Daily Post--1/21/08

Sticking to our body and how it is perceived, how do you percieve your body image now that you are thinner? Are you like the folks who can not, no matter how much they lose, look in the mirror and truly see the thinner you? Or, do you strut and show off that loss? Lea

It took me until Christmas ( I saw some pictures of me at an annual party the year before) to really realize that I did see a new and better me. I still see the fat first but I did not recognize myself as the same person I saw in those pictures. So Yes I'm better. No struting yet. Carla

Hi Lea, I can see the loss, I don't think I "strut my stuff" LOL but I try to dress in whatever I think makes me look the thinnest. I definately still see ALL of my flaws and believe me I have plenty! Doris

It took a long time for me to see a thinner me in the mirror... but it's hard not to see it when you're trying on size fours and they look great! I suppose I show it off a little - but it's been fun, sharing wardrobes with my daughter and loving our new images!

Hi, I am going to have to answer this from past weight loss experience..not from my WLS that just happened last Wed..but I can say that when I hit a size 14 - my comfort size - and put on a pair of Levis jeans and baggy sweatshirt (ok not really exciting) and my harley davidson **** kickers I feel awesome...now when I take took those clothes off at the end of the day and everything that was so nicely sucked up tight and close suddently is pulled down, down, down by gravity I have a remarkable realization of where I have been and where I am now...so why I was never able to keep that weight off is a mystery...I got lazy and was enjoying my new body too much I think..forgetting that it was going out and eating and drinking that got me there in the first place...I hope I am older, wiser and that my new tool this time will keep me on track...along with these mini-challenges of course! Laura

It too****il this Christmas for me to really see a thinner me. I was trying on dresses for Christmas and finally saw a thin person in the dressing room mirror. I had to sit down and just stare for a minute. I cried! I don't see that person daily, usually see the 286 pounds from before. I don't strut but I walk a lot taller with my head up now.

I still see the same old person that weighed 325 lbs. My husband and son tell me that I am skinny but when I look in the mirror all I see is the same overweight person and I'm really ashamed by the way I look. Michelle

Well I'm just down 55 pounds, and still at 236, so no strutting here. It's hard to imagine my body being any smaller so I bet it will take awhile for the thinner me to become a reality in my head. It's probably a lot like learning a new language...they say you don't really "have it" until you catch yourself "thinking" in the new language. I wonder how long it will take for me to "catch" myself thinking thin. This is an interesting journey. I'm so grateful for this board and all those who have gone before me!

My answer is odd! Until after I was married, I was a totally normal weight. I started gaining when my parents died together in an accident; food became my drug of choice, and although I lost significant amount of weight through the years, I never maintained any of the losses. I had wls when I was 54. All the years I was obese in varying degrees, I never felt like that was the "real me"! In some strange way, I think I never saw myself the way I really looked--even though that was my reality for about 35 yrs.!! It was like I had the mindset that "this isn't me--I'm going to lose this weight--then everyone will see the real me"! Of course, I suffered all the indignities, frustrations, & mortification of being MO through the years, but honestly, as bizarre as it sounds, I STILL thought of my "condition" as being temporary! So anytime I lost weight--including this time through wls--NO, I never had trouble "identifying" with being normal-sized! It's been like "FINALLY . . . I look like "me"! I know this is odd!! It's not like I don't appreciate it and delight in wearing normal clothes and (yes) strutting my stuff--I sure love all of that!--it's just that I don't have any trouble "seeing" it! Jo

I can see the thinner me.I don't strut my stuff but I do love buying new clothes(just ask my hubby) lol.I also see all the loose skin and try to hide it as much as possible. Patti