Who do I look like?
After losing close to 200 pound after surgery last July I am having a hard time figuring out what I look like. I asked my wife and she say's I look like an average normal size man. The problem is I don't know how that relates to me. When out in a crow I often ask her to show me a person that best looks like my size and shape. I feel great and also feel I look great but want something to compare to.Has anyone else felt this way and how did you address it.
One of the things that helps me quite a bit is seeing pictures of myself with other people. Pictures of myself alone aren't super useful for me to grasp what I look like, but pictures of me with people are awesome :)
VSG with Dr. Salameh - 3/13/2014
Diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder and started Vyvanse - 7/22/2016
Reconstructive Surgeries with Dr. Michaels - 6/5/2017 (LBL & brachioplasty), 8/14/2017 (UBL & mastopexy), 11/6/2017 (medial leg lift)
Age 42 Height 5'4" HW 319 (1/3/2014) SW 293 (3/13/2014) CW 149 (7/16/2017)
Next Goal 145 - normal BMI | Total Weight Lost 170
TrendWeight | Food Blog (sort of functional) | Journal (down for maintenance)
Take this picture you like - make- print a few coppies, and place them where you can see them often. I.e bathroom mirror, fridge, your office... So you can look - glance at it often. That way - the brain may catch up and register that as your " current body image"..
Things like that helped me...
Hala. RNY 5/14/2008; Happy At Goal =HAG
"I can eat or do anything I want to - as long as I am willing to deal with the consequences"
"Failure is not falling down, It is not getting up once you fell... So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again...."
Yes, I know what you mean. It's hard to make the connection with our new bodies. I don't know the answer, I suspect in time we will see ourselves as we truly are and not our former obese selves.
Lanie; Age: 43; Surgery Date (VSG): 8/12/14 w/complications resulting in RNY next day;
Height: 5' 6" SW: 249 Comfort Zone: 135-140 CW: 138 (10/13/17)
M1: -25 lbs M2: -12 M3: -13 M4: -7 M5: -11 M6: -10 M7: -7 M8: -7 M9: -3 M10: -8 M11: -4 M12: -4
5K PR - 24:15 (4/23/16) First 10K - 53:30 (10/18/15)
One of the best pieces of advice I got on this front came from this forum a while back. It sounds weird but . . . look at yourself completely naked in a full-length mirror for at least a minute every day. I hated doing it at first but it has proven super helpful in understanding and accepting my new body.
I am having almost the opposite happen. I am only 4 1/2 months post-op (I'm about 20 lbs. away from my goal weight) and when I look at my before pics - I think - who is that girl. I can hardly remember her and I was her for a long time and not that long ago! Lovin' the new me!
5' 4" tall, HW: 242, SW:215.4 Weight Loss - pre-op: - 26.6, M1: -15.4, M2: -16, M3: -11.4, M4: -11.2, M5: -12.2, M6: -7.4, M7: -7.8, M8: -2.0 Goal of 130 lbs. reached at 8 months, 2 days post-op!
You need to look at yourself in the mirror without seeing your face. I used a brown paper garbage bag and cut eyeholes in it, put it over my head and then I could see my body in the mirror.
Our brain automatically fills in the body that it remembers going with the face. You can also do this with a full length photo and cover up your head.
We all struggle with this. One of the coolest things I have found is this Height Weight Matrix where real people post pics of themselves. Pick your height and weight and take a look at someone the same size.
Real life begins where your comfort zone ends
