I feel separated from myself

Ok so I have been obese my entire life since I was about 5-6 years old. In total since surgery I have lost 120lbs and I feel great! I look great and I have so much more energy. However, sometimes when I look at myself or look at my hands, legs, thighs I don't recognize them. I almost feel separate from them. I know they are me and I can move them it just I feel like I am observing myself. I don't know how else to explain it. Has anyone else felt that way or had that problem? I started seeing a therapist. As I got down to around the 160lb range my anxiety skyrocketed and I started having panic attacks. They are getting a little better. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced the same. 

Sure. I wish I had before and after pictures of my feet. No one would think they were from the same person. Or species.

Most people go through weird body identity issues. Some have a harder time with it than others, but we all do it.

I did not feel comfortable with myself and my new appearance until about the 4 year mark. Some people do not have any trouble accepting his/her new appearance and others like me take a long time to adjust. Hang in there!!

I clearly remember at about 18 months out I was walking down a street with lots of shop windows.  At one point I thought why is that woman looking so intently at me and thought I'd better advert my eyes...I don't want to talk to her.  You could imagine my shock when I realized that woman was me!   It was my reflection.

Now I didn't develop panic issues, but that strangeness with your self image should normalize.  Good for you getting help from a therapist.

I had a really hard time about a year post-op.  I felt super disconnected from myself.  Things that helped me, in no particular order:

Looking at pictures of myself in which I wasn't the only person - seeing pictures of myself with other bodies around me really helped.  

Time.

Therapy. 

Time. 

Yoga/pilates - the sorts of exercises that emphasize mind/body connection. 

Time.  

Gwen I always have that in my head about looking at pictures or ourselves with others. It really helped me.

I would also put my one dog in my mirror with me. I thought I had a trick mirror that made me look thinner. I know sounds crazy. But it helped.

Picking what I liked about myself in the mirror helped. We have abused ourselves for so long it can be a hard habit to break. Picking out the bad instead of the good. 

Yes!  I think we need to have reference points.  I can't think the picture is distorted if the other people in it look completely normal, right? :)

I so remember you posting about this way back. It works. 

ME ME ME ME !!!!

As a kid, I was always the tall one, then I was the fat one and now I don't know how to be the normal one. my anxiety came back strong - I'm on xanax as a rescue drug and with the help of my therapist, learning to find ways to recognize my food triggers and ways to deflate them before they blow up really big.  I showed my therapist  picture of me at my biggest (I think...) and he looked at it, saying "I never would have recognized that as you today."  Welcome to my world.... neither do I. 

I stare in the mirror many times...Who is this? I have been obese since 5-6 too... never been a 'normal' weight before.