Body image

I have lost some real weight by now from the pre-op diet and of course the VSG surgery. I know my body is smaller as clothes fall off now, and I can buy regular sized clothing in stores. But when I look in the mirror, I don't see myself looking any different. Does it just take a while? It's weird.

I have successfully maintained my weight loss at my target range for just over two years, and I'm just beginning to see myself as small. As with any other aspect of this process, it takes time for the head to catch up. Be gentle and patient with yourself. Saying daily positive affirmations, focusing on a variety of positives.... not just weight... helped me. A lifetime of shaming and poor body image CAN be turned around !

I have actively had to force my brain to recognize that I'm small. I've tried on people's pants that I consider "thin" and when they fit or are too big, my brain has to realize "holy crap, I'm small!". Of course, that only works with people really close to you. I also notice it in things like the ability for my kids to nearly double wrap their arms around, the fact that I can squeeze beside the grocery cart in the checkout lane without issue, the fact that I weigh less than any of the weight limit's on children's toys.

I'm very data driven, so being able to see data that supports my smallness helps. But, in the end, your brain is an evil ******* and will try to tell you otherwise. To change that takes lots of time!

Hang in there. It took me 3-4 years to realize I am "average" in size now.

Most of us get there eventually.

I have days when I feel small and days when I feel just as large as before surgery. I'm planning to lose to the bottom end of normal BMI and expect my brain to catch up.

I know I'm a lot smaller but I still feel shocked when I see myself walk by a store window.

I go back and forth on it ... some days I see the weight loss and some days I don't. But on the flip side I didn't see the weight gain happening either. It just sort of crept up on me. Hidden by pregnancies and time until one day I just passed a mirror and thought ... who is that fat chick? Oh, that's me .. I'm the fat chick.

The only way I can really gauge the weight loss that seems real is clothes that used to be snug falling off of me. That's why I'm keeping one pair of jeans that fit me perfectly at my highest. I almost pitched them ... but I figure that one pair doesn't take up that much room and I plan on wearing them for a photo on my surgiversary.