How long until you saw a difference?

katie_mae17

Okay so I started this journey in October weighing around 245lbs. As of today I am down 20lbs which is really exciting, except I don't see even the slightest bit of a difference. Just curious about when people with similar situations started to notice any changes or clothing size differences.

haildodger

If you take pictures it's easier to see the changes. At certain points, you will notice more obvious changes like having to buy new clothes, but pictures are a far more useful tool for noticing small incremental changes. I guarantee 20 lbs would show in underwear pics. I personally take the same pics every ten pounds; one from the side, and one from the front.

cwolfman13

Do you take pictures? Without pictures, it can be difficult to see because you look at yourself everyday so the subtle and slow changes that take place will be difficult to see...

Also, the larger you are and more you have to lose, the less noticeable the changes are. For me, I went from 220 - 200 and the only difference I could really tell was that my shirt collars actually fit around my neck without me choking and rings and whatnot became more loose. I lost in my extremities first and it wasn't super noticeable.

My next 10 Lbs down to 190 was much more noticeable as I really started to lose in my face and my face really thinned out...I also started to lose more belly fat. From 190 - 180 was like night and day and I eventually settled in around 183ish for maintenance. I'm up to 188 now but at a lower BF% than I was at 183 so even close to 190 I look nothing like the 190 I was at when I lost weight.

markiend

take loads of pictures, take loads of measurements .... at regular intervals

if you haven't ..... then start right now, but to give you a little boost.. start imagining nearly half a (uk sized) sack of potatoes... that you have now shed

good job, the scales don't tell the whole truth keep it up

Mediocrates55

I didn't notice much of anything at a 20 pound loss, until I went to get a new pair of jeans. I went from a 14 to an 8 and didn't even notice they were that much looser than normal. We get so used to seeing our bodies day in and day out that we don't notice the gradual shift. I second the pictures to document your journey. I wish I'd taken some on mine!

Liftng4Lis

Everyone is different, but I agree, take pictures. Clothes sizes will start dropping and its awesome. WTG on your loss!

seltzermint555

You will see changes in bursts, probably. All of a sudden you will just really notice.

It's true what others have said about changes being less noticeable the larger you are. I started MFP at 262 lb, and didn't lose clothing sizes for quite awhile but then I started to get constant comments on my loss when I was at around 230.

If you continue on, which I am sure you will...you will start to be almost alarmed at how quickly clothing sizes change and things like that. You may even hit some awkward phases that leave you a bit alarmed. When I was around 220 lb I had a weird gaunt look to my face for a little bit but then it all evened out and I look better in my opinion at 169 lb. But tbh I was like, "holy crap my neck looks weird and my face doesn't look right, I should stop losing". I am glad I did not.

Oh also about larger clothing sizes...I wore the same size 22 in most things all the way from about 300 lb (long before joining MFP) until I was at like 235-240. So that's well over 50 lb. range for the same clothes!! Then it seemed like overnight it all fit terribly and I needed size 18. Now that I am smaller, 5-6 lb can be the difference between barely getting into my size 10 jeans and them starting to feel too baggy in places.

sheepotato

I agree with taking pictures, and take measurements too.

I couldn't tell a difference until my gym pants fell off one day, I wish I had tracked more than my weight at first.

Kalikel

Take pictures! Even if you don't wish to memorialize how you look right now, take a picture. Later, when you have lost a bunch, you may wish you had that picture to compare how you look with how you used to look. Save one piece of clothing that you wore comfortably at your biggest size.

Clothes that I'd saved and eventually thought I should just get rid of because I'd never get into them again...they're too big now. I'm sizes smaller than those "small" clothes, but I look at the clothes I'm wearing and gross out at how big they are. I wish I'd kept one thing to compare, size-wise.

When you're way into obesity, you need to lose quite a bit before you see a difference. You don't see a big difference between 250 and 230 because there really isn't that big a difference.

I think it's because we see ourselves every day that we don't see the changes. I've lose eighty pounds. I still don't see 80 pounds worth of difference. I just don't. Call it BDD, call it whatever...I just don't see the kind of difference that I should and that others see. I know I'm smaller (or less big, lol), but I don't see this giant, remarkable difference. The loose skin isn't helpful, either.

The best differences don't come from looking in the mirror. They come from little things, like being able to walk around the cart in the grocery store line, fitting comfortably in cars, not being the fattest person in the room, being able to do exercises you couldn't do before, shopping in clothing stores not geared to fat people, etc.

Take pictures. You may be very glad, later, that you took them!

lemonsurprise

I started off at 225 and just about started noticing at the 35lb mark. It wasn't like it hit me all at once but I noticed my neck being more defined, started to be able to feel my hips and bones I literally didn't even know I had! Then I started noticing how I was moving around, sitting and body parts started touching! Everything just became easier, I can sit crunched up without it being uncomfortable and when I sit on my shins the bottom of my feet cup my bum.. That was a weird feeling at first!
Even now at nearly 60lbs down I can look at myself and wonder if there is any real difference from the start! Like others have said, take lots of photos!

Sabine_Stroehm

I hadn't told anyone I was dieting or that I had changed my eating habits. But after about 10-15LBS someone mentioned it, then a few more folks. The first time I really felt it was when I saw pictures of myself (one in a suit, one in shorts and a t-shirt). Then it really hit me that I looked noticeably different. I wish I'd taken before/after photos in the same pose/clothes.

katie_mae17

I have taken a couple pictures along the way but still haven't noticed a change. Guess I'll just have to be more patient. Thank you all for the helpful answers!

romachel1978

I didn't notice until around 35 pounds. It was very frustrating! Keep at it though, it will happen

yoovie

under 200

Roxiegirl2008

I took pictures each month for it to really hit home to me. I also got measured once a month so I could see the inches lost because I didn't want to get off track because of the devil known as the scale. I have been known to kick it a few times. I didn't start to see a difference in the mirror until I was about 35-40 lbs down. I think that can very from person to person.

Booksandbeaches

I had 30 pounds to lose. I noticed a difference at 10 pounds and that's when others noticed it too.

journalistjen

You'll drop water weight at first--and depending on your body shape--it could take from 10 to 20 pounds to drop a size. But everyone is different. Also for me, I will lose size in my boobs and neck at some point--so that doesn't necessarily change my waist size.

GiveMeCoffee

It took me losing the first 50 lbs before I really started seeing a difference, after that it was about every 15-20 lbs and when I started lifting the changes were more noticeable.

katherine_startrek_fan

From my highest weight of 282+ (5'10") and down 10 or so pounds, I noticed changes nearly daily. I lost over 12 inches in my first few weeks.

I am now down over 40 pounds, and other than some drops in clothes sizes (tight 18 to 12/14), the visual changes have seemed pretty minor.

I don't anticipate seeing any more major changes visually until I am around or under 200, when I anticipate that I will start to really firm up.