Anyone having trouble "seeing" themselves thin?

[MollyRN 28]

I love this thread. My husband picked me up tonight - I mean it - in his arms. We've been married for 13 years and he could not even carry me across the threshold when we can home from our honeymoon. My kids were laughing and cheering - even they know how remarkable it is.

I don't remember ever not feeling fat. Today, I weigh 229 lbs and I have 74 more pounds to go and I feel amazing. I have not weighed less than 235 lbs in the last 15 years and I have weighed 200 or more for more than 20 years.... 229 feels so amazing, and probably mostly because I am still on my way down - this is a short visit in my 220s

I have a strange view of myself - told my therapist this pre-op. I have always felt like a skinny person trapped in a fat, unattractive body. Each pound that I lose, I feel like I am one step closer to reconciling my inside with my outside. I CANNOT WAIT - and I have NO IDEA what I will look like. SO EXCITED

[twintwo821 0]

I am so far the oldest in this thread I'm 50. I too have been overweight for many years. I'm a twin my sister and I weighed 5 lbs 10 ozs together when we were born! She weighed 3 lbs 9 ozs and I weighed 2 lbs and 1 oz. We weren't supposed to live being two months premature, but turned 50 in August. Doctors have told me being that premature that in later life being overweight is the norm as the body went from one extreme to the other. I remember when puberty hit that is when our weight problems started and have just gone up ever since! I have two children ages 24 and 19 and every year since their births I've put on about 5 to 10 pounds a year until I reached my heaviest at 240 pounds. I am 5'4" tall and look like a blown up balloon! I have always dreamed of being thin and being able to buy clothes that aren't tents or tarps as I call them! I can't wait to walk into a department store and go to the Misses section and pick out the prettiest dress in the store! There will a party to follow!! I can't wait to see the new me!

[amberakamom 13]

When I was 18 I weighed 115 (I'm 5' 7"), so I know how I'll look alllllll the way down. lol

My goal is 159. I am 33 now, so it's been a while since I was a normal weight. It'll be fun!

[ieducate2 3]

I am 38. I too have always been a big girl. I had to shop at big girl stores in high school when my friends were shopping @ 3-5-7 (store that only carried small cute clothes... I am trying to see myself smaller but its difficult when you have been plus size all your life. I was approved yesterday so I am excited thinking about how I'm going to look by Spring!

Sorry, about your bff! Maybe this will encourage her to takes some steps toward reaching her true weight loss potential.

Best wishes!

I've been fat since I was 12, I'm 40 now. My mom asked me to think about how I'm going to look this time next year and I just can't picture it. I've not been thin since I was a child. The closest I ever got was when I got down to 200lbs in college and I thought that was pretty good. My husband married me at 250lbs my kids have only known me at this weght. I just don't know what I'm going to do with a thin me.

My BFF of 30 years asked me today if I was going to stop being her friend becuase I won't be fat anymore, she weighs the same as I do but is only 5'1" and I am 5'7". She's already not talking to me as much, she doesn't want me to do this, she doesnt' want to be the last fat friend,she's talked me out of this twice before, but not this time. When I was diagnosed with Hight blood pressure on my 40th birthday, I said enough , I'm doing this. My surgery is in 6 days.

[kerpley 0]

I am having a really hard time seeing myself as skinny so to speak. I have always been a big person and remember starting my first diet when I was 10 or so. That means I have been dieting off and on for 24 years so I only know being big.

The Dr wanted me to pick a goal weight and was really shocked when I told them 250 because they think I would still be overweight and they want me to go lower. My response was we will see when we get there and he agreed with me.

[sunflowergirl 0]

This is a really good question - usually I troll the post-op forum, but your question prompted me to post. I am 3+ months post-op and am having a difficult time 'seeing' myself thin. I have lost 45 pounds since surgery and have been at this weight before with endless dieting, so it is familiar. I am looking forward to getting to my pre-pregnancy weight before I had my daughter and gained what I call my 'baby' fat. I should explain that my 'baby' is now 15 years old, and I have been struggling with my weight most of my life. I am looking forward to getting the weight off and finally being able to keep it off, and however it looks, it will be good! Thanks for the great question and all the replies thus far!