Am I being silly?

[Petal1951]

I think I may have a problem in the way I see myself. I have lost 5 stone since April but when I look in a full-length mirror I still look like a beached whale. I'm still wearing my "big" clothes (crutch of trousers nearly down to my knees lol). It's almost as if I am afraid of losing the weight.

 

[alibalibee]

Not silly at all, and wearing your *big* clothes still is not unusual either. Its really over whelming buying new stuff, I found it really hard, still do sometimes. I got frogmarched by my sister into Dorothy Perkins and made to buy clothes that fitted me lol

 

[i love diamonds]

I've read about this happening to people who lose weight quickly. It sometimes takes their minds a while to catch up. Maybe take some photos of yourself now and compare them to some old photos, then you will be able to see the difference. You have done fantastic and you should be really proud of yourself. I think you should buy some new clothes aswell, if you're wearing clothes from when you were 5 stone bigger then they will be very baggy and make you look bigger than you are. If you don't want to spend alot because your still slimming, Asda or Peacocks or places like that have cheaper clothes. Chin up, hope you feel better soon xx

 

[elliebird]

O could have written your post, I know exactly how you feel about the being scared of losing weight, odd but very true! I feel the same and no one can understand how I feel, perhps our weight is our security? Might help just chatting about it, might help us both xx

 

[Petal1951]

Eliebird, I think you are right. I think the weight is a security blanket even though I hate it.

 

[alibalibee]

I don't think its got anything to do with how quickly you lose weight, I think its got everything to do with how you see yourself in the first place. I was over 21st, and I've been heavy all my life, shopped in places like Evans for 20 plus years, so buying clothes in *normal* shops is going to take some getting used to. Automatically going for clothes that are baggy and cover you us is a bluddy hard habit to break.
x

 

[Alex_1978]

I was/am exactly the same to be honest.
A few years ago, I lost 8 stone, and when I look back at photos of myself I wish I'd realised at the time how good I looked. Inside, I hadn't adjusted to the 'new' me, and still felt insecure and different from other people.
Obviously, I knew I looked slimmer, and I loved shopping for new clothes in smaller sizes, but deep down, I suppose I still used my weight as an excuse and a security blanket. Almost like life was on hold until I'd finished losing weight, and I couldn't contemplate things like dating, holidays, changing jobs etc. until I'd reached my goal.

Unfortunately, I didn't ever get to that goal, and steadily piled the weight back on...but it wasn't until last Christmas (6 stone heavier than I had been) that I realised just how different I felt at my lightest weight, and how much more comfortable I must have felt without even realising it, and I'd give anything to go back to that time and give myself a wake up call!

So I definitely agree that it takes your brain a lot longer than your body to catch up with yourself. Losing the weight is just the physical part of it, the psychological adjustment takes a lot longer.
Especially if you've been overweight, or struggling with your weight for a long time, it's so hard to adjust to the new you. I think clothes definitely do help though, even if you just buy a few cheap ones along the way - it definitely does make you realise how much your body is changing!
x

 

[Alex_1978]

buying clothes in *normal* shops is going to take some getting used to

I completely agree Ali - I remember the first time I shopped anywhere 'normal' I felt like everybody was staring at me, and thinking "you shouldn't be in here! There's nothing to fit YOU!"
Obviously, they weren't, but that's how I felt, and still do to a certain extent!

 

[Petal1951]

I always shop on-line/mail order because I panic when trying on chothes in a shop. How daft is that.

 

[alibalibee]

I completely agree Ali - I remember the first time I shopped anywhere 'normal' I felt like everybody was staring at me, and thinking "you shouldn't be in here! There's nothing to fit YOU!"
Obviously, they weren't, but that's how I felt, and still do to a certain extent!

SNAP !! And I still feel like that sometimes.

I always shop on-line/mail order because I panic when trying on chothes in a shop. How daft is that.

Not daft at all, think about, its all about self preservation. It's protecting yourself from the *stares* and the *OMG how heavy is she?* looks, that probably don't even happen, but in our minds they do. Plus the old saying of sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me, is so not true, words do hurt, sometimes they hurt more than anything else.
x

 

[Kes]

All of this runs through most people I think...
I think the best advice I can give you is to read kiira's diary If its still about. She felt like this. and its taken her a good while to finally start seeing thst she is a beautiful girl...

Very inspirational read...