Here's a first world problem if I have ever heard one... I can't get used to being so much thinner!

I'm down 65 pounds and so many inches, I can no longer count. I'm down to a size 10 in tops and between a size 12-14 in pants (oh... the struggles of the in-between sizes!). And, hey, I'm enjoying my new body (minus the extra skin on the belly - oh!!! the extra belly skin!!) but I have to admit, it's freaking weird!!

I see myself in the mirror or walking down the street in the reflection of glass and I can't believe it is me! Who is that woman walking around in size 12 jeans?

And people aren't looking at me in a strange way any longer, when I walk in to Dunkin' Donuts and order coffee, the woman behind the counter doesn't turn up her nose at me and make me feel self-conscious about my weight... she smiles that secret "thin person club" smile (I'm convinced they have a club, you can't tell me they don't!!) lol The women at the gym don't stop and whisper any longer.. my trainer doesn't look at me with pity in his eyes...when I interview for jobs, they smile when I walk in the room now, instead of averting their eyes, which immediately are dead when they look back at me.

I can't get used to the bones in my knees touching when I sleep at night, I have to put a pillow between my legs now. I can't get used to how thin my shoulders look and how wearing a cold shoulder top doesn't seem so bad now. I can't get used to how much energy I have or how walking up the stairs no longer makes my heart race or how I can walk up the whole flight without stopping to catch my breath.

I work in a plus-sized clothing store and I can't get used to being at the very bottom of the sizes and how my customers tell me "I'm no longer plus-sized"...

This may seem weird but I can't get used to the whole thing! And what's more.. I don't see myself as "thinner" yet. I look in the mirror and still see that "fat" girl staring back at me. I can't see what everyone else sees yet, despite the glaring evidence in front of me.

Please tell me I'm not the only one.

2 minutes ago, dreamingsmall said:

I don't like my clothes tight. So .. that might be why. I have always bought a size up.

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Stop. Stop doing that! Wear the size clothes you should be wearing, the size that fits. That's a solution we do as plus-sized girls to hide our curves. We shouldn't do it. I have so many people pushing me to wear clothes that fit. It's hard to do, but we must. The toughest day of my life was wearing a shirt that fit me perfectly, and showed my (smaller) tummy. I thought I looked like crap but never had more compliments than that day. We gotta do it! I'm sure you look amazing!!

2 minutes ago, dreamingsmall said:

I didn't even realize how fat I was. Now I'm losing weight I feel huge. And when I see myself in mirrors the person in the mirror looks slim so I think there is something wrong with the mirror so I look at the person next to me in the mirror then directly at them they look the same. But rarely do I feel slimmer.

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But you are!!! I'm sure of it! It's the hardest thing to do, change our mindset. Hardest for me too!!

Oh, I can totally relate to this! I also have a huge sense of fear walking into a regular size clothing store. I wear a size 8 now, but feel like the employees at the store are going to roll their eyes at me when I walk in. It's really weird, for sure. I absolutely still see myself at a fat person, even though I weigh 135 lbs.

As a newly sleeved person you are all giving me a lot to think about and a lot to look forward to. The mind takes so much longer to change than the body. Keep up the great work!

I haven’t gone shopping yet but I will have to soon. I’m 3 months post op and I’m still managing with the clothes I had when I was 45lbs heavier. And some ‘goal’ clothes I never could bring myself up to throwing away. I’m terrified to go shopping because I still think nothing will fit and I don’t even know what size I am now. I definitely still feel my 220 lb self. I can’t talk to my family about it either because they just get mad or make fun of me telling me I’m being over dramatic like those skinny people that always complain they’ve gained weight! I still feel big though [emoji22]

Definitely a high class problem! in the past I've been at my goal weight after a 100 lb weight loss and it probably took a year to get used to my new self. Now I'm down just over 40 lbs and I still do a double take when I look in the mirror. It's easy to forget how much you've changed so quickly. Enjoy it while you can and remind yourself that you're doing something really good for yourself. I like to think about how much weight I've lost in terms of 1 lb sticks of butter (similar density to fat). Imagine a stack as big as the number of pounds you lost - you were carrying that around every single day!

Can I join in? I'm still at the other end of the spectrum. I'm 325, still pre surgical, down from a high of 355 at 5'9", know I will have to get a pre surge picture taken but I still have a dysmorphic loathing. You girls at 150- 175, you're where i want to be. Yeah my dream is only ,to be a 16. You give,me hope maybe,i will get smaller but I just can't see it at 72. My plus-sized retailer you're wrong, Wal-Mart just sizing 0W which is a 14. Yeah I used to work at WallyWorld, they run
0X(14), 1X(16)2X(18-20)3X(22-24)4X(26-28)and5X(30-32) my store seldom gets in 5X when they do I buy them to have something loose to sleep in. I'm currently in 3x tops and 4x pants, probably could wear 3x,pants but I don't like my ladybits crunched. My surgery should be early-mid March, a RnY, 1 I need it

for the weight loss 2 I have pretty bad GERD 3 I am just so grateful I have a surgeon who's still willing to undertake me, a lot of Bariatric Surgeons won't do anyone over 60. I am lucky all I have low cholesterol,, no diabetes, no heart disease, although I have sleep apnea my pulmonologist cleared me and so did the psychological exam. I am in it to win it, I'm sure even when the weight starts coming off I'll still sense I'm a fat girl but all of you give me the hope to persevere. The place I seem to have lost that excess 30 pounds was across my tailbone, it suddenly hurts to sit too long. Curious isn't it. Anyway please keep posting- you are the light at the end of my tunnel. Thank You

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The thing I have most enjoyed is that I no longer get the "bull in a china shop" treatment. When you're really big, people have this passive aggressive way of being crappy about it, where they act like they need three times more space to get by you than they really do. They act like you're driving a semi truck down the hallway instead of being just 4-6 inches wider than anybody else.

That's done now. I don't miss it.

People treat you much nicer when your thinner. Even other fat people do this. Its actually lowered my estimation of my fellow humans. I might me turning into a cynical ass.

I'm interested to see how I'll be treated differently at work. I'm pre-op, 290 lbs, and go for my scope next week. After that I just need my psych clearance and I'm good.
I see how my co-workers look at me, the downward glances at my belly and legs, the long stares at my hips when I sit in a chair. When I talk to my manager his eyes are focused on my body not my face.
I feel I've been passed over for promotions because of my size. I loath the "food days", holiday celebrations, etc. I'm have gluten sensitivity so I can't eat what they bring even if I wanted. To be honest I wouldn't even if I could. These people are so shallow it makes me sick.
I've decided that I'm going to have my surgery, get back on my feet and I'm looking for a new job. I'm not saying it will be sunshine and roses elsewhere but I'm not going to stay in a place that cultivates poor behavior towards people who have issues.
I'm not even going to mention how they treat a women that is wheelchair bound...ugh pisses me off.
Sorry for the rant.

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10 minutes ago, Todd_196 said:

I'm interested to see how I'll be treated differently at work. I'm pre-op, 290 lbs, and go for my scope next week. After that I just need my psych clearance and I'm good.
I see how my co-workers look at me, the downward glances at my belly and legs, the long stares at my hips when I sit in a chair. When I talk to my manager his eyes are focused on my body not my face.
I feel I've been passed over for promotions because of my size. I loath the "food days", holiday celebrations, etc. I'm have gluten sensitivity so I can't eat what they bring even if I wanted. To be honest I wouldn't even if I could. These people are so shallow it makes me sick.
I've decided that I'm going to have my surgery, get back on my feet and I'm looking for a new job. I'm not saying it will be sunshine and roses elsewhere but I'm not going to stay in a place that cultivates poor behavior towards people who have issues.
I'm not even going to mention how they treat a women that is wheelchair bound...ugh pisses me off.
Sorry for the rant.

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I get it. At 250-275, I was the first one laid off from companies during my career. I couldn't get a job for the 18 months I was laid off. But now I'm a size 10, very petite and tiny even for a size 10 (they can't see my extra belly skin) and everyone wants me. I got a great contract role and I'm looking at great full time roles. People see me as capable and intelligent, things I were before, but now I'm in a tiny little package they love. It's terrible. I'm happy for myself and I think these people suck.

20 hours ago, etc. etc. etc. said:

The thing I have most enjoyed is that I no longer get the "bull in a china shop" treatment. When you're really big, people have this passive aggressive way of being crappy about it, where they act like they need three times more space to get by you than they really do. They act like you're driving a semi truck down the hallway instead of being just 4-6 inches wider than anybody else.

That's done now. I don't miss it.

On the flip side last time I lost 100 lbs I noticed people no longer got out of my way in a crowd or were more likely to push into me. I’ll take just being another regular person though!