I have lost about 53 lbs and have felt pretty good about how I feel, I know I want to lost a LOT more, but still have been happy about it - feeling thinner, feeling like I look better...UNTIL my sister posted a pic of my on FB from Thanksgiving Day!! OMG I cried like a baby last night. It's like all of my hard work and I still look so huge and nasty. I am so freaking discouraged. After I saw that post, I did my "old" emotional eating - which made me feel WORSE... URGH

Hey there, Redbean...You have had such great success - 53 pounds is amazing. Please don't put value in some crappy Thanksgiving day photo. I am not sure I have every liked a pic taken of me - at any weight. Keep your chin up and be proud of what you've accomplished and look forward to the future. I'm going to copy your signature here - read it until you believe it! :-) Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start. ~Nido Qubein

YES!!! Thank you for the reminder!!!

I think you looked fantastic!! I also think that seeing pictures of ourselves take some time to accept. We have spent so many years not even letting someone take a picture and loathing the pictures that they managed to take that we just automatically shut down a good picture because of what we are so used to seeing in our minds. We can't even see the good picture staring us in the face. I also agree that angles and bad photographers play a major part in the pictures we are looking at. Be happy because I think you look amazing! You have come a long way!

Awww Thank you!

Suck it up buttercup...... You have done an awesome job and should be proud of that! You look awesome! And just think this is just the beginning...

Hah I love that saying!!! And thank you very much

Your weight loss is fantastic, but it often happens so fast our brains can't keep up. I'm fat. When I was a teenager I was stick thin and thought I was fat. I think it doesn't matter what size I am ill always be fat. But unfortunately what I through my eyes isn't reality. You're doing great and you liik great.

Redbean,

First, you've lost a lot of weight. In an absolute sense, you KNOW you look better than you used to.

Second, cameras (not just the movies) add at least 10 pounds.

Third, unless you're 15 years old you have NO idea how to pose for a photograph to look your best. And if your sister was snapping a candid photo of you (with no chance to arrange yourself), you were sandbagged.

Fourth, is there any chance the photograph was taken with you on the EDGE of the photograph, and not in the center of the photograph? If so, did you know that many cameras exaggerate the width of figures on the edges of the photograph? It produces a funky wide-angle effect. That might not be the case, but it sure could be. This article describes the problems: http://gizmodo.com/5661253/giz-explains-why-you-look-different-in-photos-than-you-do-in-the-mirror

A picture might or might not be worth a thousand words. But don't let it cost you a thousand tears, because your body needs the hydration.

Ann

Edited December 5, 201312 yr by Ann2014

You didn't say that....right! You look so cute and should be very proud of how far you have come..53 lbs...Go to a grocery store and pile 53 lbs. of butter around you and see if you don't see the difference literally.....I am surprised you would let a dumb photo get in your head girl.......

Self sabotage little one..Tell your sister to remove the picture or you will take one of her that she won't llike and post it...sisters...man you can chose your friends but not your family eh......

Your to sweet to be sad....hugs!

Your weight loss is fantastic, but it often happens so fast our brains can't keep up. I'm fat. When I was a teenager I was stick thin and thought I was fat. I think it doesn't matter what size I am ill always be fat. But unfortunately what I through my eyes isn't reality. You're doing great and you liik great.

I haven't been stick thin since I was 8 years old!!!

Redbean, First, you've lost a lot of weight. In an absolute sense, you KNOW you look better than you used to. Second, cameras (not just the movies) add at least 10 pounds. Third, unless you're 15 years old you have NO idea how to pose for a photograph to look your best. And if your sister was snapping a candid photo of you (with no chance to arrange yourself), you were sandbagged. Fourth, is there any chance the photograph was taken with you on the EDGE of the photograph, and not in the center of the photograph? If so, did you know that many cameras exaggerate the width of figures on the edges of the photograph? It produces a funky wide-angle effect. That might not be the case, but it sure could be. This article describes the problems: http://gizmodo.com/5661253/giz-explains-why-you-look-different-in-photos-than-you-do-in-the-mirror A picture might or might not be worth a thousand words. But don't let it cost you a thousand tears, because your body needs the hydration. Ann

It was definitely a candid photo, not centered at all. It is just disheartening to see a funky shot when I was feeling sooo much better about myself...but I have cried and everyone has made me feel so much better. I love the support here!

You didn't say that....right! You look so cute and should be very proud of how far you have come..53 lbs...Go to a grocery store and pile 53 lbs. of butter around you and see if you don't see the difference literally.....I am surprised you would let a dumb photo get in your head girl....... Self sabotage little one..Tell your sister to remove the picture or you will take one of her that she won't llike and post it...sisters...man you can chose your friends but not your family eh...... Your to sweet to be sad....hugs!

Haha, I did say it RJ!!! It really was a shock/terrible moment and pic!! As for carrying around 53 lbs of butter - I would seriously like to do that just to see the reactions on peoples faces! Hah!! :-P My aggravating sister won't remove it - go figure...she's ornery!!

You didn't say that....right! You look so cute and should be very proud of how far you have come..53 lbs...Go to a grocery store and pile 53 lbs. of butter around you and see if you don't see the difference literally.....I am surprised you would let a dumb photo get in your head girl....... Self sabotage little one..Tell your sister to remove the picture or you will take one of her that she won't llike and post it...sisters...man you can chose your friends but not your family eh...... Your to sweet to be sad....hugs!

Haha, I did say it RJ!!! It really was a shock/terrible moment and pic!! As for carrying around 53 lbs of butter - I would seriously like to do that just to see the reactions on peoples faces! Hah!! :-P My aggravating sister won't remove it - go figure...she's ornery!!

You know what I think...i think there just might be a little bit of envy there..If she does not respect your plea to remove the photo..I would ask her why your feelings don't mean anything to her....Ornery..no! A tad afraid and maybe a bit jealous..Sisters eh..I have one or 5 like her.....chin up!

You know what I think...i think there just might be a little bit of envy there..If she does not respect your plea to remove the photo..I would ask her why your feelings don't mean anything to her....Ornery..no! A tad afraid and maybe a bit jealous..Sisters eh..I have one or 5 like her.....chin up!

I actually kinda think she may be a lil envious, although idk why she's always been smaller than me. We have same dad, different mothers and I know her mother always compares us, tells her she needs to be like me, I have a good life, blah, blah, blah...maybe that's why?! (Btw, there isn't a whole lot of love/like between her mom and me; her mom just likes to start mess!!)

I'm scared to think of taking other photos!! I thought I wouldn't mind so much this time...I was sadly mistaken. I will do my best not to dwell on it, it was just such a wake up call that I have sooo much more to go.

this is quite normal to see yourself as still being fat. It's an illusion and plus the cameras always adds about 10 lbs. keep the pic as a marker for your weight loss bc when you get to your goal weight you can place the pics next to each other and you will see the difference. Good job on your loss of 53 lbs.

I wish I could show you the drivers license picture i took 3 days ago..it would make you feel better!

You know what I think...i think there just might be a little bit of envy there..If she does not respect your plea to remove the photo..I would ask her why your feelings don't mean anything to her....Ornery..no! A tad afraid and maybe a bit jealous..Sisters eh..I have one or 5 like her.....chin up!

I actually kinda think she may be a lil envious, although idk why she's always been smaller than me. We have same dad, different mothers and I know her mother always compares us, tells her she needs to be like me, I have a good life, blah, blah, blah...maybe that's why?! (Btw, there isn't a whole lot of love/like between her mom and me; her mom just likes to start mess!!)

There is nothing more painful then competition between siblings..Mine was with my mother..she always wanted to show me she was better then me in everything...Now it has been with a sister of mine too..I have not played the game with her..It is her problem not mine..But it has caused some real pain in my life over the last several years and my children do not have anything to do with her family at all....

So go one little one and pretend that she can't get to you...Write under the photo that you are hurt that she would post such a picture of you and then say...I would never do that to you...I guess my feelings don't count because if they did you would remove it..Then everyone who looks at the photo will know you asked and that she did not care enough to remove it because you did not like it..she will look the bad one and not you......

Doesn't matter anyway..I personally think you are fabulous darling.....

(((ReDbEaN))),

I think you look great & you're doing an amazing job! Even though I have lost some weight I still don't see it in my pics!? I use to avoid the camera...now, I make effort to be in as many pics as I can, I'm trying to make up for lost time!