The FastDay Forum

How you feel is a reflection of how you feel, not how you look. Though it helps with feeling confident, if you don't like yourself, it won't change anything...

Wise words indeed BBT053. Feeling better about the way you look helps, but it isn't a cure for lack of self confidence.

Hi

I think I've seen this link before. Not sure if I'm doing it right but I couldn't see much difference at all between starting weight and goal (about a stone difference) and yet having already lost half of that I know I look less rounded already. And when I put a stupid low weight like 100lb it still didn't look much different (100lb would be like a bmi of 15 or something and is clearly not healthy for me or going to happen). Anyway, fun to play around with!

I find I lose weight from my tummy fairly easily and my neck/chest area looks more defined now, and yet my thighs and bingo wings stubbornly stay as they were. When I did WW a few years ago I measured myself every couple of weeks and whilst I lost quite a few inches off my waist and even a couple off my thighs, my arms stayed exactly the same, even after a stone and a half weight loss! Oh well..

I suspect we judge ourselves far more harshly than anyone else, especially those that know us well and love us for who we are inside.

Julie, my grandma is cuddly (well into her 80s now) and I wouldn't want her any other way! Probably better to have a bit of padding when you get older, bones get so fragile as you age and I'm sure having a bit of fat helps.

Actually just had a look again at the link and yes the hips in the start picture are much bigger!

My BMI is over 40. I started at 46 and am now hovering between 42 and 43. I couldn't really see any difference between the two weights, even though there is a 23lb difference, until I had them next to each other and there is a slight difference in general width. It is fairly common knowledge that friends who see you regularly don't see a difference until you have lost about 10% of your total body weight, which for me is another 5lb to go.

Great thread Effie and some great observations - I'm in total agreement with Applespider. It also reminds me of the fantastic track by Baz Luhrmann (it's worth searching for it and listening to it on the internet )"Sunscreen".... a few lines that are just so, so true...... "Do not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel fat". Focus on all those positive points you've made yourself - they're a great way forward

WOW, that was great, I saw this thread earlier and thought, 'just another gimmick' and ignored it but another gimmick it may be but I'm impressed at how accurate it turned out to be. I could see my old self and my new self, way hay, thank you,

Ballerina x

I too look in the mirror and don't think I look much different, but I obviously must do as the trousers I was wearing in December will no longer stay up, they are enormous now and I'm buying two sizes smaller.

For me I think it's that I wasn't being honest to myself about my size before, so when I used to look in the mirror before I didn't really recognise how bad things had got. Now I feel I'm being more honest with myself

I like the modelmydiet link, fun to play around with, but I do wish they'd put some more options in as it doesn't look properly like me. At my current weight it's showing me with a double chin and I just don't have one. I'm carrying more weight on my lower legs than they are showing (cankles run in my family). I'm presuming they are basing it on an average body frame. I'm short, but I have size 7 feet, a large hat size and fairly broad shoulders for my size, so my bones alone are pretty heavy. I'd like them to add in a frame size option as well as bust size.

[carorees]

Yes, I agree that the concept of the site is good but the options need one to be able to specify bigger ankles or arms or whatever on the starting image. Also I noticed that if I opted for the more mature face, the rest of the body remained looking very youthful...unfortunately NOT the case in reality!

I was always the fat girl in my class at school. They laughed at me, called me "the whale" and I didn't really have many friends. So, I left school and went to work - I was determined to lose weight and ended up being the original anorexic . . before it was fashionable and before anyone really knew what it was!! Its all a long story and after gaining and losing on every diet in the book, I believe I have finally found "the right way" with 5:2.

Oh, and I look back at those photos of me as a kid (what photos there were) and, you know, compared to today's obesity problems etc., I'm not really fat at all - I think I looked quite good, probably about average . . and the moral of the story is??? I don't know but its something about how you judge yourself and how others judge you - just try and be happy with how you are.

It was interesting to try that but hardly realistic in my case. The simulation of my 'start point' looked pretty good, a great deal better than I did (less tummy!), and the 'end point' (where I am now) just seemed to be shrunk sideways in all respects, and look frankly a bit anaemic. I've lost on my face and my middle and elsewhere am pretty much as I was. But I didn't get my stats (apart from weight) nor a good photo before I started so that I can prove it!

What I find much more inspiring than this - and my own comparatively trivial weight loss - is the amazing achievements that I see all around me here. People on this forum are losing and losing consistently week after week - and their individual losses are in some caseas huge. Yes we might see posts from people who are struggling for whatever reason, but a glance at some of those progress charts (you know who you are!) demonstrates how incredibly well 5:2 is working for many people.

Some of you are going to be able to post some great 'before' and 'after' photos - better than any simulation!

Its going to be another 18 months before my after shots are in, barring any major plateaus. But I will post them when I get there.

It also reminds me of the fantastic track by Baz Luhrmann (it's worth searching for it and listening to it on the internet )"Sunscreen".... a few lines that are just so, so true...... "Do not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel fat". Focus on all those positive points you've made yourself - they're a great way forward

Thanks for reminding me about that, Suchard.

And thanks to you all for the positive suggestions.

I like the body modeller although I'm so disproportionately top heavy that it doesn't come out looking that much like me. Forget bust-size - medium to large, I need at least one option higher!

I hear you there!

Also I noticed that if I opted for the more mature face, the rest of the body remained looking very youthful...unfortunately NOT the case in reality!

I would need the option to alter the image to account for the spare skin and stretch marks left by three children and 4 years of breastfeeding! That overweight lady has much firmer fat than I do



That statement probably explains my dissatisfaction with my reflection

Still, I really am feeling positive. I am starting to look fantastic with clothes on (even though I do say so myself) and I am noticing the other benefits, mentioned in various other threads

Thank you all