Well, that’s a bummer... but it won’t stop me!

cshagam
cshagam Posts: 56 Member
in Success Stories
pvlplc7gx2dt.jpeg

When the scale shows progress, but you can’t see it even with a magnifying glass... lol. Not gonna lie, I was bummed, but not gonna grab a bag of chips yet. I’m not whining, just want to show others who might get discouraged for the same reason. Total weight loss, 20 lbs. This ten was much slower than the last. I started on March 11, so this is day 51.

Photo #1: Starting Weight 156 lbs
Photo #2: 10 lb weight loss, 146 lbs
Photo #3: 20 lb wieight loss, 136 lbs

Same jeans in each photo which tells me I was in denial wearing 28” jeans back then, because they are still not loose. I tucked in my shirt just for the photo, still don’t feel comfortable tucking it in yet.

Replies

  • cizzawizza
    cizzawizza Posts: 69 Member
    You have done really well. Thanks for sharing
  • cshagam
    cshagam Posts: 56 Member
    LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »
    That's a short period of time to lose 20lbs, time to slow further loss ( if you're wanting to lose more that is) down to 0.5 lb a week to preserve lean muscle.


    Congrats on your amazing progress :smile:

    Thanks! I haven’t added any exercise yet, because I didn’t want to “bulk up”... I am clearing and landscaping a 3 acre property, so I fall into bed each night and wake up sore. That’s all I can bear right now. Lol. I agree with the slowing down part. I actually am not restricting my calories so much now, just eating clean, low carb meals.

  • cshagam
    cshagam Posts: 56 Member
    mbaker566 wrote: »
    personally, i think it's very visible

    Thanks. I guess I had such a dramatic difference with the first ten pounds that I was hoping to see more of a change. But I just looked again at my forearm in pic 2 vs pic 3, and I can a big difference there. Thanks for making me look again! Lol.
  • sugarlemonpie
    sugarlemonpie Posts: 311 Member
    Amazing progress! I can definitely see a difference, sometimes our progress is deceiving. I know I have been in the same boat as you.

    Have you taken any measurements? Sometimes the weight comes off in the most random of places - measuring your thighs, calves, biceps can help you to understand where your weight is coming off of, along with the standard hips, bust, waist measurements. :)
  • cshagam
    cshagam Posts: 56 Member
    sugarlemonpie wrote: »
    Amazing progress! I can definitely see a difference, sometimes our progress is deceiving. I know I have been in the same boat as you.

    Have you taken any measurements? Sometimes the weight comes off in the most random of places - measuring your thighs, calves, biceps can help you to understand where your weight is coming off of, along with the standard hips, bust, waist measurements. :)


    I wish I would have taken from the beginning! Everyone in my family keeps telling me my neck looks smaller, so maybe I was carrying all of my weight in my neck. Lol
  • Nataliegetfit
    Nataliegetfit Posts: 395 Member
    Wow, you look so amazing, I can see a huge difference in you. You should be proud of yourself, and don't grab the bag of chips. Keep up the awesomeness.
  • cshagam
    cshagam Posts: 56 Member
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    cshagam wrote: »
    LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »
    That's a short period of time to lose 20lbs, time to slow further loss ( if you're wanting to lose more that is) down to 0.5 lb a week to preserve lean muscle.


    Congrats on your amazing progress :smile:

    Thanks! I haven’t added any exercise yet, because I didn’t want to “bulk up”... I am clearing and landscaping a 3 acre property, so I fall into bed each night and wake up sore. That’s all I can bear right now. Lol. I agree with the slowing down part. I actually am not restricting my calories so much now, just eating clean, low carb meals.

    you arent going to bulk up. women dont get bulky unless they are using some illegal substance(or injectiin testosterone or something else. it will change your body sure but you end up looking smaller at a higher weight if you gain muscle.but if you are losing weight the muscle gain is going to be small to nil if you are on deficit of more than 250 calories.. muscle for a woman is hard to build even in a surplus and takes time.years even

    I guess I was thinking of my past experience. I have always been small, 115 pounds after four kids, lived in Hawaii for 35 years and used to do triathlons and century bike rides, etc., dance classes, yoga, certified Zumba instructor - I could eat around 3,000 calories a day and never fluctuate in weight. Fast forward to my fifties and being menopausal, complacent, or just... lazy, and I found myself suddenly at 160. Went on a strict paleo diet for about a year, started back at the gym regularly and found myself way more muscular at 135 than I wanted to be and I felt like it was because I was weight training while still on the heavier side. We moved a few years ago (now mid-fifties) and except for very hard physical landscaping labor, I haven’t had any real regular exercise at all in probably three years and weight crept back up to 156. For myself, I want a dancer or yoga body like I used to have, and I’m hoping that will even be possible one day. The reason I actually got serious about clean eating was because my cholesterol skyrocketed into borderline high and when my doctor wanted to put me on statins, we decided to let me try to get my weight down by 25 pounds, stabilize a little and then re-test. That’s a long story... lol, but I didn’t want to put on muscle weight yet and not know when I was getting to a 25 pound weight loss. But I totally understand what you are saying.
  • mojonah
    mojonah Posts: 92 Member
    cshagam wrote: »
    pvlplc7gx2dt.jpeg

    You’ve done well. The change is visible and all you have to do is look at your back end on the first picture. The photo shows a really tight jean around your glutes. Now compare that to the others.

    Congrats.
  • cshagam
    cshagam Posts: 56 Member
    mojonah wrote: »
    cshagam wrote: »
    pvlplc7gx2dt.jpeg

    You’ve done well. The change is visible and all you have to do is look at your back end on the first picture. The photo shows a really tight jean around your glutes. Now compare that to the others.

    Congrats.

    Thanks. I guess I was expecting the same dramatic change from 2 to 3, so not gonna lie, I was more than a little discouraged. It would probably be more visible to me if I had worn the same clothes for the pictures. I still wanna lose about ten more pounds, but I know that will be very slow to come off. I have a tendency that when I don’t show progress, I wanna just say, “screw it” and go eat a Big Mac!

  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    cshagam wrote: »
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    cshagam wrote: »
    LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »
    That's a short period of time to lose 20lbs, time to slow further loss ( if you're wanting to lose more that is) down to 0.5 lb a week to preserve lean muscle.


    Congrats on your amazing progress :smile:

    Thanks! I haven’t added any exercise yet, because I didn’t want to “bulk up”... I am clearing and landscaping a 3 acre property, so I fall into bed each night and wake up sore. That’s all I can bear right now. Lol. I agree with the slowing down part. I actually am not restricting my calories so much now, just eating clean, low carb meals.

    you arent going to bulk up. women dont get bulky unless they are using some illegal substance(or injectiin testosterone or something else. it will change your body sure but you end up looking smaller at a higher weight if you gain muscle.but if you are losing weight the muscle gain is going to be small to nil if you are on deficit of more than 250 calories.. muscle for a woman is hard to build even in a surplus and takes time.years even

    I guess I was thinking of my past experience. I have always been small, 115 pounds after four kids, lived in Hawaii for 35 years and used to do triathlons and century bike rides, etc., dance classes, yoga, certified Zumba instructor - I could eat around 3,000 calories a day and never fluctuate in weight. Fast forward to my fifties and being menopausal, complacent, or just... lazy, and I found myself suddenly at 160. Went on a strict paleo diet for about a year, started back at the gym regularly and found myself way more muscular at 135 than I wanted to be and I felt like it was because I was weight training while still on the heavier side. We moved a few years ago (now mid-fifties) and except for very hard physical landscaping labor, I haven’t had any real regular exercise at all in probably three years and weight crept back up to 156. For myself, I want a dancer or yoga body like I used to have, and I’m hoping that will even be possible one day. The reason I actually got serious about clean eating was because my cholesterol skyrocketed into borderline high and when my doctor wanted to put me on statins, we decided to let me try to get my weight down by 25 pounds, stabilize a little and then re-test. That’s a long story... lol, but I didn’t want to put on muscle weight yet and not know when I was getting to a 25 pound weight loss. But I totally understand what you are saying.

    as we age our metabolism slows down a bit and moving less also has that effect. weight gain happened because you ate more than your body burned. if you used to eat a lot but was always active then you became say sedentary then that calorie amount will be too much and boom you gain weight.and yes if you build muscle and have a higher fat ratio you will look big and bulky. The thing with lifting heavy while in a deficit means less lean mass loss(including muscle) and fat loss and looking leaner. you arent going to put on much muscle weight yet if in a deficit. if your deficit is more than 250 calories a day then theres no need to worry. as for your age it will also make it harder to gain muscle. you arent going to get as bulky and build muscle like you did when you were younger.

    its hard for a woman to build a lot of muscle even in a surplus as Like I said it can take years to even get a good amount of muscle but add in age, menopause,etc. then its going to be even harder. you should keep lifiting heavy things to prevent osteoporosis since you are menopausal. I started lifting because I have RA and it has helped tremendously. I still dont need meds as of yet.
  • aliblain
    aliblain Posts: 175 Member
    Wow! You’ve done amazingly well! I’ve lost the same as you but it’s taken me 110 days. Such a dramatic change from your first to second picture. I can see subtle changes between your final two. I really don’t see a very big change in myself after 20lb loss- maybe because I’m quite tall and still 6 pounds overweight!
  • cshagam
    cshagam Posts: 56 Member
    aliblain wrote: »
    Wow! You’ve done amazingly well! I’ve lost the same as you but it’s taken me 110 days. Such a dramatic change from your first to second picture. I can see subtle changes between your final two. I really don’t see a very big change in myself after 20lb loss- maybe because I’m quite tall and still 6 pounds overweight!

    Subtle. You nailed it. Lol. It’s funny though, when you start losing fat and you kind of go through a lumpy, bumpy stage, you feel like you look worse than you did with more weight. At least I have. Well, I have it in my mind now that I will be content with subtle changes - I think you and I are down to that. But that is a success to celebrate!
  • suemcmurry
    suemcmurry Posts: 188 Member
    You look amazing! Nailed it! <3
  • workinonit1956
    workinonit1956 Posts: 1,043 Member
    I think you look great, I can see a difference! The difference between the second and third pics is especially inspiring.
  • AmberSpamber
    AmberSpamber Posts: 391 Member
    I can definitely tell a difference. You look great! I have lost just under 20 lbs myself and am still in the same jeans as well. Its just because of where we carry our weight! Be proud of your progress! It's awesome.
  • cshagam
    cshagam Posts: 56 Member
    workinonit1956 wrote: »
    I think you look great, I can see a difference! The difference between the second and third pics is especially inspiring.

    Thanks... I don’t really see it, but I’m gonna take your word on it! Lol.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    That is a tremendous change in 20 lb.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    cshagam wrote: »
    workinonit1956 wrote: »
    I think you look great, I can see a difference! The difference between the second and third pics is especially inspiring.

    Thanks... I don’t really see it, but I’m gonna take your word on it! Lol.

    everyone seems to notice it before you notice it yourself lol not sure if its a weight loss thing or a woman thing lol

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