Adding the clinical framing, because it changes how the question reads.

Body image adjustment with mental health: I've lost 67 lbs but when I look in the mirror, I still see my old self sometimes. "Phantom fat" is a real phenomenon.

My therapist specializes in body image issues with weight loss patients. She says it can take 12-18 months for your brain's body map to update. In the meantime: take progress photos (your eyes lie but cameras don't), try on old clothes, and be patient with yourself.

josh_phd_bmore said:

Before/after narrative for mental health — one year in: Before (297 lbs): Winded climbing stairs, chronic back pain, pre-diabetic, on 3 medications,…

One year anniversary on mental health — reflections:

What I wish I'd known: the side effects are temporary, the benefits compound over time, protein is more important than I thought, and the mental health aspect needs as much attention as the physical.

What surprised me: how much my relationship with food changed, the cascade of health improvements beyond weight, and how supportive this community is.

What I'd do differently: start therapy earlier, prioritize resistance training from day 1, and stop comparing my progress to others. Everyone's journey is unique.

josh_phd_bmore said:

Before/after narrative for mental health — one year in: Before (297 lbs): Winded climbing stairs, chronic back pain, pre-diabetic, on 3 medications,…

Therapy insights from my mental health journey: my therapist introduced me to the concept of "identity updating" — the psychological work of becoming a new version of yourself.

Key realizations: I used food to manage emotions, I had internalized fatphobia that I'm still unpacking, my social identity was partly built around being "the big guy/girl," and learning to accept compliments is surprisingly hard when you've been invisible for years.

Physical transformation without emotional processing is unstable. Do both.

Following on from josh_phd_bmore — and this may be the naive question:

How would you tell the difference between that and the alternative explanation?

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