poll: how many are not trying to lose?

I think you are wise to shoot for where you "felt better" that sounds like the right way to pick a weight!

I hit my personal goal in July 2010.  I'm trying to loose the weight I gained over the holidays.
I went 8 lbs below goal and felt like I looked to saggy and gaunt.  I stayed a few lbs below my goal and was very happy with the way I felt and looked.  I drive myself crazy when I see others who weigh less than I do and I think I should weigh less.  I gotta remember....we are all different and what looks good on someone else may not look as good on me.  I wonder if I have a distorted body image?  Everyone asks if I'm still loosing...I tell them no, my body is just adjusting........I do miss bike riding and exercise.  It's been so cold in cali.....I can't wait for it to heat up a bit.  Love you guys!
Great topic!

you look great in that dress & love your backyard, too.

I think it makes perfect sense your body image is still changing - you are not that far out. we need to give ourselves time to adjust, it's such a big change!

I think y'all both hit the nail on the head about body image.

I know I never nitpicked myself like I do now. At  270lbs, I just accepted my flaws, maybe because I felt helpless, and like it was an endless cycle of dieting failure. I don't know what it was,

All I do know is that right now, I analyze every wrinkle, every little flaw, and every little thing that I hate about myself. Nothing short of plastics will fix those physical issues, it's the mental that I know will take much longer to deal with.

I'm not much of a poster when it comes to my issues. I never want to appear needy, or sound like I'm playing the victim. It really boils down to the fact that I know what I need to do, it's the "doing" it that has me stumped right now.

I do love this group, and it's nice to know I can come here and learn from the experiences of others, and try to incorporate some of the suggestions in my little world.

I have been stunned & unhappy with how much my new face upsets me.
 
I finally figured out some part of me expected that when I lost weight, I would get back the face I had before I was fat  when I was 21 (although I thought I was fat then) and instead, here I am with the face of a woman almost 50 years old who has spent a lot of time in the sun and lost 100 pounds.

for a year now I have been working on accepting this face. sometimes I pull out my driver's lic (my before photo) and look at the red basketbal- shaped face and think, well it could be worse.

my body I've been fine with but my face came as a shock.