I Thought I Looked Hot!

This is kind of a bizarre post, and an even more bizarre feeling for me to have. But, a friend just sent me a picture of the two of us from about two years ago (it's in my gallery - caption "171!". I'm wearing a baseball cap.  I remember that day clearly, and remember what I wore.. getting dressed etc (it was a beer and wine festival where I used to live).  I remember thinking I looked HOTTT haha.  Did some funky makeup, the whole 9.

She sent me this picture, and I cannot even get OVER how NOT hot I looked.  Isn't that weird?  I downloaded it and went OH MY GOD I CANT EVEN BELIEVE I LEFT THE HOUSE!  I was Huge!  It just seems odd to me.  Like, when I lose this last 7 lbs to get to my goal (which is btw 137)... Will I think pictures of me right NOW look awful?  Or what?!

Have you ever experienced this?

I absolutely hate it when that happens.

About a month ago, I was to go to a barbecue with my boyfriend where I would meet his dad and step-mom for the first time. I thought I looked rather cute which I did for the most part. But then I got pictures from when we were seated and I have a huge stomach pouch in all of them >_<

Here's what's really depressing.... Looking back at photos of when you were a good weight and DID look HOT, when at the time, you thought you were totally fat and disgusting and NOW you realize you were hot and didn't appreciate it. Now, of course, I really am fat and working hard to get back to the weight I was in those photos where I thought I was so big before :-) Does this make sense?

Original Post by cklapp2:

Here's what's really depressing.... Looking back at photos of when you were a good weight and DID look HOT, when at the time, you thought you were totally fat and disgusting and NOW you realize you were hot and didn't appreciate it. Now, of course, I really am fat and working hard to get back to the weight I was in those photos where I thought I was so big before :-) Does this make sense?

 YES! In high school I though I was sooo fat, because I wore a 10 and all my friends were like 6's.  Now I see those pictures and I looked good! In fact I have one of those pictures on my fridge for inspiration.   I'm almost 5'8", large frame, very large busted, and so I would have NEVER gotten to a size 6.  Too many people are hung up on numbers.  It's all about how you look and feel.

Haha, I guess you're right, it does go both ways.

I remember feeling that way in HS too - friends who were size ZERO, while I was in an 8...

Let's just say a lot of those friends aren't zeroes anymore, teeeheeheee...

Was that evil???

Original Post by cklapp2:

Here's what's really depressing.... Looking back at photos of when you were a good weight and DID look HOT, when at the time, you thought you were totally fat and disgusting and NOW you realize you were hot and didn't appreciate it. Now, of course, I really am fat and working hard to get back to the weight I was in those photos where I thought I was so big before :-) Does this make sense?

 Oh yes!!!  Geez, I know that feeling all too well!

I soooo agree with cklapp2 & thmheh...

I actually thought you looked really pretty in that picture

I agree with Liz. You have lovely skin and a nice smile and your makeup was done. You looked great. Now, however, I see you have great cheekbones!

I used to feel fat, but pics of me back when I first got married do not lie. I was curvy and long-legged. NOT FAT. Oh well, we all had our glory days! I'm not shooting for that, I just want to not cringe when I see pictures of me.

Haha, EXACTLY shoe1200.  Thanks for the compliment on the cheekbones, I knew they were under there somewhere!... I oddly feel like when I get heavier, I get "Mimi (if you remember her from the Drew Carey Show) syndrome," where I add more accessories and more makeup to feel glam despite my weight... To make myself feel more sexy! LOL. But then.. it can end up looking ridiculous!

When I feel thinner I tend to just throw on mascara, a touch of bronzer, and roll out the door dressed in health and fabulosity :)

I think you look good in all your pics.  I'm sure you look better in the thinner ones, but you never looked bad.  Actually, you kind of remind me of Kate Hudson.  I wish I looked like her, she's so cute.  :-)

Original Post by cklapp2:

Here's what's really depressing.... Looking back at photos of when you were a good weight and DID look HOT, when at the time, you thought you were totally fat and disgusting and NOW you realize you were hot and didn't appreciate it. Now, of course, I really am fat and working hard to get back to the weight I was in those photos where I thought I was so big before :-) Does this make sense?

OH! it rings a bell...

Yes!  My pictures of my SO NOT HOT self are also in my gallery (they are the dreaded before pictures.  I had to do a presentation at a conference for work and I knew there would be a good chance that I'd win an award for it.  So, I wanted to look good standing in front of all those people.  I picked out my outfit carefully, did my hair precisely.. thought I looked great.  Lo and behold, I was way off!

What makes me crazy is when I was absolutely at my best, both in my weight and physical conditioning, my ex-husband kept telling me that I needed to lose MORE weight!  Mind you, I weighed 125 lbs, had 15% body fat, and a perfect six-pack!

I allowed his opinion to influence how I felt about myself.  I would love to have that body back because I felt wonderful, but I let someone else's idea of 'hot' drag my self-image down and keep me from appreciating it.  Shame on ME!

newmoon - glad to hear he's your ex-husband

Alle - Me too!

I do that all the time.  I get dressed, think I look great, then look at a picture later on.  Big mistake.  I always say "And I thought I looked good?  What was I thinking?"  Now in addition to my scale phobia, I have photo phobia.

I had this experience but in a different way.  I was really heavy (for me) and when I moved to CA, got a job and more active I lost almost 30 pounds rather quickly.  I started wearing tighter clothes, tanks, etc.  When I saw photos of me, I looked really weird.  Thin on top, huge on bottom and wearing really inappropriate clothes!  I didn't go down in clothing sizes despite the big drop in pounds. 

Now I've gone down 4 sizes and still losing.  I've got a real body again!

BTW, I don't think you look especially huge, the photo is weird.  Like a funny angle and you're smiling like you're drunk.  You're very pretty and smiling nicely in the other pictures.  I don't think it was your size. 

Original Post by mrsdagle:

I had this experience but in a different way.  I was really heavy (for me) and when I moved to CA, got a job and more active I lost almost 30 pounds rather quickly.  I started wearing tighter clothes, tanks, etc.  When I saw photos of me, I looked really weird.  Thin on top, huge on bottom and wearing really inappropriate clothes!  I didn't go down in clothing sizes despite the big drop in pounds. 

Now I've gone down 4 sizes and still losing.  I've got a real body again!

BTW, I don't think you look especially huge, the photo is weird.  Like a funny angle and you're smiling like you're drunk.  You're very pretty and smiling nicely in the other pictures.  I don't think it was your size. 

 Haha yeah I know the feeling, you're like I lost weight!  I shall show it off!  Later you're like, hmm maybe I wasn't ready for that, haha.

Also, good call, I _was_ drunk in the picture, I was at a wine festival!  LOL!

Am I the only guy to post here? Anyways. Funny I should see this post today and yesterday night I was going through some photos from 2 years ago, I think I was 205-215. And I remember not feeling big at all. But now that I am 182, I look at those pictures and it's obvious how heavy I was.

I am still not at my goal weight of 175 at 6'. My main goal is trimming the fat down to a much lower body %.

I still look down at my belly and see I still have mre to go. But at least my pants need a belt now. :) I hate counting calories, but it works.

It's funny how comfortable you can be with how you look at any size and then look back and think differently.

I think it is great there are soooo many people here who can say Da%* I look good.

I'm 5'2", small boned and big breasted which always makes me look heavier. When I 18 I weighed about 110, a good weight for that age and saw a picture of myself from the side sitting at a table. I thought my arms looked like toothpicks coming out of my torso.  After years of karate my arms firmed up but are still thin with 150 pounds and no more martial arts training.

I watched a video of me at a wedding recently and didn't realize how the fat rolls showed through my dress in the back. Front looked ok. 

We are our own worse critics (with the exception of a few notable ex-husbands and ex-friends/associates) . Marilyn Monroe was a size 14 and that was in the day when everyone else was anorexic but didn't have a name for it.

I say we can be hot at what ever size we are. It is how we carry ourselves, our self image and our creative dressing.  Yes I'm trying to lose weight and tummy and I look hotter as I do. So THERE!! I can be happy and still work on improving. I say YEAH for us!!