Naturally, we focus on the wonderful benefits of losing weight (fat) – the health boost, the self-confidence, the ability to move around with more ease and less discomfort. For many however, the self-image that accompanied being fat lingers long after the weight is gone.
While at first glance this sort of phenomenon may be surprising, when we uncover the layers of body image and self-esteem, the issue makes more and more sense. There are physical and emotional issues that linger when large amounts of weight are lost.
Here are some of the theories of “phantom fat”
- The excess fat is gone when people reach their goal weight, but they may have sagging skin, cellulite or a body shape that they still deem undesirable.
- “People who were formerly overweight often still carry that internal image perception with them,” says Elayne Daniels, a psychologist who specializes in body-image issues.
- The above is especially true for those who were overweight for years and lost a lot of weight quickly.
- Another contributing factor can be fear of regaining the weight, says psychologist Joshua Hrabosky. This is especially true for yo-yo dieters.
- Hrabosky authored a study showing that many overweight and formerly overweight women showed a greater “dysfunctional appearance investment” – meaning they put a lot of stock in their appearance being part of who they are.
- Although people who have lost a lot of weight do have improved satisfaction of appearance, it is not normally as high as those who have never been overweight.
- A lot of it comes down to unrealistic expectations with fat loss – people expect that they will look like bikini models when all the weight comes off.
- You have to look at retraining your brain and understanding that you have been reinforcing this negative image for probably a long time,” says Adrienne Ressler, a body-image specialist.
Fat Loss doesn’t make everything right
While losing a lot of body fat has a myriad of physical and psychological benefits, it is important to realize that when people lose weight they may not lose the reasons that caused them to be overweight in the first place.
The “hedonic treadmill” plays a prominent role here. So, as a person achieves a goal or gets something new, expectations and desires rise in tandem, which results in no permanent gain in happiness.
Whether you are on your way towards a fat loss goal or thinking about endeavoring to do so, here is some food for thought:
- Losing fat won’t change who you are as a person
- Fat loss is every bit as much about eliminating self-defeatist thinking and emotional roadblocks, as it is about the scale weight.
- Be realistic and clear about your reasons and expectations of losing fat. Try and wire your brain to achieve these goals for yourself – your physical and mental health. If you find yourself in a mentality that you need to lose weight and need to look better, try and draw upon some more intrinsic goals, such as adapting an enjoyment for healthy eating and physical activity. This kind of mindset will not only help you with your fat loss goal long-term, it will also prepare you for the emotional complacency and “phantom fat” that often ensues.
Has anyone experienced “phantom fat”?
Source: MSNBC
I’m in a bizarre situation with this. I’m so irrationally afraid of being pregnant that I’m seeing weight gain that isn’t there. According to my very logical friend Mr. Scale, my inactivity has gained me maybe two pounds. Not to mention everyone else says I look thin. Yet what I’m seeing in the mirror is a woman whose hips and breasts are bigger than they were a few weeks ago.
…this is impossible. I can’t be pregnant because I’m not nauseous, don’t have food cravings, aren’t peeing a lot,can drink coffee with no problem, and have no exhaustion that can’t be linked to intense stress. My areoulas are the same color they’ve always been. “Mucus” is exactly as expected for someone ramping up to ovulation slowly. So…any suggestions?
When you lost that weight did you have loose skin? I would like to loose a similar amount of weight.
I’ve recently lost 115 pounds, I went from a size 22 to a size 2. I still feel like that fat girl
I find myself sarching for approval and reassurance that I’m not fat. Cognitively I know I’m actually quite tiny (I feel a pang of guilt writing tiny) but the fat girl lives on inside of me. I don’t think I was unreasonable with my goals, I was looking at losing weight and getting healthier. I guess I was hopeful my self confidence would go up as my weight went down. At this point I just want to satisfied with what I’ve done, I do want to get some skin removal after kids but besides that I need to be okay with my body. I am just so terrified of getting fat again 
So nice to know I’m not alone!
“Losing the weight was one of the best things I’ve done for myself ever… but after the weight was gone, I was still here. I don’t have the heart to tell them I’m just as unhappy before. Now I have to try to fix me. Something so much harder.”
My thoughts EXACTLY.
This is absolutely, positively 100% true – like the rest of you, I recently lost about 30 lbs and wear a size 2 – this morning, while we were doing our P90X workout, my roommate told me I have the WORST self-image of anyone she’s ever met, and it’s starting to make her feel bad (i.e. if I say something out loud about how I want to lose stomach fat, she thinks, “Well if SHE thinks she’s fat, then what do I look like??” – she is so NOT fat). I don’t want my insecurities to rub off on her and we are so close that her yelling at me was exactly what I needed to realize that I have a problem. My other girlfriends, not to mention guys I’ve dated have told me the same thing, so now I’m determined to feel better about myself! I’m going to start saying positive affirmations and even if I have a negative thought, I’m going to keep it to myself.
I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who feels like this and even though it sucks, knowing I do have a problem and admitting it is the only way I’ll be able to start fixing it.
We are ALL BEAUTIFUL!
I’ve gained and lost 10-30lbs, and never have been technically overweight. whenever i’m lowest i always think i’m the fat one. i never have felt better about myself when i was thinner.that being said, it only hits me how good i looked when my jeans don’t fit anymore. ohhh hind sight…
I only googled this concept after my friends told me that I need to stop being so down on myself, because I’m not fat anymore.
Losing the weight was one of the best things I’ve done for myself ever… but after the weight was gone, I was still here. I don’t have the heart to tell them I’m just as unhappy before. Now I have to try to fix me. Something so much harder.
I have lost 56 pounds and am 1 pound away from goal. Took me over 2 years but I did it the healthy way with Weight Watchers and working out.
My friends dont get me when I say I am fat. Today I have something on that I regret. I am not fishing for compliments because I dont even know how to accept them.
However, aside from always thinking I am fat I know that I am a cutie and will never think i am ugly!!
You can’t gain 10 pounds in one weekend. When you see the number rise on the scale it is WATER weight that accompanies eating a big meal. You would have to eat 44,000 calories to gain 10 pounds.
It takes 3200 calories OVER the calories you need to stay alive to gain a pound.
hi i think im pritty simular toyou i used to weigh in at a heavy 10 stone 7 pounds but i took it too far and ended up weighting in at a mear 28kg and had to spend 7 months learning and retraining myself how to eat and enjoy properly, im still in the fase of learning but i now weigh a ‘healthy’ 8 stone 3-5 pounds i sumtimes wish i was as thin as i was before but i dont think that willever change . all i realy wanted to say is dont let faddiets ruin your life i mean im 17 and have been like this for over years and it dosnt make you any happier so please just think of all the love you have around you and the fact that ppl love you for who you are. xxx
I’ve lost 98 pounds and everyone tells me how great I look and all that, but I still feel like the fat kid you know? I’ve been heavy since I was in 4th grade and I’m 27 now. I still see what’s wrong and my husband says I’m crazy. Hehe. I thought I was nuts but seeing that other people feel the same way gives me some comfort.
-Holland
It’s really eye-opening to see all of the stories and feedback. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
gaining 10 pounds over a few meals is possible. I’ve done it easily over a weekend. Can’t everyone?
Great post… I know when I lost my freshman “30″ a few years ago I was still plagued by the fear of gaining again making me diet way too long for no reason. Now i live a healthy lifestyle of clean eating and I am a fitness freak.
And I’m still shocked when I put on size 2 or 4 pants and am convinced in my head that I am fatter than other people in those sizes though that really doesn’t make sense.
But the concentrated focus is helping. It started with going out in a bikini and realizing that no one else found anything odd about it. Fake it until you make it, I guess.
I said of this phenomenah… No matter how much weight I lose, I have 15 lb left to go.
I’m finally trying to focus on the inside not the outside now on my husband’s recommendation.
My body fat is in a very desirable range.. but I still see a lot of fat– and the excess skin makes it look like there’s even more.
And I wasn’t that overweight (most the excess skin is from pregnancy – I needed to lose ~10 lb to get to healthy, I lost 30.) – so I imagine it’s even worse for people who were obese.
I’ve noticed people who have lost weight walking like they still have the weight. It’s sad.
It’s true. I lost 150 pounds and have kept it off for 12 years. Sometimes I’m still surprised when I need a size small shirt. I hold it up and think, that won’t fit – but then it does! Body image and body perception are very complicated!
This is indeed very true. I lost around 90 lbs about 7 years ago and have kept it off. When I first lost the weight, I definitely did not feel thin for a long time. I would look at smaller clothes and figure that I’d never be able to squeeze into them, but then I’d try them on and they’d fit or be too big.
I never had the saggy skin problem, but I can see how that would be such a bummer if you were trying to lose a lot of weight. I think it’d be a huge stumbling block to lose weight yet still be dealing with lots of saggy skin and stuff.
Simon, I am exactly the same way. I lost almost 30 lbs. last fall and still adjusting. I fluctuate up or down about four or five pounds all the time, depending on what I am eating, how much exercise I am getting, etc. I am about 10-15 lbs. away from my goal weight. I don’t know about you but although 30 lbs. might not sound like a lot to have lost, it made an enormous difference to me. I look “normal” again but have to fight off the irrational feeling as if I will eat one bad meal and shoot right back up to my former size. Yesterday for example I ate fried shrimp, french fries, cole slaw for dinner and feel so guilty about doing that. The solution? Get right back on my healthy diet and after work I will take the dog for a long walk. Also planning to go swimming this weekend, and not indulging in any “bad” foods for at least another week. Let yourself have a treat once in awhile, just don’t get carried away. If you are like me you probably ate a lot of bad stuff and did not get any exercise in your heavier days. As long as we continue in the behaviors that caused us to lose the weight in the first place it won’t come back.
This is so true! I lost over 100 lbs. in ’02 and I still check out the plus sizes when I go shopping even though I am now a US size 10. It really is difficult to adjust reality with what is in one’s own head even though the reality is so much more positive than the image in the brain. I am happily working on though!
Linda
You have to eat foods which make you feel good from the inside. I have been eating a raw food diet and the energy it gives me is tremendous. This helps with increasing the metabolism which KEEPS the weight off. In addition if you can get in the habit of drinking plenty of water, that helps with both your energy level, as well as feeling satisfied (not hungry) all day.
To Your Health!
James Reno (editor)
Raw-Food-Repair.com
I’ve had to deal with it. I’ve lost close to 30 pounds and other people around me tell me that i look normal and thin, and while I agree to them to a certain extent, if I so much as eat one or two big meals I feel as if I’ve gained 10 pounds, even though gaining that much weight because of a few large meals is impossible. Also, I’m probably between 7 to 10 pounds away from my target weight, and they’re proving to be the hardest to lose, so anytime I remain above that target weight I can’t feel thin, even though most people would look at me and say I look normal
This is exactly why people need to change from the INSIDE out! Forgot about all the superficial beauty crap. Be well on the inside first!
Good article & true! I lost my weight way too many years ago but I sometimes look in the mirror & still see that fat kid. The psychological hurt from the teasing & more stays with a person for a long long time…. for me, it has not gone away & rears it’s ugly head too often.
Oh yes. I’ve never heard the term before (or at least only vaguely), but it makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, I never quite got rid of that belief. It’s strange, when what you see and what you feel are so radically disparate. So you can see that you are fine in the mirror but when you’re sitting down reading or something similar, you feel as though you are taking up so much room and you shouldn’t.