body image distortions

Connie,

I hope I get it.  I am so tired of trying to figure out what I look like.  I see myself in the mirror or I look at the pictures but as soon as I look away, I am that 300 plus body.  Hopefully mind and body will meet and things will be good.

I completely understand!  I'm having a heck of a time adjusting to my newer sizes, and to the way I look now.  I still see myself as a much larger woman.  Nice to know that I'm not alone in this!

That is only one of the reasons that I love this board: we are not alone. LOL  It always amazes me when I think that I am the only one who has these issues and then I post or read another post and it seems as if we are a collective of the sames.

*~*~*~*~*~*~* OH YES, OH YES, I DO I DO...... completely understand. Four months ago I could not wear the pants I have on. Now my son has informed me the butt is so big I look like his toddler with a load in his pants ! ! ! Is that any way for a son to talk to his mom??? LOL LOL he is right... I cannot believe I have several nice outfits to chose from. Not just the will this fit and look nice outfits? Before we avoided looking at ourselves... now we do and am not sure what we are seeing. Before I figured I was the token fat person in the group and I was ok with it. I dressed nicely but deceived myself into thinking I looked small. Now that the weight is coming off... slowly.. but still off, I'm amazed at what I see in the mirror. Millie

Millie we are the same; both have sons who will tell us what our butts look like and both amazed at what is in the mirror. 

I'm sure that conversation with your husband was frustrating, but it made me laugh.  I don't think men have the body image problems that many American women (of any size) have.  My husband is clueless about body image.   I'm almost at my weight goal and only now at 9 mos post-op am I getting used to my new body size.  Today I was in Wal-Mart looking for underpants and spent 10 puzzled minutes in the Plus section before I realized that I am never going to find size 6 panties in the Plus section.  I found the regular size section and was bedazzled by all the choices: prettier colors, prettier patterns, high cut, boy cut, bikini, this, that, and the other thing.  Finally found what I wanted and felt like sticking my tongue out at the garments in the Plus section. Jean

I remember when I went from a size 9 panties to a size 7 and how I jumped that far I'll never know and the 7s are getting to big; they are sagging in the butt.  But, I bought the 7s and I was everything before I wear it so I washed the panties and was taking clothes out of the dryer and found the panties and held them up to fold and went not mine must be my daughter's and put in a pile of her things and came to another and the same and it wasn't until I folded all those new panties and put in her clothes pile that I realized they were mine.  I think panties are the best thing for me to shop for.  I love that I can wear the normal ones because like you said they are so many more to choose from.  And a nice sexy pair of drawers do make me feel so special, even if I am the only one who knows that I have them on.

I still do a lot of shopping via mail (QVC, basically ... I like their clothes). But the first time I ordered a size medium, just because I thought maybe, just maybe, it might fit, and it came to the house and I looked at it ... I thought, NAW, this is never going to fit me ... and I tried on the pants, and they fit! I was just floored ... They looked so small, I thought my big butt and tummy are never going to fit into those teenie little capri pants, but they did (and they still do ... and actually, they're a little loose).  I am not much for going into stores and trying on clothes, only because my knees and back hurt too much to walk around in the malls; if they ever felt better (and if I ever had enough money ... well, you understand Jeannie) ... I might actually enjoy shopping again. But I sure like TV shopping and online shopping for smaller sizes.

Eileen, the first time I bought an extra large I thought I was in skinny heaven and then to a large and now a medium; well, you know how that feels.  If I ever get this hanging skin taken off, I'll drop to a size 3 or less. LOL  I love shopping in the malls and love trying clothes on.  I used to order from Lane Bryant's catalogue because I was in the wheel chair and it was sucha chore for me to go out, and maybe that's why I go out so much now, but I do symapthize with you over your pain.  The money part is hard and we live for my fellowship pay offs in the fall but even then we pinch our pennies and I look for all the sales and usually buy off season. 

YEP, BODY IMAGE..... * * * <--------FAT A$$ AGAIN * * * GAINING, GAINING, GAINING. SHOOT ME NOW!!