https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:55:26 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat/page/2#post-349619 Sat, 14 May 2011 07:20:48 +0000 suzanne 349619@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lyn, do I understand correctly that you're a doctor or a nurse? Then you should know that with your weight you are tiny, in fact, bordering on an unhealthily low weight.(your bmi is well below the cut-off point for "healthy and acceptable" weight) I think that you're tall and skinny and should give yourself a lot of credit. I come from a family of 3 doctors (grandparents and sister) and doctors' bodies are amazing and usually adapted to their profession: your bodies have incredible stamina, are usually very strong and compact with great legs because of all the hospital walking that you have to do! Think of it this way: you're body is a miracle worker.<br /> Love your body and forgive it its little "sins" (like a teeny tummy!) And be careful! One of the ladies who posted said that you've had problems with eating disorders? You need to keep a watchful eye on your stress-levels as well as your mental health if your body/weight starts bothering you in this way..<br /> Keep well and look after yourself!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat/page/2#post-329942 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 06:13:43 +0000 catgirl 329942@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree with all that's been said here. You do not need to lose weight. I think you posted something about having had an eating disorder on one of Angie's posts, and I know you're under a lot of stress - could either of those issues be playing into your current worries?</p> <p>I just want to add that I remember reading a quote that you may appreciate as a doctor-in-training, by a woman who basically said after being diagnosed with breast cancer, she regretted all the time she had spent hating her "imperfect" but healthy breasts. </p> <p>It really stuck with me, as I spent a lot of time wishing some part of my body were other than it is, instead of appreciating the fact that it is still generally in good working order. And I regret all the years wasted on thinking I was fat, when at two sizes larger than I was at 25 I am still on the petite side.</p> <p>You're young and so lovely; appreciating that (or even just taking it for granted) would be a huge gift to your future self. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat/page/2#post-329920 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 04:59:00 +0000 Niki Lea 329920@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Big, strong, healthy girl in the house! At 5'10" and 160 pounds, plus one baby later, I am not even close to being somebody else's idea of "perfect". Some days that bothers me, but usually only when I compare myself to other people. Other days I try to remember that this is the body I was given, so I may as well love it while I'm here. </p> <p>Most of the time I think how we feel about our bodies is actually symptomatic of something else that's going on in our lives. As women we internalize what's really bothering us and find a way to make it our fault. Self criticism, as harmful as it is, makes us feel like we have control. And I am 100% guilty of this myself. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat/page/2#post-329739 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:14:58 +0000 crwilson 329739@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>There's a great essay by Anne Lammott (I think it's in Traveling Mercies), where she writes about how she had always hated her thighs until she named them and started talking to them. (If you've read Anne Lammott, this is funnier than it sounds.) She wouldn't let herself be mean to her "Aunties." That's always stuck with me - the idea of not letting yourself beat up your own body parts. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat/page/2#post-329721 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 23:47:24 +0000 alex 329721@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've found that whenever I "feel fat", it's much more a matter of my mental state than physical reality. I have been 120 pounds and felt great, and at other times in my life when things were harder I have felt super big at that same weight. </p> <p>It's easy to throw all of our insecurities and anxieties at our bodies because they are much more visible than the mind and, in a way, easier to fix. I'm not saying this is the case with you, but it's something to think about. By the way, you have a great figure and as long as you are healthy you have absolutely nothing to fell bad about. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat/page/2#post-329714 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 23:26:44 +0000 Girl X 329714@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It can be difficult to see what's really in the mirror, especially when we have a preconceived notion of what our bodies look like. My sister lost about 2 dress sizes a few years ago - and looked awesome. She stopped losing weight because of the number on the scale, but if she had picked a stopping point based on the mirror she would have lost far too much. It took a long while before she was able to see the new her in the mirror, she always expected to see the frame she was accustomed to, so that's what she saw. </p> <p>I think if we were to meet someone with our exact dimensions, a figure twin, we'd never see the physical imperfections we see in ourselves. Some of the things we see in the mirror just don't exist in reality.</p> <p>Lyn*, if you ran into someone with your exact body, you'd exclaim to yourself 'I wish I looked just like her!' </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat/page/2#post-329654 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 21:23:13 +0000 Jenava 329654@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lyn, this is obviously part of the shape of your body; you don't wish your head were flatter, so why wish it for you belly? </p> <p>Ok, I know that's probably not totally a fair comparison, but it is very upsetting to hear you say that you're unhappy with your body. Take care of it and let it be what it is. Love it because it's yours and it serves you well. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat/page/2#post-329642 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 20:25:26 +0000 Stephanie 329642@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'd like to second what Kate said. At times in my life when I've been anxious about my body--usually, I find, when I have been anxious about myself more generally--I have gotten involved with demanding exercise classes (kickboxing, etc.). After several grueling classes over a week or two, I feel *so* much better--so amazed at how strong I can be, so impressed with the *machine* that is the human body--that I cannot conceive of what I was so bothered about the week before, even though my body looks from the outside exactly the same. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat/page/2#post-329636 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 20:05:58 +0000 Kate 329636@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lyn, your tummy has never stood out to me. As several have said (and as I'm sure you know) your BMI actually puts you in the underweight range, and the only thing that has stood out to me about your pictures on YLF is how thin you are. Not in a bad, unhealthy, or malnourished way, but I certainly wouldn't recommend that you try to lose more weight. I'm 5'3" and 110-ish lbs (I don't own a scale), and wear a size 0-2, and it has taken me a long time to realize that a) my stomach is flatter than I think it is, b) even the flattest tummy out there is not actually flat (humans are 3D and our bodies are 3D!), and c) it matters so much more to me what my body can DO than what it looks like. I feel so much better when I focus on how many crunches/pushups/pullups I can do, or how long I can hold a plank, than how toned my tummy and arms are.</p> <p>There are many people who are obese or overweight who would benefit in many ways from losing (more) weight, but you are not one of those people. You are beautiful and you don't have any weight to spare. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat/page/2#post-329615 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 19:29:32 +0000 krishnidoux 329615@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lyn,</p> <p>With you height and weight, you are not fat. Not at all. However what might be happening is that you have actually lost too much weight. Bloated abdomen and/or water retention is an effect of malnourishment. When one is so slim, it is very easy to "slip" into this state. </p> <p>We so much focus on "losing weight" and lose sight of ourselves... but when you are underweight it feels just as bad and just as heavy as being overweight. The body doesn't function well and it shows. </p> <p>(Mind you it could also be hormones or temporary digestive issues...).</p> <p>If you are bothered by the pouch, try this: </p> <p>- Meat. Or egg whites, or seaweeds. Now. If the pouch is from malnourishment, you will experience having to urinate some time having meat or protein and will soon regain your shape. </p> <p>- Up your amount of water drinking drastically. As in, down 2-3 of those 500 ml water bottles in one sitting, do this 2 to 3 times per day. Watch the difference within 48 hrs. (I refill my bottles with tap water and discard them after a while).</p> <p>- Take an enzyme supplement with every meal.</p> <p>- Finally Callanetics is the best method I know to target the stomach and posture.</p> <p>Hope it helps you, and that you feel better soon! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat/page/2#post-329495 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 16:09:03 +0000 dottie 329495@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think most us do, and yes, we're too often very hard on ourselves. But, soft bits are estrogen enduced, so whaddya do... consider it a small price for the honour of being a woman. Embrace it, name it, poke it, make friends with it, love it. It is what it is. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat/page/2#post-329482 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:53:25 +0000 Angie 329482@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That's KILLER, Janet. Thanks for sharing. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat/page/2#post-329480 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:50:03 +0000 Jennifer 329480@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think it's really important to be kind to our bodies and recognise what wonderful things they are, all the amazing things they do, and how beautiful they are despite any "flaws." I too have things I don't LOVE about my body, but whenever I hear that voice inside criticising myself, I remind myself to be kind to my body. I always feel better, and I love myself imperfections and all. You are very lovely women with amazing bodies! Enjoy them. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329478 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:44:41 +0000 Janet 329478@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>The Lululemon store near me has a big sign on the dressing room area that says NO BODY BASHING ZONE. I like that. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329475 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:40:48 +0000 Angie 329475@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Most women feel this way, and I hear the words "I feel fat" or "I look fat" *every time* I shop with clients no matter what their size.</p> <p>I hope that this thread does not turn into an overly critical analysis of our bodies and how fat or thin we should be/are. I am watching it like a hawk!!</p> <p>Thank you, Louise </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329456 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:14:57 +0000 Janet 329456@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My, we are all so hard on ourselves. </p> <p>I like Louise's comment. Let's learn to love our entire, mostly-healthy bodies that carry us through our days and lives. I just read an amazing essay by a man I know who recently lost a leg and has one of the best attitudes toward life I've ever encountered. It certainly put my quibbles with the appearance of my legs in perspective. </p> <p>We fret about a bit of "extra" on our thighs or our tummies, when as Mo and rute point out, no one else noticed. What wasted energy! I'm as guilty of this as anyone, but I'm getting better about it. I do notice that it slips into my posts from time to time though. </p> <p>Right now, I'm pledging to all you YLF folks that I will not complain about my body or weight here. I would never snark on anyone else's body the way i do on my own -- how warped is it that we can be so unkind to ourselves? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329454 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:10:25 +0000 Sarah 329454@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Every woman hates something about herself, but I can guarantee what you see as glaring flaws are only obvious to yourself, because we are our own worst critics. I consider myself pretty tiny (I wear XS clothes) but you're 4-5 inches taller than me and weigh less. So even if you "feel fat" I can guarantee you don't look it to most people.</p> <p>I've been almost as high as 140 myself, but I actually fell into the underweight category recently during a very stressful time in my life, and I became embarrassed by my *lack* of curves. I felt unfeminine. Believe me, that is not a nice feeling either. Our soft spots here and there are what makes us women. </p> <p>I find I am most happy with my body when I exercise and eat right, regardless of how much I weigh. Strive for health, not some impossible-to-obtain standard of perfection. Trust me, you're adorable! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329441 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 14:38:08 +0000 Mo 329441@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>We do see ourselves differently than others - I can assure you we see no belly! You are quite thin. I have weighed 20 pounds more than now and 10 pounds less and honestly a few male friends who knew my throughout that whole period really didn't notice any difference!! That surprised me, but there you go. :)<br /> Oh, and I have weighed more right before both my triathlon and my half marathon from training, so weight does NOT equal health! It's safe to say I was in great health at those times but my body was needing more fuel to perform. So I had a few extra giggly pounds 'in reserve' for each race.<br /> Chin up - you look great!!! (oh and I think you should measure your HEAD when on the psych ward ) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329434 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 14:02:40 +0000 rute 329434@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It has to do with the fact that you see yourself differently then others. When I look at your photos I see a very slim woman with bo belly at all.<br /> Focus on your positive aspects. Your lovely face, your slim legs, your slim torso and believe me no one sees what you see, the problem is in your head.<br /> Don't get me wrong, I have the same problem, when I take pictures or trying clothes I always feel fat, but when I try a piece XS I repeat to myself.. "your head is tricking you"! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329433 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 13:53:44 +0000 nicoleb 329433@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>*hugs* Lyn you are adorable and it hurts my heart to hear that you feel fat sometimes. You're not. At all. </p> <p>I think everyone has "flub" unless they agressively work out. Girls can be super skinny and even underweight and yet not be toned and in shape. At my smallest i've been 5'6" and 110 and i've had friends that took care of themselves but were yet a lot bigger than i was be able to out exercise and out run me without becoming winded like i would be. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329400 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 09:11:36 +0000 Louise 329400@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lets learn to love our wobbly bits xoxoxo </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329399 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 08:55:17 +0000 yublocka 329399@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lyn I think everyone has their problem area. For me its my belly as well. Even when I have been my thinnest, I have never had a flat abdomen but have always had spare tyres around the middle. Sometimes I look at shows like The Biggest Loser and even beforehand their tummies are flatter with less rolls than mine. I guess its just illustrating that everyone distributes weight differently, and that I should never contemplate wearing a bikini!!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329395 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 08:26:49 +0000 chewyspaghetti 329395@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It never ceases to amaze me how hard we are on ourselves. Lyn- for your height you are extremely thin (actually, according to the BMI calculator you are underweight), and I see no pudge on you at all. But, I also can relate to what you are saying. I've lost over 70 pounds now, and I am harder on myself now than I was at my greatest weight. Instead of seeing what I've lost when I look in the mirror, I still see what I want to loose. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329394 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 08:23:56 +0000 Irene 329394@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have only done this once, but it also works with YLF outfits post. What I did once was take a pictures of myself in a bikini, but just for me (no showing it to people!!!). It allows you to see your body more objectively. Also, we are our worst judges. My best friend says I have an almost perfect body right now, after losing some weight, but I still see my flabby bits more than anything else. We can't help it. Again, seeing myself on photographs is a way to be more objective. I remember, when I lost the 20 pounds, people would tell me I was so thin (and I'm not as thin as you are!!!) and that I looked skinny (in a good way) and blablabla and I took it like 'yeah, sure, I'm thin' but never really SAW it. Then one day I'm checking the pictures of our Lisbon trip and I see this photo of myself taken by my mother and I am like 'wow, I AM thin!'. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329369 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 05:16:49 +0000 Elly 329369@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ha ha --- I am 5'8" and the last time I was 115 pounds I think I was 11-- and I have a petite frame compared to many other women in my family! It isn't something that is realistic for me at all. I couldn't manage to weigh less than 130 when I still hadn't filled out as a woman and was exercising like 4 hours at day-- or when I was running a jackhammer for 10 hours a day. So no, you aren't fat. Posture is everything!!!! At my highest weight (considerably higher than most of the other ladies that have posted theirs) I could completely hide most my tummy issues (sure the fat was still under the skin, but it looked nice and smooth) by working to correct my posture through strengthening my abs and other such maneuvers. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329356 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 04:38:31 +0000 rae 329356@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My belly will go away when I lose weight, but I've got permanent inner thigh pudge. Bleah. Hey, at least you successfully lost weight! Last time I did, I was in college and got down to about 110, and I felt fantabulous. Now I'm at a stubborn 130, and just kind of learning to live with it, even though I do wish I had the fortitude to work out like crazy the way I used to. I think what helps most is that it's all relative -- I envy your body, others envy my body, others envy *their* bodies. We're all too picky. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329339 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 04:10:51 +0000 lyn* 329339@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>HAHA... okay, I promise to only measure my belly when I'm on the psych ward </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329318 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 03:17:20 +0000 Maya 329318@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What Stephanie said. If I saw someone of any size at an obstetrics ward measuring their belly, I would think they were preggers, no matter what their apparent size... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329313 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 03:07:33 +0000 Stephanie 329313@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lyn, I imagine that the person asked you if you were pregnant because you were in an obstetrics ward and measuring your tummy, not because they thought you looked 'round.' You always look svelte and pretty in your photos. I hope someday you can see what we all do </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/does-anyone-lose-weight-and-still-feel-fat#post-329303 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 02:41:34 +0000 Laura B. 329303@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm 5'7" and 115 lbs too! I also have a little belly </p> <p>I just wanted to chime in and say how much I admire your style and that I've never noticed any bulges or once thought you were pregnant! </p>