Body dysmorphia before VSG?

[KellyMarie8288 29]

Hello. I'm getting sleeved tomorrow. I've read about body dysmorphia post-op, but wondering if anyone has had this before surgery. I wasn't always heavy, but put on about 100lbs over the last 15 years. However in my head I'm still the 120lb person I was. Don't get me wrong, I am aware of health issues, emotional stress, and physical and mental limitations that my larger size has imposed on me, but in my skin I think I am still the same. I occasionally will catch a view of myself in a mirror and be shocked by what I see and my denial kicks into overdrive. Is this a thing with anyone else? What happened to your self image post-op? Thank you all!

Sent from my Pixel 3a using BariatricPal mobile app

[Guest]

I also didn't have a clue as to how "big" I had gotten. I knew how much I weighed but when I looked into the mirror I didn't see a 190+ pound woman. It wasn't until I compared my 190+ pound picture to my now 140 pound picture that it sunk in just how big I was. Be sure to take pre-op pictures and also post op pictures along your journey. You will regret it if you don't. I didn't (and regret it) but I had one picture of myself from several years ago that I can compare my before to after.

[RTL1234 99]

Yes definitely! I would have this picture in my head of what I looked like (was also not overweight until basically adult hood). Then I would see a picture, usually like a candid picture and be like omg that’s what I look like?! It was very shocking. And disheartening.

Im only 3.5 weeks post op, so I have no idea what in terms of my dysmorphia will be like post op.

[catwoman7 11,220]

I've almost always had it no matter how big or small I am. When I saw pictures of myself when I weighed 350+ lbs, I was shocked. Now in the 150s, I'm often surprised, too. I'll see a photo of myself taken a year or two ago and think "wow - I looked great then - I wish I could lose 10 or 15 lbs and be back there" - but then I'll check my weekly weight log and discover I weighed exactly the same as I do now....or sometimes 3 or 4 lbs less (so....essentially the same). I think the only time my mental image and my brain were aligned was when I was in the 200-250 lb range.

[Arabesque 7,434]

I always thought the rare pxts of me at my highest weight were just unflattering photos. I knew what I weighed & what size clothes I wore but the understanding of my actually physical size was way off. I certainly didn’t see it in the mirror.

It took a while post surgery to realise what size I am now but even then I don’t truly believe it. I still am surprised by the size of the clothes I wear now & when randomly catching my reflection in mirrors or windows. Some days I think my thighs are still fat. I know I still don’t think I see my true self in the mirror or in photos so I often check the height & weight of actresses so I get a better understanding of my size in comparison. Sshh don’t tell anyone I do that. It’s my little secret - lol!

Good luck with your surgery. I hope all goes well.

[BayougirlMrsS 3,935]

21 hours ago, KellyMarie8288 said:

Hello. I'm getting sleeved tomorrow. I've read about body dysmorphia post-op, but wondering if anyone has had this before surgery. I wasn't always heavy, but put on about 100lbs over the last 15 years. However in my head I'm still the 120lb person I was. Don't get me wrong, I am aware of health issues, emotional stress, and physical and mental limitations that my larger size has imposed on me, but in my skin I think I am still the same. I occasionally will catch a view of myself in a mirror and be shocked by what I see and my denial kicks into overdrive. Is this a thing with anyone else? What happened to your self image post-op? Thank you all!

Sent from my Pixel 3a using BariatricPal mobile app

I was the same way. I was very thin growing up. Then about my late twenties and thirties, I went from about 110 up to 232lbs at my heaviest. I never saw the big girl either. In fact it was the day I was looking at a picture of me heavy and didn't recognize myself. I was 41ish when i had my Lapband SX. It seemed like that's when the brain made a switch and all I ever saw in the mirror was that fat girl looking back at me.

Still like that today. I don't see a size 0-2 in the mirror. When I hang my pants i have a hard time comprehending that they really fit me. Last night I was soaking in the tub with my husband and kinda saw what I think others see.

I'm seeing a therapist for a few things and this is one of them.

[ms.sss 15,724]

On 1/17/2021 at 10:11 AM, KellyMarie8288 said:

I wasn't always heavy, but put on about 100lbs over the last 15 years.

Same here.

I never thought of myself as so very big until I saw the rare picture of myself, and even then I'm was all, nah, that's not me. I would often bump into walls when turning corners because I didn't think I needed to give myself more clearance!

Immediately after weight loss phase it became the opposite and I would think I was bigger than I actually was...like I wouldn't try to squeeze between the wall and the back of chair around the dinner table cuz I thought I wouldn't fit (but duh, I totally have lots of room).

I'd like to say I'm totally used to my current size now, but there are still times when I laugh at the thought of getting myself into a tiny looking pair of pants (spoiler alert: I can). This non-believing doesn't happen as often as it used to, so I figure in time it will be a non-issue altogether.