Wondering if this happens to anyone else, but whenever I start to lose weight I start to really see my actual size and I'm always surprised at how big I am. I'm not being negative, I just don't think I realize it fully until I start to lose and become more aware of every lb and inch. It's like when you see a picture of yourself and it shocks you how you look...or when you hear your voice on a machine and think it doesn't sound like you.

It's like knowing the "number" size verses how that actually looks. It kind of freaks me out. Like I've ignored it for years and now I'm just waking up to it. I'm so happy to be loosing but know I have a long road ahead.

Funny you mention this. I actually looked at myself a few days ago and thought the same thing. I realized that even though I've lost so much I still have more work to do. Like you, I am not down on myself but it is eye-opening to realize how much I kidded myself about my weight for so long. Fortunately, we at least realized we needed help enough to have this surgery and are getting ourselves where we need to be.

Amanda

It happens to me. I was sleeved in early August. About a month later, I went camping and walked around in a bathing suit feeling so skinny. Pictures later revealed that 20 pounds lost didn't really amount to much. I felt so much skinnier though.

I am seeing differences in pics now, but I know what you mean. Even though I can see I'm smaller, I still get surprised by how much more I need to go.

A funny thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago. My hubby took a pic of me with his phone. The other day he showed me the pic and I didn't even recognize myself. My face has changed so much. He got a good laugh about that.

I totally feel the same way! People keep calling me "skinny" I went to a halloween party-- pics are taken and I was so excited to see them! I finally got to see them and I was like "wth!!!! I am NOT skinny!" he he he

I totally feel the same way! People keep calling me "skinny" I went to a halloween party-- pics are taken and I was so excited to see them! I finally got to see them and I was like "wth!!!! I am NOT skinny!" he he he

I totally feel the same way! People keep calling me "skinny" I went to a halloween party-- pics are taken and I was so excited to see them! I finally got to see them and I was like "wth!!!! I am NOT skinny!" he he he

This happened to me at a Halloween party too! I was sleeved n 8/31, and, even though I'm down 50 total pounds (30 since surgery), in my mind, I was much skinnier than the picture showed. It was my eye opener that I still have much work to do.

I'm mixed... there are some days where I feel smaller but then I look in the mirror and I'm like "i'm still huge". Then there are other days where I just don't feel any different. Even when I was at my heaviest I was still very active and I never had any major issues (there were some pretty darn close on the horizon though), so at this point I honestly don't "feel" different and I don't see any major changes.

I avoided pictures like the plague so I don't have many "before" at my heaviest, but I have quite a few that had from about 30 lbs up... and I can see a difference, but all it does is remind me of how far I still have to go, and I get the shock factor of "geeze, how did I not notice!!"

I have a little of both too. Sometimes I feel much thinner than I really am. My husband says I've always had that and that I always said that I was thin person in a fat body! :-) I don't know if it's denial or what?! LOL But when I look at some before pics (don't have many either) holy cow! I look quite a bit different!!! Much thinner! - NOT skinny like some people have now said to me, but thinner and better for sure! I notice it a lot on my face. I love doing my eye make up because it seems like my eyes are more visible now! :-) instead of my fat cheeks LOL

It's so good to hear that I'm not alone with this. I think it must be part of the process. I agree with Amanda131 - It is eye-opening to realize how much I kidded myself about my weight for so long. It's like you know it because you didn't dare want your picture taken or stand naked infront of a full mirror but yet somehow still in denial about what 240+ lbs really looks like on a person. I knew I was big but always thought obese sounded to harash. Now I look in the mirror, and think I don't think "normal" thighs look like mine, lol. Again its not beating myself up, its just like....hello where did that come from....kind of surprise. I think it is good that we are getting more in touch with our bodies, because I know I was fooling myself.

I've noticed a few things: 1) I was a lot bigger than I thought and 2) the lines on my face seem to get deeper as I lose weight. In fact, I think I liked my face better when I was heavier. Of course I don't want the weight back, this is just something I'll have to get used to. If I knew how to upload a picture, I would post by school id from last year and my one from yesterday. You would be SHOCKED.

I stand in front of the mirror at least once a week and just can't see where 70 lbs came and went. There is still so much left and that is over 70 lbs too! Crazy, I can't way to see where the rest of our journeys take us. This is such a wild ride. At least, we are being healthy and conscious now about what we are giving our bodies.

Ellie4me I could have written your post. I think I know how overweight I am and how I look but it is not until I go on a diet that I dare to really look or think about it. It's like a switch I turn on and off. I think it's my way of not making myself more unhappy about my weight than I already am.

Yes- talk about having rose colored glassed before. I never realized just how overweight I looked. Though I dressed better to hide the weight. Today I carry a picture of me (2 days to 14 months out of surgery) pre op in my car. Many coworkers no longer remember me overweight, even those who have worked with me for over a decade. At my surgeons support group some newbies look and ask why am I there attending since I obviously do not need help with my weight. HA HA, little do they know, so I flash the old me.

Also I have still not changed my DL picture so my ID gives me away. I am not ashamed but sad at what I see in my picture. Today I am not a better person, but I look a lot better. That means I am is healthier both physically and emotionally.

No regrets, I love my sleeve.

oh goodness I know exactly how you feel, even though I have lost so much, I still look very much larger than I feel. I feel like a size 14, I AM a size 22, and when I catch site of myself in the mirror on a bad day, it can be a little depressing, but you know what? That's ok! It's good to take that and make it into more fuel! <3

You really look as good as you feel you look, you can be 400 pounds, but if you have confidence, you and others won't see you that way!

I hear all the time, when I tell people my weight " My GOD! You never looked that heavy to me! Where were you hiding it?!?!" lol <3