Why can't people tell yet?

astrickland6068
astrickland6068 Posts: 2
in Motivation and Support
So i started at 180 lbs about a month and a half ago and ive lost 16 lbs!! Yay! But... why can't anyone tell?? Everything that ive read has said that people should be able to start telling a difference at 10 lbs? The only people that have said anything are people who are just being nice because they know how hard im trying. Any thoughts??
Thanks!!
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Replies

  • DanceForever904
    DanceForever904 Posts: 611 Member
    people thought i was crazy when i said i lost 14 pounds....it took till me personally when i hit 25ish pounds lost grrr
  • pineapple1989
    pineapple1989 Posts: 195 Member
    People who knew I was dieting started to notice at about 18 lbs. But I had lost THIRTY POUNDS (!!) before anybody who didnt know I was dieting commented on my weight! I am 5' 10" so a pound doesnt make the same amount of difference as my petite friends. What type of frame do you have? And how tall are you? These things will make a huge difference.
  • Jmstill300
    Jmstill300 Posts: 239 Member
    I was at about 30 lbs or so before people began to notice...but I really didn't start getting comments about it until I hit the 50 lb mark. Don't let it bother you! You'll get there soon enough! :smile:
  • astrickland6068
    astrickland6068 Posts: 2
    Hey, thanks for responding guys! I just wanted to make sure it wasn't me or that my scales weren't lying to me! lol. Im about 5'6'' and i have a pretty average build i guess. Just waiting for that ,"Hey, are you loosing weight?" question!
  • breezymom81
    breezymom81 Posts: 499 Member
    Sometimes it is awkward to comment- hey have you lost weight (ie: cause you sure needed to!) Remember this is for you not them!
  • Brenda_Pancakes
    Brenda_Pancakes Posts: 288 Member
    I've lost 20... and the only difference I can see is that pants that I had to squuueeezzzeeeee into a few months ago, are now sitting real comfy. I think it probably takes (for my size anyways) a good 30 + lbs to be really noticable.

    It probably depends on your size. I mean, 20 lbs on a person that goes from 140 to 120 is probably really noticable... But I started at 256 and I'm down to 235... and even I dont see much of a change.
  • LadyRush
    LadyRush Posts: 95 Member
    I've lost 28 and barely anyone has noticed....so I wear my smaller jeans like a super model and they get to wonder why I'm so perky that day!
  • acelynp2
    acelynp2 Posts: 72 Member
    I don't have a good answer for you but I do feel your frustration! I have lost 11 lbs (from 170) and even though I can totally tell, and hubs can tell, no one has noticed ;-(

    Even people who know I am trying haven't said anything.

    One thing to consider is whether you are wearing flattering clothes. If you are still wearing the same old stuff, but it's just baggier, it may be harder for people to tell. I wore a new, fitted, flatteringly cut dress the other day--which made me look thinner than I am--and finally someone commented! I figure I need to lose another 5-7 lbs before I get lots of comments. But maybe that won't be enough either, who knows!
    Just keep at it. You can tell and for me at least, that is plenty to keep me going!
  • GeminiFairy89
    GeminiFairy89 Posts: 45 Member
    Supposedly,Ive only lost 4 pounds in 2 weeks according to MFP and people have been saying that Im starting to look slimmer. I eat under my calorie goal daily. It probably varies with everyone.The one thing I am not trying to do is weigh myself everyday because then ill lose my motivation lol!

    But at the end of the day, it shouldn't matter what people say or don't say,its about how you feel bout yourself.
  • BeautyAndTheGeeks
    BeautyAndTheGeeks Posts: 109
    "It takes 4 weeks for you to notice, 8 weeks for family to notice and 12 weeks for the world to notice" - at least that's what pinterest says, hahaha. Give it 12 weeks and see how many people notice then!
  • bradphil87
    bradphil87 Posts: 617 Member
    It wasn't until around 40lbs lost that people started to notice.
  • YourMassiveness
    YourMassiveness Posts: 1
    The general rule of thumb is that it takes 4 weeks for you to notice, 8 weeks for friends and family, and 12 weeks for everyone else. This seems to hold true. I wasn't getting any feedback until I hit 3 months and now it's almost overwhelming. Hang in there!
  • toomuchsweetness
    toomuchsweetness Posts: 168 Member
    quite frankly, the general public doesnt pay attention to things around them. It takes a big difference to catch someones eye... I agree. 25 lbs + then people notice.... how can u not!
  • d0gma
    d0gma Posts: 3,966 Member
    What people are you talking about? My wife has noticed my weight loss more than I have. I see my parents sporadically and they noticed. No one at work said anything until last week, and I'd lost 50+ by then.
  • MaryRegs
    MaryRegs Posts: 272 Member
    I, too, have lost 16 pounds. My husband keeps telling me to ignore the scale, and concentrate on how I feel-as well as how my clothes fit. All well and good (and my clothes fit better) but I would like people to notice as well. Given my size....guess it will be a while. Gotta stay on the path! I'm with you!
  • yarwy
    yarwy Posts: 43
    I'm GLAD someone else has had the same issue as me!!!! I am 4'11" (Actually 4'10 1/2"----LOL!!). Short & squatty!!! Have lost 28 lbs. since Jan. '12 and this has been one of my BIGGEST pet peeves!!!! WHY CAN'T THEY SEE IT???? I feel it!!! My coworker and I started together & she's a few inches taller & as soon as she hit 10 lbs., people were noticing!!! I do wear scrubs to work & she says it's because I haven't stopped wearing my "now baggy ones"...She says if I were to wear the smaller size that I need, people would see it....So I did today......NOT A WORD!!!! (Except her of course!). I'm a very conservatively dressed person, but I told her when I did get to my goal--- I'm gonna blow their socks OFF!!! From the clothes to the color of my hair---IT WILL BE NOTICED WHEN IT'S TIME!!!! LOL!!!!
  • yarwy
    yarwy Posts: 43
    Let me add this comment....I am not the type that really cares to be flattered nor am I fishing for any compliments!! I am VERY pleased with what I've done & my hubby noticed (I should add)....And that's ALL that truly matters!!....:flowerforyou: So, that being said, I was just WONDERING!?!?
  • AmberJslimsAWAY
    AmberJslimsAWAY Posts: 2,339 Member
    No one notices my loss either :(
  • kristi012173
    kristi012173 Posts: 37
    bump to read later
  • MrsPong
    MrsPong Posts: 580 Member
    Hey, thanks for responding guys! I just wanted to make sure it wasn't me or that my scales weren't lying to me! lol. Im about 5'6'' and i have a pretty average build i guess. Just waiting for that ,"Hey, are you loosing weight?" question!

    Im built like you...and I lost 20-30 lbs before "friends" noticed... When I lost 40 everyone noticed!.... So i guess it depends where it sits. Hubby says he can notice after a few lbs (like 5) bc I tend to gain in my back first. So i guess i lose it there first also, and who would see that except him!? :)

    So keep going.... if you see it and feel good...they will see it also!!
  • aweightymatter
    aweightymatter Posts: 222
    Let me add that people might notice it, but maybe they don't want to bring it up yet for fear of saying it in an offensive way. Some people worry that noticing weight loss amounts to implying you were fat before :)

    After I lost a ton of weight, most people I hadn't seen in a while said, "You look ... GREAT!" And I was super happy with that, because very few people want to say "holy **** you look like you lost 50 pounds -- which means you had 50 pounds to lose."

    Great job on your success so far!
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    glad to hear it's so many others too that this happens too. i have lost 10 lbs so far on my 5ft 2 inch frame. It's funny when i was gaining the weight, it didn't take anyone long before they said " oh i see you have put on some weight"... but now that i have lost that 10 and changing the shape of my body no one notices! i had a pair of dressy capris that i got from walmart a few years ago and they were size 10, today i bought the exact same ones in a size 6... so how can no one notice? it beats me! i am purposely not telling people i am trying to loose weight just to see if and when they notice it... if they know i don't know if i would get a honest comment from them...and them just say something b/c they know i'm trying...
  • TheLongRunner
    TheLongRunner Posts: 688 Member
    I started noticing at 10% of my weight lost...others really started noticing at 15-20%. So for you that would be you start noticing around 18 pounds and other people will really start making comments around 27-36 pounds. Hope this helps! I almost gave up when no one was noticing in the beginning...but now I am so glad I stuck it out!!!!!!
  • miss_september
    miss_september Posts: 153
    Yeah, I have lost 30 lbs so far, and have finally had one person notice this past weekend. I do tend to wear my looser sweatshirts, etc. when i am around people, as it is still chilly here (and with 30 lbs less of insulation I get chilly quicker), but I just try to tell myself that the less notice I get with my weight loss now, the more I will get later when I am close to my goal weight. Hang in there!
  • marywanoKC
    marywanoKC Posts: 176
    I'd lost nearly 25 before people began to notice. Regardless of whether or not I lose another pound, inch, or if anyone notices, I'm still glad I'm doing it, because I feel amazing. Positive reinforcement is always nice, though, so I get that it's frustrating when you don't get the reaction you'd hope for after losing quite a bit.
  • rheelizabeth
    rheelizabeth Posts: 160 Member
    I'm only 4'11" and I've lost 9-10lb, you'd think it would be pretty noticeable as it's about 20% of the amount I need to lose altogether, yet I can't even notice it myself yet, except clothes being a little less snug.

    It'll happen, least I hope so! :P
  • malissa41
    malissa41 Posts: 8 Member
    no one said anything about my 28 pound loss yet :sad: but i'm gonna keep going can't wait to get that first compliment i will be soooo happy! :happy: i'm 5ft 2 started at 214 last year then started up again 80 days ago at 209 now at 186
  • onequirkygirl
    onequirkygirl Posts: 303 Member
    Just be patient. I swear, you'll lose two pounds and it will look like you shrunk overnight. I've been working out everyday and doing this for a few months, and just NOW everyone is telling me how "good" they think I look. Back then it was, "Oh, you can't have this cause you're on a diet, that's right!" and now it's "What are you eating, where can I get some?" "She's starving herself." [No, I've been not-starving myself for days and days and weeks and weeks now.] ....it just takes some time, and then it will be like, noticable whoosh.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    I took around 20 or 25 for people to notice on me. My sister didn't notice until round 35 pounds. My parents haven't noticed at all, I guess we will see what happens when I see them over the weekend. So go figure. I can barely tell. It could be my own personal body dismorphia, since I spent pretty much the of last 10 years a little heavier than I am now.
  • DFWTT
    DFWTT Posts: 374
    30 before anyone noticed now at 46 it's like everyone has something to say.

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