Noticing weight loss results (week 6)

Hello all, this is my first post and I am very excited to have been exposed to this website.

So I am a male 6'3 230 pounds. I started a weight loss program on September 21st when I was 256 pounds. I have lost a fair amount of weight over the last month or so and I am very happy in that aspect.

However I have a few issues:
1. I have an abhorrent amount of abdominal fat (muffin tops) and I cannot wait until those start to recede.
2. I feel very discouraged that I do not see huge results, I know that is sort of childish but I really was hoping that I would be able to see noticeable changes.

25 pounds is a good amount of weight, more than 10% of my weight, so for that I am happy. My main question is this: for all of you who have always been a little chubby and finally got sick of it, how long did it take to feel happy with progress?

It is a daily struggle and your input would help greatly.

Thank you so much.

Replies

  • ddzubow
    ddzubow Posts: 65 Member
    Congrats on your weight loss so far! I can relate to your issue. While the weight you've lost is considerable, it may not SEEM to be showing, but I promise you that it is. You see your body everyday, so the changes that are occurring day to day may not be noticeable to you. If you haven't done so already, consider taking pictures and measurements to track your progress. I do mine monthly and after I looked back on my original photo, especially after around 6 months/40 lbs, I was in disbelief. Take pictures - you'll be amazed at the changes taking place.
  • I lost about 60-70 lbs two years ago. (Unfortunately, I gained it all back which is why I am trying again.) Female, 5'11", I weighed about 255 in the beginning. I ran it off and taekwondo'ed it off down to 180. :) After losing 10 lbs, then 15, then 20, I would look in the mirror and not notice anything. However, other people did. Becuase the change is so gradual, the small changes we see in the mirror, we get used to. You should start to see your face slimming up. I would recommend ab toning exercises to help with the stomach. I got excited about my progress when my clothes started fitting differently and my whole body felt healthier.

    It is definitely a daily struggle. I'm back into it now and have lost almost my first 10 lbs of the weight again. I don't see a difference, but my boyfriend says he can. Don't give up. Try measuring your waist and neck to see differences in that. It isn't always about the scale and mirror.

    Just a tip to keep working at it, look at pictures of you at heavier weights than now and compare. I'm you will find areas of improvement.

    If there is anything else, let us know. Good luck and keep on pushing!
  • SamMorBelsmom
    SamMorBelsmom Posts: 164 Member
    I feel you. I started on here at 260, Female, 27 years old back in March. 46lbs later and I am only down from a size 20 pant to an 18. Really? You think I would have dropped more? I have the same issue as you. But we went to a wedding last weekend and saw people we haven't seen in a long time and they were surprised by my weight loss. Take some photos and compare them to old one. That helps me the most! Congrats on your success and add me as a friend if you want. I am on daily.
  • echofm1
    echofm1 Posts: 471 Member
    I'm in a similar boat. I've been at this for 3 months now, down nearly 40 pounds (39 as of this morning, though it isn't my logging day), and I still don't see much. Just so you have my stats, I'm 5'9", started at 343 and currently at 304. There are a few things, but nothing really major, and no one else has noticed on their own. The ones who do know I'm trying to lose weight usually only notice because I didn't take the candy offered at work or the amount on my plate looks like it's "too little".

    However, I am slowly starting to see changes. My pants went from a 26 to a 24, though granted I was on the small end of a 26. Mostly I've noticed that my stretch marks are no longer stretched, which is kind of cool.

    What helped me the most was an example someone used. When you get out a new roll of toilet paper, you don't notice that it's getting smaller and smaller at first. In fact, you don't really notice it at all until it's like half the size it was, and at the end every sheet makes a bigger difference. Losing weight works kind of the same way. You'll work your butt off and make great progress, but you're just starting. The more you lose, the more every pound becomes apparent. Which is why my sister can lose 12 pounds and go from a size 12 to an 8 where as I can lose three times that amount and barely go down a size.
  • sydneyplainjane
    sydneyplainjane Posts: 140 Member
    First, congratulations on your 25 pound weight loss. I weigh a bit more than you, and I've been at this for almost two months and have lost only 14 pounds (well, I say only, but I'm really quite proud of it...).

    One thing I have noticed - while my body is smaller, my proportions haven't really changed. I'm just a smaller version of the flabby person I was 14 pounds ago. So, that could be one reason why you're not seeing a difference, because your overall proportions haven't changed. Another possible reason, when I was younger, I used to always lose in my waist area first; but now, as an older person, it seems I lose everyplace BUT my waist/belly...which makes my waist/belly look like it's getting bigger, or at least not any smaller.

    Do you do any kind of exercise? I've seen some people on MFP say that exercise helps to reshape them. So, maybe some kind of strength training might help you see a difference.

    Anyway, I know how you feel, but still continue to keep working at what it is you are doing!
  • TArnold2012
    TArnold2012 Posts: 929 Member
    1 year and 4 months and 118 lb later, I am finally beginning to be able to go wow !!! I am aiming for btw 40 - 50 more. But every day it seems I notice something amazing about my body that I have no memory of before this journey.