Hey violetgrace. I know what you mean about 10 pounds making such a difference. I guess it's because you can *almost* fit into your skinny jeans, and you *almost* look good enough to wear a sleeveless shirt, but when you're that close and just *almost* there, it's frustrating. Think back to when you needed to lose even more weight though. I'm sure you recognize how far you've come, but it doesn't hurt to remind yourself that you are WAY skinnier than you were before (I don't remember your stats, but I know that's true for me!) Those last 10 pounds are the hardest, that's what everyone says, so feeling bad is probably about where you need to be right now. You're in the "last push" phase I guess. Just find some pics of yourself when you were heavier, and compare them to how you look now. It always helps me!

By the way, something I've been thinking about a lot is a professor of mine who is gorgeous, but she's about a size 14. On her, it doesn't matter though. She's got flabby arms (just like me), but she wears these loose, sleeveless dresses and sandals (she's not bohemian, but just very natural & comfortable looking), and she hardly wears any makeup, and her hair is like a tousled chin length bob, and she is just beautiful. She's so earthy looking, and I can just tell that men would line up to have a chance with her. She's German too, so she has a great accent, and she's very funny. But if she were a size 6, she'd lose all that appeal. She'd look colder somehow. When I was a size 12 (2 1/2 months ago!), I went to visit my dad at work, and one of his co-workers told him that I looked better than I ever had, and he's seen me at a size 6. A guy a couple of weeks ago told me I looked better (at a size 8) than I had when he 1st met me at a size 4. He said I was verging on being too skinny before. He even asked for my measurements, and I told him I was about 38-28-39, and he about fainted because he thought that was so great! Meanwhile, I'm praying to get my hips down to 36, and I wish my boobs would deflate already!

My point is one that I'm sure you already know, and that's that we really are more aware of our flaws than anyone else, especially men. Men like a woman who's confident in her body, no matter what size she is. Women are the nit-pickers, and we are the way we are because of women, not men. Yet, knowing this, we still (myself included) all subscribe to that same IMPOSSIBLE ideal of being a size -whatever- for the rest of our lives.

I know you're going to lose those 10 pounds, and you're going to look awesome, but I bet you already look awesome, so enjoy how you look today, and enjoy it more 10 pounds from now. You're on your way!!! Good luck!

I know exactly what you mean! I look back at photos when I was about 10-15lbs away from my goal weight, and can't remember why I loathed my looks so much. I hated myself back then. I guess in a way, I'm glad I gained more weight, because I know I'll be more appreciative when I get there again.

Good luck, to the OP. I know it's a drag to be "almost there", but it's going to happen! Keep your chin up! :-)

hey violet grace, it's good to hear you cheered up!!!
i agree cery much with seree when she says we's happy in a way she did put on some weight, which is gonna make her truely appreciate when she'll be thin again, i feel very much the same!
when i'll have lost all this, i'll feel so much better than i did 2 years ago!
if i could live with this figure, enjoy still life(not at its most though...)then life will be such beautiful fantastic every new day, back in my happy mood and body!
love
m