Do you sometimes NOT like the changes you see in the mirror?

[dancinglamb 0]

**WARNING, THIS IS A KIND OF A GIRLIE THREAD!! **

I was in the Gap today trying stuff on (well, just to see if I could!) and suddenly realised how horrifying my thighs looked. Three weeks...even TWO weeks... ago, they looked nothing like they did today. :cryin:

Today's thighs belonged on an old elephant. You know. Deflated, sad and pathetic. There were these, well, inner flattened pancakes attached to the rest of my thighs. I have no idea what they are or where they came from. But they creep me out and disgust me to no end. Almost as if my thighs have their OWN thighs!!! HTF did that happen??! Is it going to get better? I mean, yeah, they were fat before (and of course there was a major case of chub rub going on), but I was just simply beside myself. I actually got almost to the point of tears and definitely reached a point where all the potential joy of having clothes in a 'regular store' *almost* fitting me (I could zip 'em but not fit for public consumption yet) was completely taken out of the experimental shopping trip. There's clearly a damn good reason why I don't have any mirrors that go below hip length in my house.

I am all over the prospect of future plastic surgery (in fact, I cruise the PS forum regularly for inspiration :sad:), but realistically, it's a long way off. Hell, I just got on this roller coaster (my first fill is tomorrow; woo hoo!). How do you deal with this? Just suck it up ~ literally and figuratively? Spanx should just probably take a second mortgage on our house. *sigh*:cursing:

-m

Edited May 20, 2008 by dancinglamb

[Laurinda 1]

"Almost as if my thighs have their OWN thighs!!! HTF did that happen??! Is it going to get better?"

I am rolling here laughing!!! Bless your heart I hear ya. I looked in the mirror in the past and would go "ewwww" now I look in the mirror and go "EWWWWWW" lol The only thing I take comfort in at this time is the fact that clothed it works :sad: :cryin:

And bras.....OMG... I have been battling with mine for the past week or two. Putting one on taking it off putting one on taking it off. I would look in the mirror and be like "What the hell is wrong with these things, they ain't working like they used to" ( the bras)<laughing> then it dawns on my that duh I have lost 60 lbs and maybe I should get new ones? ( bras) Then back to the mirror ewwwww.

Well we did this for health reasons < right?> ( looks around) lol the "new" old skin is just a side effect...in an ewww kinda way lol :thumbup: :cursing:

[general_antiope 189]

You just reminded me of this well meaning girl at bloomingdales who tried to help me find a new bra, Laur...Now keep in mind that in my youth I was a salesgirl for maternity clothes (and one of my most favorite jobs ever...I LOVED helping pregnant women look and feel pretty, especially when they didn't feel pretty). I was certified to fit bras for women, I know how the whole thing works. This lingerie salesgirl measured me up, announced I was something like a 42 DDD. I was like...actually, no I'm not. She said "But I measured you." and I said "I lost a lot of weight, I wear a 38DD to keep it all in." she said "Trust me" and I said okay then.

She comes back with 7 or 8 bras. I put on one or two and I made her come in. The bra was comical. Through some feat of physics, although the inches claimed I was that size. the bra hung on me. And my bewbs? Hung down past the bottom of the bra. I swear this things are trying their hardest to merge with my belly button. They looked like they were gasping for air. Her face was priceless. "Oh...I guess...we'll try a 38DD."

In the end, I bought a 40D. I don't wear that bra anymore, it felt really comfortable but it didn't lift my heavy flour sacs enough, so I am back to my 38DD balconettes from Lane Bryant. I will sacrifice a little pride (back rolls) for the lift in front. I just look way too matronly for 32 wearing bras that "fit."

Edited May 21, 2008 by kcampbell

[Laurinda 1]

Ok Kate that made me both laugh and become scared lol. I think when I go out tomorrow looking for bras I will bypass the sales person and just take one of every size in the fitting room. ( I say that but I can bypass A-C )

At this point I am not looking for anything pretty just practical..ok industrial even. I just want to be able to adjust the straps like a pulley "higher, higher, higher"! <wink>

[general_antiope 189]

Laur, if you find a style that you really like, would you post it? I am always on the lookout for something more comfortable than the constant digging into my flesh of elastic and underwire....but it needs to give me lift - industrial would totally work for me!!

[snowbird 2]

My thighs are okay (well, not okay, but not as bad as a couple other areas, but my butt does have it own little butt hanging below it . . .

[Sue Magoo 71]

I can totally relate to the thighs issue. I've gone from a size 26/28 down to a 16 and my thighs look horrible! I have these big lumps of tissue that looks sooooooooooooo uuuuuggggllllyyyyy! My top half is pretty small, but I still have a big belly, butt, and legs. I bought two size 14 bathing suits last year at the end of season clearance. They actually fit! However, I don't want anybody to see these horrible thighs of mine so I went and bought some long shorts (just above the knee) to wear over the bathing suits. I think they're disgusting. However, my Sister tells me they're not any grosser than my legs were before! How complimentary - yikes!

There's a plastic surgeon in my future. I hope I don't have to spend all of my retirement funds fixing what I did to myself in my twenties and thirties.

I think it's important to focus on the good parts instead of the bad. So, I'm going to think about my neck (no fat at all) and my collar bones. I like both of them because they look so "normal".

Best wishes to all of you and finding those good parts.

Sue

[maryrose 2]

Oh Gosh, Thanks for starting this post!

:cursing:

I'm 53 and every day I check myself out in front of the mirror! I guess I expected something different to emerge. Don't ask me what??lol.

I have always been pretty solid, so I don't have the sagginess, I just expected all the fat to be gone and look like the slim person I was when I was in my 30's. Not going to happen, but I'll take it anyway.

I just want to look nice in my clothes at this stage in my life and of course the breast reduction (surgery date 6/26) will make me feel a lot better about myself.

Every day I find new "stuff", what I guess a slimmer 50's woman is supposed to look like? I have no idea.

I hate to sound like I am complaining because I am very, very happy with the weight loss, I guess I just don't always know what to expect, but it's all good! :cryin:

[suzyt 0]

Hi ladies!!

I thought I would share my favorite bra with you. It's from Target and available in stores and online. It's definitely a push up bra, but since I am 41 that's a good thing. I haven't gotten banded yet, but I am looking forward to getting new bras in smaller sizes.

Gilligan & O'Malley® Textronic Lace Half-Padded Bra - Basic Colors : Target

Thanks to everyone for their constant inspiration and support!!

[Long2BFree 12]

I apologized to my hubby a few weeks and told him that I was sorry that we would still be having sex in the dark even after I lose weight because it probably still won't be pretty site. Thank God he loves me for me and not my body. It does make me mad for letting myself get like this though.

[maryrose 2]

long to be Free, what is the 3 hour Nut class? lol

[Long2BFree 12]

long to be Free, what is the 3 hour Nut class? lol

It was a class with the nutritionist at the hospital. She went very in depth as to the new way of eating that will be required with LBS and GBS. She also brought supplements from various companies for us to try.

[dancinglamb 0]

I actually squirrelled away all my bras as they no longer fit and finally unearthed them a few weeks ago. I'm damn glad I did it, because the $70 ones now fit properly once again. And wow, do they really make a difference. I had resorted to the cheapo versions from Lane Bryant for so long, I forgot what it was like to actually have a bra does what it's supposed to do, kwim?

God knows I could actually hide Jimmy Hoffa under my boobs without a bra on, so going without one is *not* an option unless I want to be arrested. Lately, I've been wearing the Le Mystere Dream Tisha ones. Even though I'm still wearing a 40G (yes, as in 'Gadzooks'), and I'm only 5'2", it's more a function of rolling them up and sticking them in there than anything else. They're lightly lined, but not so much that they add any, uh, girth. It's just enough so that everything kinda, um, evens out under t-shirts.

I got them at Nordstrom, which is seriously one of the best places EVER to go get fitted for bras. No commission, so no pushy attitude. Besides, you can go there, try stuff out and then go find the stuff cheaper online.:wink2:

Lane Bryant does have their own knockoff version of the Le Mystere one, but I found that it only lasted me about a month before the wires started popping through. I think they ran me about $30. I'd rather spend twice the money and get a bra that lasts me three or six times as long (assuming that you're not spiraling down in weight and losing girth off the girls...).

Oh, and about the ones at Target that look like the spendy ones at the mall. On Gossamer is the manufacturer. The regional manager at Nordy's told me that. Shhhhh!

-m

[dancinglamb 0]

I can totally relate to the thighs issue. I've gone from a size 26/28 down to a 16 and my thighs look horrible! I have these big lumps of tissue that looks sooooooooooooo uuuuuggggllllyyyyy! My top half is pretty small, but I still have a big belly, butt, and legs. I bought two size 14 bathing suits last year at the end of season clearance. They actually fit! However, I don't want anybody to see these horrible thighs of mine so I went and bought some long shorts (just above the knee) to wear over the bathing suits. I think they're disgusting. However, my Sister tells me they're not any grosser than my legs were before! How complimentary - yikes!

There's a plastic surgeon in my future. I hope I don't have to spend all of my retirement funds fixing what I did to myself in my twenties and thirties.

I think it's important to focus on the good parts instead of the bad. So, I'm going to think about my neck (no fat at all) and my collar bones. I like both of them because they look so "normal".

Best wishes to all of you and finding those good parts.

Sue

Sue-

I did the bathing suit with the shorts thing last year, too (actually it was a tankini top with shorts). I don't think they will fit me this year, so I'll have to size down, but I'll definitely go that route again. The only thing that I don't like about it is the 'aftermath' of coming out of the Water. I half expect fish to come riding out on a mini Water tobbagin from the bottom of the shorts anytime I exit a pool.:wink2:

[Jachut 487]

Definitely. I still have DD cup breasts, but Ive lost ALL the volume in the top of them. I have to wear a bra with padded sides, to push them up and together beause au natural, I have this really awful look because of the utter flatness of the top of my breasts - my chest (ribs and sternum) stick out FURTHER than my boobs do. I am definitely getting this fixed, next year.

And my ass, oh, boy. Its sitting on the back of my knees. Its my worst feature, its pretty saggy. I got out of this with no loose tummy skin, but I really need a butt lift. That'll never happen though, I look find clothed and I can live with that. Not many people look that great in a swimming costume.