Obsessed before and after

I'm obsessed with looking at some of the before and after photos. Absolutely amazing. After being obese since childhood, I really can't imagine. I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for all of the pros and cons. I'm a fairly mentally strong person, but it has to be a lot to take in. How did you mentally handle such a drastic changes in your looks? How do you feel when you look in the mirror? I want the bad and the good.

My impressions when I look in the mirror honestly vary from day to day. Some days I see myself getting closer and closer to a good body size and shape for me. Other days all I see are the remaining fat rolls and my sagging flat butt and my sagging deflated breasts. I have photos of myself at my goal weights (I was 19) so I have a clear image of what I'm trying to get to. But my shape is turning out to be very different than it was then.

I still pull a pair of pants from the closet and think there's no way one thigh will fit in those tiny pants... And then they're loose when I put them on.

I think it takes time and concerted effort to change how we see ourselves, and it's not always a smooth progression. One step forward, one step back...

I'm reminded every time I move my body how much healthier I am, even in the face of chronic illness, now that I'm over 100# lighter than I was. I focus on that on the "I look fat" days.

I figure for myself that there will be a struggle internally with feeling good, and looking good in clothes, and not loving myself so much naked. I'm going to focus on the feeling good part first, and then when I reach goal I will deal with the latter. Thanks for sharing, your take on the subject seems like a very realistic one.

Frankly, I didn't love how I looked naked before. I don't love it now either, but I am also proud of what I've done, which soothes those feelings a lot!

Exactly! That's what I'm going to tell my self. I'm looking forward to my life. Getting on airplanes, going to stadiums without the seats cutting into my thighs, going on rides at amusement parks, having more energy for my kids and spouse, being in a better mood because I'm not hurting so bad. Thanks for sharing!

I think that it's useful to work on loving yourself - period. That makes it easier to deal with your body as it changes. And it's never too soon to work on loving yourself.

Very true

I was 180 when I was 18 years old and got there again just in time for my 20th high school reunion. 18 year old 180 me looked WAY different than 38 year old 180 me.

Which makes sense, because I had the body of an 18 year old kid then compared to the body of a 38 year old woman.

I definitely see that being the case!

I feel happy when I look in the mirror. That pretty much sums it up. I love my new self!