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First, may I suggest shopping around for a new therapist? Your therapist’s advice to just “think about all the good things” you’ve got going seems very un-therapeutic to me; he/she sounds like they want you to push down your feelings instead of exploring them…? Which seems odd advice to be dispensed by a therapist. I dunno… Second, nobody says you have to go through the surgery if you don’t feel ready. You can sit on it, talk it out with a (hopefully, different) therapist or a trusted friend, maybe deal with other life stressors first, etc. In the meantime, you can also vent it out here if it helps alleviate the alone-ness feeling…you will find many in your same situation, and many others who went through it to the other side. Hugs & Good luck ❤️

it's pretty common. Usually not as extreme as the article GradyCat posted, but yes - I think a lot of us have unrealistic perceptions of our size. I'm almost seven years out. I had about a 20 lb regain in year 3 (which unfortunately is very common), and I'm constantly thinking I look "fat". I'm always shocked when I see a photo of myself and realize I'm not fat - I look just fine. Or I'll see a photo of myself from a couple of years ago in "Facebook memory" and think - wow - I looked great then - and then I'll check my weight spreadsheet (which I've kept since my surgery) and realize I weigh exactly the same now - or maybe 2 or 3 lbs more - than I did in that photo. if it's causing you anxiety or depression, then yes - I'd agree counseling may be a good idea. But if it's not - then know that you're certainly not alone!!

Yep..... that's basically what I did. I said I was having surgery on my stomach. I have other issues with my stomach anyway, so I just kept the main part to myself, I omitted the main part of it so that mentally I can focus on my health and my journey w/o everyone's input rather negative or positive it's not a conversation I want to have everytime someone talks to me😇

I would say ok you win, I am going to do what you wish and cancel the surgery. Then keep quiet and get the surgery. You can deal with the rest when its a fait accompli. No one should use emotional blackmail

This was also my experience this year! My weight loss actually ramped up between Thanksgiving and New Years - I lost 16 lbs in that time, when my previous two months were half that amount. It has been nuts. I tracked as much as I could (and I was averaging more calories than I had been previously, per my nutritionist's advice) but there were the inevitable days where I couldn't track because I wasn't the one preparing food. But, I tried to be somewhat smart about things and not go too off the rails. I enjoyed the holidays food wise, but I didn't come out of them with the usual guilt and regret. I'm enjoying the feeling.

Looks like others have it covered. I will just add that it gets a little bit better each day. Hang in there. 👍

Just a quick update. My pre-op appointment went absolutely fine and I was able to get all of the tests done and the results to them in time. The major lesson I learned from this is to READ EVERYTHING your surgeon sends you and then READ IT AGAIN multiple times throughout the process. You will think that you remember it all but there is so much information it is hard to remember everything. If I had just read the materials again, I would have noticed that there already was a Lab Order for my pre-op tests and I wouldn't have wasted time trying to get my primary care doctor to order them. It was so easy to just take my lab order to Simon Med and walk in for an x-ray and it was done in minutes and the results were faxed over the next day. Hope this helps someone!

I am down to a large from a 3X. If I catch a glance at myself in a mirror, I'm happy with how I look, but when I go to put on size large clothes, I'm sure they won't fit. It's very common, but I agree that working with a therapist can be helpful. Also, I read in a book on bariatric surgery that you can look at those around you and try to guess their size, then you'll be surprised when you realize that you're actually smaller than them. I also would recommend getting clothes that fit. I don't see how much weight I've lost when I put on bigger clothes. When I see my body in clothes that fit, it's more obvious.

I completely understand how you feel, when I had my gastric bypass surgery, my significant other was always trying to undermine my goals, my whole family ate unhealthy, I just kept telling myself that I had to do this for me and my health, the more I continued to build myself up and ignore them I became stronger, of course I had my weak days, but I would get back up, and shake it off and continue to work on myself, it worked!!!! I was 320 at the beginning of my surgery and I reached my goal of 135!!! You can do it!!!! Sent from my SM-N976V using BariatricPal mobile app

Congrats to you both and littler me who has only just started on this journey. Whoop Whoop