I'm having a problem visualizing myself as thin. I know this might sound silly. But I've been fat my whole life and really can't figure out what the thin me might look like. Anyone else have this problem? I think it has contributed to my lack of success on whatever weight loss journey I embark on. I just can't visualize success. If you've experienced this, what have you done to counteract this issue?

Looking at you stats, I don't see failure. I see 8lbs gone. each one of which is a success!

Why try and visualise the end result and spoil the surprise? Just visualise it going pound by pound, or bag of sugar by bag of sugar if you like (which is what I do - I've lost nearly 70 of the [2lb] buggers over the last ten months), and start congratulating yourself for the minor successes which - somewhere down the track - will magically metamorphose into a major and delightful victory. Promise!

Its difficult for me to visualize myself thin so I dont really try to anymore. Instead, I try to give myself credit when I lose. Sometimes I pick up items that weigh 1 pound (especially fatty items, like butter...thats more gratifying for some reason) and just think about how many of those 1 pound items that Ive shed from my body. I love doing that. Its mind blowing!! There is no way I would be able to pick up 90+ pounds of anything if someone put it in front of me, so it makes me feel great to know that I've shed all that weight. Anyways, just give yourself credit for the small goals and you'll be there before you know it!

I know its really hard!! My 11 year old daughter is doing the diet with me and I can't imagine what she is going to look like when she loses as much as her 7 year old brother weighs!!
Myself? Nope can't do it. I saw a pic of me last time I lost down to 176 and she didn't look like me. Weird.
Just take it one day at a time one meal at a time. You'll get there.

I have photos of when I was thinner (as low as 128 lbs and skeletal-appearing) but they don't help. I can actually remember how I felt when those images were taken and NONE of those feelings are flattering. Self-image is overrated. Instead I've learned to like who I am and try not to worry about what I will eventually look like. My health and longevity are more important to me. With that being said, I do find I can lift more than I've lost so far. That is a really good feeling!

You guys are all absolutely right. I need to take it one day at a time. I have a pair of dress pants that I bought to wear to work a couple of months ago. They are very snug and won't button. They are a size smaller than what I typically wear. For now, I am going to visualize getting into those pants and what top I might wear with them. I think this might be a more realistic visualization. Thanks for all of the replies!

That's a great idea. Small steps.

I have a cute pair of my oldest daughter's pants in my closet that I hope to get into someday. That is a great strategy.

My husband got after me last night because I can't visualise myself thin -- even though in his mind I was close to it when I was 140 lbs. But in MY mind when I was that weight I was FAT. So, of course my brain won't let me use THAT as a set point, even though now, ten years later ,I'd LOVE to be that weight.

I am going to be the contrarian voice here, and say that I think this is a worthy effort, because I have found it tremendously important in my weight loss episodes in the past.

What I felt was not so much an intellectual analysis as a real connection--almost as if my thinner self was whispering back through time and giving me a message of encouragement--a vision of this possible reality, of feeling myself leaner in a given context. I could see where I was, what I was wearing, what I was doing. There were only a few times I was able to do this, but they were so powerful that they energized the whole process for me and helped give me a reason to keep up the effort.

One tool that some people have used in the past to help them envision what they might look like is the software program used by clothing retailers online to help people decide whether or not they would look good in a garment. This tool allows you to program in body height, weight, hair color and style, face shape, skin tone, and to modify the features somewhat. It's a bit bland, but it could serve as a step in the right direction. There are also places that advertise a service of modifying a picture so that you can see what you would look like thinner.

I googled "picture yourself thinner" and several options popped up, such as WeightMirror.com a free app that allows you to download your face picture and play with your appearane at a variety of weights. It's the web, of course, so all the usual disclaimers to play carefully out there apply.

Bottom line, my own experience suggests that picturing myself thinner is, for me at least, a valuable tool.