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My secret to developing body awareness after losing weight

My secret to developing body awareness after losing weight

Body image problems, , ,

My secret to developing body awareness after losing weightAs I’ve described it earlier, my biggest struggle after losing 28kg/62lbs was what I’ve experienced after: when I looked into the mirror, the image of the body I saw staring back at me felt foreign. It felt like I was looking at an unknown person imitating my moves on the other side of the mirror. I felt like I’ve also lost all sensation of my physical body as if it wasn’t there. This phenomenon is referred to as phantom fat and it is basically the loss of your body awareness.

What is body awareness?

Body awareness can be defined as a perception of your body of how you feel it internally. In simple words it means that your mind memorises where your body parts are so you don’t need to look to find different parts of your body.

Some of the benefits of increased body awareness include:

  • the skill of self regulation: accepting the limitations of your body and adapting your movements and behavior
  • getting more out of the exercises that you do: you can feel when your form is off and you can make adjustments.

When you lose body awareness

Body awareness can be defined as a perception of your body of how you feel it internally.
She lost her body awareness. And her sanity.

What happened when I’ve lost 28kg/62lbs as my body transformed from 86kb/190lbs to 58kg/128lbs is that the boundaries of my body shrinked. Imagine living your life for years in an inflatable sumo costume and then suddenly you take the suit off. Your mind plays crazy games with you: avoid a chair to sit in because it has arms when in fact they don’t even touch you anymore; you ask people to move their chair so that you could fit in the row between them and they look weirdy at you because you already fit; you think that you can’t sit on the bench where the seat and the table are attached and then you fit; in the elevator you move closer to the corner to make place for one more person and you look silly because he already entered and there’s plenty of room. The list is endless and it just drives you crazy that your mind is playing tricks on you because it can’t sense the limits of your body.

Looking in the mirror tackles another kind of creepy feelings: you don’t recognize yourself. You see the reflected image, you know it must be you but it doesn’t feel like you. Or you walk past a shop and in the window you notice someone handsome and fit on the inside and you realize that what you’re seeing is your own reflection. These are the small things that drive you crazy when you lose body awareness.

So the next thing you must do is gain your body awareness back. I already shared some of my tips that can easily help you develop your body awareness after weight loss. See these 3 easy exercises to develop body awareness here>>>

My secret to developing body awareness: yoga

Body awareness can be defined as a perception of your body of how you feel it internally. Yoga is a discipline where specific bodily postures are practiced for health and relaxation. Yoga reintroduces you to your body and your body parts while strengthening your inner knowing and body awareness. I found that in yoga the body, the breath and the mind become a union. This union helps you develop self awareness and body awareness as well.

Just by doing a simple morning routine of 20 minutes of yoga will help you a great deal to become once again in tune with your mind and body.

I suggest you start with a simple morning sequence such as Sun Salutation. You can find a detailed instruction on how to do the Sun Salutation over at Yoga Journal.

If you get further into yoga, then you can try the advanced balance poses and back-bends. Those are really good for developing body awareness!

Or if you are a beginner, then sign up to a yoga class near you to experience the benefits of yoga and to help you develop your body awareness once again after losing weight!

Need more help seeing your new fit body image in the mirror? Get more tips by clicking here >>>

Obese people who don't see they are fat

Obese people who don’t see they are fat

Body image problems, , , , , ,

Obese people who don't see they are fatShe enters the office walking confidently towards us. She is cheerful and happy, and when she sees me, tells me how she barely recognized me, I’m so thin! She pulls a chair to sit down next to us.

– Tell me, what’s your secret to going from “chubby” to thin? – she doesn’t even wait for my answer, she continues – I bet you worked out. I can’t work out, I tried, but I hate it.

I open my mouth to tell her about how you need to find the right type of workout that is fun, motivating and challenging at the same time, but my other work colleague interrupts:

– She changed her whole lifestyle! She eats differently, and works out 5 times a week! It happened slowly, it took her years to lose all that weight!

I want to start speaking, but I am yet again silenced by my female colleagues before saying even a sentence. All I am left with is nodding my head in a “yes” motion.

– Oh, I can’t diet, I just hate them. I love cake too much! What do you eat? You surely don’t eat bread!

Finally, my chance to speak up! Quickly, I must make a sound: – I don’t eat bread and pastries from the bakery, but I eat whole grain flowerless bread with various seeds.

– But do you eat meat? – she asks.

– Of course I eat meat – I answer. I try to continue because I want her to know how protein is important for muscle growth and recovery, but I am silenced again.

– I eat meat too, and I don’t eat much. Yesterday I made a delicious cake and we ate it. Then I cried to my husband that I want to eat that special chocolate cake from the bakery. He told me how I can’t have a chocolate cake, because I am always complaining how I am way too fat. But I really wanted to eat that chocolate cake, so finally we drove to the bakery to get the chocolate cake.

We were all left speechless and continued listening to her story unwind.

– I think I am fat, because the scale said so. I am way over 100 kg/220 lbs, but I can’t see it. I am just not that fat in reality. When I gain weight, it all goes to my thighs. – she touches her left thigh making her point across. And I can’t help not to notice her muffin top spilling over when she leans over like that. She is not a small woman that is sure! She sees herself slightly overweight, when in fact she is obese.

Obese people who don't see they are fat– I mean I am gaining weight for sure, but I don’t see it. I can’t wear my pants anymore because I can’t button them, so I choose to wear pants with elastic waistbands. I also have a problem to find the right sized blouses, the ones they sell have tiny armholes so my arms don’t fit through. But I am not going into those obnoxious stores for fat people! Those clothes are ugly!

We keep listening to her story and I can’t help but notice how she is struggling with body image issues exactly like I was. The only difference is that I was struggling to see my smaller fit body after I’ve lost significant weight. She is struggling to see her bigger obese body after she’s gained significant weight. I was wondering if the steps I’ve took to help me see my smaller body would help her see her bigger body. But I never got the chance to speak up after she went on and on about her life. And she clearly wasn’t interested in what I had to say – she just needed to get things that bothered her about her body and lifestyle off her mind.

If you are losing weight and are unable to see your fit body after weight loss it’s called phantom fat. Never would have imagined that there is the opposite of this condition: you are gaining weight, becoming fat, going obese and you can’t see it.

I’ve discussed the struggles regarding my fat body image I have in my head while not being able to see a fit body image reflection staring back at me from the mirror many times before:

Are you suffering from phantom phat?

Having fit body but being unable to see it: how to accept new fit body

15 things I wish I knew before I started losing weight while I was obese

I have discussed the problem of not being able to see the fit body in the mirror after significant weight loss in the past.

I still can’t get over the fact how serious conditions with body image problems such as  negative body image issues are taken seriously, but body image issues that come with significant weight loss or significant weight gain do not get the attention they deserve.

To help myself after my weight loss with having a fat body image while actually being in a fit body, I had to browse through tons of self help books for low self esteem and serious negative body image issues to scan for tips that I would work in my case. I tried many of the advices that I have came across about body image issues, and what worked for me was a quick 10 minute exercise. Click here to find out about Exercise A and Exercise B >>>

Are you struggling with fat body image issues? Click here to find out!

If you want to read more about how to deal with issues related to fat body image click here >>

Please feel free to share your own story in the comments section below!

Why you are feeling awkward when accepting a compliment about your fit body

Why you are feeling awkward when accepting a compliment about your fit body

Body image problems, Emotional issues after weight loss, , , , , , 
Why you are feeling awkward when accepting a compliment about your fit bodyAfter significant weight loss, friends, coworkers and acquaintances will start noticing your new found body. They will feel like it is time for them to compliment you on your new fit body. How can you accept these compliments without being rude or seeming awkward?

People around me noticed my weight loss and positive changes about my body way sooner than I have. It was annoying for a while to address their compliments and answer their questions about my fit body, and I hated it. But looking back I see now that their comments and questions helped me a lot with my mental barriers of accepting my new fit body.

Why people compliment on your weight loss success

I bet you want to know why someone is giving you a compliment on your weight loss. If you think that the person who complimented on your looks wants something from you, you will less likely believe the compliment. All this can make you interpret the compliment in a totally different way than it was intended.

Getting fit and losing weight affects not just your looks and attitude but also the perception of how others see you. There will be a change in people’s attitudes towards the new fit you.

Why you are feeling awkward when accepting a compliment about your fit body
“Sir, I noticed your large beer belly has vanished! You look awesome!”
Smiles: “Thank you sir for noticing my fat crying.”

Part of their changed view comes from the fact that your looks have changed, and that change in your body becomes noticeable at a first glance to others. The other reason for from the fact that it’s not just your body that changed, but your attitude as well. Your improved self confidence you’ve gained with regular workout shines through.

These are just some of the reasons why you are drawing wanted (or unwanted) attention of your friends and acquaintances. You may find this to be pleasing, and it can even give you a temporary boost in motivation to workout harder. On the other hand, if you are like me, you will find all this sudden rush of attention unwelcome and have mixed feelings about people who unexpectedly shower you with compliments, and struggle with finding the best way to deal with all that sincere or false openness.

Some people will be thrilled about your success, because you’ve accomplished what they are just hoping to achieve one day. As may it be fascinating for you at first to hear the compliments, you will grow tired of them soon after. Especially when you realize that what they say is actually a reflection of their own biases, self-doubt and flaws.

How you are currently dealing with compliments about your weight loss

Until now, you’ve dealt with compliments about your successful weight loss in one of the 3 possible ways:

  1. Rejecting the compliment
  2. Deflecting the compliment
  3. Accepting the compliment

How you are dealing with a compliment about your successful weight loss tells about you a lot.

The way you deal with compliments reflects your level of self-esteem and self-worth. [Tweet this!]

If compliments on your successful weight loss make you feel uncomfortable, it is because the compliments contradicts your own self-view.

1. Rejecting a compliment

“- Wow! You’ve lost a lot of weight! You look great!”

“- No, I don’t look great.”

When it comes to compliments about your looks, an inner fat girl makes you deny that the flattery could be true.

If you have high self-esteem then you will reject the compliment because you want to be perceived as modest.

Just imagine how it feels for the other person when he or she says something nice with his or her best intentions, and you reject it. This is the worst you can do. You undermine the compliment or insult the compliment giver by rejecting a compliment about your weight loss.

2. Deflecting the compliment

There are 3 ways to deflect a compliment about your successful weight loss:

  • Self-insult:

    “- Wow! You’ve lost a lot of weight! You look great!”

    “- No, I did not lose a lot of weight. My lose clothing makes me look like I’ve lost a lot of weight, but trust me, I am still fat under it.”

  • Denial:

    “- Wow! You’ve lost a lot of weight! You look great!”

    “- No, I don’t. Look, I have batwings under my arms.”

  • Boomerang:

    “- Wow! You’ve lost a lot of weight! You look great!”

    “- You look amazing too! Is that a new necklace you’re wearing?”

Why you are feeling awkward when accepting a compliment about your fit body
“I love your t-shirt!”
“Umm…look at this pebble.”

The problem with deflecting a compliment abut your successful weight loss is that you give the impression that you don’t respect the opinion of the person who gave you the compliment. You should return the compliment, but not right away. Say something nice about the person who gave you the compliment about your successful weight loss the next time you two meet.

3. Accepting the compliment

Your best bet is to just accept the compliment about your successful weight loss that has been given you.

“- Wow! You’ve lost a lot of weight! You look great!”

“- Thanks, that’s very kind of you!”

If you want to follow it up with an explanation of how you’ve worked hard for looking like this, feel free.

Actually, accepting a compliment about your successful weight loss is a compliment for itself. By accepting the compliment someone gave you, you are suggesting them that you trust their judgement, wisdom and opinion, and you appreciate what they have to say.

Lesson on how to accept a compliment about weight loss

Even if you don’t agree with a compliment, you should take it gracefully. Respect the compliment giver by accepting the compliment. Say this if you are accepting a compliment on your successful weight loss if you don’t agree with what the other person said about you:

  • “Thank you”, “Thank you very much”
  • “Thanks, I appreciate that.”
  • “Thanks, that’s a lovely thing to say.”
  • “Thanks, that makes me feel good.”
  • “Thanks, that means a lot to me.”
  • “Thanks, you’re very kind.”

If you agree with a compliment given to you about your successful weight loss, accept the compliment by saying the following things:

  • “Thanks. I’m really glad you noticed that I’ve lost significant weight because it’s something I’m proud of too.”
  • “Thanks! I trained really hard.”

Don’t be focused on the content of the compliment when receiving one, but rather focus on receiving the compliment. And don’t forget to smile!

Want more tips on living a healthy life? Click here for my weekly updates>>>

Secrets on how to dress while losing weight

Secrets on how to dress while losing weight

Body image problems, , , ,

Dressing yourself while losing weight gets harder as you keep on losing weight. You notice that all your existing clothes becomes lose and ill fitting. However, you haven’t reached your goal weight yet! So how should you dress yourself while losing weight? Should you shop for new pants every two weeks for your smaller after every 10 pounds you lose? You could, if you want to… But I have a better option for you! Let me tell you the secrets on how to dress while losing weight!

First I will present you which type of clothes you should aim for when putting together a wardrobe for the ongoing process of losing weight.

Then I’ll share my 4 tricks that can build you a transitional wardrobe while losing weight!

If you are clueless about what clothes to wear while losing weight or how to dress yourself while losing weight then read on.

A. What to wear while losing weight

1. Clothes with a bit of stretch

The more stretch the better: it will fit you longer during your weightloss journey. Look for pants, skirts, tops and dresses with Lycra.

Stretchy fabrics

2. Pants, shorts and skirts with an elastic waist

An elastic waist ensures that you’ll be able to wear that clothing item even when you lose a significant amount of weight. It is a quick and easy way to make your pants, shorts and skirts fit as you go through different stages of weight loss.

Elastic waist clothes

 3. Use belts

I discovered the usefulness of belts while I was going from fat to fit. They are great in keeping your loose pants on! I had to make new holes in my existing belts every other week while I was losing weight. You can try getting yourself a new belt with a slide-ring that you will be able to use throughout your weight loss journey.

4. Wrap dresses, skirts, blouses

Wrap dresses

Anything that wraps is great, because it is more forgiving of weight fluctuations and you can get more wear out of them.

5. Side tab trousers and skirts

They are a great option because you can adjust the size of the waist with the tabs on the sides. You can expand or contract the waistline easily to fit your new shape.

6. Draped tops

You can get a lot of wear out of draped tops or dresses as they are not size specific. It looks great with almost everything, and they can dress up any basic clothing item, such as a simple long sleeved t-shirt, jeans or skirt.

Draped tops

7. Leggings

Leggings are a wardrobe must have! They can be very comfortable, and they are a great choice if you are still losing weight. They can be paired with many different clothing items. Leggings are a great layering piece! They add a lot to an outfit and are a fashionable and easy way to add warmth during the cooler fall months.

8. Empire waist dresses and tops

The good thing about frocks is that they enhance your silhouette. Empire waist dresses and tops have a fitted bodice ending just below the bust, giving it a high-waisted appearance. You can find empire waist dresses and tops in various styles that will fit your fashion taste.

Empire waist dresses

B. 4 tips on how to get clothes that fit you while losing weight

But what if you are not a big fan of shopping or you like the clothes you currently have and would like to continue wearing the clothing items even if they are hanging lose on you? No problem! Here are my 4 tips on how to dress yourself while losing weight if you are on a budget or don’t like shopping:

Tip #1: Tailor your favorite clothing items

Tailoring some of the big clothes is a good idea for items you really like. In my case tailoring my big clothes wasn’t an option, because I don’t have a tailor I trust and the few clothing items I took to a tailor to fix were a disaster and I ended up not wearing them at all. Plus, I truly believe that you should not force your new fit body into old fat clothes. Enjoy the feeling of fitting into new, smaller clothing items!

Tip #2: Swap clothes with friends

Organize a clothing swap party! Include friends of all sizes and shapes! Hosting a clothing swap party is awesome in so many ways: you can get rid of your old fat clothes and find well fitting clothes while in the process of losing weight! Plus you get to hang out with your friends!

Tip #3: Check out thrift stores and second-hand stores

It’s not just and inexpensive way to shop at thrift stores, but many times you can dug up real treasure in there! You can get quality items for cheap. Look for natural fibers such as wool, silk, cashmere, leather as they are long lasting and become softer with age. Plus reusing clothes is eco-friendly!

Tip #4: Stay away from jeans

Or if jeans are a basic clothing item in your wardrobe, then search for jeans with high elasticity. The higher the elastic percentage in the denim, the more wears you’ll be able to get out of them while losing weight. The downside of jeans with high elasticity is that they stretch out more easily than denim with low elasticity. You can protect the stretchy fabric by using the delicate setting on your washing machine.

Want more fun tips to help you on your weight loss journey? Click here for my weekly updates>>>

Small breasts after weight loss? Your guide on how to deal with new bra size

Small breasts after weight loss? Your guide on how to deal with new bra size

Body image problems, Emotional issues after weight loss, , , , , , , 
You've lost weight? Good for you! The weight came off from your breasts too? You are freaking out about your new small breasts? Fear no more! These tips will help you deal with your new bra size.

Small breasts after weight loss? Your guide on how to deal with new bra sizeThere is no such thing as spot reducing. So by losing weight the fat comes off from every part of your body: your breasts as well. Whether you like it or not, if you lose weight your breasts will become smaller. However, breasts becoming smaller is no reason for you to give up on your aspiration of losing weight in order to hit the healthy weight range. Let’s address this secretly feared issue of losing weight from breasts and having small breasts.

Does the size of breasts matter?

So my lovely ladies, does size matter? We say that size does not matter. However, when it is the size of our breasts, suddenly size is an issue.

“Oh, I wish my breasts would be bigger!”

“Why do I have such huge breasts?”

“I wish the shape of my breasts would be different…”

“I can accept that the shape of my breasts is not perfect, but can’t just the two be similar?”

Can you spot the common theme here? Whatever your complaint may be regarding your breasts, one thing is sure: you are not satisfied with the breasts you have and you want different breasts.

Small breasts after weight loss? Your guide on how to deal with new bra sizeMany ladies struggle with because they can’t see their breasts as pretty. They struggle with accepting their breasts because the breasts they have don’t reflect the actual breast trends. These trends in breast shape and size change in time: just remember the ’60s rocket-shaped breasts or that in the ’70s breasts were allowed to sag. In the ’80s breasts supposed to be round and firm like grapefruits. Then came the ’90s when smaller, athletic breasts became trendy.

One thing we can conclude from all these breast trends is that there is no such thing as the perfect breasts. There are trendy breasts and then there are your actual breasts.

Your expectation of what breasts should look like comes from society’s current standards. So how could you be satisfied with the breasts you have when the media is constantly bombarding you with unrealistic breast shapes and sizes?

The only thing about your breasts that matters is how you experience your own breasts. [Tweet this!]

6 questions you need to answer to help you to deal with small breasts after weight loss

Take a few minutes to answer these 6 question about your breasts for yourself:

1. Describe your breasts: size, shape, sensitivity, other properties. What is your relationship with your breasts?

2. What are your nipples like in terms of size, color, shape? Is there anything you’d notice about them? Flat or inverted nipples, extra nipple or hair around nipples?

3. How does your significant other treat your breasts during sex? What do you think how men feel about female breasts? Are those feelings a biological reaction or are they influenced by media?

4. Do you feel different emotionally or physically if you wear a bra or if you go bra less? How does it make you feel?

5. Do you wear clothes that accentuate your breasts or clothes that hide your breast? Why?

6. What words are you using when talking about your breasts or describing them? How do you feel about other words that are describing breasts?

By answering these questions you’ve addressed the emotional issues arising regarding your small breasts after weight loss. But it wouldn’t be me, if I didn’t give you real hands-on advice on what to do with your small breasts. So let’s see, what can you do about your new bra size?

3 tips on small breasts after weight loss

Tip #1: Wearing a proper supporting bra for exercise is a must

Even if your breasts became smaller by losing weight, and you feel like you don’t need to wear a bra, you must wear a proper bra for breast support while engaging in any type of exercise.

The more vigorous the exercise is the more support your breasts will need. During active exercise, your breasts move up and down, side to side and front to back.

No matter how muscular you are, the underlying chest muscles don’t support breast tissue. In order to support the breast tissue you need to wear a proper sports bra while exercising. Different breasts need different kind of support for exercise: more compression, more cupping or the combination of these.

Tip #2: A well fitting bra will be your small breasts’ new best friend

Small breasts after weight loss? Your guide on how to deal with new bra sizeBad news for women with small breasts: breast tissue is made up of fatty tissue so as you lose fat your breast size decreases further.

If you are like me, losing weight will make you go out on a shopping spree to get new, smaller clothes, and you will forget about buying a new, smaller bra for your smaller breasts. However, a properly fitting bra is essential: you will instantly look more attractive in all your clothes! Even if you are not at your ideal weight yet, the fastest way to weight loss is to find a bra that fits, because wearing the wrong size or style bra makes you look fatter.

For determining your new bra size you could go to a department store or a lingerie shop to get fitted by a professional bra-fit specialist. Or you can do what I did, and measure yourself at home and then calculate your bra size using an online sizing guide.

Tip #3: Experiment with going braless

If you are used to wearing your bra all the time, now after losing weight and some fatty breast tissue is the time for you to start experimenting. See what happens if you go braless! The world won’t end, trust me.

Celebrate the feminine side of life by going braless today!

Want more guides on how to deal with after weight loss issues? Click here for my weekly updates>>>

How to accept fit body after weight loss

Having fit body but being unable to see it: how to accept new fit body

Body image problems, Emotional issues after weight loss, , , , , , , , , , , ,

How to accept fit body after weight lossRemember how I’ve had problems dealing with phantom fat in the past? I struggled with accepting my smaller fit body after being obese and fat most of my life.

After losing weight and becoming fit the issue that I am struggling with is similar to seeing a fat self image instead of a new fit body. The problem I am having is that I can’t see the muscles and my body for what it is. After losing significant weight and becoming fit I started weightlifting because I was losing more muscle than fat. So I figured that weightlifting is a way to go to improve my new fit body. Plus, I’ve read awesome things about the benefits of weightlifting for a woman, so I had to give it a try.

How to address the emotional side of not being able to see your new fit body for what it is

How to accept fit body after losing weightAs it feels awesome to be able to carry my own groceries, it feels strange to look in the mirror at the gym to see muscles on my body where there used to be fat. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have manly muscles, because a woman can’t just get muscular like that with no additional work. I have nice, visible muscles, that give my whole fit body a more feminine look. I look like a girl-beast only when I flex my muscles (joking). My tummy is flat and my abs are visible for the first time in my life! So it’s pretty fun to look at my new fit body in the mirror, but yet again I feel like my mind has not caught up to the fit body I have in reality. I see myself in the mirror, I know it’s me, but that fit body that is looking back at me from the mirror surely isn’t my body, because I am not so fit and muscular.

I remembered the last time when I felt like this was when I lost weight and I was looking at my fit body in the mirror and feeling unable relating to it. It is happening again with my fit body. However, I lived through this before, so this time it doesn’t make me think that I am insane for not being able to see my fit body for what it is in reality.

I know that not being able to see my fit body is just a temporary phase and that my mind just needs a little more time to accept the new fit body. [Tweet this!]

I find revelation in the fact that I’ve been through this before, and successfully accepted my fit body. Now I once again need to accept my more muscular new fit body.

What can I do to speed up the progress of my mind accepting my new fit body?

Having the fit body of your dreams is new: your mind will need time to accept it. It will happen with time, but hey, let’s just speed up this process of your brain accepting your new body:

  1. Look at yourself more often: take a photo of your fit body where your muscles are showing and put the photo on the fridge or another visible place
  2. Get workout clothes that accentuate fit body features in the most flattering manner: look for a pair of workout pants and/or dry fit top that will make you look into the gym mirror more often!
  3. Take progress pictures: even if you don’t see your fit body gains in the mirror, looking back at older pictures (even if it was taken a month ago) will make you see how far you’ve come.
  4. Ask for reassurance: ask a friend or a significant other you trust if they see your muscles on your new fit body. My significant other wants to touch my abs all the time! Just don’t make it a habit to ask for reassurance a lot. Always think about your intent before asking for reassurance. Is your goal to remind yourself of what you already know?
  5. Compare: Look yourself in the mirror at the gym while working out and compare the fit body you see there with other bodies in the gym. You’ll see how far you’ve come.
  6. Go window shopping: Pick something out that you would never have dared to wear before and try it on just for the fun of it! I was trying on some dresses that I would have never even thought of wearing before. I didn’t buy it, because I have nowhere to wear it, but damn, I looked good!
  7. Ask for comparing: ask your friend or significant other to point out someone from a crowd of people or a celebrity who has a similar fit body composition as you. You’ll be surprised! Also, seeing other people who are similar to you will not trigger the same emotional response as seeing a picture of yourself would, therefore it’s helping you rationalize.

Could this be your story too? Are you are struggling with accepting your new fit body? Join my group of struggling girls on Google+! Don’t like other people? Sign up for an update about new posts! Click here>>>

What people who successfully lost weight are hiding from you: 5 alarming things about your new fit body

What people who successfully lost weight are hiding from You: 5 alarming things about Your new fit body

Body image problems, Emotional issues after weight loss, , , ,

It seems like that while being fat, somehow you forgot about things like a belly button, hip bones, collar bones, ribcage being a part of your body. They just disappear altogether in the sea of fat. While I was fat, I had no visible ribcage, belly button, hip bones or collar bones.

As you know, weight loss affects your whole body: there is no such thing as losing fat only from your hip bones or around your belly button. You just can’t spot reduce. So when losing fat, it will also mean that your ribcage, collar bones and hip bones will start to show. You’ll notice them in the mirror and your hip bones and belly button will alarm you. You’ll be able to touch and feel your collar bones and see your belly button, and when you do so, you will be freaked out about this fact.

The 5 most alarming things about your body after weight loss will be the following:

1. Belly button changes from sad face to weird hole

My whole fat life, my belly button looked kinda sad. When I started to lose weight, I was looking forward to the day when I will have a flat tummy and a happy belly button. Well, that’s not how this whole scenario played out.

What people who successfully lost weight are hiding from you: 5 alarming things about your new fit body
That weird hole in the middle of your body.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

After your weight loss, your belly button changes as well. It becomes this weird hole, with a little leftover fat (or without fat) with saggy skin over the belly button.

Having a fat belly my whole life and not being able to see the end of my belly button, being able to see further down that hole freaks the hell out of me. I catch myself staring at my belly button wondering if it should look like that. What if I lose all the excess fat, how will my belly button look then? Will I be left with lots of loose skin around my belly button that I will even be able to pinch? The belly button is not gross or anything like that, it’s just weird having a different one than I am used to having for so long.

I went to the extreme and asked one of the fit girls at the gym if I could see her belly button so that I could compare mine to hers. She was totally cool with it, so we compared belly buttons. I got to examine her belly button, and after that I examined lots of other girl’s belly buttons. Weirdo, I know. And I can say that my belly button looks similar to their belly buttons – it’s not completely the same, as it can’t be – but it looks acceptable.

However, looking at belly buttons of strangers wasn’t enough to quiet my mind. I have accepted that the shape of my belly button is considered normal, yet it still feels weird having this kind of a belly button instead of a sad fat belly button I always had.

2. Your whole ribcage starts to freak you out

Fat loss is systematic in your body – if you are female, first you loose fat in the top half of your body. It means that your ribcage will at some point become exposed. Your ribcage becomes smaller when you lose weight because you lose subcutaneous fat, the layer of fat directly below the skin.

Let me tell you: you are not used to being able to feel your bones like this, so like all the other psychological issues, you will need to face this one too, and it will take some time for you to accept that it is ok to be able to feel your ribs when you touch your ribcage.

 3. Hip bones become more visible

What people who successfully lost weight are hiding from you: 5 alarming things about your new fit body
She has visible hip bones.
Image courtesy of adamr at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Don’t get me wrong: there’s a difference between the shape of hip bones being visible beneath that outer layer of skin, hip bones being really defined, and hip bones jutting out. My hip bones became visible beneath the layer of the skin with all that fat gone, yet in my head it feels like my hip bones are standing out too much. I know it is the way I was made, so I can really do nothing about my hip bones being visible.

Visible bones on my body seemed so far fetched awhile ago. And now I am surprised every time by my hip bones when I roll over in my bed, and I feel like a skeleton.

While being fat, I was never focused specifically on my hip bone area. The problem I started having when the fat disappeared from my tummy area and my hip bones became visible was that I was very frequently bumping into things. Doors and chairs were enemies of mine, and it was always me leaving the battle with bruises, especially around my hip bones.

Luckily, with accepting my new fit body, the blue bruises disappeared, and my defined hip bones stopped bothering me.

4. Collar bones

Collar bones are the least of my worries. I often find myself running my fingers over my collar bones. I thought that finally having girly collar bones when I become fit is going to be a huge issue, but turns out it is not that much entertainment. Weird thing that while you are fat, you want collar bones. You will do anything to get collar bones. Even apply makeup to achieve the affect of having real collar bones:

What people who successfully lost weight are hiding from you: 5 alarming things about your new fit body
3 steps to get collar bones without losing weight

When you are fit, you just have collar bones, and they are not a big deal anymore. So wishing for collar bones means that you need to start losing weight!

5. That lump on Your chest isn’t a sign of You dying

I was worried about a lump I’ve felt on my chest, so I went to see my doctor. She asked me to show where the lump is, and when my doctor felt it, turned to me, smiled and said that I am now feeling my sternum! I was relieved and embarrassed at the same time: I have never felt my sternum as a grownup, and completely forgot about it.

Here is a detailed picture of a sternum in case you also forgot that it even exists in your body:

"Sternum animation3" by Anatomography - en:Anatomography (setting page of this image). Licensed under CC-BY-SA-2.1-jp via Wikimedia Commons.
“Sternum animation3” by Anatomography – en:Anatomography (setting page of this image). Licensed under CC-BY-SA-2.1-jp via Wikimedia Commons.

 One thing you need to remember is that it is completely acceptable for you to feel freaked out about seeing your collar bones, hip bones, ribs and rib cage as well as weird parts of your belly button. It will take but you will soon accept these body parts as being a part of you.

You won’t bump your hip bones into chairs, you won’t be asking strangers to show their belly buttons so that you can compare yours to theirs, and you won’t lie in your bed at night stressed out about that lump in your chest that will turn out to be your sternum that you never touched before in your life.

Here are some useful quick tips on how to speed up the process of accepting your new fit body after your weight loss! Click here>>>

Need help getting over your fears and frustrations after losing weight? Try the awesome tips given in this book>>>

Accept new fit body with creating your fall 2014 wardrobe

Body image problems, , , , , ,

Becoming fit has left me with lots of big clothes that were filling up my wardrobe space. In the fall of 2014, I decided that it was time for purging my old wardrobe. I wanted to create my fall 2014 wardrobe that I will love and that will be functional to fulfill my wardrobe needs. After getting rid of clothes either by putting them in bags and taking them out of my wardrobe to storage or donating them, and repeating this for 2 or 3 times, I was still left with lots of fall clothes in my wardrobe that were taking up the space in my wardrobe but I did not wear them for some reason.

Yet when I needed to dress up for a night out, for a serious business meeting at work, or just for walking my dog, I felt like I have nothing to wear. It was time to change all that.

How to start creating your fall 2014 wardrobe

Luckily I came across a minimalist fashion blog that had a simple and usable guide on how to build yourself a capsule wardrobe. It took me a whole weekend to identify my clothing needs that fit my weekly activities and to purge all the unnecessary clothes from my wardrobe. It took me weeks to get the missing items for my wardrobe I have identified that I needed in my closet but I did not own or were too big or worn out to keep on wearing.

Five steps of creating your fall 2014 wardrobe:

Accept new fit body with creating your fall 2014 wardrobe
How to create your fall 2014 wardrobe

Get a look of my fall 2014 wardrobe

For the first time in my life I managed to clean out my closet and build a fall 2014  wardrobe for myself that I am happy with. My fall 2014 wardrobe consists only of clothes that I absolutely love to wear and I feel good in. It has 37 pieces of clothing, that fit into my wardrobe perfectly.

My happy little 37 piece fall 2014 wardrobe:

Fall 2014 capsule wardrobe

What to look out for while creating your fall 2014 wardrobe if you are still losing fat?

I am a girl who is into fashion – and by being into fashion I mean that I am following a lot of fashion blogs and watching the celebrities on red carpet and their everyday street styles. When I was overweight, I was looking at stylish pictures of girls wishing I could pull off their outfits with my fat body without looking like a beach ball. So naturally I thought that if I ever lose weight, I will be as stylish and beautiful as the models and fashion bloggers are. Well, turns out that losing weight and changing your body from fat to fit does not make you a stylish fashion icon.

During my weight loss journey my clothes on me looked crappy: being unaware of the fact that my body changed and was becoming more and more fit instead of fat, I was still wearing my old fat clothes. My wardrobe was full of clothes (even my casual business office outfits) hanging lose and folding unflattering on me. For the first time in my life I regularly started using belts regularly for my pants that were being baggy. But the weigh loss continued and my clothes were becoming bigger and bigger, and my family was the first who started to point out that I needed a new wardrobe. I was happy that I can finally shop for new clothes, and wanted to get all the latest trends.

Continuing with becoming fitter and fitter my clothing size went smaller and smaller. I had to shop frequently, plus I enjoyed that I can buy clothes that are a smaller size. I ended up wearing clothes for 2-3 weeks before they’ve become too big. Tailoring my big clothes wasn’t an option for me, because I don’t have a tailor I trust and the few clothing items I took to a tailor to fix were a disaster and I ended up not wearing them. Plus, you should not force your new fit body into old fat clothes!

Trying on new clothes while out shopping will help you to see your new fit body if you are suffering from phantom fat and you don’t see your weight loss on your body in the mirror.

I learned that only stretchy clothes fit my changed body, so I started to shop smarter for my wardrobe, knowing that in 2 weeks my body will change.

My advice to you while being in the losing weight phase is to search for stretchy clothes – you’ll be able to get more wears out of them that way. [Tweet this!]

Benefits of having a fall 2014 wardrobe

My fall 2014 wardrobe has 37 pieces of clothing, that fit into my wardrobe perfectly. I have more space in my closet than ever before! I can see all of my clothes, which makes matching items and putting together outfits easy and fast – I can put on a perfectly polished outfit for office in the morning in less than 3 minutes!

I wash and iron clothes more frequently but it takes up less of my time. I don’t know how this is even possible, but washing and ironing takes less time than it used to.

Believe it or not, there are no drawbacks of having a 37 piece fall 2014 wardrobe, and I have no idea why I haven’t come up with a capsule wardrobe before. I thought it is much work and fuss to put together a wardrobe and I wasn’t sure I would be able to pull it off. It took a bit of planning, a lot of thinking, but it made me more aware of my lifestyle and habits.

Building a fall 2014 wardrobe was not only a cleaning of my wardrobe and my old fat clothes, but unintentionally it was also a big cleaning of my thoughts and I got rid not only of my old big clothes, but of my old fat self body image as well.

Got inspired to build your own wardrobe? Check out my fall 2014 wardrobe for inspiration! Click here>>>

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Fat body image issues

Fat body image issues

Body image problems, Emotional issues after weight loss, , , , , , ,

I am one of those woman who never talks with her friends about the struggles she is facing when they are happening, but shares the success story of the struggle after she overcame the difficulties. So it is only recently that I have started talking about my struggles regarding my fat body image I have in my head while not being able to see a fit body image reflection staring back at me from the mirror. I have discussed the problem of not being able to see the fit body in the mirror after significant weight loss in the past. Fat body image issues

Fat body image issues are almost part of the past, and I can now finally see my actual fit body image reflection in the mirror. The fat body image I had hold on to for so long finally seems to be disappearing. I am able to see my actual fit body image in the mirror instead of a fat body mirror image. Furthermore, I am finally starting to believe that the fit body image in the mirror is the real me! The fat body mind set and fat body image has started to float away. I am just starting to fully enjoy the fit body I worked so hard for.

It is still difficult to talk about the emotional experience of thinking and believing that I am going crazy because everyone around me says and sees me as fit, but I don’t see my body the way they see it, because only in my head I am still a woman in a fat body.

The truth is that seeing the real fit body image vs. seeing the perceived fat body image is a constant everyday battle. My body is getting fitter and fitter, but my mind does not see this. It is like my head is behind my body in time, it will take me a few months to accept the body image in my head that I currently have. In my mind I am fit, but not as fit as in reality. But it is a progress, and eventually the fat body image will be replaced by a fit body image. Fat body image issues

It is still puzzling for me how serious conditions with body image problems such as anorexia and other negative body image issues are taken seriously, and you can get counseling. However, body image issues that come with significant weight loss do not get the proper attention they should have.  In order to help myself with having a fat body image while actually being in a fit body, I had to browse through self help books written for low self esteem and serious negative body image issues, and select some tips that I thought would fit in my case as well. I tried a lot of the advices that I have came across about body image issues, and what worked for me was a quick 10 minute exercise that I did daily for a few weeks. Click here to find out about Exercise A and Exercise B >>>

Are you struggling with fat body image issues? Click here to find out!

If you want to read more about how to deal with issues related to fat body image click here >>

Please feel free to share your story of successful weight loss and not being able to see the results in the comments section below!

How to accept fit body after losing weight

How to accept fit body after weight loss

Body image problems, , , 
When I started my weight loss journey never would I have guessed that the hardest part of becoming fit would be accepting mentally my newly sculpted body and its body image! Get 3 great tips and 2 easy exercises that will help you accept your new fit body and overcome the mental obstacle of that fat body image in your head.

I struggled with not seeing the weight loss change my body image in the mirror. I saw the numbers on the scale getting lower and lower, my pants being too big, but I just could not see this change affecting the body image in the mirror. In my mind I was still a fat girl instead of a fit one, no matter what friends and family said about me having a fit body.How to accept fit body after weight loss

Then as the weight loss continued, the feeling of my mind being out of sync with my body image grew stronger and stronger. I felt like an alien in my new fit body, and it was unbearable.

I even considered getting psychiatric help for my body image issues, because it was driving me crazy to live in a body that is considered fit and smaller in size than what I was always used to having – being obese and overweight my whole life. I even thought of stopping the exercises and start eating more, just to get back to my old, big body image size.

Luckily for me, my basic motivation for losing weight was to start and maintain a healthy lifestyle, and not mainly to get a good looking fit body.

Moving back to obese-city is not an option I could see myself being satisfied with again. [Tweet this!]

So I started to search online for help with my body image issues, but could not find anything that would directly help me. People would mention in their weight loss success stories that they still can’t see themselves as thin, or that they are not used to their body image, but that was it. No mentions on how to address this issue of fat body image existing only in your head.

3 tips to help You see Your fit body image after weight loss

Therapists and medical doctors didn’t take me seriously and said that this body image problem will solve itself, and that the fat body image goes away after a while. I tried many things to speed this process up, and here is a list of 3 things that will help you accept your new fit body:

1. Boost low self confidence

How to accept fit body after losing weightBody image issues arise from the fact that your brain has not accepted the image of your new fit body. During your weigh loss you were dissatisfied with your overweight body and fat body parts. This dissatisfaction leads to low self confidence, even when you’ve lost all that fat. So what you need to do is start boosting your self confidence in order to accept your new fit body image.

Here are tips on how to boost low self confidence after weight loss and accept your fit body image:

  • Put a photo of yourself on the fridge or another visible place where you think you look better than perfect and look at it often. This helps your mind connect to the fit body image that you see on the picture.
  • Take pictures of your body now after your weight loss & compare them to old pictures of yourself. This way the fake fat body image that you are holding on to in your mind and the real fit body image that you actually have now are being compared. It will help you see the changes that your mind did not see on your body before.
  • Get yourself a pair of skinny jeans or colored pants that make you keep thinking “Girl, you are hot!”. This will help your mind to start seeing how the weight loss changed the bottom part of your body.
  • Go window shopping! Pick something out that you would never have dared to wear while being overweight and try it on just for the fun of it! You will be surprised by how good your new fit body can look with the proper size of clothing!

2. Check for input from other people

People around me noticed my weight loss and positive changes about my body way sooner than I have. It was annoying for a while to address their compliments and answer their questions about my fit body, and I hated it. But looking back now I see that their comments and questions helped me a lot with my mental barriers of accepting my new fit body. Here is how you can ask friends or a significant other to help you with your body image problems:

  • Ask someone you absolutely trust what they think about your looks after the weight loss – you might not trust the image in the mirror, but if a friend or significant other points out that your body is actually fit and you are not fat anymore, it is way more likely to stick with you.
  • Ask a friend or your significant other to point out someone from a crowd of people who has a similar body size as you –  trust me, it will surprise you! Seeing other people who are similar to you in size will not trigger an emotional response as seeing a picture of yourself would, therefore it’s helping you rationalize your new body size.
  • When receiving a positive comment on your new body image from other people, don’t ignore or dismiss – it’s bad manners and you come off as being rude. Don’t try to shy away from compliments about your looks: say thank you for the compliments! Chances are that the other person sees something positive regarding your body size and lower weight that you don’t see.

3. Quick 10 minute exercises for accepting your new body

 You can try both Exercise A and Exercise B to see which one suits you best, and then continue with the one you are more comfortable with. Or you can switch them up, and one day do Exercise A and on other days Exercise B. The trick is to do them for at least a week, and soon you’ll be able to see your fit body image in the mirror, and not just the fat self.

Exercise A: Walk in the dark with closed eyes
  • You will need to rely on your other senses in order to navigate yourself. It connects the mental image that you have of your body with the real life body of yours. During this exercise you will need to work with the body you currently have, and not the image of the body that is imprinted in your subconscious. Do this for 10 minutes a day, and you will see improvements in sensing your whole body.
Exercise B: Backward walking
  • It works similar to the previous exercise, without closing your eyes. It is challenging to walk backwards because backward walking eliminates the typical heel-strike to the ground – the toe contacts the ground first. It is not just a simple physical activity, it requires brain activity as well. Plus it keeps you stay mentally sharp, puts your senses into overdrive, and it enhances vision as well. You’ll see all these benefits on your mental body image with a 10 minute walk a day for five weeks.

It was these last two exercises (Exercise A and Exercise B) that truly helped me accept my new fit body image.

How to accept new fit body after weight loss
Or try the advance Exercise C: walk along a thin rope backwards just before sunset while people are staring at you in awe

Looking at old pictures of myself helped too, but it made me overly emotional, so usually I was trying to avoid to look at my old obese and later overweight pictures of myself. Input of friends was useful in seeing the body I had in reality in my mind, because they pointed out things about my body that I hadn’t noticed. A friend I always considered beautiful and good looking with a fit body said to me:  “Look at your tummy, it is flatter than mine!” This was a major game changer for me.

Need more help seeing your new fit body image in the mirror? Get more tips by clicking here >>>