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Hey everyone! I don’t post in here often but there’s been something I’m dying to get off my chest.

Body dysmorphia.

I would read about it in this forum before my WLS and wonder “How the heck are these people not seeing their progress?” Well, I can honestly relate to this now.

I’m not at my goal weight yet. I’m only 4 mo. post-op. I’m down 50 lbs from my starting weight of 218. I’m hoping to reach 135. Everyone keeps telling me they see such a huge difference, but me... I don’t see it. I just feel the same.

Even when I look in the mirror or at before and after photos. Especially when I look in the mirror! It’s weird to explain. I feel 100x better, my original clothes literally were falling off weeks ago, I can do things I never could before, like not struggle to wear pantyhose to get ready for work or wear heels more often. I cross my legs without even thinking about it and I can do 45 mins on the treadmill easy!

I’m at my lowest ever adult weight, but... I still feel like the big girl I always was. I still look at myself in the mirror and pick apart every roll and dimple. I went into a high end clothes shop the other day which I never would have dared walk into pre-op. I could fit their XL but not their large and I thought to myself “See, you’re right. You haven’t made progress. What the heck are you even doing in this place?” The snooty sales lady didn’t help either.

Anyway, I’m sorry for ranting, I just needed to get all this off my chest. I don’t really have anyone I can talk to in my life about this stuff that will actually get it.

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Before surgery, I never really looked at myself - so I didn't even see how obese I really was. Since I was the photographer in the family, I rarely occurred in photographs. So it can be hard to see the result. For me the greatest feeling was the drop in clothes sizes. In shirts I went from a size 3X down to a size small. So I predict that very very soon you will be able to go into high end clothes shops and buy, buy, buy. You will need to anyways because you will have to totally replace your wardrobe.

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I can relate. I was wearing a tight 3x tall shirt and I'm down to a large tall...hard to believe for me. Hoping it goes away so I can fully appreciate my progress and healthier life.

VSG 10/11/17 HW = 360 SW = 292 CW = 225.6 GW = 220 (6'5")

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@Angie's_Ocean yep, feel the same way. And I think we do ignore how fat we looked prior to surgery because when I would see a picture I would be shocked at how gross I looked.

The other day my granddaughter said, 'I can hug you all the way around now.' But I don't see it as much when I look in the mirror. Pictures - that I can see, but staring back at myself, doesn't sink in for some reason.

I did go a little shopping crazy because I went on vacation and it still isn't really sinking in. I hope it does soon, so I can start to appreciate it.

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Hey everyone! I don’t post in here often but there’s been something I’m dying to get off my chest.

Body dysmorphia.

I would read about it in this forum before my WLS and wonder “How the heck are these people not seeing their progress?” Well, I can honestly relate to this now.

I’m not at my goal weight yet. I’m only 4 mo. post-op. I’m down 50 lbs from my starting weight of 218. I’m hoping to reach 135. Everyone keeps telling me they see such a huge difference, but me... I don’t see it. I just feel the same.

Even when I look in the mirror or at before and after photos. Especially when I look in the mirror! It’s weird to explain. I feel 100x better, my original clothes literally were falling off weeks ago, I can do things I never could before, like not struggle to wear pantyhose to get ready for work or wear heels more often. I cross my legs without even thinking about it and I can do 45 mins on the treadmill easy!

I’m at my lowest ever adult weight, but... I still feel like the big girl I always was. I qstill look at myself in the mirror and pick apart every roll and dimple. I went into a high end clothes shop the other day which I never would have dared walk into pre-op. I could fit their XL but not their large and I thought to myself “See, you’re right. You haven’t made progress. What the heck are you even doing in this place?” The snooty sales lady didn’t help either.

Anyway, I’m sorry for ranting, I just needed to get all this off my chest. I don’t really have anyone I can talk to in my life about this stuff that will actually get it.

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Has anyone ever heard of a reverse problem or was it denial? My late husband was 3 inches taller and 25-30 lbs heavier than I the entire 44 years of marriage. He never regarded himself as being obese although undeniably he always was. You hear often someone say "I still feel fat inside" well he never did. Please comment! Won't hurt my feelings and he's not able to be listening.

Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

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Has anyone ever heard of a reverse problem or was it denial? My late husband was 3 inches taller and 25-30 lbs heavier than I the entire 44 years of marriage. He never regarded himself as being obese although undeniably he always was. You hear often someone say "I still feel fat inside" well he never did. Please comment! Won't hurt my feelings and he's not able to be listening.
Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

I never felt fat either
I was completely comfortable even at my highest weight. In fact I still pretty much feel the same except I don't get tired from walking fast or upstairs etc
Strangest things ... our brains


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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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