How is this possible? Please help!

I'm so confused, and I'm hoping my mind is just playing tricks on me. I started out a couple months ago really intense, went to the gym every morning, ate ONLY healthy foods like mostly veggies, no bread, fruit, lean stuff like mostly fish... Then I ran out of energy and motivation because I knew it was something I could never stick to, even though I lost weight. So, I modified it slightly and I still stayed in the same calorie range, but I incorporated some whole grains, some diet pop (I had been drinking only water), and a little dessert now and then - all within the same number of calories I had had before, and I didn't work out as much. When I "worked out", it probably wasn't even that much by work out standards - just 20 min. on the elliptical and like 10 min of weights. Enough to burn 200-300 cals.

SOOO...


My clothes still fit the same, but when I look in the mirror I feel/look to me like I've gained 10 lbs back! My friends/fam say I look the same as when I was working out, but I SWEAR I look much heavier than before, but like I said, I have the same pants/shirts sizes if not smaller than when I was eating really strictly and working out. I don't get it. It makes me so depressed! Is my mind just messing with me or something? How can I look/feel fatter without changing in clothing size? I don't use a scale, that would probably help.. but I haven't weighed myself in years. Also, for you ladies out there .. I'm about 1 week away from that time of month. Can all that make a diff? Ughh!!!

Your mind is messing with you, trust what your family and your clothes are telling you.  Not your eyes!

Sometimes I feel the same way, some days I have a flabby belly but it's probably because I'm bloated or just feeling tired so I'm slouching and my tummy sticks out more.

The mirror is pretty useless IMHO.

You look at it every day. Unless you grow a third eye over night you don't notice the changes. You likely are thinking about how you looked yesterday not months ago. It's too hard for us to mentally track the small changes.

A tape measure is good because the numbers don't lie.  But the mirror? If you want to go by how you look instead of a tape measure take photos every few weeks.  A tape measure is better then a picture but a picture is better then the mirror.

Could be water retention.  I always feel blubbery when I am retaining water.  Try cutting salt and drinking more water for a few days.  Diet sodas have sodium in them, just so ya know.  Also, you could've had more muscle tone before, due to your strength regimen, however modest you felt it was.  Maybe you could keep doing your 10 minutes of weights.  I'm sure you look great.  We're always harder on ourselves.  Good luck!

Thanks guys! I hope it's just PMS bloating and water weight... Due to my work schedule, I can't really get to the gym anymore, so I bought a Workout DVD to use at home, but haven't tried it yet. I just can't see how I'll lose inches and lbs. by standing in front of my TV... Do you guys know if those actually are helpful? THANKS SO MUCH!

I think that after we've been working out and being super healthy and then switching to a more lenient routine, our minds start playing tricks on us. When you work out, you just feel better and slimmer even if you're not. So when you don't work out as much you're mind starts making you think the opposite even if it's not true. Trust your clothes and other people. Otherwise, you'll fall into a negative body image which is where eating disorders come from. Your clothes can give you a very nonbiased opinion and you should trust that! Or do some more weights to tone a little more and I'm sure you'll feel a difference!