Image Issues ??
Do you guys see yourselves right? I mean, I know I have lost 94 pounds, and I know that I must look different, because a ton of people do not recognize me, but I see almost the same old me.
I was measured when I joined Curves last night, and the little skinny girl ( she is so sweet) did my thighs at 24". I told her those were huge, and probably my biggest issue, and I wanted mine to be as thin as hers. Well, she measured herself and she is 22". She showed me a chart that said muscular were 22-24", and thin should be 20-22".
I see people on the street, and although I know I shouldn't compare, I have no idea how I look in comparison to them.
Not a big deal, because I feel FANTASTIC, but I was wondering if anyone else was having issues seeing their new selves 
My "mental image" of myself still sees me at 350 lbs even though the scale says I'm below 170 for the first time in my adult life. The instructors/owners at the gym I work at are so excited seeing the way my body has changed over the last 14 months. I do physically see changes - but mentally I'm still the biggest I was. It's hard to change that mental image we have of ourself - but I'm working on trying to change that.
I don't go by the gym measurements because I have the excess skin issues that don't really measure muscle correctly. (Hoping I can get this corrected when/if I can get my insurance to cover some of it with reconstructive surgery.)
Just keep pusing to get to goal - you're doing fantastic!
Lord, I know just what you mean. Since Feb 10th I have lost 89# and gone from size 30 to 18's - I had a lady who took Anatomy and Physiology with me last year and she and I were in the same CPR class this last Wed. During the break she pulled me aside and said have we had classes together or something? You look familiar. I laughed and told her who I was - and she still didn't click so I pulled out my preop picture and then recognition hit - she was pretty surprised lol. I still see 'me' when I look in the mirror - sometimes if I am trying on clothes and I really look hard in the full length mirror in the store I can see some difference (I don't have any full length mirrors in my house!). Today I got weighed in at my Curves too (3 month mark) and all along I have wanted to catch up to this one lady who works there. Well today I finially weigh less then she does - and I SWEAR I still see myself as a TON bigger then she is still - even with the numbers in front of me in black and white. Heck I am about 4 inches taller then she is too! Maybe it takes like a year or more to get used to the new you? If you figure out the key, lemme know!
Kia
284/195/155
Maureen, I am right there with ya too... People at work keep telling me I look like a whole other person. And while I do know that I am a much smaller version of me, when I look in the mirror, I still see the same me. However, since I have lost my 98 lbs, I have started feeling better about me, and I now wear make up everyday, and I have cut and high-lighted my hair, and I can now wear cuter clothes that I would have never dreamt of wearing pre-op. But like I said, when I look in the mirror, I still see me... I truely don't see a changed, just not as much of me.
Susan
Oh my goodness, I can relate to this bigtime! My therapist and I are working on it. I do see some changes, mostly in the face I guess. My body still looks so big to me that I still "see" myself at 488 pounds! The clothes issue is so funny. When I try to buy clothes in a catalog or online (really bad idea, nothing fits like it should), I look at the size charts and I'm like.....3x in pants and 1 or 2x in shirts? That can't be right. I'll measure again, and sure enough...it freaks me out! I think we all go through this to some extent. It's even worse though I think for folks who were as big as I was.
On the good side I feel so much better physically, mentally and emotionally. I'm beginning to really like myself and I'm very proud of what I've accomplished with eating right and exercising, my tool of course, and in therapy.
Kelle
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