Is it normal to still be afraid of being obese?

In December of 2001 I had Gastric Bypass surgery. I was 303 lbs, 5' 1" tall. I successfully lost all of my weight with little to no complications. My hair got thin, but it grew back in nicely. It was a "Do or die" situation, as I had high blood pressure, back and neck problems, so on and so forth. My "ideal" weight is supposed to be 135lbs. When I reached that goal, 2 years after the surgery I was very happy and felt like a brand new person. I had gone from wearing a mans size 3X shirt and custom made pants, to a size 4 petite woman's pants and a small/medium top. Before the surgery, I had to buy 2 airline tickets to accommodate my girth in the seats and had to use 2 seatbelt extensions on top of that. I couldn't go on amusement park rides, especially roller-coasters, as the safety bar could not be brought down and locked in safely. I would like to mention that I was not an obese person my whole life. I had been in excellent shape, played sports, exercised regularly until I was involved in a life threatening head-on vehicle collision in 1990. My injuries were so severe, that it took 3 1/2 years to recover, learning how to walk all over again. The pain pills and steroids that I took over the years, and the lack of exercise compounded with the depression I was going through allowed me to gain this astronomical amount of weight. When I graduated from high school in 1988 I weighed 120lbs.
I am now 40 years old, it will be my 10 year anniversary of my surgery in December and I weigh 103 pounds. Over the last year, I have steadily been losing weight, and I'm not sure why. The doctors have run tests, and are continuing to run tests, and I have been told I have Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Parkinson's Disease. All of which have been later determined to be incorrect. My white blood cell count is a factor in this "madness". I currently wear the same size jeans as my 10 year old son. Size 12 boys! And they are getting too big for me! My husband thinks I might be anorexic, my mother agrees with him. I don't agree with them, although I am afraid of being "fat" again. When I look in the mirror, I don't see myself as I am now, I see myself at 303 pounds. Is this normal, even after all of these years? Will I ever be happy with my "weight"? Is it possible that I am subconsciously starving myself?

Voting Results
79% Normal
Based on 29 votes (23 yes)
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Comments ( 3 )
  • chaosdragoon1

    You may not have full blown anorexia nervosa, but you do share symptoms of it. Excessive exercise, the mirror illusion, and I bet there are other things that are contributing that you haven't mentioned. And your fear is a factor too. You need to realize that you are in control of your body. Obesity will not just sneak up on you.

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  • nanimeow

    I think only you can really answer the question if you are starving yourself. Anorexia is more of a mental disorder of control than just being skinny. Just because you are skinny, doesn't mean you have an eating disorder. There is possibly a medical issue behind it. If you do like the results you are getting with your current doctors, try over again and see new ones. A second opinion never hurt.

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  • buckman

    It is normal that you see yourself that way and feel that way. A lady I work with lost a lot of weight and she said she still sees herself as 120lbs heavier, she also said her doctor told her that was normal. You most likely have a distorted body image, and seeing someone about that should help you see yourself as you are and help you make the healthy choices.

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