Did you see how big you really were before starting the WOE - or did you kind of ignore it??

What did it for me was finally seeing a photo of myself at a summer function. My shorts are way too tight, and my thighs/calves were HUGE. Sure, the clothes were getting bigger/tighter..and the fat under my chin I could feel, especially when I looked down. But seeing a picture is what made me get serious about losing weight.

I was, to an extent. It could feel it more than I could see it. It was very evenly distributed over my whole body. All I knew was that my clothes mysteriously shrunk.

God, yes.

When I weighed 105 pounds, I thought I was enormous. And then, as I dieted myself up the scale, I felt the obvious loathing and shame for every 20-30 pound gain on the way up. But somewhere -- probably after I hit the dreaded 200 pound mark -- I stopped seeing the fat. Talk about denial.

The awful truth became apparent when I'd see a photo of myself. I could hardly believe it was me, that I was that fat.

Yep, big time. I knew I was over weight, I could feel the effects of it - losing my breath climbing stairs, racing heart with minimal exercise, fatigue, etc. - but I would look in the mirror and think "You know, I am really not THAT big!" Once I started dropping pounds and going back to compare before and after photos is when it really hit me. I was HUGE.. But I never looked that big in the mirror. Now, being a LOT smaller than I was before, I have a hard time looking in the mirror and believing it's really me in there. I have a tendency to still think of myself as big. Sometimes I even wander in to the plus size section of a store when I am shopping, and have to remind myself I don't belong there any more.

Goodness how good must that feel - i'm not quite there yet!! I am looking forward to not shopping plus sizes anymore!!
Incidentally it was a picture that brought me into touch too!

Totally, the only time it hit me was the old seeing myself in a picture, and I would say" am I really that fat" but the kicker was actually getting on a scale (which I had not done in years) and saying enough already, 50 lbs makes a big difference 21 more to go..

I had a serious problem with it! I don't own any full-length mirrors. I knew I was a size 18, but it didn't seem any bigger than a 13/14 for some reason.

I finally came to see how big I was when a girl said she wears a 16 or 18, and I had been thinking, "God, I hope I never get that big" and realized she was smaller than me.

I knew, but I didn't know how bad it was. I'm short and I've always felt small -- no matter how big I was. I kinda always thought no one else noticed. It was always apparent in pictures, but I tried to stay out of the way of the camera.

I honestly didn't fully realize how bad it had gotten until I saw the progress photos and realized just how much of a difference 30 pounds makes. I can't even believe how gross I looked at 174. I had no waist, I couldn't smile in pictures because my chin would take over my whole face.

In a way I'm glad I got up that high. Now I can really see the change and I'll be motivated to keep losing and NEVER get back there again.

I was in denial for years. Sure I was fat, but in my eyes I was still sexy. What did it for me was I sat in the house one night and ate a WHOLE bag of Oreos along with a 1/2 gallon of Cookies N Cream Ice Cream. I was so disgusted with myself. I was bloated, gassy and looked and felt like shyt! That's when I decided enough was enough and I've been doing Atkins every since.

Oh I knew it. I wouldn't even make contact with my reflection in any mirror because I didn't want to look at it. Now it doesn't bother me because I can tell how much I've lost.

It was the invention of the digital camera that I curse, or praise, whichever the case may be. My 3 year old son, got hold of the camera, which up until that time, was Dads job. Needless to say, I was never in the pictures. Then I started to download, and delete all the pictures of dad. Should have had a wide angle, then I could have seen how big I really was.

I had also been in denial, you don't get overweight overnight. Over the years my pant size started to get bigger, my shirst required an additional "X" as the years progressed. But I was blessed with shoulders that look like I wear shoulder pads, so I was able to hide it from others, with loose clothes. Even though I ran passed the mirror in the mornings, with the light off.

The one thing I have found, is that I'm also in denial of loosing weight as well. I see the scale is moving and over time it has dropped, but I have to do things that remind me that I'm loosing. I want to get to the point where I'm not worried about loosing, it just kinda happens because I have changed my habits and I'm not fighting to avoid things that are not good for me.

I'll be there, and thanks to this forum, I'm making it much easier.

Oh I knew it, but I figures my pretty face would everything else look better.

Yeah I'm vain so what.

It was my before picture (see gallery) that really opened up my eyes. I didn't look so pretty in that one that's for sure.



Have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving everyone.

I was the same way and never thought of myself as being that big. I think it was the idea that meeting some friends that I had met online is what thrust me into action. I didn't want them to see me and say, "god she is a lot fatter than I imagined."

I am so glad that I snapped into action. From that day until now, I have never looked back or gone too far off plan. It is so much better to be where I am now.

I should add that my before picture was taken the week I decided to start. I could not believe the belly on me in that picture. See gallery for details. I so didn't realize I was that big.