What do you see in the mirror?

I'm having body image issues and was wondering if any of my surgery buddies were going through the same thing. First of all, when you look in the mirror what do you see? Do you see your weight loss? Do you see what others seem to see? Most of the time I don't see any difference at all. I know in my head and by my clothes that I'm much smaller but when I look in the mirror i still see me at 298 lbs. The few times I do see the weight loss I don't even recognize myself. I feel like there is a stranger in the mirror. Am I alone? Also, I find that I am much more unhappy with my body now than I was before I started losing the weight. At 298 I was solid and firm. Now I can only seem to focus on the sagging skin and droopy breasts. I feel like I can't even appreciate my weight loss because I am so consumed with the negative. Another thing I'm struggling with is the fact that I am so close to goal. I know this probably sounds crazy but since I was considered a light-weight I expected to lose a lot slower than I have. Now I'm only 33 pounds from my goal weight and am terrified at the idea of having to maintain it for life. Being only 4 months out, I'm still adjusting to losing. Does anyone else feel like this? Chawan 298/223/190

That's funny. This weekend we were going into the shoe store and I thought, "huh, that lady is wearing the same thing I am wearing." Then I realized, that lady was me! It was my reflection in the glass windows of the store. So, I don't recognize myself either. I also am discouraged by skin issues and I don't know if I'll ever see myself thin. You're not alone. Sherry 259/194.5/130

That's so funny!! I catch my reflection too sometimes and it takes me by surprise. It's nice to know I'm not alone. Thanks for replying. Chawan

Sherry you sound like me raising my arm in the Walmart security cam to see if that was me.

You are not alone. I do not see the big change, even though the scale and my clothes show me every day. I have taken pictures every month since surgery and a before package. Even looking at the pictures, I have a hard time seeing it. One group I attend has a one pound lump of fat laying in the middle of the floor for the entire meeting. I look at that lump and tell myself, you have lost fifty five of those lumps. It is the most significant comparison I have. I now weigh what some of the ladies in my office weigh, and probably less than others. I still feel like the largest person there. It is a really amazing adjustment.....yet to come. Vicky

I have definately had those same feelings. I am often surprized that other people even notice the wt. loss because I have a hard time seeing it. But then even at my highest weight, I didn't see that either - it wasn't until I would see a picture of myself that I would be shocked that I was so big. I kinda think it is like how the anorexic girls look at themselves and see a distorted image. Our minds are so wierd! I don't believe regular sized people have these feelings - do you?

I have a full length in the hall. There is no getting around it unless I want to crawl through a window. I stand there in my undies and wonder where the heck did my thighs and legs go. I really couldn't see a lost until I got in the 2 twentys. Er thats the 200 and 20's. I think I have a fear of getting smaller. Not being able to just buy clothes and buy clothes I am wearing mine way pass time. I gave a lot away before I snapped I could half way take some up. But you can only do that a couple of sizes. So when I do put on something that half way fits I just stand there and look at my self. Today I put on last years biker shorts. They hug so I figured that they would work for this summer. Wrong!!!! They looked like horse riding pants. They stuck out where my hip and thighs used to be. Talking about fabric with a memory! I was solid and firm also. Skin was stretched to the limit thats why. Because I sure wasn't doing anything to stay tight. I had HUGH ARMS. Now I can't see my weight lost in the mirror because I am too busy looking at the BAT WINGS. To the Bat Cave. I think if I tried I could fly with these wings. My breast went way south. But I tell my self thats ok because they are no longer entering the room 10 minutes before the rest of me. This is an adjustment for all of us. It took a while to get use to being heavy so I guess it'll take a minute to love this new body.