Everyone around me says they can tell and I look good but I just am having trouble. I don't mean to whine I just wonder if I'm always going to see the "Fat Shelley" not that I'm small now, even after 100 lbs. I still have a way to go but shouldn't I at least be seeing some improvement? I just need to know if I'm the only one feeling this way??? Help me out guys Shelley -100

No you are not the only one! I am having trouble also! Even though everyone is telling me I am "skinny" (ha, never), I can't see it either. I know it is because of all the skin and weight that is still around my belly and my thighs! Everything else is smaller, but I can still see how I look without clothes! I am thankful for all the weight that I have lost and feel so good, but why can't insurance pay for ps!!! Anyway, I am going to weigh tomorrow and see what is going on. I am trying to stay away from the scale and not weigh every day. It has been since Tuesday (forever)! I know in my head it takes a while for my mind to catch up to my body, but..... so we are in this boat together! Susie Q

susie, Just wanted to let you know that sometime the insurane will pay gfor the plastic surgery to remove excess skin. It just has to be proven that it is medically ness, and not just for cosmetic reasons, which is not hard to do, with all the weight we are losing, the sagging skin is a medical ricsk, for infections, that is what the doctor needs to submit to the insurance for consideration, just wanted to pass that info along, alot of people do have there tummy tucks and things covered this way/ Janel surgery day 08-23-2004 weight when released from hospital 298 01-31-2005 weight 208 goal weight 150

Shelley, totally hear where you're coming from. I still see myself as before, to a degree. I know I've lost weight (duh, down 70lbs...lol) but i don't see it as that dramatic of a change. I do get comments here and there from people I haven't seen for awhile, and know when I put on clothes that feel "loser" than they did before, but I still SEE the fat/old me. I don't see it as much i thought I would. All i know is that I'm happy I'm -70! and will eventually get to my goal and be proud of my accomplishment. Funny story: I went to visit my mom; we're sitting out on the porch and one of her neighbors (which moved into the neighborhood a month before my surgery) stopped by to say hello. She seemed "confused" at me sitting there and my mom introducing me as her daughter. I had met the lady before, so just went with the flow. She then says "hey, i didnt know you had 3 daughters"...my mom then says "no, i only have 2 - this one and my younger daughter, Ruby, whom you know"...The lady then said "no, no, there was another lady I met a few months ago, she was much bigger and older"....She was referring to ME from the first time she met me! I was embarrassed at the comment, but then thought HEEEEEY, cool! I guess I'm not as big now. Other people see it and I don't!!! lol. Go figure! She was shocked when my mom laughed and said that it was me she had met. She apologized but then raved about how great I looked, how thinner I looked, and how much I had lost.

This is my first post. Your question was such that I felt the need to reply. Many years ago I lost about 100 lbs and I couldn't see it either. This time I decided that, that was just one of the psychological things that our minds do to us. So I had to choose to look for other validation besides the lies that my eyes may be telling me in the mirror. So whether I see it or not I know that I am healthier. I can still enjoy wearing nicier clothes and other things. My encouragement to you would be to let go of the need for visual confirmation, it will only drive you crazy and send you back into old patterns of stress release behavior. Kathy 311/237 -74

I know how you all feel. I have lost 100 pounds. I still have so much to lose. But I will take 100 for now. When I feel like I haven't lost much I put on the clothing I had on the day I came home from WLS. Let me tell you they are falling off me. I cry every time I do this. My husband says I am crazy when I tell him I can't see it. 381 8/23/04 281 1/27/05 I LOVE BEING A BIG LOSER Lynn

Yes, well, this is me as well. People comment on how "great" I look after having lost about 90 pounds (which is still 100 pounds over anything even CLOSE to my "ideal" weight) and I just want to cry because I haven't purchased a SINGLE item of new clothing (haven't needed to yet) and I just don't think I could possibly look all that different. Fat is fat and I'm still fat. I'm happy with the loss so far, but discouraged b/c it has really slowed down lately. I want to be one of these "gone from a 24 to a 14" people.

Hi Kim, Your post broke my heart, sweetie. I promise you will get there! You have already lost 100 lbs! That is phenominal!!! As you know, this is a journey and everyone who takes this journey has different experiences. You are a fast loser and will no doubt achieve your goal. Continue working the tool and you will be rewarded! As far as not seeing the loss, I can so totally relate! I actually posted this very same topic a few weeks ago. I have lost 77 lbs since my surgery, and everyone tells me the changes are dramatic. I have dropped from size 22-24 to 10/12. So I KNOW I have lost the weight, but when I look in the mirror, I don't see what people say they see. I still see myself as morbidly obese. I do see the differences when I put a picture side by side of before and after but I don't see it in the mirror. It is so frustrating!!! My surgeon said that it sometimes takes a year for the brain to catch up with the loss; to register what you are now seeing. You are normal, hon. We all experience this! Hang in there, sweetie. You are going to hit goal because you are going to settle for nothing less! E-mail me anytime you need to chat. I had surgery in August, same as you, so we have this in common. Congrats on your AWESOME loss! Seriously! You have lost so much weight, Kim! And you are only 6 months out. You are far from done losing! Be patient and enjoy the journey. Every day will be a new day to see differences in yourself, whether it be on the scale, in clothing or in the mirror. Enjoy this part of the journey, hon!! Don't stress. It will come off. It took a long time to put it on, right? Give it time to come off. You are doing so well!!!! Chin up! Hugs, Denise

Shelley, Firstly, let me tell you how great you look! Now I can say you are definitely not alone. I'll bet that for every one of us *****sponds, 20 more are thinking the same thing! I had a conversation with my husband the other day and he was asking me how I felt. I told him I felt exactly the same - some days I see the loss, some days I don't. His theory is that I never really saw myself (or accepted) how big I was, so it's hard to make the comparison. He's definitely on to something there! I look at the pictures and I can rationalize all the reasons why I look thinner - this from 25 years of rationalizing why I looked so heavy! I will share a funny story - I needed to buy pantyhose recently and was in Marshalls. I decided to look at their "plus size" pantyhose. I was completely disgusted that nothing they had went up over 300 lbs, so I walked away. About 5 minutes later, as I was picking up a gorgeous pair of size 22 pants it hit me. I don't weigh over 300 lbs anymore - yahoo! I may not see it, but 84 pounds had to go somewhere, right? Good luck in the future. My hope is that eventually the brain will catch up - in the mean time I guess we just keep doing what we're doing. Jen