Help me out! 5'9

Hi I'm new to this site and Im still learning about it, anyways I'm seeking help. About a year and a half ago I weighed in at 180 lbs and as of now I'm about 148, give or take a pound. I still feel very unhappy with myself and I don't know whether I want to lose more weight or strictly focus on weight lifting to tone up. The scale says I've lost weight but I just don't feel like I have, and I definately don't see it myself. Is this just a problem that I have? Any suggestions?

Firstly, well done on losing weight - it sounds like you have now found your ideal weight compared to your height! I'm about your height, although weighing a bit more, I am slender and classed as "healthy" so I dont think you need to lose more.

You don't say how you feel unhappy?,Accepting yourself doesn't just have to do with weight, maybe it has just been a focus of yours as it was a visible one? With the little information you have given I'd say there might be something else that stopping you from feeling good about yourself.

Good luck!

I think it's common for weight loss to not see it yourself until you look at pictures.  I know when I lost 75 lbs (250 down to 175), I didn't feel nearly as skinny as the pictures I now look back and see showed.   It took a while for me to realize I was actually thin!  Of course now that I weigh 25 lbs more again (199), people can easily hurt my feelings with a weight jab.  I know some of them don't mean it, because they don't see me as fat like I was, and didn't know me then, but it can still hurt..

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that 32 lbs of weight loss is incredible!  If I were you I'd probably just excersize and get those muscles in better shape.  Believe me, when you feel those muscles tightening, you will surely start to feel better!

Im still unhappy because I don't see the changes, I still feel like a moderate sized hippo. I have been overweight all of my life and I still feel very much the same, plus Im still not exactly where I want to be and I think thats mainly why I am unhappy. But maybe your right, it can be something else that makes me feel unhappy with myself. It also doesn't help that Im surrounded by all my old photos which I really hate ..

i found that being surrounded by old photos of when i weighed more is motivating. it helps me see how far i have come. but i know what you are going through, i have difficulties seeing the differance sometimes. but working out will deffinently help you love where your body is at now, which is deffinently what you need being at a healthy weight plus you will be toning what you have.

Weight loss is not a magic ticket into happy land. There will always be something to beat yourself up over with regards to your body. Try putting away the scale for a few weeks, and try to make yourself focus on all the positive things that your body can do for you. Weight lifing, yoga, hiking, building something, instead of just fixating on all the things you don't like. It can be very difficult, especially after years of dieting and hating your body, but try making a conscious effort to enjoy all the good parts of it.

I think there are quite a few people out there who have the idea that "if I just lose X number of pounds, my life will be so much better," and they put off doing the things that would make their lives better now. It's really not about the weight loss. If it happens, great, but don't put your entire life on hold until it does.

I think toning up is the way to go, because you're at a great weight for your height. I can feel your pain, though. I've lost over 20 lbs and am halfway to my goal, but still feel really flabby. So, just in the past two weeks I've kicked up the exercise to include more muscle-building, and think I already look and feel so much better!

Jay, I'm in a similar situation. I'm 5'9", used to weigh 175 and now im down to 145. Sometimes I do feel like I'm still a little chubby, or that I'm not exactly as healthy as I could be, and I attribute my negative self image to my body. I've come to realize that its not how skinny one is, or how fit, but really how I look at myself. Am I happy with the progress I've made? Very. Do I think could still lose more weight or be in better shape, for sure. But its important to accept who we are, and try to be happy with what we are, and be a positive force. As long as you see those things in yourself, you're perfect.

As far as advice on exercise goes, I'm focusing on long-duration cardio and an extremely low fat vegetarian diet to lose the fat that I still have, and lifting to tone the muscle underneath for when all the fat is gone. Best of luck to you, and be happy! You're on a great path!

I'd like to thank everyone for the positive feedback, it has helped me out so much!