Question for those that started 100+ pounds over weight

Kitty_Nikki

Hi. I am 30 years old, 5'7 with a starting weight of 256. So far I have lost 17 pounds and I feel like I can't even tell aside from the scale. I still look the same, all my clothes still fit the same. So I am just wondering what everyone else's experience was. How much weight did you have to lose before you started to actually "notice" it?

UCCrista

I started noticing after 25 lbs. Now, all pounds are not the same. If you are not losing fat, you're not going to see it happen. Then again, you can lose 10 lbs. in 3 weeks and your body may take another 2 weeks to give up the slack. Everyone's different though.

nutmegoreo

It can take some time. My pants were so tight at my highest weight, that it took a long time before they became loose. Now they are practically falling off. I took before pictures, and regularly take new ones in the same clothes. When I compare them side-by-side I can see the difference. In the mirror, I look the same. I don't know my exact start weight, I wouldn't get on the scale. I'm guessing around 235 if not more (at 5'2"). When I joined, I was at 222, currently 186, with 56 to go.

Be patient. Stay focused. You will likely notice the difference in subtle ways before too much longer.

Edited: cause holy crap autocorrect is drunk today.

Kitty_Nikki

You're right, I should take pictures and see if I can tell a difference over time. It's not like I am becoming discouraged or anything, I fully intend to get this weight problem under control. It just seems like 17 pounds is sort of significant, it would be nice to be able to see it.

nutmegoreo

Kitty_Nikki wrote: »

You're right, I should take pictures and see if I can tell a difference over time. It's not like I am becoming discouraged or anything, I fully intend to get this weight problem under control. It just seems like 17 pounds is sort of significant, it would be nice to be able to see it.

It is significant! Sometimes we like to see the results of our hard work. I think that because we see ourselves every day, it's harder to notice changes until one day you get out of the pool and your suit nearly falls off :laugh:

kthompson601

Taking pictures is a great idea. I started out at 290 and am now at 197, with another 65 to go at least.

One thing I noticed pretty quickly was how easily simple tasks started to be. I used to really huff and puff bringing in groceries, but that resolved itself pretty quickly after losing the first 20 pounds. My fitness was already starting to shine through. It was easier for me to climb a flight of stairs or vacuum my apartment. Those are really small things, but when I was at my heaviest, they were annoying and drained me of energy. I didn't have to lose a lot of weight before I saw improvement in my physical fitness.

Another thing that can give you pretty quick hits of improvement is weight lifting. When you are first getting started, if you keep at it on a regular basis, you will make gains very quickly and be adding weight to your dumbbells in just a few weeks.

It took a while for my clothes to become loose and for me to feel like I could SEE the changes in my weight. Be patient and be persistent. 17 pounds is a great loss and you are that much closer to your goal!

Kitty_Nikki

I love how encouraging this community is. Thank you. You make a good point kthompson601, I have noticed that physical activity is becoming increasingly easier. When I started working out I could only do 5-6 minutes on my bike before needing to stop, and I am now up to 25-30 minutes. I definitely count that as a win.

meganepauli

I started at 298, now down to 165. Keep going! It took me about 30 to notice, everyone else about 50. Don't be discouraged, 17 lbs is a lot! Keep up the good work!

Ninkyou

at 28 lbs I got my first comment and at 30 lbs, everyone was commenting. For myself, my pants were looser at probably 15 lbs but I didn't actually drop a size probably until that 30 lbs mark. It helped to take progress pictures. When you compare them side by side you can really start to see the difference.

wallingf

Congratulations to you! I started a little bit higher than you (at 5'6") and have now lost 91 lbs. I also found it took about 25-30lbs before I felt any different or needed a new pant size. If you didn't take some other measurements when you started - take them now. After losing 18lbs, I had lost 1.5 inches from my waist, but had lost 2.5 inches around my hips and each thigh. That was exciting to see.....even if I didn't feel different.

rankinsect

You will be the last person to notice your own weight loss. Sometimes I don't really think there's a difference at 60 lost - but others comment and I'm down a lot of pants sizes (around 8 inches smaller now) so clearly there is a difference that I don't always perceive.

brb2008

I didn't notice until 40lbs, no joke. Clothes didn't change, nothing. It was crazy but I knew I had to keep going.

Dreysander

I started at 235 and am presently 127. It seemed like it came off in jumps for me. Like I'd see the scale going down for a while with no change then suddenly I'd jump smaller in how I looked / how my clothes fit if that makes sense. The best way to keep track is to take photographs once a week / once a month. That really helps.

duddysdad

I went from 340 to 180 and only started noticing around 260.

ki4eld

I started at 306 and I couldn't really tell the difference until I hit 225. Then, it was obvious even to me.

azulvioleta6

I stared at 300 and could not really see/feel much difference myself until around 220.

Kitty_Nikki

These are all really helpful answers, thanks! I didn't do measurements when I started, but now that it's been mentioned I probably should.

ald783

nutmegoreo wrote: »

It can take some time. My pants were so tight at my highest weight, that it took a long time before they became loose. Now they are practically falling off.

I agree with this- I was definitely squeezing myself into the size I was wearing at my heaviest so it took a bigger weight loss before I actually I went down to, and comfortably fit in, the next size down. I started to notice the change in my appearance around the 20 pound mark but it becomes even more noticeable the more you lose. After the initial 10 pounds which is often a lot of water weight, I think each 5-10 pound increment becomes more and more noticeable. It takes time but you will be able to see the changes soon! Good luck!!

trina1049

I hope that you don't mind that I'm chiming in on noticing weight loss even though I wasn't 100 lbs overweight. I've lost 51 lbs and I'm almost to maintenance in about 3 or 4 lbs (I went from 179 to my current 127) but I always thought I didn't look any different at all for a very long time. My family said otherwise but I didn't believe them even though I was into smaller sizes. It takes quite a while for your brain to catch up to your new appearance.

nutmegoreo

ald783 wrote: »

nutmegoreo wrote: »

It can take some time. My pants were so tight at my highest weight, that it took a long time before they became loose. Now they are practically falling off.

I agree with this- I was definitely squeezing myself into the size I was wearing at my heaviest so it took a bigger weight loss before I actually I went down to, and comfortably fit in, the next size down. I started to notice the change in my appearance around the 20 pound mark but it becomes even more noticeable the more you lose. After the initial 10 pounds which is often a lot of water weight, I think each 5-10 pound increment becomes more and more noticeable. It takes time but you will be able to see the changes soon! Good luck!!

It was crazy how tight those poor pants were. I had to lie down on the bed to zip them (think 80s tight). At one point I gave up on wearing them and went into stretchy pants. I don't know how those things held up, they are just getting loose on me now.

tmartin19710

I started at 337 now at 299 and just now started noticing my clothes getting bigger and my face in a lot thinner. Other people have noticed but I don't really notice a change in the mirror.

Kitty_Nikki

trina1049 wrote: »

I hope that you don't mind that I'm chiming in on noticing weight loss even though I wasn't 100 lbs overweight. I've lost 51 lbs and I'm almost to maintenance in about 3 or 4 lbs (I went from 179 to my current 127) but I always thought I didn't look any different at all for a very long time. My family said otherwise but I didn't believe them even though I was into smaller sizes. It takes quite a while for your brain to catch up to your new appearance.

Of course I don't mind you chiming in! I was mostly just asking people with 100+ pounds because that is what I personally need to lose. I'm happy to get anyone's opinion on the matter though.

cerise_noir

I started at 260lbs, and my loss didn't show until I was 230lbs. Of course, it took some time for ME to notice. I am now at 180lbs and actually do notice a difference.

MarvinSanderford

I have been told many times over the last few years to not pay as much attention to the weight scales as perhaps measurements.... measure yourself. Arms, legs, etc etc. That will be a better tale-tell sign than the 'ol scale, which to me is fickle and fluctuates too much in a day to be totally 100% reliable.

jgnatca

Take a rubber ball, with a radius of 300. It's volume is about 1.13 x 10 (8th power).
Drop 10% of it's volume you get 1.02 x 10 (8th power), which gets you a radius of 289 (96% of original).
Drop 50% of it's volume and you get 6 x 10 (7th power), which gets you a radius of 238 (79% of original).
I started to really notice after thirty pounds and then the loss just accelerated. I don't have to lose as much to drop a size any more. I'm women's XL/L now by the way.

TL:DR
You are losing mass all over so it won't be visible for a while.

heatherlewisis

Kitty_Nikki wrote: »

Hi. I am 30 years old, 5'7 with a starting weight of 256. So far I have lost 17 pounds and I feel like I can't even tell aside from the scale. I still look the same, all my clothes still fit the same. So I am just wondering what everyone else's experience was. How much weight did you have to lose before you started to actually "notice" it?

I am 33, 5'7", and my highest weight was 260 last year... During christmastime last year I lost 15 lbs without trying (super stressed with closing escrow on our home and apparently I am a forget to eat type of person when I'm stressed)... I didnt really notice a difference at that time, but other people did... Then I started purposefully losing in March at 245, and am currently 173... I definitely noticed a difference in the first 10 lbs... My clothes fit differently, and my body just felt tighter... But I was working out HARD for at least 30 minutes every day... I think that made a huge difference.

brb2008

Kitty_Nikki wrote: »

I love how encouraging this community is. Thank you. You make a good point kthompson601, I have noticed that physical activity is becoming increasingly easier. When I started working out I could only do 5-6 minutes on my bike before needing to stop, and I am now up to 25-30 minutes. I definitely count that as a win.

I also started in 5 minute increments. I always thought I would die. Now I can't imagine feeling physically limited, I couldn't run a marathon but I can maintain any standard daily activity with zero trouble and that alone feels great.

ukrgajka

Hiya. Well done for starting this journey! I AM 5ft10,begun at almost 300...now I am 168. Noticed changes after 40 pounds, approximately. Good luck to you. This road is easier than it seems. Just stick with it, even if you get a slip up now and then xxx

Ishii19

I think the general rule of thumb is that you should start to notice a difference at about 10% loss. But make sure to do all your metrics with some kind of regularity (weigh, measure, take pictures) and celebrate the small victories and milestones along the way! Your pants may still be tight when you notice an inch off on the tape measure, or spot slimmer cheeks on comparison pics you would have missed on the day to day. It's also so worthwhile to take the time to be proud of yourself for passing up empty calories or increasing your fitness levels. 17lbs off is awesome! Keep it up

tinger12

I started at 540 pounds. Am currently at 453. I look in the mirror and see very little change. I put on the clothes I wore when I started and they are HUGE! I feel the larger one is the more one needs to lose to see a difference. Plus I think our own eyes/mind don't let us see the results until they are far more pronounced.

The day my underwear kept falling down my butt was they day I started to notice, visually, that I was losing weight.

xX_PhoenixRising_Xx

I really noticed the differences in photos rather than the mirror. Even now I can much more accurately tell what I look like by taking a photo, my brain lies to me! I'm 5'7 and started at 329 lbs, I'm maintaining now at 170 - 175. I really noticed a difference when I'd lost 20 kg / 44 lbs. Other people noticed before I did though.