Changing the minds eye

I am just over a year out from surgery I've lost 126 lbs and 103.5 inches. I see what the scale and tape measure say but when I look in the mirror I see no change. I know this has to be in my head but how do I change it? Does anyone have a the same issue or am I just crazy?

Do you have a before and after picture?  What about your clothes?  If you've kept something that you used to be able to wear, try it on again? I think - and I'm a pre-op so please take what I say with a grain of salt- that you just have to keep reminding yourself.  Look at the side by side before and after pic when you're doubting, take a pic of you fitting in 1 leg of your old pants and keep looking back at it.  Come up with responses to that voice in your head- quick short snappy answers that you can have ready - I look great. I'm wearing a medium shirt, my pants are a size.... I can fit in that chair without thinking about it. Repeat those things to yourself over and over. And be kind to the person you see in the mirror- you've accomplished so much.

It's not uncommon. I've been in maintenance for 9 months and I wear a S/XS in tops and size 2 or 4 pants (in fact I now shop in the kids section as often as the adult women's section). But when I look in the mirror I just see a big belly and thunder thighs staring back at me. It really takes doing compare/contrast of old and new photos for me to see what changes have taken place. I try to be more focused on my lifestyle changes than my appearance, but it's hard. I'm not sure what the answer is, beyond therapy and time... 

Your brain sees your face and fills in the body that it remembers.  The way to see what your body looks like now is to cover your head completely when you look at your picture.

Thanks I tried it and it and it did help. You always give great advice.

You are not crazy...or at least you are not alone. I still see myself as MO most of the time. It feels nutty because every morning when I go to get dressed I pull out my clothes, think to myself "Oh crap...this is wayyyy too small...this is never going to fit...why did I buy this?...It is insane...What am I going to do".  I fret like that a few minutes, then I sigh and go ahead and try to put the clearly tooooo tiny things on...they fit...then I think "Oh...well it must be stretchy...I just looked at it wrong...it is way bigger than it seemed."  This is the daily process...it is exhausting sometimes.  When I catch a glimpse of myself in a reflection somewhere during the day it always takes me much too long to realize that it is me. I just keep chugging along and it gets a little better each month. 

~E

I think that's pretty common.  The only time my brain's image of me matched reality along this journey was when I was in the 200-250 lb range.  I never saw myself as as big as I was when I weighed 373 lbs, nor do I see myself as small as I currently am at 155  (well, not small, but "normal").  Why the 200-250 range, I'm not sure - but that's when things matched up for me.  Just like I was when I weighed 300+ lbs, I'm now often caught off guard when I catch unexpected glimpses of myself - or see photos.  It's pretty bizarre.

The mind is a powerful alley or enemy.  I would suggest a counselor if you could...Our perception of ourselves colors all aspects of our life not just our physical health.  

If for some reason you are unable to do counseling try a local support group for gastric surgery, OA, or just some good books on loving yourself.  Some of my favorite are: Warrior Goddess, the 4 agreements, Rise Sister Rise.  

I had an Aunt who died from complications of Anorexia. She was very much unable to see herself as anything but obese. When I was MO, I always thought I was thinner. Photos always shocked me. The covering of the head is a great trick, thanks for suggesting it.

As others have mentioned, the brain can do some really weird things to us.