Self Perception
I'm curious. How many of us see ourselves as heavier -- or thinner than we are? I have always had a problem realizing I was obese. (Still am by 7 pounds) It takes a photo or seeing myself in a video to remind me that I still have a long way to go. Other people I know see themselves as fat when I would love to be their size.
Anybody have a viewpoint? Mary |
I think I have way too much lower belly fat. Too much giggle going on! Others say I'm crazy.:confused:
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I know that as I was getting bigger I was in a lot of denial. It took physical things I couldn't deny - photos, or the rubbing raw on the inner thighs of my jeans, to tell me the truth.
I kept seeing myself as I was when I knew I was thinner and denying how big I'd gotten (but somehow knowing I should avoid the scale!). I try to look at myself objectively now, but there's always a lens. I know I look smaller in clothes, and I can even look in the mirror and see it in the skin, but I don't really have anything to relate it to other than the image in my head. I hope that when I'm a healthy weight, I can see that for what it is. Got a long way to go still to get there, but I know it'll start with a healthy life. |
This is an issue I struggle with daily. At my heaviest I was on the cusp of morbidly obese, but I didn't realize just how fat I was. I too was living in the land of denial. Now that I'm smaller I still perceive myself as fat, I gravitate towards the plus size clothing racks, I make jokes about my fat butt, etc etc. Mentally I think I will always be a fat chick. Does that make any sense? Maybe I need to put up a full length mirror, because this guessing business isn't working for me.
But you know what I'm not the only one that doesn't see it clearly. I sold some of my queen sized clothing at a consignment shop, so I was there recently looking for something that I could buy with the credit in my account. The proprietor has seen me at about 3-4 different sizes. There was a dress hanging on the wall and I asked to try it on. And she says, "Oh honey that isn't going to fit you, it doesn't even fit me". Okay seriously this woman is at least 2 maybe 3 dress sizes larger than me and is a good 3-4 inches taller to boot. So I tell her again that I want to try it on, so could she please take it down. And guess what, it fit me just fine. |
This is a very interesting topic, and I think we've discussed it a bit before.
I think anyone who has been large for a long time is apt to have some issues of this sort. With the exception of a year or so at 21, again at 37 and now at 47 I've been anywhere from obese to super obese so yeah, I have some self-perception issues! It still takes me a moment sometimes to recognize my own reflection in a mirror or store window. I'm often not recognized by people I've not seen within the last year. I'll "never" get used to looking at smaller sized clothes--I hold up a shirt or pair of trousers and think--those are way too small--then they fit fine. :cool: I still find myself being self-conscious in crowds, even though I'm more-or-less "normal" in appearance now. Will this ever go away? I don't know--I'm a fat guy now inhabiting a more-or-less normal body. I think this must be how those people with face transplants feel--you KNOW who you are, and your mind is the same but your appearance just doesn't match anymore. I think perhaps the best bet is probably just to not dwell on it. Regards, Michael |
Originally Posted by mecompco
(Post 46582)
I'll "never" get used to looking at smaller sized clothes--I hold up a shirt or pair of trousers and think--those are way too small--then they fit fine. :cool:
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I don't know what I think really, my clothes size seemed to stay within 1-2 sizes for many years although I did shop at those places where the fit was on the generous side. I rarely looked at myself full length in a mirror, would not try clothes on in a shop and never allowed myself to be photographed so I think i kidded myself that i actually looked better than i did. However at Christmas time last year my friend snapped me at a market and stuck it on her facebook page and i was horrified, it made me take a long look at myself and realise that I was FAT. Now my dress size has gone down and my clothes are pretty loose but I still can't really see the difference, maybe when i lose some more i will have a photo taken but i'm sort of frightened that it will just look the same.
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