I did a vlog on this last week, but thought I'd throw it out here too! I'm half way to goal (lost 69.4 with 59.8 to go) and I'm feeling really exposed without my fat! I explained it to my hubby like this..."Imagine I'm a football player and I'm running out on the field without my helmet...that's how I feel. Like I'm going to get crushed by those really big guys and have nothing to protect myself with!" I know that it's just mental...that my fat never actually protected me, but my heart felt safe behind my wall of fat and now....it's disappearing really quickly and I feel very exposed. I'm working through getting those negative thoughts out of my mind and off "repeat" and replacing them with truth! It's hard, but I'm doing it! Anyone else feel this way?

I felt that way at first, too--my "fat suit" had protected me in lots of ways. Give yourself time, though--I'm almost the same time out from surgery as you, and I've been noticing that I feel more free, less constrained, more open, more accepting. I'm interacting with my colleagues and students in a different, more genuine way. I don't feel like I have the same "walls" or "front" that I used to deliberately place. The fat was more than physical--I feel like I'm shedding the emotional and psychic fat, too, that kept me feeling "safe." I find I don't need them any more, and it's a GREAT feeling!

This has really struck a chord with me... I am 14mts post op and to be honest, only recently have I started to feel more positive about my weight loss.

In the past it was definately a way of protecting myself against others, especailly those who I didn't want near me... I used it as a guard because I didn't want any attention; of anyone. I could hid behind it and it was safe. Now, without the majority of it, I feel better in myself because I feel healthy and fitter.

I am starting to shed the emotional fat too... weird isn't it?

Our minds are strange things...

Congrats on getting past the half way marker, keep up the good work. I have read here that it does take a while for the head to catch up with the body!!

I can relate to you in a very literal way. The other night I was lying in bed, layed my arms across my body and could feel my ribcage. The whole thing! I thought, omg, my ribs might be hurt cuz they're sticking out! How weird is that? I've been fat all my life and instead of thinking the ribs are there to protect your organs...I thought my fat was there to protect my ribs!! We are certainly facing a new reality, a different mindset, and I'm glad we're here to experience this together!

I know what you mean. But you will get use to the new you soon enough and LOVE IT