Help needed with body image

HI Ruth!!! Have you ever seen the show How To Look Good Naked?? It has really helped me in the last few weeks. One of the things they do is have around 10 ladies stand in a row from smallest to largest and ask you to place yourself in the line where you believe you fit size wise. Its amazing how everyone puts themselves so much larger than they actually are!!!!! It seems that  no matter what our size, most of us have a distorted image of ourselves and for those of us that have lost dramatic amounts of weight, this is really an issues. I still struggle, but keep working toward accepting myself as I am. Good Luck to You!!!!!!!!!

Hi Tracy I love that show and that's what got me thinking that seeing others would help me guage where my size lays (in the line up). I truely want to see and accept myself as I am, not how I think I am, but to do that I need to 'know' what size I am.  I believe that for me this is a journey of body mind and spirit, and part of that is healing how I see myself. Thank you for your kind words

Hi Ruth I am 5'6 and I am at 170.2.  I was as low as 149, but that was too low.  I stayed at 160 forever but I have gained 10lb since August.  I just can't get it off but I do know the problem, I have not been able to exercise, so I cut back my calories and still nothing.  I get in 60 grams of protein, all my water and very little carbs but nothing.  I just think this is where my body wants to stay.  I have to keep trying but I can't keep dwelling on it.  As far as self image.  Mine is terrible.  All I see is this huge panni of skin on my stomach.  I wear so much to hold my skin tight that I feel like I distort my figure.  All the binders and girdles almost give you a strait up and down figure plus they smash my breast even smaller.  I struggle everyday. Jane

I don't know what you are worried about, you look totally fantastic.  You've done a great job.  I think we all go through some insecurity about how we look.  Just keep telling yourself that you are one HOT MAMA.  Hazel

I think it's worth remembering that because so many of us were heavy for such a long time, that our bones grew heavier to be able to support us.  Your weight now is not your size - if that makes any sense? For example, I weigh 155 pounds (5'4" tall) and was wearing a pair of size 2 jeans today.  I also have jeans in a size 4.  My friends who wear the same size & brand jeans and are the same height (or taller) do not weigh nearly as much as I do.  They're a good 20-30 pounds less than me.  I think what I'm trying to say is don't sweat the numbers - they don't mean the same thing for us that they do for those who have never been overweight.

I'm a little shorter than you, so I guess we'd be about the same size if I weighed around 160. I've got some pictures on my profile at that weight. I carry most of my weight in my bottom half - my top part is sunk in with bones sticking out everywhere, and my bottom half is really about the right size. I wish there was some way to push everything up. I also have a distorted image. I packed on a couple of pounds last week and I'm freaking out trying to get them back off, and my family is trying to get me to gain some. My daughter actually cried a couple of weeks ago, telling me "you think you look good but you're too skinny." My weight goes between 126-130, but people tell me I look like I weigh about 100-110 pounds. I don't have any pictures of me at my present weight because I do look a little haggard, but it's hard to imagine trying to "gain" weight. WTH? I think at 5'6 and 170 pounds, you probably look pretty good!

Hi Wanda thank you.  Funny enough, I saw you on the before and after pics yesterday, and went and had a look at the pics on your profile.  It was really very helpful.