I always thought the life would be "perfect" if I could only lose weight. I guess I thought that all stress would disappear magically if only I was skinny. Well, it hasnt. Of course I am not skinny but I am smaller. Stress is still here in my life

Why would I think this? Why would I be a different person if I lost weight? I still like the same books, movies, people, hobbies, etc.. I still have the same friends and we still do the same things together. My family still has their ups and downs.

Another thing, sometimes I feel really small, like I am amazed that all this time that I thought I was huge, that my actual bones and lenghts of arms and legs are not all that big. Other times, I feel like I take up a lot of space and feel very large.

Anyone else have differing feelings/outlooks on their weightloss/body image???

I could relate to this. Until I lost all my weight and life wasn't perfect. In fact, weight loss brought with it a whole slew of new problems.

I believe this thinking is common among people who have weight to lose, especially if they've struggled with it for awhile. If they DO think like this, then often goal weight is achieved, life isn't hunky dory like they thought it was going to be and they're left disappointed. Many times the weight is re-gained.

As far as the differing perception of yourself is concerned, I totally understand this, too. Sometimes I look in the mirror and think, "Wow. I'm really losing weight! ". Other days I think, "It doesn't even look like I've dropped a pound. " I don't get it. Weird, isn't it?

You know I think it's hormones! I wonder if guys do this to themselves too???? I can totally relate to all of this! I've bounced up and down for 6 years now. It's hard to see yourself as a thin person when you've been big for so long. But then some days you wake up feeling great. I do this even when i'm not on a diet.....still the same darn weight. It must be a woman thing. I don't guys beat themselves up about their physical appearance so much.

There was a thread about this a bit ago. http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...highlight=myths

It was one people were suposed to add to, but it didn't get going

I can relate to this. I am back up to 140. Which is pretty much the lowest weight I had ever been prior to low carb. Even in high school I was around 145 at my lowest. All I can seem to see though is the fat that is still there, and whine about the 8 pounds I've regained.

We all are guilty of thinking that one thing can cure our woes. It isn't just weight and, yes, guys wrestle with things that they think would make them happy. I am sure that if I can only get $50,000.00 I would be on my way to happiness. The truth is, happiness is a life-long process. Happiness requires hard work and rebuilding. It takes more than nails and mortar to construct a cathedral and the same goes with the cathedral of life.

Also, whenever we experience any change, we become different. We are still who we are but we are different. I have lived here in California for nearly 5 years. I am not the same woman that I was when I lived in Ohio. Before I lost weight, I thought that a high fat/high protein/low carb diet was deadly. Not only do I know that this is not true, I am an advocate for low carb diets. Change is an important fact of life and life is a long, long time.