I still feel fat

[visitor2]

I know this may sound silly after losing 28kilos since January but i still feel fat. I have at least another 10-15kilos to get rid of before i reach my goal weight but i seem to have lost all motivation in doing it.

I've been on WW since March and have done so well up until now doing it alone as taking 3 kids to meetings isn't fun so i only went to weigh in but have stopped doing that as i can weigh myself at home for free.

I walk passed shop windows and still see a fat person looking back at me.

[Michelle71]

You should be so proud of yourself!!!!! That is an amazing achievement. I don't know how you can change the image in your head but are you wearing the same style of clothes?? It may be that the style / shape no longer flatters your new shape and you can't see the achievements you have made. you should still be proud of what you have done so far. I can only hope .....

[*ducky*]

Oh Michelle,

You have done so well! You have three beautiful children - congratulations - and you have lost 28kgs, that is fantastic! What else has changed in your life that may have encouraged your change of attitude, or taken away your lack of motivation?

Maybe it's time for you to shake things up and shock your body with something new exercise wise? You obviously have the strength and determination from loosing so much already, it's just a matter of finding that something that will help you make it all the way home.

Also I hope I don't offend you here, but I get the feeling that you 'feel' fatter than you are. In which case you need to work on your perception of yourself. Have you taken your new body out and checked it out in some smaller lovely clothes that show it's new shape? Even if you can't buy, there is no harm in trying on and admiring your work in those big shop mirrors

I'm sure you look fabulous Michelle, now you need to tell yourself that too!

[visitor2]

Michelle i am proud of what i have done i think it's because someone asked to see pictures of the new me but all they will be seeing is the me they saw last as they didn't see me when i was pg with Eleanor so i am weighing now what i did 2yrs ago.

Ducky i would love to go out and try on new clothes but i always have the 3 kids with me or when they aren't with me i am food shopping and am always rushing. I get my hair done as a treat for losing the weight.
I need something to get me back into things. The last few weeks have been hard as things hit me a little when i last spoke to family in the UK.

Need to get the kids happy so i can jump on the treadmill.

[Michelle71]

Ahhhhh - you have made huge changes in the *positive* but they never saw the *negative* so they won't realise just how much work you have done or how much you have achieved. Can you send them a before and after shot??

[westy]

Michelle.... i just want to say a huge "congratulations" on losing 28kgs , that's fantastic.

What are your secrets.....i'd loooooove to lose about 20kgs myself just to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight.

[slyder]

Michelle, that's an excellent achievement and you should be very proud.

I heard somewhere not so long ago that people who lose large amounts of weight may not experience the mental boost they expected to. They reckon this is because ultimately you're still you, you still look more or less like you (minus the 28kg), and you've still got all the same hangups and lack of confidence that you had when you had the extra weight - so basically you're expecting to wake up one day and not only have a new body but also a new mind. The new mind or outlook needs to be developed separately.

As you said, you haven't really got the ability at the moment to be going on a shopping spree, but do try and pick up one or two nice new clothing items (it can be quick and can be nice without being pricey) to reflect the new you. All your habits, clothes and routines are still the same, but your body isn't, so it may just take a few things like this to make you realise that at 28kg lighter, you are a different person.

Whatever you do, don't get disillusioned now and give up. Keep going.

[visitor2]

Michelle i do have a shot taken a month before having Eleanor it's one of the few that i didn't delete. I still don't like my picture being taken so will have to brave Paul taking one of me now.

Westy i lost a 13kilos after having Eleanor and have lost 15.5 since i joined weight watchers in March. I just now watch what i eat and have cut down on how much as well. Now the warmer weather is coming salads are a great thing to eat just have low fat dressings. Going for a walk helps as well but i get very lazy and don't bother. Today i said i would do 30mins on the treadmill but it's still waiting for me to use it LOL

[visitor2]

Slyder one thing i should do to realise i have lost so much is pick Alex and Eleanor up together and that is what i carried around with me before. I struggle with carrying Eleanor around for a while and she is only 10kilos.

[Rachel]

Wow...I just want to say a huge congratualtions Michelle. Well done on losing 28kgs! I had my DD in March and have been very upset lately as other than the 10kgs I lost with the birth, i haven't lost any since and it is really getting me down and have been in tears over it recently. I have just started counting my points again but I'm not going to meetings as I can't justify spending that kind of money on meetings when money is a but tight due to only one wage. I felt like it wasn't really possible but after reading your story in progress I feel inspired and hope that we can both keep on this weight loss journey. May I suggest a shopping venture, a new hairstyle, some self pampering to make yourself feel beautiful. Well done again.

[Nadine216]

I know what you mean when you say you still "feel" fat. I did not lose even half of that kg's, but in school I was 87kg the day of my matric dance. I now weigh 70kg and somedays - I still feel like I weigh 87kg again! I have more good days than bad and I LOVE my body, just sometimes my body does not like me
What helps me to feel better is getting toned. The fact that I can do a few reps of sit-ups, makes me look at myself different. Maybe all you need is to get your body toned? I know it can be hard with kids around, but do try and make time for yourself. You can lose loads of weight, but when you do some toning, you get an instant "butt-lift", kwim. As soon as your butt lifts as a result of toning, you can fit into clothes better and that makes me feel better about my pear-shaped body.
Walking is great for weightloss, but try walking with dumbells and get your arms moving. Constantly picking up kids is also great for your biceps :P Just crunch your tummy muscles as you pick them up and get two flies with one slap! I crunch my tummy and squeeze my butt when I walk up stairs - silly, but it works. Getting muscle will put on weight, but it's not the tire-around-the-middle or love-handles (that's me) type of weight, its good weight.
If I am being forward, please excuse me - I am on a gym high this morning
ps. Absolutely bloody marvalous losing that much weight!! Give yourself a pat on the back, hun!

[IRENE07]

OMG... 28kg???
I am jealous........^^

[kungfubecca]

Well done that's fantastic. it took me 2 years to loose 15 kg's and although I still would have liked another couple of kg's, when I realised that I could fit into a smaller size of clothing it made me so happy.
Don't loose faith, sometimes all you need to do is stop thinking about the loosing weight, and focus on the healthy living give your self a couple of weeks of that and then return to the close scrutinizing of counting points and weighing in. It's also a good test to see how you will go post WW.

[Visitor9]

Michelle,
I know exactly how you feel I lost 35 kilos and felt fat for a long time. I was told that it takes the mind awhile to catch up with the weight loss it is almost like anorexia where visual images are percieved differently to what others see. Eventually it caught up and I felt thin but sometimes I can still find clothes that fitted me at my heaviest and think they will fit or pull out my jeans that I look at and think I wont fit into those and are suprised!
Well done on losing the weight, as someone said to me nothing tastes as good as being thin...I beg to differ cause a white lint bunny at easter runs pretty close
Bec

[Jodie259]

Hey Michelle...

You have done so well... but I can understand what you mean.

I guess my problem was that I never saw myself as 'overweight' to start with. Although on the weight scale I just tipped into the 'obese' section at the time. (That is so harsh!!) Anyway, I was with WW, and had a trainer and I got to within 2-3kg of my goal weight - and I honestly didn't feel any different!!! Admitably, my clothes were looser, and I was able to wear clothes I hadn't worn in years. But I still felt like the same person.

Then I got pregnant and piled on the kg's

You are an inspiration... and after I pop # 2 out - I will look to people like you for motivation and inspiration. It's so easy to find excuses not to eat well and exercise - especially if you have 3 young children. But you are proof that it can be done.

Don't beat yourself up about your emotions at the moment. It's like an emotional plateau. Just make sure you don't sabotage your eating/exercise. If you need to take a break from the "weight loss" frame of mind.. do so for a little while. Give yourself a month break.

Also reading certain books can give you the motivation you seek...
I highly recommend any of AJ Rochesters books and Karen Gatt's books (Clothesline Diet). Both of these women are "real" - they both had a child - they both struggled to lose weight & had ups & downs - and they make you feel like you're 'normal' with the weight loss struggle.

I'm not much of a book reader - but I couldn't put down any of their books!!!!

You will reach your goals Michelle. There is no race to get to goal weight by a certain date. Just keep on 'being good' most of the time. You're on a lifelong journey of healthy eating and exercise. It's not a short term diet.

You should be incredibly proud.

and get some photos taken - I think you will see the differences when you have some before & after shots.
If you google : virtual Model - you can create little models of yourself... and you can put in your previous stats - and it will produce a fairly lifelike picture of 'you'... and you can put your current stats - so you can see how far you've come... and you can put in your goal stats - so you can see how awesome you look!

keep up the good work Michelle.

[visitor2]

Thanks so much everyone.
I'm feeling much better about things i think things always go wrong when the kids stop sleeping and DH is on holidays. This last week i have lost a kilo without trying and today we have been on a 40mins walk as the car was in for a service.

Jodie i will have a look at them books thank you. I've heard of the clothesline diet before.