When did you feel thin?

Unfortunately... After plastic surgery. I felt thin IN clothes before plastics but didn't look thin or thought I looked thin naked until after plastics. Dana

I agree, I didn't feel thin until after reconstructive surgeries either. Love yor guts!!! xoxox ~Debbie

DEBBIE!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW are you!!!??????? I miss you so much! I think about you all the time. You doing better sweetie? I love YOUR guts too!!!! xoxoxo Dana

My surgeon says it takes the brain about 2 years to catch up to the body. I'm not sure that's correct or I'm just slow! I'm 29 months out and still feel fat. My brain tells me so. However, I know a "fat" person doesn't wear an 8-10 pair of pants. Therefore, my brain must be lying to me. The average American woman wears a size 14. I've never made it to my goal of 142. But I haven't yet given up. Carbs are evil for me and for whatever reason, I can't seem to get that thru my thick skull! But I love them! So do I feel "normal"? Some days yes, some days no. I guess it depends on your definition of normal! Lyn 262/150/142

Thank you all so much for your great replies. I sometimes ponder if the emotional journey is rougher than the physical journey with WLS. Never in my life have been smaller than a size 12. In my 20's, at my smallest, size 12 became my "thin" marker. I know not having the excess tummy skin, muffin top over my jeans will help me see myself as I am now. But I still get frustrated looking in the mirror and being so displeased with my progress. I'm think year two of this journey will be retraining the way I think, like year one was training the way I ate. Cheers, Torrey (281/182/160)

Torrey, for me the emotional aspects of the journey have been much tougher. I'm 19 months post-op and don't see myself as normal, I still see the fat girl in me. I honestly hope that PS will help me see myself realisiticly. I know I should be happy about where I'm at but most days I'm not. This is definitely tougher than I thought it would be. Dana

I would say the emotional journey is MUCH harder than the physical. I had a body fat anaysis over the weekend and came in at 23.5 %. considering for a woman my age 24%-31% was the "normal" on the chart they had, I guess I am thinner than I thought, since I was off the charts. I still feel pudgy tho. My BMI is still 27 and I am "officially" over weight going by the scale and my bmi, but my body fat is below average for my age and small frame. who in the hell sets these standards anyways and what drugs are they doing to make it so difficult and confusing?

Amen! What drugs were they doing? It was probably some man who set the standards hoping we would all strive for that tiny anorexic playboy model look. LOL. Sorry just being silly. On a more serious note, though, I agree, the emotional journey is harder than the physical. I too have had some therapy and am now working on my issues on my own. And I think I am doing much better seeing myself without so much judgment or from a critic's point of view. It's about time. I am almost 3 years out. I still have my days though where I am down on the way my body looks with the not so perfect skin. I tell ya, I did feel better after my breast and tummy surgery for a brief period. But then my breast didn't do quite right and I mourned over that for a while. I have to have a revision done to them. Just didn't do right. I still want a thigh and butt lift, but I am a little scared. Part of me just wants to accept me like I am and the other part of me just can't. Melissa

I think it was the anorexic models, or the fashion designers who use them . Most men don't like bone thin women, they like a little softness and curves. it is women who think they have to be bone thin to fit the image published in the pictures of models, and actresses that we see all over the place. Interestingly, did you see that in Madrid Spain, the government forbid the use of models with a BMI under 19 to be in the fashion shows? they felt the bone thin models were a poor example to young women and creating eating disorders among young women.

You are right. Men really do prefer women with a little meat on their bones with some shapely curves. I know my husband does anyway. Runway models do nothing for him. We actually had this discussion one evening at a cookout and most all of the men in the conversation agreed women of normal healthy size look better and more radiant than those who look like skeletons on the loose. I saw that in Madrid Spain. I think that is a step in the right direction. All of the bone thin models plastered all over billboards and magazine covers does not send a good message to normal size healthy young girls and women. I am anxious to see how all of that turns out over there. How are your classes going? I am so proud of you for studying to become a fitness trainer. I think you will help so many people with your first hand knowledge and genuine concern about health. I hope you will continue to share with all of us on here. You have certainly been an inspiration to me during my journey. I have read your profile many times. Well, I am off to do some taebo. Have a good evening. Melissa