How long did it take to notice your weight loss?

LindsayJeannn

I've lost almost 20 lbs and I don't really see it.

grimendale

Take progress pictures. You tend to not notice the incremental changes, but when you put picture next to one another, it's hard to argue. I've been doing Insanity since last week, so I took pictures before I started and on the first rest day at the end of week 1. I didn't think I had made any real progress since I hadn't noticed any changes, but when I put the pictures side by side, it became immediately visible. It can help make the losses real for you.

GenYMissing

Firstly, well done! Just wondering though, how are your clothes feeling? Do you see anything different in the mirror? Has it taken you a super long time? If I lose weight over several months (very slowly for me) I notice it less because I obviously live in my own body and I see myself all the time. Just a thought.

Sul3i

About 30 lbs

xampx

I didn't see it until I had lost 30-40lbs.

I read somewhere that if you are quite overweight, the first chunk of weight is fat disappearing from around your internal organs. If you think about it like that, its quite a relief!

1longroad

I've lost 40 pounds so far as of today, but no one has really noticed. I am only 5'1" and don't have a large face. Maybe that is why? When people do ask, and I tell them how much, they are shocked? Not sure if this is good or bad yet?

tizmi

I'm just getting up to 20lb lost and I'm only noticing because of some of my clothing, but when I lost weight 5 years ago (it all went back on) it wasn't until I had to get new bras that I really thought 'gosh, it's actually working' - before then it was just seeing the numbers on the scale going down.

I guess it depends on how much weight you are trying to lose and your height. Maybe it takes until about 20-30% of your goal or something. I'm 5' myself, so it will be a while before others notice any difference unless they're really paying attention, alas. Clothing may also have something to do with others not noticing, especially if you're used to covering up and hiding bumps.

Unaisha8

It took me 20 lbs but my family and friends saw it when I lost 50 lbs. I just have 10 lbs to lose now to reach my goal weight- 120 lbs

Dauntlessness

I wish I would have taken progress pictures at the beginning because I am one of these people who are very unobservant. I was still wearing size 22 pants when I went in to the store for a new pair of jeans and I was a size 16.... Now I am a size 12-14. They were literally falling off and I had a big case of saggy jean butt. :laugh:

I noticed at 30lbs but REALLY noticed at 50. I looked down at my legs and didn't recognize them. haha

don3_16

I started MFP in early May after my daughter turned 5. I had fallen into the trap of eating fast food for breakfast, lunch and then going out to eat with the family for dinner. Terrible eating habits.

As of today, I am down 12 lbs (and that's including a 5 day stay in Cancun last week). Before we left on vacation last week, my wife commented on how my gut didn't hang out as much as it was hanging, and I can definitely tell that it's not sticking out as much. Still, there's a lot of work left to do, but it's been encouraging.

I lost about 45 lbs when my wife and I did WW pre-kids 7 years ago. The weight came off over a 5 to 6 month span, but starting a new job, having kids, and just a complete disregard for my health and the weight came back on over the years.

It is truly eye-opening how crappy I eat when left to my own devices. I like MFP because I can track at work and make decisions if I want to put that crap in my body and take the calorie hit. I have an elliptical in my basement that is lonelier than the Maytag Man. So far, here are the changes to my diet that have made a difference for me:

1. Tracking what I eat.

2. Cutting out on pop. I used to be at least once a day with full Coke or Pepsi (no diet for me).

3. Limiting my pizza intake. My first love, and if I were on Death Row, my last meal would be Pizza and Coke. So 2 and 3 were hard, but necessary.

4. Drinking water when I am feeling hungry.

5. Avoiding the break room in the afternoon. My office has lots of catered lunches for meetings and the underlings get a crack at the left-overs afterwards. There plenty of times I'd vulture two or three cookies and brownies (you know, the gigantic ones from Jimmy John's or Corner Bakery) at my desk in the afternoon...just because they were there and free for the taking.

6. Learning to be satisfied with a big salad as a meal.

7. Limiting the times I go out to breakfast. Going out to breakfast every couple of weeks and eating a big skillet with a side of pancakes is delicious, but the first time I did while on MFP and realized how many calories that meal ate up (pun intended) for the day, it was a little depressing. It ranks up there with how Romeo and Juliet must have felt when their families told them they couldn't see each other. It was that depressing.

Anyway, to the OP, keep it going and you'll get there!