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Lost 50lbs but can't see a difference
Replies
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Not that it may help you now but i take pictures in the same shirt to try and see a difference. Im only down 20lbs. But the shirt i first took pics in my shirt was way tighter in the back and love handles area, arms and shoulders. Ive taken a pic every couple weeks now and its amazing how diff they are. Other than that i dont notice difference as much either, granted i havent lost that much yet. In the past even when i dropped 40lbs in a month i hadnt noticed but other people did. Clothes fitting might be the only way you'll notice it takes awhile for us to be able to see it in a mirror.3
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feel like I haven't changed at all
You need to separate facts from feelings! We never see ourselves accurately. You have definitely changed. You cannot have lost 50 lbs and NOT changed. Listen to your friends & family. Look at your progress pics. Compare your measurements. Get used to the new you! Congrats on the weight loss!!6 -
myfightforfitness wrote: »Although I have supportive friends and family, I cannot get myself to believe them. Because I feel as if I only know what I really look like and it's not that much different to when I was 50lbs heavier.
It's likely the opposite. You are probably the single least qualified person to really judge how much you've lost. Each of us has a strong sense of self; we don't see ourselves objectively and we're slow to adjust our self-perception to match reality. It's the flip side of the person who gains a lot of weight and can't come to terms with how much they now weigh.9 -
rankinsect wrote: »myfightforfitness wrote: »Although I have supportive friends and family, I cannot get myself to believe them. Because I feel as if I only know what I really look like and it's not that much different to when I was 50lbs heavier.
It's likely the opposite. You are probably the single least qualified person to really judge how much you've lost. Each of us has a strong sense of self; we don't see ourselves objectively and we're slow to adjust our self-perception to match reality. It's the flip side of the person who gains a lot of weight and can't come to terms with how much they now weigh.
This.0 -
myfightforfitness wrote: »beautifulwarrior18 wrote: »Above. Also, looking at an old pair of pants helps. If need be try them on.
Hi thanks for the response, the funny thing is i can still fit into old tops which is annoying, but I also can fit into a top which is 2-3 sizes smaller. With old jeans I can put them on, but need to use a belt to keep them up. But when I look at myself I look the same
I have a theory about the still fitting into old clothes thing, especially when you have lost an initial amount and haven't gone clothes shopping. I think (and I definitely know for myself) that people are often squeezed in to their current clothes when they decide to lost weight and that some of those clothes might even be stretched past their original size. So when people lose weight even significant amounts like you, they are disappointed that they still fit in the same clothes but the reality is that those clothes now fit properly.
Plus I agree you are your own worst judge, I felt bigger at 82kg than I did at 105 kg which logically is ridiculous!
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I had the same issue. Went from 150 to 120 pounds and thought I looked the same. As a general rule of thumb you see the most changes once you start dropping below 15 percent body fat. Vascular and muscle and muscle definition will all come once your low enough body fat.0
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I think this is pretty common. When I look at myself I don't see the fat that I've lost, I see the fat that I still need to lose.
Some days I feel pretty good about my progress and other days I just can't really see it.
Clothing helps some, at least if it is clothing you already had. New stuff...the sizing is all over the place.
If this isn't odd enough I actually feel that I'm back to my normal size (took off a lot of regain), while at the same time thinking I'm really fat. Which doesn't make sense at all, and speaks to our sense of self being sticky, for lack of a better term.
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Personally, I've noticed a difference, but only in certain areas, like my face and the top of my stomach. My lower stomach still looks the same to me. I try to focus on the fact that I now use the 4th hole on my belt loop instead of the second, and that I can comfortably wear shirts that were stuck in my closet for the longest time because my belly showed too much in them before. Also, things like the fact that I naturally walk faster. A walk that used to take me 10-12 mins, now takes closer to 8, if I'd tried that before I'd be winded and miserable. ^_^ Its not a huge difference, but it keeps me from staring at my belly and attempting to will it away.3
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I understand where you are coming from. I have gone from a size 34 pants to now a size 14. While I see some change, I still get disgusted, as I just don't see it with my upper body. I have gone through old clothes that I wore 15 years ago that is a size 14 and it fits. Yet I still wear some tops that are 22/24, just baggy. I hate tight fitting clothes. I take lots of pictures to compare, but I have been on this journey so long that the few lbs a week have just taken forever.
Congrats on your tremendous weight loss. Wish I could loose that quickly. Lol3 -
It is difficult to accept change even for the better. It takes time to adjust yto your new self but congrats on the relase of those 50 pounds2
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It can take a long time to "see" yourself as you are now. The suggestions above (comparing pictures, pants, etc.) are good ways to help that. I also like to find pictures of 50 lb things (fish, cheese, etc.) just to "see" what's been lost. I'll get you started:
Here's a 50 lb Mackerel (holy crap that's huge!)
Here's a 50 lb cheeseburger
Some lady holding 50 lbs of sugar
A lady holding her 50 lb dog
...
Seriously, 50 lbs lost is a great achievement!18 -
I've lost 35 lbs and it took awhile for my brain to catch up. It's hard to explain but I couldn't 'see' myself in the mirror. One day, it seemed like the light had been turned on and I could see a big difference. I think part of it is gaining confidence. When someone gives me a compliment, I have had a hard time not responding negatively. My first reaction was to make a comment like 'I hope I don't gain it back this summer'! Instead of just saying thank you! I've had a fitness assessment every 6 weeks. Having that objective, documented progress really helps me mentally when I feel I'm not moving forward.2
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If you can wear clothing that is 2-3 sizes smaller, your old tops DO NOT FIT PROPERLY. Bring them to Goodwill immediately and purchase new ones (or just me to you) in your appropriate size. You will immediately notice the difference.4
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I love the pictures of things that weight as much as you've lost.
While I havent had to buy new clothes cause I had heaps that were too small and now fit, I have had to ditch clothes cause they looked ridiculous. One pair of shorts that I've stashed away for a reminder I originally wore with spandax underneath so they fit, now they look stupid big and fall from my hips (nearly plumbers crack) rather than around my midsection. Skirts and dresses seem to be less obvious for body changes.3 -
Thanks a lot everyone for the advice x2
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SapiensPisces wrote: »It can take a long time to "see" yourself as you are now. The suggestions above (comparing pictures, pants, etc.) are good ways to help that. I also like to find pictures of 50 lb things (fish, cheese, etc.) just to "see" what's been lost. I'll get you started:
Here's a 50 lb Mackerel (holy crap that's huge!)
Here's a 50 lb cheeseburger
Some lady holding 50 lbs of sugar
A lady holding her 50 lb dog
...
Seriously, 50 lbs lost is a great achievement!
Haha this is great, very encouraging thank you!4 -
myfightforfitness wrote: »SapiensPisces wrote: »It can take a long time to "see" yourself as you are now. The suggestions above (comparing pictures, pants, etc.) are good ways to help that. I also like to find pictures of 50 lb things (fish, cheese, etc.) just to "see" what's been lost. I'll get you started:
Here's a 50 lb Mackerel (holy crap that's huge!)
Here's a 50 lb cheeseburger
Some lady holding 50 lbs of sugar
A lady holding her 50 lb dog
...
Seriously, 50 lbs lost is a great achievement!
Haha this is great, very encouraging thank you!
No problem! Congrats again, and hang in there.1 -
SapiensPisces wrote: »It can take a long time to "see" yourself as you are now. The suggestions above (comparing pictures, pants, etc.) are good ways to help that. I also like to find pictures of 50 lb things (fish, cheese, etc.) just to "see" what's been lost. I'll get you started:
I kind of want to kiss your feet for this. Thank you. I'd been thinking of it as lugging around an extra six gallons of milk every minute of my life, just so I could feel some sense of accomplishment.
I've lost 52 pounds since December 29, @myfightforfitness, and I honestly can't see it either. I can kind of feel it inside, but I do wish I could see it too.
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WordWhisperer wrote: »SapiensPisces wrote: »It can take a long time to "see" yourself as you are now. The suggestions above (comparing pictures, pants, etc.) are good ways to help that. I also like to find pictures of 50 lb things (fish, cheese, etc.) just to "see" what's been lost. I'll get you started:
I kind of want to kiss your feet for this. Thank you. I'd been thinking of it as lugging around an extra six gallons of milk every minute of my life, just so I could feel some sense of accomplishment.
I've lost 52 pounds since December 29, @myfightforfitness, and I honestly can't see it either. I can kind of feel it inside, but I do wish I could see it too.
I'm down 58, and it took me the better part of 2 years to really grasp it in the mirror. I "saw" it in pictures, pants, etc. but changing how you see yourself in the mirror takes a while for some. Just be patient!0 -
I totally understand. I have lost 40 pounds so far, gone from 255 to 215, and everyone is telling me I look great, but I still see the same fat, hideous creature from before. It obviously has something to do with one's own self-esteem, and perhaps some therapy could help sort things out. But if that's not for you, there are other things you can do, such as focusing on other changes you have made in the last few months. For example, I can run 3 miles, and I couldn't do that before. What can you do now that you couldn't do before?
Congratulations on losing the weight... that's a huge accomplishment, and you should be proud.0
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