Is it normal to see weightloss progress all of a sudden?

Keaiducky

So I've lost close to 30 pounds. Throughout my weightloss journey, since I don't weigh myself often (every 1-3 months) I've really struggled to SEE my progress. My measurements hadn't really budged much either and I just felt a bit defeated. Until tonight.

I looked in the mirror today after dinner, and I noticed that I looked a LOOOT smaller than I ever have. It's not a little difference, but a large one. I don't understand how I could look in the mirror every day, but only see progress now... Does this happen to anyone else? Why? I probably sound extremely silly, I'm sure.

grimendale

Totally normal. You see the weight loss incrementally, so you don't notice and the mental image you have of yourself doesn't change. A lot of people get frustrated and quit for this very reason: they don't notice any changes, so they don't belive they are losing. Eventually, you reach a point where reality is too dissimilar from your mental image and you finally see what is really going on. A lot of times, people notice changes in how their clothes fit long before they are able to see a difference. I track my body measurements with a tape measure and, since starting insanity, take progress pictures so that I have an objective standard to measure against. You may not notice a difference in a mirror, but when you put two pictures taken a month apart side by side, it becomes unmistakable. 30 lbs is, from what I've seen, about the point that most people start to actually be able to tell a difference visually.

blisser99

This has happened to me recently as well.. I am close to that 30lb mark. For me, certain clothes make me look smaller. Also seeing a picture of myself before really put things into perspective. It takes a while for your mind to catch up. I got myself a haircut to adjust to the new me.

ron2e

I believe there is more to this than just perception. The first fat to go is the visceral fat which surrounds the organs in the abdominal cavity, so this has only a small effect on your outer measurements. Then the subcutaneous stuff, that sits under the skin and which you see, starts to go and suddenly you notice a difference. I've just got to this stage, strangely I just posted a blog about this yesterday - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ron2e/view/i-m-starting-to-feel-thin-543333 and it is only after five months and 50 lbs gone that I've really started to see a difference, up until then I was aware obviously that the weight was coming off but my measurements changed only very slowly, now they're moving a bit quicker!

Christine61314

Of course! I look in the mirror everyday but don't feel like things have changed its only untill a moment of "Oh I should get rid of these jeans I never wear them anymore" and I realise that it's because they are far to big instead of getting too tight lol. Sometimes you can get bogged down and too focused on the goals in the future that you can miss out on the progress and how far that you have come.

neanderthin

Yes.

sofiapapa

the exact ssame thing happened to me when i lost lots of weight, it was over a month or so period and i was upset because i thought i hadnt lost any and then i looked in the mirror and got shocked at how much i had lost. i guess its just those times when you really notice it when you least expect to, its a great shock though

woza1974

it means you are doing good

Alwayssohungry

I believe there is more to this than just perception. The first fat to go is the visceral fat which surrounds the organs in the abdominal cavity, so this has only a small effect on your outer measurements. Then the subcutaneous stuff, that sits under the skin and which you see, starts to go and suddenly you notice a difference. I've just got to this stage, strangely I just posted a blog about this yesterday - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ron2e/view/i-m-starting-to-feel-thin-543333 and it is only after five months and 50 lbs gone that I've really started to see a difference, up until then I was aware obviously that the weight was coming off but my measurements changed only very slowly, now they're moving a bit quicker!

Exactly !

Sevio

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