How long does it take your brain to catch up?

Hi Friends - I have been having a couple of emotional weeks.  Seems like my brain is starting to catch up with what my body is doing. 

I have had melt down after melt down in the dressing rooms in stores - I have skipped a whole size! 

I am running about 20 miles a week and thinking about adding more... I love that my body can run. 

But yesterday, after the kids left school, a few of my teacher friends were hanging out in the hall.  One of the 2nd grade teachers told me how good I looked.  I am learning to take credit so I said thank you.  I told her I was 5 pounds away from my 100 pound goal.  She has said, for over a year now, that when I hit my 100 pounds she wants to through me a party.  She is so encouraging.  The other second grade teacher, that I have known for about 2 years said. "What?  You have lost 100 pounds?"  I replied, "Not yet, I have 5 more to go" and then she said, "Beth, I have never known you except being small."  Again, I lost it in the hallway.  'Small'  an insignificant word to so many others... but not to me anymore.

Thanks for reading.

Oh Beth it is just a process. It takes time I have heard at least 3 years. It is ok to be emotional as long as you continue to do the right thing and take care of yourself. Some day it will be a non issue but for now, you are a butterfly emerging and people notice.

I have to say my head had just caught up with my body when I had my plastics and it screwed it up again....It is hard.

Feeling your feelings is good. I am glad you can run too. It is all good do not worry

Nicole has the good info - I just wanted to say congrats on the NINETY FIVE pounds and here's to the next 5!! YOu have done an awesome job working your band!

*hugs*

Thank you for sharing this - it reminds those of us that are "younger" than you that this tool we gave ourselves is a never ending chance to continue to do the right things for our bodies and our health!  It will be amazing when someone tells me that I am.....I don't even think that I can say it becuase I don't believe it will ever be true....that "S" word you used.....small....I hope the melt downs turn into positives for you because you are doing a wonderful job and you should be VERY proud of what you chose to do for yourself!

I am still waiting for the head to catch up to the body..I have moments that I just don't see what everyone else is seeing. I see all the flaws and at times cried over them.

Give it time Beth rumor has it they will catch up ....

Beth,
I still think that I am still a size 24 when I am a size 4 and even being 16 weeks pregnant I am still a size 6. I think it takes a very long time for our brains to catch up to what others see right away. You have done AMAZING in such a short period of time. Kudos to you and wear that 95lbs lost as a badge of honor. I would. I still cannot run maybe a few sprints but not run like you do. I guess my boobs are too big. lmao.

I guess it depends on how long you carried the extra weight.  For those of us who have carried this extra weight since toddler age, it may never catch up.  Sometimes I know the person in the mirror and sometimes I don't.  Sometimes I feel like I am still carrying all the extra pounds and other times I don't.  The brain is a powerful thing.  I am grateful that the brain remembers what to do at meal time and when shopping in the food stores.  Sometimes I look in my closet and say, God, there won't be anything I can fit into, I'm so fat.  Then I realize, every single thing in there is my current size.

I'll be 4 years out on the 19th of this month and in a lot of ways my brain is totally living in the past.  I was in my spin class yesterday and a very nice girl on the bike next to me was saying she was nervous about the class because while she ran a marathon, she thinks spin is harder.. I giggled and said, "yeah, but I do it about 5 times a week, guess i'm used to it"  She was stunned and said... I can't believe you do this 5 times a week!  We got talking about weight loss etc.. and I mentioned how heavy I used to be and her exact words were "I can't believe you used to weigh 273 and now you're so thin"  I was floored... NEVER would I think anyone would say I was thin, I still manage to convince myself she was just being nice... but still... people describe me as small etc and I assume they're talking about my height.  We need to give ourselves more credit, we've done the work now we need to allow ourselves and our brains reap the rewards. 

There are still many many days when I look in the mirror and see the 300 lb woman I used to be and some days when I catch sight of myself in a reflection in a store window and go "Whoa! Who is that?" before realizing it is me.

I hope someday to be able to see me as I am everyday not just in moments that are fleeting but it is a process and I am working on it slowly but surely.

But look at how far you have come!!! 95 lbs lost and running 20 miles a week!!!!! WOW!!! (I am still dreaming of running...haven't gotten there yet!!!!) You have done an amazing job and should be so very very proud of yourself!!!

"Small" is such a big word with so much meaning for so many of us here...but you have achieved it...continue to work hard...use your tool and keep on successing each and every day!  YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!!!

Much luv!!!
Laura

When you find out...you let me know!!!

I still have emotional outbursts for no apparant reason about some of the head vs body thing...or comments people make to me.

And I still don't see it when they call me small...tiny...skinny....whatever word someone uses and I go "huh?  Me? "  And like others...I've convinced myself that they are just being "nice"...but really....we need to take credit for it.

I hope you have a blast at your 100 pound party - which should be soon enough at the rate you're going!

Pam