Question:
Post Ops- When did you start seeing a thinner person in the mirror?
I am 5 weeks post-op and down 40 pounds, but when I look in the mirror, I don't see any weight loss. I know I have lost because of the scale and because I can wear clothes that were way too tight for me pre-op. When did you all start seeing that "thinner" person in the mirror? — Terri G. (posted on July 27, 2003)
July 27, 2003
Hi! Well, I know that sooner or later my head HAS to catch up...but in the
11 months since my surgery, it has yet to happen. I've lost over 170
pounds now and still don't see ANY weight loss at all!!! OK, thats not
100% accurate because I actually CAN see it in my face and neck but thats
only because I've got collarbones now that like to poke out. lol. I'm
wearing size 12's from my 28's and I hold up my pants and think "how
the heck am I going to even squeeze my 1 thigh into this?!" and yet
am amazed everytime I do fit into them comfortably. LOL..go figure!! But,
at least for me...I have yet to see myself as that thinner person. The
times I can see it the most is when i wear clothes that actually fit and
are semi-form fitting. Then I'm amazed at the fact that I've got hips and
a defined waist. lol. Congrats on your great weight loss and keep it
up!!!
— Christie N.
July 27, 2003
Well, I loose in my face first. I did a double take of my self in front of
the mirror one day and could not believe what I saw. I believe that it was
at somewhere btwn 4-6 weeks post. And other ppl will comment to me that
they can see me loosing weight because my face is thinner. I noticed that
my 2XL tee shirts were huge on me at about 3 wks post. I like you when
viewing myself in the mirror do not really notice a loss. When I view
myself in the mirror after a shower I still see the fat rolls, tho smaller.
I noticed this morning of all things that my underwear was getting big on
me. LOL
— ChristineB
July 27, 2003
You might not like this answer, but I have to be truthful with you. I am
currently over 2 years post-op and cannot see my weightloss yet. I wear a
4-6 in clothes and still feel overweight. I feel great physically and can
do more than I have ever been able to do. Some of us have body dismorphia.
We cannot see ourselves as we really are. When I was super morbidly obese,
I did not really see how large I was. Now I can look in the mirror and
still see someone that is large. Maybe it takes a long time for our brain
to catch up with our massive weight losses. Maybe I will always think this
way. I'm ok with where I am at now with my weight loss and do not have
issues with wanting to be skinny, but I still can't see myself. Good luck.
— Janie C.
July 27, 2003
Take pictures. I bought an outfit and a new night gown. I take picture of
me in them once a month. The first month I couldn't get the one outfit
zipped, by 4 weeks I could. I can tell by the pictures how my night gown
looks from when I first bought until now. Take side and front pictures. You
have nothing to really compare what you look like now to then. I don't see
the weight loss but if I look at the pictures I can tell my double chin is
disappearing and my tummy is a little flatter.
— Rebecca K.
July 27, 2003
It took me at least 8 months to see a thinner person. every time i looked
in the mirror i still saw over 300 pounds. it takes a while but one day
you'll see what everybody else does.
— candymom64
July 27, 2003
At 3 months post-op and down 50 pounds, I THOUGHT I looked so much smaller.
Went to my parents 50th anniversary party-but when I got the pictures
back, I still looked really big, even in the face. And that was 1/2 of my
weight loss to date! At 17 months post-op, the pictures now reflect
"normal" ,to me at least.
— Cindy R.
July 27, 2003
I will be 6 months post op on July 29th and have lost 103 lb. now. I did
not start noticing the weight loss for quite some time except in pictures.
My husband took pictures every week for the first couple of months then we
took pictures every 2-4 weeks moving forward. Looking back now in those
pictures I can really see the difference. There are still times right now
when I feel like I am still rather large but then I pull out those pictures
and say to myself ok not so bad. I have about 75-80 more to go. I know I
will do it. Just keep up with your weight loss and pictures tell the tale!
Good luck
— Kitty Kat
July 27, 2003
Gosh, it takes a really long time for your head to catch up to your body.
In four months, I've lost 70 pounds (with at least 60 more to go) and 5
dress sizes (30 to 20). Only in the last few days have I noticed a small
difference, and only when I'm fully clothed. Naked I still look as big as
ever to myself. I suspect I'll always have a body image disconnect. When I
was at my largest, I had no idea just how big I was, so now I have no idea
how much smaller I am. Maybe I never will. That's OK, though. I'm
healthy and happy. I wish the same for you.
— Vespa R.
July 27, 2003
You know I keep asking people this exact same question too! I am 10 months
post-op down 115 lbs (since I last weighed) and I still don't see it.
Everyone thinks I've got to be NUTS to not see it, but I just don't. I'm
not fishing for compliments or anything but even with the pics I don't see
it. For me, I know that I have been MO my entire life (OK not as a child, I
was just seriously obese). I think that my lifetime of seeing myself MO
pretty much has made my thinking the way it is. I have done great taking
pics every month, so maybe some day my mind will catch-up with me. :-)Like
one poster stated, I can feel my collarbones so I know I've lost it and
putting on the smaller clothes helps just not there in my mind yet though.
Nice to know that I'm not the only one who hasn't seen my thinner self!
— Click
July 27, 2003
I have the opposite problem. I started seeing a smaller me right away, at
least in the face. I dropped 3 pants sizes the first month, so I could
definitley see that. However, at almost 6 months PO when I look in the
mirror or at my reflection in glass I actually see a smaller person than I
really am. I had my assistant take some pictures last week and the one of
me standing looked noticeably bigger than how I see myself. Pretty weird.
I guess my eyes are preparing themselves for when I truly am that small. I
personally think I lot of it has to do with how comfortable a person was
with their body before surgery. I had come to total grips with my size
etc. I had surgery for medical reasons only. I see it in support group.
I will wear much closer fitting clothes and shorts and sleeveless tops and
most people won't. Yes I have quite large arms and am still a 24W to 26W
but I don't care what other people think. I feel good in the clothes I
wear and I am dressing to satisfy me. I would never wear shorts before I
lost 200 lbs in 94/95. However, as I regained that 200 lbs the shorts
never went away. I had found comfort with my physical being. I wish all
people could see themselves as they truly are and not the fat eyes they
have always seen themselves through.
— zoedogcbr
July 27, 2003
I started seeing a thinner person just recently at 62 lbs lost and gone
from a size 24 to 16 in 10.5 weeks. It does take a while for the brain to
catch up with the body.
— Happy I.
July 27, 2003
Interesting question, and I have been wondering when I would see myself as
thinner. I am 9 months post op and -105 pounds (315 to 210). This weekend
I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror and thought for the first time
that I was thinner! It takes a long time for the head to catch up to the
body! Good Luck
— Laura B.
July 27, 2003
It took 40 pounds before OTHERS noticed any weight loss. I had to lose 100
pounds before "I" felt a little thin.
— Danmark
July 27, 2003
I has taken my a very long time to really see my transformation. I am
currently 15 months post op, started at 335 now I am 162...I am finally
less than half the person I was before. I finally begun to see what
everyone else sees. Yes as I sit here typing I think my thighs look as huge
as ever, but when I pass a full length mirror I can't help but take a
double or even triple take. Going from a very uncomfortable size 28 to a
size 10 is an amazing feat that I would have never been able to achieve.
Give it time, you will see it. Try on something that was extremely tight
pre op and you'll see what I mean. I have my pre op jeans, which
coincidentally I had to squeeze in to, I put them on for fun.....I can't
get over it!!! Have Faith....All good things come to those who wait!!!
— bevewy
July 27, 2003
I'm seven months post op - down 103 lbs gone from size 32/34 to size 22. I
get alot of comments from people its still hard for me to beleive I was as
large as what I was. I am 5'10" so I think I will always look larger
but I feel great. I dont think I 'll ever see size 10 or under.
— debmi
July 27, 2003
I believe Cindy entioned this. I sometimes would think I looked thinner in
the mirror, but pictures were the real test. I wasn't happy seeing myself
in pictures until a few months ago. I am 14 months post-op and 125#, but
still have problems seein myself as thin. I'm a size 2, but sure don't feel
like it. There are alot more emotional issues that go along with WLS than
people think! I still feel like the same obese person on the inside. It
takes time!! Goodluck to you and congrats on great weight loss :-)
— Lezlie Y.
July 27, 2003
IM EXACTLY A YEAR POST-OP. I SEE A THINNER FACE IN THE MIRROR AND I KNOW I
AM WEARING A SIZE 16 SOMETIMES 14 AND I FIT IN THOSE ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO AND
IM ONLY 26. ALTHOUGH I KNOW I LOOK SMALLER THAN I DID AT 332 POUNDS, I
STILL SEE MYSELF AS AROUND 250-275 WHEN I SEE MYSELF. I READ THAT SOME
PEOPLE NEED TO GO PEOPLE-WATCH AT THE MALL AND HAVE A FRIEND POINT OUT
PEOPLE THAT ARE THE SAME SIZE SO THEY CAN GET A TRUE PICTURE OF THEIR NEW
SIZE AND I THINK I NEED TO DO THAT. I KNOW I HAVE A DISTORTED IMAGE OF
MYSELF. IM PLANNING A TUMMY TUCK, THIGH LIFT, BREAST LIFT, ARM WORK AND
POSSIBLY A BODY LIFT FOR DECEMBER. HOPEFULLY AT THAT POINT I WILL SEE MY
TRUE SELF.(OPEN RNY 7/23/02 -141 LBS)
— christina K.
July 27, 2003
I've lost 60 lbs so far (4 months postie) and am now really starting to see
a difference in myself. I felt it around 40 lbs and that is when others
really took notice. But, now I'm seeing it and it feels great! Little
things are making me take notice now... For example: My slim husband was
taking some of his clothes to the cleaners and he picked up my black
pants... I can tell you, this is the first time he or I ever confused our
clothing!! And, the other day the cars were parked close together in my
garage, I have always had to walk around if that were the case and I did a
couple of times...then, I realized I could still fit through the cars! I
am changing my perception! Have a great day and congrats on your weight
loss so far... you are doing awesome!
— teresa M.
July 27, 2003
Good question. I am almost 9 months post op and down 102 lbs and still
can't see the thinner me looking back. I still see the areas that were my
worst as far as insecurities as huge and very out of proportion. Once in a
while I will look at my wrists and think gee when did they get so thin or
things like seing my colarbones will stop me for a moment, but the overall
image I see is still fluffy obese Wendy.
Wendy
— Wendy H.
July 27, 2003
Prior to surgery, I suffered from the dysmorphic body image problem. In
college, when I was fairly normal sized (for a big guy), I was convinced
that I was fat. As I neared 500 pounds, I thought that if I didn't tuck my
shirt in, I minimized my girth--- and I never thought that I had a fat
face. Then, after surgery, I started to notice changes within weeks--
especially in my face. I am getting used to sitting in chairs without first
estimating if I'll fit and without leaning on them to make sure they'll
support me. Although I am very happy with the "new" me, I am now
starting to see the flab, excess skin and vericose veins as the novelty is
wearing off. But, all things considered, I am much happier bemoaning the
excess skin that hangs around me than I was worrying about all the excess
weight that surrounded my heart.
— SteveColarossi
July 27, 2003
I am 9 1/2 months post and I usually fit comfortably in 18s. This weekend I
went shopping and picked up a size 22 dress because by looking at it, it
seemed the right size for me. I didn't even have to unzip it to put it on -
it was huge! I ended up buying the size 16 in that dress and I'm wearing it
today. It's so strange how our mind needs time to catch up with our body.
— Yolanda J.
July 28, 2003
Terri,
I'm 14 months post op and I still don't see the skinny person in me,
everyone else does how-ever I think it's because I look down on my body,
from the chin to the tummy, I still see allot of needed improvment, loose
skin in the mid section, The clothes size drops how-ever the mental image
of being skinny just isn't there, Hopefully one day I'll be happy with my
size....... and actually feel skinny.
— tannedtigress
July 29, 2003
I didn't feel thin or see what other people see until after my plastic
surgery. I mean, I 'saw' it, the sizes reflected it but I still viewed
myself as larger than other women in the same size clothing. Its wierd but
eventually, you will 'see' it.
— Kris T.
July 29, 2003
Congrats on your weightloss! It can take awhile for you to realize that you
ARE getting smaller. Sometimes you see it in different parts of your body--
mine was most noticable in my face at first. At nearly 6 months post-op, I
do feel smaller but not "small"-- I guess our definition of
small-- or "fat", "large", etc--is all relative. I have
2 pounds to go until I join the Century Club and I am really starting to
like the way I look in clothes. I did start to see a real difference in the
mirror about 2 months ago, but that was after I bought some clothes that
actually fit and ditched the baggy stuff. Are you wearing clothes that fit
and aren't hanging off you? If not, check out some secondhand stores for
some clothes in your current size. This might help. Keep up the great work!
— lizinPA
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