Do you ever feel like you look the same?

st476

I'm 5'4 and 132 lbs (my starting weight being 150). Sometimes I feel skinnier but sometimes I feel like I look the exact same, which is discouraging. A lot of people have been telling me I lost weight, but I don't really see it (even in pictures). It makes me want to give up when I feel like I'm putting in so much effort but still look the same. I thought that 18 pounds would be a huge difference for someone who wasn't that big to begin with.

Does anyone else ever feel this way? What do you do to make yourself feel better?

VeryKatie

Yes, more often than not! I started at 155 and got down to 127.8 at one point. Now that I'm back at 138, I feel like I look like 155 again.

st476

VeryKatie wrote: »

Yes, more often than not! I started at 155 and got down to 127.8 at one point. Now that I'm back at 138, I feel like I look like 155 again.

Did you feel smaller in the 120's? My goal is 120 for now. Last time I was 120 I was 5 sizes smaller than I am now so I'm hoping these last 12 pounds bring a bigger change

dlkfox

I know I look the same because I still have my "apple" shape. I'm 5'2", and I've lost 22 pounds out of my goal of 75. Only a few pieces of clothing are now too big. But I do feel better. It's easier to lean all the way over for one thing. Plus, I have gone from Obese II to Obese I on the BMI chart.

While I don't have my figure back yet, I do imagine that there is now 22 fewer pounds squishing my internal organs. And that is a wonderful thing.

So much healthier!

Angelfire365

Holy crap yes, and my husband thinks I'm crazy. I was 280 lbs, I'm now 200. And I feel. Exactly. The. Same.

Alarae21

I have lost 34 pounds, down from 178. Other than my face which has thinned out, I can't see it anywhere else. I know I have slimmed down as clothes are looser and I can fit in UK 10/US 6 for the first time I'm forever but I don't see it. I'm still not satisfied.

I have around another 15 pounds to go (i think) but I'm evaluating as I go.

zyxst

I don't see such a drastic change in myself that other people do. My body is still the same shape.

cabwj

Yep, 62 pounds down (not done) and I feel like I look the same, but don't definitely don't feel the same.

ksutherland677

Me! I just do not really see a change even though I've lost a couple pants sizes.
SW:168
CW:144
My goal is 125-130 so I'm hoping I notice some changes soon.

BlueberryWatermelon

Ugh, yes! I've only lost 8 pounds (starting weight 140), but I feel like I look exactly the same... just less bloated. I haven't had any comments from anyone except my fiancé, who thinks my boobs are getting smaller. LOL

st476

Yeah I think it's just the fact that I'm still the same exact shape but maybe sized down a little that makes it so hard to see a difference.

BlueberryWatermelon wrote: »

Ugh, yes! I've only lost 8 pounds (starting weight 140), but I feel like I look exactly the same... just less bloated. I haven't had any comments from anyone except my fiancé, who thinks my boobs are getting smaller. LOL

Lol I think mine got smaller too, they look weird now for some reason but I'm not complaining because I was/am a size 34DDD

shrcpr

We have almost the same stats. 5'4", SW 153, CW 130. Sometimes I feel like not much changed but I know that's not true. I have to wear smaller clothes and so many people comment that I know there's been change. Sometimes our minds play tricks on us. GW is 125, at least it is right now.

Ian_thompson

I can't see the difference in myself even though I've dropped 2.4 stone,
It can get disheartening but I keep trying on my clothes that fit me a few years ago before I became ill and ballooned in weight. They are starting to fit, and I get the pleasure of taking my big clothes to charity shop. Always gives me a boost fitting into the smaller clothes.

Annahbananas

Oh absolutely

Montepulciano

65 pounds down from my heaviest and half way to my goal, but other than clothes not fitting, I don't see a difference so I empathize. I am hoping the mirror image catches up soon.

Maxematics

I'm 5'3" and started at 139. By 125 pounds, people were noticing the changes but I wasn't fully there yet. Now I'm 109 pounds and I'm still not fully accepting of my changes in my mind. Putting my progress pictures side by side has helped me realize it, but I guess it's just hard for me to believe that I've achieved so much with regard to my body composition in a bit over a year. As someone who has never been as slim or fit as I am now, I don't ever think I'll fully get it and if I do it will take quite a long time to get used to it.

Toribeth23

I've lost around 12 lbs so far and all of my clothes pretty much fits the same way as they did 12 lbs ago. I take my measurements every few weeks and I have just barely lost any inches. I look in the mirror and see the same body I've been seeing. The only people who say I look thinner are the people who know I'm trying to lose the weight, so their perception of me is biased.... SO yeah. I don't see any changes. I don't really feel them either. But I'm definitely losing the weight! So I just keep hoping that one day, after 20 or so lbs, I'll look at myself and go "Wait a minute...This is different!" (I dunno if that will happen, but I'd like to think so! lol) Just keep going!

st476

Toribeth23 wrote: »

I've lost around 12 lbs so far and all of my clothes pretty much fits the same way as they did 12 lbs ago. I take my measurements every few weeks and I have just barely lost any inches. I look in the mirror and see the same body I've been seeing. The only people who say I look thinner are the people who know I'm trying to lose the weight, so their perception of me is biased.... SO yeah. I don't see any changes. I don't really feel them either. But I'm definitely losing the weight! So I just keep hoping that one day, after 20 or so lbs, I'll look at myself and go "Wait a minute...This is different!" (I dunno if that will happen, but I'd like to think so! lol) Just keep going!

I know what you mean! The only people who have said I lost weight are the people who know I'm trying to lose weight so I don't know if I should believe them or not. I'm hoping for the same thing to happen too! Maybe we're just being too critical with ourselves because we see ourselves everyday and there's not going to be a huge difference day to day Good luck!

lauraesh0384

I'm 5'6" 157 lbs and my starting weight was 185. While my clothes don't lie, sometimes I look in the mirror and feel disappointed. This isn't how I imagined I'd look at my weight. Of course I'm cursed with the typical pear shape. I originally set my goal at 150, but I don't think 7 lbs less is going to look drastically different so I changed it to 140-145. I can see a difference in my upper body, but my lower body makes me feel like I'm still 240 lbs. I'm hoping my lower body will eventually catch up.

greatatboats

I'm 5'3" and 231 now, which is only down about 13 lbs in the last 6-7 weeks. Some days I feel like I can see something, some days I can't. Some days I feel like maybe my arms seem a teeny bit smaller, some days I feel like maybe my stomach isn't quite as jiggly when I touch it. I know that I'm making progress though, because I have a pair of shorts that I bought optimistically a few years back. Two years ago I could just squeeze into them for a cousin's graduation party. At the start of this summer they cut off my thighs and I don't think I could get the waistband buttoned. I've been trying them on again periodically and today they didn't cut my thighs at all and the waistband doesn't pull.

Honestly, as far as motivation goes I got a FitBit and it's been keeping me going. I think I've been dealing with depression a bit this month and I know there's been two days (and today will be another one) where the only thing that's motivating me to exercise is that stupid check mark on the calendar it gives me.

jenerek_md

Ugh I can so relate to this. I'm 5'7 started at 180, down 26 lbs, due to recent injury at maintenance for now with goal just not to gain but I don't feel any different. I don't see a difference. I'm frumpy, with rolls everywhere and nothing fits the way it did pre 3 babes. I work really hard to love myself, and it's worth it! Keep at it girl ❤️❤️

richardgavel

In my analytical mind, I know I'm a lot better body wise having lost 65 lbs cause that shows up on the scale and in the smaller number sizes of jeans I wear. Problems is I also see the loose skin and little bit of fat on the stomach and it makes me feel like there SO much more that needs to be done, but what's bad is all I can do is wait (for the skin to hopefully shrink). I can't diet away loose skin or burn it off via cardio

becbo22

77 pounds lost, 43 left to go. Some days I feel like nothing has changed and others I seem to notice a lot of little changes. It's a rollercoaster.

KDar1988

I've lost 109lbs and I still see the big me. I look at myself and can't believe I'm the size I am, sometimes I don't like what I see. I think it's just the mind trying to catchup.

Gallowmere1984

I went down by almost 100 lbs. so far. I'd have to have a serious disorder to think that I look even remotely close to when I started.

arditarose

I'm 5'4", highest weight 178 and lowest 128. Some days I feel like I don't see a big difference between 150 and 130 or something...I just keep trying to change my body fat% by lifting heavy, cutting, bulking, maintaining/etc. I also focus on performance goals. Right now I'm trying to get stronger for my first power lifting meet, so yeah I got a little chub but it's work it for the strength gains.

MrPositivity

Well I think part of the problem is that you see yourself every day and you are changing only ever so slightly each day. If you can get your body fat % low enough you will start to see muscles in certain areas that you couldn't see before. It can also help to curl your thumb and middle finger around your wrist and try to touch them together. There was a time I could not do this but now my fingers overlap by quite a bit.

When someone you haven't seen for a long time compliments you on your losses accept it and know that you've done well even though you feel as though you are the same size.

MarissaBlevins220

Agreed. I've lost nearly 40lbs and am back down into the 170's but I feel like I look exactly the same... but I remind myself how much stronger I am, and how much closer I am to reaching my goals.

Progress, no matter how small, adds up to the BIG results. And remember, there is no finish line on this journey, it's a lifestyle change that you will have to continue or you'll end up right back where you started....

tomteboda

All the time. My sister accused me of looking like (our very thin) aunt a couple weeks ago. I happened to see her a few days later and got a picture with her. I can see in about the same size as her in my picture but I can't really wrap my mind around that.

Mini_Medic

You get used to feeling and seeing the body you are in. Minuscule daily changes don't register to your brain, and until it's a big loss you probably won't see it in your clothes of pictures. It takes a while to catch up that you are smaller, just as must of us don't realize we are gaining until the scale shows a much higher number or our clothes don't look good anymore and we have bulges or are too tight to put on.

When I lose, the composition of my body has stages like the fat goes from being solid and jiggly like jello to soft and squishy like wet sand or playdoh. So in those in between times before a big whoosh where I notice that the fat distribution doesn't look any better to me, in fact it looks worse. Plus I bloat horrendously during my time of the month. Then magically once a month after I feel and look particularly small since the water weight left and my weight loss is noticeable!

Good luck and don't lose sight of the end game. One day you will see it and notice. I went from 5'3.75 and 173 to 135 and I didn't see a big difference until 140 lbs.

amiwills

Hi! I'm 5'4 too and started at 151lb so more or less the same as you. I lost 20lbs and honestly didn't see a difference, I used to think to myself how much weight loss is it going to take?! As soon as I hit 30lbs I was SO encouraged! I actually saw a difference and it got me really excited for further progress. I was 121lb last time I weighed (2 weeks ago) but have gained probably at least 2lbs as I went on holiday and ate whatever I wanted. I'm back on track now but won't weigh myself for another few weeks, I don't like getting too hung up on the number on the scale!

Because of my holiday and over eating I've been feeling pretty sh***y about myself but each day that passes I feel better knowing I'm on track and on the route to my goal! You're going to find it hard to see your own success, as most of us do, but don't let that discourage you. This isn't a quick or easy process! Congrats on your 20lb loss so far xx