Goal doesn't look THAT good...anyone?

[Keptewe]

Hi, fellow maintainers. I have a question for those who have been maintaining for a little while. After you got to goal...did you start to look in the mirror and NOT be happy with what you saw?

When I first got to goal (which was 5 lbs lower than my original goal), I felt very happy with what I saw in the mirror. I would look at myself and think, "Wow! You look thin!" But, lately, when I see myself I think, "You look fat. You don't look THAT good."

Anyone else find that "thin" stopped looking "thin" after you got used to your new look? Any ideas about how to cope with the problem?

[jennbeingme]

I have days where I feel the same way. In my case I'm worried abut wanting to go lower. I'm currently at a weight that I can maintain and that, for me, is a victory in and of itself.If I go lower- that is not realistic for me to maintain. My next challenge/goal is to do consistent exercise. This is a tough one for me-but it's something I really need to do. This, I think, will resolve some of those body image issues I tend to have.
Good luck!

[jo2621]

I know just what you are saying. All I wanted to do was get to my original goal of 150: Got to 147 and maintained for a quite a while. (see timeline below)

I was delighted that I could get that much off and maintain but I knew that I could do more. I really wasn't happy with what I looked like. And quite frankly, after 20+ years of being overweight my body will never be the same again anyway.

After a while I decided I needed a "buffer/comfort zone" & started losing some more so I reset my goal to 135 and hit that a couple weeks ago.

I am figuring out how to maintain at this weight. So far so good.

I feel like look like I could afford to lose some more. However, I am happy where I am and can maintain it. But if I lose any more, I won't complain.

[maryvit]

When I first hit 129 (finally out of the dreaded 130's !) .. I thought..wow ..lookin' good ... swimsuit weather and I can wear my bikini ..then as july turned to august ..even tho i lost a couple more lbs.. I started thinking I was looking kinda chunky again ... a bit of a belly ..

my dh thinks i'm nuts - he even bought me some cute Packer short-shorts size S and they fit perfectly an S for gawd sake - Ive never ordered a Small thru a catalog for myself ever ..but he sees me as Small now.

I might try to get 4 or 5 more pounds off and see if I can maintain at 120-122.

[RyanS]

My shape is a little off, and I look pretty good (IMHO) from the waist up, but still have lower body problems. But weight loss much beyond goal isn't going to fix it without making my ribs visible through my shirts, so my next step is to attain/maintain goal and then work on dropping my body fat percentage further at the gym. It's not bad right now (around 14%) but all concentrated in one spot, so might as well bring it down to 10%.

I could go down an extra 2-2.5 lb, but 107 is underweight, so I should stay above that if possible. If I fall to that and feel healthy I won't make myself gain, but I'm not going to try for it either because that would be silly.

[Danceruk]

I stopped at 120 originally..really was unhappy there, so kept working and training. Working on bodybuilding now, so time to chuck the scales..know its going to go up..and thats okay

Think you gotta re-evaluate and see whats going to make you happy long term

[sarita]

I feel that way when I have PMS. :)

[Stargazey]

My experience was different. I got down to 125 pounds (goal) and my friends told me I looked skeletal. I didn't see it myself when I looked in the mirror, so I ignored them.

Then somebody took a picture of me. Wow! I did look skeletal! Since then I've gained back about 7 pounds and I don't get the skeletal comment anymore. I still wear the same size clothes, though. It seems that when you maintain for a while, your dimensions are smaller even though your weight stays the same.

[babetteq]

When we've been overweight for a long time, or have a lot of emotional load with our weight it can turn into a slightly dysmorphic condition where we don't actually see reality. It's almost like your eyes arent' catching up to your weight. When this dysmorphia is really bad you see things like anorexia, or compulsive body building. More commonly though it's when you look in the mirror and think "I know I'm at my target weight, I excercise regularly but I still "feel" fat". "Feeling fat" is in your head. "Being" overweight is quantifiable. In other words you can measure it.

I think it's important that we actually fight this dysmorphia in ourselves. Remind ourselves that we're all good. Or if we still have weight to lose that our goal is healthy. Otherwise we're buying into a whole lot of bull that doesn't help us on our journey.

one grrl's opinion

[Keptewe]

Thanks to everyone that took the time to respond to my question. I am struggling with this issue but I have a feeling that it has as much to do with my age as it does with my weight. The last time I weighed what I do now...I was 15 years younger. I guess 140lbs looks different at 49 than it did at 30. Trying to figure this stuff out but appreciate your input. Thanks.

[girl81]

I think that body fat percentage is an important factor in how we appear at any given weight. I think it is beneficial to mix in a few workouts involving weight training throughout the week..

[batlou]

I am about 5 lbs from my goal now and still see a need for at least 15 more lbs to go. Plenty of squishy parts in the middle on my legs. Funny thing is my goal was based off a weight I had when I thought I was pretty thin. The clothes I wore at that weight are big on me now too, which means I was probably chubbier than I thought at the time. I think it's a matter of perspective but when you have worked your butt off, literally and figuratively for such a long time you should and likely will have high expectations.

[steady]

I feel the same way. I had to test it out and got down to 85 lbs, and you know what? I still had a "big" butt and thick legs....my shape stayed the same but I was just smaller. In my case, losing more really didn't make a difference. I easily maintain around 90lbs with LC, but I am still trying to make peace with my body shape.

[FitnessWanabee]

My mother tells me that I look just fine, but I can't stand all the squishy bits around my midsection. Also I'm pretty sure that it's not good for my long term health to have more then the tiniest sliver of fat on the abdomen.

[giJ]

Though I have a WAYS to go on weight loss this time around, I have lost, reached goal, and maintained in the past.

What I learned: after I stopped losing, though my weight stayed the same, it all shifted, even without exercise. I'm not sure if I'm going to explain this right, but .... I lose weight from my ends first (top and bottom), and the weight loss works it's way to the middle. So I lose a lot more (proportionately for what I have to lose) off my calves and face/shoulders than from my middle. BUT, once I stop losing, it all evens out, and my overall shape goes back to what it was, but much smaller

Maybe you're noticing that, with some time at maintenance, things have shifted, so you have a few more lbs to go.

Or maybe your eyes haven't caught up to your body.

Do your clothes fit the way they used to? If not, I would say the former, rather than the latter. If they have, then I would vote the latter, and give it a few more months before you make a decision.

Just my 2cents

[NWLoser]

My original goal was 135. I maintained at that weight about 6 months or more. I realized that I was not happy so I lowered my goal. I am much happier now and can truly say that I am at the correct weight range around 115. The weight does shift after you have lost and maintained awhile. I realized after a year that at the same weight I didn't look like I had when I first reached that weight. I hope that makes sense. Just my 2 cents too. I also realize that if I was a teenager I would look totally different at 115 than I do now at age 55. I have saggy parts that are not going to go away no matter how much I lose because they are my overstretched skin areas. I think the one true way to know if you are at the correct weight is to see how easy it is to maintain at that weight. If it is a struggle then it might be too low. I am not struggling at all and can easily stay in this weight range. JMHO

[Fitterly]

Yes I'm about 120 pounds and thought I'd be too skinny. No one has said "wow you've lost more weight, are you working out more or eating better?" or anything like that and trust me, the last few pounds you almost have to starve off your body. Anyhow, it's not that I'm trying to look anorexic, but until someone actually notices I've lost 8 pounds recently, I cannot say that losing to my "goal weight" has been amazing. In fact, although my clothes are falling off and the scale is down, at some point the difference is so minimal that it's just pretty hard to tell. I will probably gain about 5 back after my wedding because seriously for all of this effort you really cannot see the last 5 pounds gone.

[girl81]

Originally Posted by NWLoser

The weight does shift after you have lost and maintained awhile.

This is largely due to muscle loss. An overweight person tends to have more muscle mass due to having to carry around the excess weight. When they have lost it, after time, they begin to lose some of the muscle as well. A way to prevent muscle loss is weight training.

[NWLoser]

I decided not to respond to someone who knows nothing about me.

[girl81]

Originally Posted by NWLoser

I decided not to respond to someone who knows nothing about me.

I was agreeing with you. I was addressing the topic (weight "shifting"), not the individual.

[JONAH'S GRANNY]

NW Loser

Girl, you rock.

[NWLoser]

Originally Posted by JONAH'S GRANNY

NW Loser

Girl, you rock.

Thanks. (I am blushing!)

[JuliaL]

I had to finally come to grips with the fact that even though I lost the weight my body was never going to look like those fitness models in the magazines. That doesn't keep me from working at it and trying to make my body the best it can be, but I do understand those days when you look at yourself and go 'ugh'. But fortunately, those days are fewer and farther between for me now. I've gotten to a point in my journey where I just want to be healthy and strong. I've realized that even though I will never have the ideal body, I can strive to be the best me I can be.

[LoveMontana]

Haven't had any problems with self image at all. I did when I got down to 93 lbs because that was too low.

[homestretch]

Originally Posted by JuliaL

I had to finally come to grips with the fact that even though I lost the weight my body was never going to look like those fitness models in the magazines. That doesn't keep me from working at it and trying to make my body the best it can be, but I do understand those days when you look at yourself and go 'ugh'. But fortunately, those days are fewer and farther between for me now. I've gotten to a point in my journey where I just want to be healthy and strong. I've realized that even though I will never have the ideal body, I can strive to be the best me I can be.

Julia your after picture does look like a fitness model in a magazine! I love your attitude. I am working really hard at just concentrating on health which was my initial goal.

[Blood Sugar 101]

Originally Posted by JuliaL

I had to finally come to grips with the fact that even though I lost the weight my body was never going to look like those fitness models in the magazines. That doesn't keep me from working at it and trying to make my body the best it can....

My daughter actually WAS a fitness model in L.A. for a couple years. She put in 5 hours a day at the gym and could eat almost nothing. She'd get paid to do fashion shoots and attend conventions where she'd wear a bikini and promote products. She was briefly the "spokesmodel" for an energy drink that didn't go anywhere. She also did some videos and TV.

But she told me that the strain of maintaining that level of fitness was overwhelming and that most of the other women models she worked with were clearly anorectic and that she worried she was getting that way too.

She also told me that most of what you see in magazines and even in movies is Photoshopped to make people look even hotter than they are. NO one really looks like the images you see in the media.

[Gweebles]

Originally Posted by Blood Sugar 101

She also told me that most of what you see in magazines and even in movies is Photoshopped to make people look even hotter than they are. NO one really looks like the images you see in the media.

Sadly enough there is a lot of that and they wonder why our children have such a warped sense of self.