23lb lost - don't look any different!

cynthiaj777

Have you looked at before and after pics of yourself? You might be surprised by what you see.

Truth.

I only wanted to lose 30 lbs. After 10, I didn't feel any different, after 15, I began noticing it in pictures. I did a comparison of 10, 15, 20 lbs lost....I was amazed how much of a difference there really was. Pictures show it best.

This picture is a simple illustration of how pictures showed just a 10 lbs difference on me. (I'm uber short). 135-130-125


You should definitely take measurements too. I did 30 Day Shred last summer. I didn't lose hardly any weight, but I lost mad inches!

Since you have a considerable amount to lose, start tracking per measurements, pictures, etc. Also, buy some clothes that are too small. Put them in the back of your closet. Out of sight, out of mind. In a few months try them on.....they will be not only not be tight anymore, but they will be too big! That is a huge motivator for me. I buy clothes tight, forget about them then months later try them on for funsy. I normally find I wasted the money because the clothes are now too big. Actually, the 125 lbs picture on the right....I bough those Bermuda shorts WAYYYYYY too tight. I forgot about them until the next summer. I tried them on....and you see the results in the picture. Yeah, I wasted the money, but the self esteem and motivation it causes is worth it.

Get creative. Have fun with your journey.

asdandme

Don't lose heart you are doing great!!! I lost 20lbs before starting mfp and you couldnt 't tell:grumble: but I've lost another 12lbs and wow:bigsmile: can you tell !!!!! I dropped 3 sizes!!!!!:bigsmile: so keep it up you'll soon see results! add me as a friend if you want

FroggyBug

I'm there with you. I have a long way to go still.

I've lost 17 so far and the only difference is my wrist. I can use the next notch up on my watch. Otherwise my clothes feel the same and my measurements were the same last I checked (I'm trying to wait about a month in between them though). No one has noticed yet either.

(*note-I am not complaining about the weight loss, I'm happy! Just wanted to add another comment so she doesn't feel so alone. Slow and steady is the way to go though so hang in there).

warpedlogic

Hi! I lost 100 lbs and at 23 lbs lost I definitely had seen changes in clothes sizes, but my difference was that I incorporated weights into my workout routine. Girls don't get big when they lift weights unless they take a testosterone supplement, so don't worry about that.

What you can start off doing is split your gym routine in half. Do half cardio at beginning and end, then in the middle do some arm, chest/back and leg exercises. You don't really need to do core as it's being worked on as you do the others. Start off with very little weight and work up when it starts getting really easy. I hope I've helped and good luck!

lauren3101

A couple have said the wrist, which is odd, as for the last two weeks I have been wearing a (now loose) watch that I couldn't even get on before. Seems an odd place to loose it first!

A lot are saying to do strength training - I'm a bit worried about this as I've been told that doing this when you are already fat will not help you lose weight, you will just gain muscle, and that I need to get to the size I'm happy with and then tone.
Is that true or more rubbish I've read/been told?

warpedlogic

A lot are saying to do strength training - I'm a bit worried about this as I've been told that doing this when you are already fat will not help you lose weight, you will just gain muscle, and that I need to get to the size I'm happy with and then tone.
Is that true or more rubbish I've read/been told?

Here's what I've been told about this:

Unless you're going into strength training specifically to build muscle (which means high calorie, high protein diet with nothing but lifting weights), or you have over 25% body fat, then yes you should lose fat first. But while lowering your caloric intake, plus exercising, you aren't at the optimal level to really build muscle but you will still build it at a slower rate than the first method. Also, lean mass eats fat for breakfast (lunch and dinner too).

I would argue that even the above 25% bf people could incorporate weights into their routine and still lose fat sufficiently, you'll just see the weight come off slower (in numbers) due to muscle mass increase. I argue this because I did this and it worked great for me.

Also, start taking pictures when you weigh so you can really see it coming off via pictures. Oh and fat doesn't come off from any specific place, your DNA says where it comes off first so don't get discouraged!

VorJoshigan

A lot are saying to do strength training - I'm a bit worried about this as I've been told that doing this when you are already fat will not help you lose weight, you will just gain muscle, and that I need to get to the size I'm happy with and then tone.
Is that true or more rubbish I've read/been told?

My vote is rubbish.
-"just" gain muscle? You'll feel better too. It's nice to feel stronger.
-Muscle burns more calories in a resting state
-our bodies are kinda stupid - they don't know if you're eating fewer calories because of a drought or because you need to hunt/gather faster. I think that building muscle helps to communicate to your body that it's the latter - otherwise, your body will burn muscle along with fat.
-strength training is great, but you can't out-run your fork. It's important to eat back these calories, but it's also important to eat well. For me that means no sugar & an absolute minimum of processed foods.

BeeRobin

If I am being redundant--pardon.

Take a photo of yourself (face or full body) for every ten pounds lost. You will see a difference. Like you I had 120 to loose. People I work with didn't really notice until 40lbs in. I knew...and that's all that mattered.

swatson14102

I'm so happy for this thread in general. I was just about the post the same thing. I've lost 17 lbs and my tight jeans feel comfortable, but I haven't dropped the 3 dress sizes some people claim. I was all excited to go down a size in jeans, but alas, not even close. It feels like the scale numbers are going down and nothing else is changing. Glad to know I'm not the only one that feels this way!

purpleipod

WIth that much weight to lose, no 23 pounds will not make a big difference looks wise. It takes 30-40 pounds lost before I or anyone else notices I've lost any weight. Just be proud of what you've done and keep going.

AnvilHead

A couple have said the wrist, which is odd, as for the last two weeks I have been wearing a (now loose) watch that I couldn't even get on before. Seems an odd place to loose it first!

A lot are saying to do strength training - I'm a bit worried about this as I've been told that doing this when you are already fat will not help you lose weight, you will just gain muscle, and that I need to get to the size I'm happy with and then tone.
Is that true or more rubbish I've read/been told?

It's rubbish.

1) It's very difficult to gain muscle in a caloric deficit. Building muscle requires a caloric excess and LOTS of nutrients (most notably protein).

2) Women have more difficulty than men building muscle due to significantly lower anabolic hormone levels (i.e., testosterone). Even women (and most men!) who are TRYING to build muscle find it a slow process and they have to fight hard for every ounce of muscle they put on.

3) Weight training has been proven to preserve lean body mass while favoring fat loss. If you're trying to get leaner rather than just lighter on the scale, weight training will be of enormous benefit.

4) What most people call "toning" is just losing body fat and thus, showing better definition of the muscles you already have. You can't "tone" a muscle - you can make it bigger, make it stronger or make it smaller (via atrophy), but there's no such thing as "toning" it.

Waiting until you get to your goal weight to start weight training will mean that you lose a lot of muscle mass along the way, resulting in the condition referred to as "skinny fat". Building the muscle from there takes much more work than it would if you lifted weights along the way and preserved the muscle mass you already have - which would result in arriving at your goal weight with most of your existing muscle mass still intact (and probably a figure you'd be much happier with).

FAVORED1

Take it!!! Thoe are great results... I lost over 100lbs and really don't remember seeing a significant change with my first 20lbs. Your clothes will begin to get loose, if not already. Keep going! The physical fruit of your labor is coming. The internal fruit is already making it's way to the forefront. You've got this. Stay focused and committed to your health!

MissShancey

I have lost 51 pounds and i dont look any different ... i still have 119 to go tho so im not worried!

Zalovar

I don't know if this is helpful at all, but my doctor once told me that alot of times, the first fat that you lose is fat that is on the inside, attached to your organs, etc. Apparently, fat doesn't just deposit on the skin, it also deposits on organs such as the liver, etc. So, look on the up side, even though at this time you may be losing internal fat, that's probably a good thing because I'm assuming that's worse for your health than skin fat. The rest will come sooner or later! Keep it up and good job!

ahhohf

As others have said, being patient and sticking with it WILL work and it will show... but to answer your question, doing a decent weight routine will absolutely help your body burn fat and burn it sooner and faster. I do weights all.the.time (Body Pump 2x a week, running and TRX) and I'm starting to see really beautiful results. I've lost nearly 25 lbs and have 5 more to go to get to my ideal body fat % and am using weights to get there (in addition to cardio). Do you have a trainer?

jonesyx6

I'm in a similar boat...I have lost 16lbs and have over 100 to lose. I figure 16 pounds has to have come from SOMEWHERE so I measured....the same...But I did notice the bras that I bought six weeks ago that fit perfectly are not big. Not "I can't wear these" big, but definitely roomier than when I purchased them. Also, I think my face looks thinner (a little) and I'm not "measuring" there. I think what people are saying is absolutely true. If you only had 40 to lose and lost 23 that would be a HUGE difference (50%) but when you've got to lose more, it's a much smaller percentage of a loss.....BUT IT'S STILL A LOSS! So way to go and keep going!

kie_kie

I know the feeling.. so since I've started to work out I have lost 11 pounds and i have only lost inches around my calves. Only friends and family members who know how hard I have been working try to patronize me and comment on how i'm getting smaller.

Its quite discouraging I must say. By the time school reopens I hope to lose 9 more pounds to bring me to 20 pounds lost but at this rate I don't think anyone will see the difference.

I still have a long way to go so I'm keeping at it but a little difference in size not only scale would be a huge motivation.

I just think you should keep at it and have patience because when it finally starts to show you wont believe your eyes

lavendergirll

I think you are doing an awesome job! Dont focus so much on changes about how you look right now. You have the right attitude about noticing that you are feeling stronger and better which is so important. Eventually you will see other changes. I think you are awesome.

lauren3101

Thanks for all the positive comments guys and girls, you have cheered me up tremendously.

So, if I were to start strength training as a complete novice, and not wanting to turn into a femal arnie, what is the best exercises to do? Can anyone advise?

At the moment I am swimming twice a week (and have actually gained a pea sized arm muscle because of that) and quite a bit of walking.

1twistedjew

Take pictures! Your brain will trick you to believe you aren't any different. It really helped me before. Also, 23lbs is alot of weight and good job! Look at what 23 lbs represents. Look at the 3lb bags of sugar next time you are in the store. You lost seven of those. My clothes took forever to change and I didn't loose it where I wanted to. It will come off. Don't give up.. 23lbs is huge! 19% of your body weight is substantial.

jcstanton

A couple have said the wrist, which is odd, as for the last two weeks I have been wearing a (now loose) watch that I couldn't even get on before. Seems an odd place to loose it first!

A lot are saying to do strength training - I'm a bit worried about this as I've been told that doing this when you are already fat will not help you lose weight, you will just gain muscle, and that I need to get to the size I'm happy with and then tone.
Is that true or more rubbish I've read/been told?

You should also be noticing that your rings are fitting more loosely. That's because you were retaining alot of excess fluid in your extremities. The same thing happened to me.

AnvilHead

So, if I were to start strength training as a complete novice, and not wanting to turn into a femal arnie, what is the best exercises to do? Can anyone advise?

Adopt a sensible weight training program and don't use anabolic steroids. You're not going to turn into anything even remotely resembling a "female Arnie" unless you eat and lift like a horse, take in lots and lots of protein and start using steroids (not to mention having the favorable genetics for it in the first place).

Ignore the cute little pink dumbbells and the low weight/high rep "toning" programs promoted in most women's magazines. You won't accomplish anything and you'll just be wasting your time. Here's a good basic beginner program that will help you attain your goals: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843

MoveTheMountain

... I do cardio exercises, not muscle building.
...

I would start some muscle building exercises, as well. The fat will come off faster, and you'll have a better body composition when it does come off. Don't worry, you won't look like a body builder - you'll just look fit and healthy.

Honestly, try squats (with a barbell) and other full body exercises. Obviously, start with very low weight, and although it will cost a little bit, I recommend paying a trainer for at least a session or two to make sure you get your form down. Full body movement exercises are much better for your overall fitness than isolation exercises like dumbbell curls and leg extensions, that sort of thing.

There's a *great* book called "Starting Strength" by a guy named Rippetoe. You can get it on Amazon. If you read that, you won't even need a trainer to show you how to do the exercises.

The big thing is, start with really really low weight, and don't be in a hurry to add weight. Give your body time to adjust, and you won't get hurt, but you will get amazing benefits.

Good luck!

mmmyotwnz

A good hearty yes to all the good advice and encouragement on the previous posts. It takes some time and you have to give yourself some patience. It didn't come on in an instant.
I have lost 23 and have 80-100 more to go.. For one month I lost nothing, not even a fraction of an inch in measure, and I was about to throw my hands up in the air. What I have noticed is that slowly, very slowly my body is changing. I'm not seeing the results I want yet, but I am so much farther than I was. I have more stamina, muscle strength, I've lost inches, my bras are now too big, the new clothes I bought for summer when I was heaver, are all too big now, I can walk around in the heat and not get winded. I am past my fear of the elliptical and actually....enjoy myself on it now...gasp.

Dont give up....you have come to far to get down on yourself.

AmyG27

Thing is, if I haven't lost an inch, where/how am I losing it?

From places that really matter.

I loved seeing that pic! Awesome idea to show her that.

bonniecarbs

Yes! In the past, Nobody ever noticed my loss either, except my daughter. But others that I knew, shock at the mere thought that 've actually lost 20 lbs.

Bsampson24

Hi! Just wanted to say great job on the 23 shed, that's amazing! I bet there are differences but you may want to do comparison photos of your side, back, and front to see the changes. I have been taking monthly pic in the same outfit (sports bra and spandex shorts) to scrutinize the changes and they are there despite sometimes being hidden.

Please don't get discouraged, you are doing a fabulous job!