38lbs down. No one has noticed.

sarafay80

I've learned to be thankful when people don't say things... sometimes it can be worse. I'm down 29 lbs and my work clothes were at the point of just falling off. I bought one new pair of suit pants (heck they are expensive and I'm hoping to drop a couple more sizes), I wear them to work and my delightful coworker says "wow, your clothes are getting tight again, are you gaining back?". She knew I was trying to lose weight and never mentioned the weight loss, but she sure noticed when my clothes "fit" again.

And that is why when I don't hear comments, I just exhale. I also have a couple acquaintences that like to compare and not in nice ways.... I am sooo over hearing "well since you gained weight, save your skinny clothes for me, I'll need them soon". These are not real friends. Real friends SUPPORT you on your journey even if that means saying "Yo friend, I notice you been going to McDonalds EVERYDAY for lunch, what's going on. Do you want to talk about it?" I can appreciate that kind of support. And someone to make me an awesome salad lol.

As for you, you are rocking out! Keep doing what you are doing and remember that you are not only getting smaller but healthier too and that will prove to be more important in the long run. But a couple new outfits NOW to help you really see the loss wouldn't hurt either

shunggie

Don't think for a second that no one has noticed!!! You have lost 38 lbs!! that is great!!! imagine almost 4 ten lb sacks of potatoes!!! that is an incredible loss.
The reason no one has said anything is weight is a very touchy subject for some people...and its an embarrassing subject for others. People are noticing they just might not know how to approach you or what to say...keep up the great work! and know that its YOU that needs to notice...that's all....

I like the image of ten pound sacks of potatoes. I've only lost two ten pound sacks but think of lugging that in from the car with the groceries and it puts it into perspective which is so easy to lose on this journey. The first time I lost weight, I lost 120 pounds. My best friend was a man that who has to force himself to eat, he is a naturally thin person who loves to run. Finally after I had lost 80 pounds I mentioned something to him. He said, I thought maybe you had lost some weight. I'm 5 ft 2, losing 80 pounds was VERY noticable, he just didn't know how to start the conversation. Ever since then he's supportive when I"m losing and doesn't say anything when i'm not losing (aka gaining). People are nervous about it, my co-workers (all women at the time) said something about it after a week of going to lunches together and were super supportive. No more doughnuts in the morning etc. I work from home now, which you would think would make things easier but honestly I miss my support structure at work.

bokodasu

It took me 39 lbs before someone noticed, so hey, you're almost there!

Seriously, it is discouraging, but you kind of have to ignore it and push on. I've done the "feeling fatter as I lose weight" thing too - the best I can figure out is that before there was just a blob that was "me" but now I'm actually looking in the mirror and seeing body parts, and they don't look like the body parts in fitness magazines, so ick, look at those wobbly arms or pudgy belly. On the other hand, I can feel the difference when I happen to put my hand on my hip or my leg - the mirror tells me yuck, but I can feel bones & muscle where before I could just feel fat.

Losing weight can do a number on your head. Try to focus on the positives that you do notice - hey, my wedding ring fits again, I can wear these smaller pants I've always liked, I have an excuse to get rid of these bigger pants I always hated (yes I am highly pants-motivated), my butt feels less jiggly, whatever. Go look at some optical illusions and remember that anything you see in the mirror is getting filtered through your brain, which can have some odd ideas about things.

tami101

I agree with the new clothes comment. Once I bought new clothes that fit I started getting a lot of comments from coworkers. When I run into people that I haven't seen in a while they barely recognized me. Hang in there, it will happen!

amydee714

My best friend always tells me to "Put down the bat and quit beating yourself up!". I need to look at where I was to really grasp where I am at today!

I love this comment. More people need to put down their bats!

Buzzatronic

Have you bought new clothes yet?

This. Barely anyone noticed at work until I bought all new clothes. All my old clothes were already baggy to start with so wearing them while being much smaller made it really impossible to see my weight loss.

MelodieRSA

You need to do this for you! Concentrate on how much better you feel and how much more stamina you have. Don't get discouraged and don't give up

blackmantis

Same here 53lbs down but just a drop in the but keep pushing on when they notice then it will be time to purchase in-between wear.

WendyTerry420

I'm in the same boat as you. Forty pounds down and the only people that have said anything were hubby and close friends who knew that I started on MFP. No one else has even hinted at noticing.

sohmui

I once neglected to notice for days that my husband had shaved off his mustache.

Don't worry. This is classic. I once read somewhere that everybody notices when someone grows a beard or moustache, but no one notices when it is shaved off.

TheRealParisLove

On the positive side, you didn't have to endure the kind of treatment my mom did when she lost 70 or so pounds. One co-worker asked her how she was feeling and if the chemo was effecting her still. :noway: Instead of assuming that she lost weight by choice, her co-workers thought she must have had a terrible disease.

lauryn0392

Thanks everyone for your comments.
Yes i have bought new clothes, i dont care if no one notices...its the fact that i cant either so the weight loss must all be in my head.
I look at photos from before and i see no diference. My before photo was. 205lbs and i compared it to one I took now at 167lbs and still cant see it.

Katla49

A friend at work went to Weight Watchers and lots of people talked about it with her and each other, but I just didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything. One day months after she began working on weight loss she was walking down the hall and I noticed how wonderful she looked and said so. She was so pleased that she lit up. I think my tongue finally got "unstuck." The point I"m making, is that many people aren't sure what to say and stay quiet for fear of saying the wrong thing. Don't take it personally. Some are shy, some don't know what to say, and some are caught up in their own drama.

kimmireads

Thanks everyone for your comments.
Yes i have bought new clothes, i dont care if no one notices...its the fact that i cant either so the weight loss must all be in my head.
I look at photos from before and i see no diference. My before photo was. 205lbs and i compared it to one I took now at 167lbs and still cant see it.

I think that sometimes we have "personal blinders". We have looked in that mirror so often hoping to see change that when it is there we ourselves miss it. I agree with some of the others post a before and a now picture here--I bet many here will notice. Are you comparing similar posed pictures at about the same distance taken.

38 pounds down is GREAT! It's hard because we lose it all over not just in one area so sometimes it takes us longer to notice. Go to the grocery store and count out 38 1# boxes of butter. Take a good look at it, because if you squished together the weight you've lost that would be an equivalent. Also, go to the pet food aisle and pick up a large bag of dog food or kitty litter that is close to the 38 lbs and carry it up and down the aisle a couple times. I think that will help you visualize and realize some of the change.

brevislux

It's not something that's easy for people to bring up.

Also, people who see you every day might not really notice.

jwgarcia82

I think that people you see every day don't tend to notice because it's a gradual thing and their minds grow used to the way you look as you lose weight. I've lost about 5 lbs and ran into someone I hadn't seen in awhile and they said "you look like you're losing weight!" But no one I see every day has said anything. Don't get discouraged! Like everyone else has said, 38 lbs is quite an accomplishment and something to be proud of! Congrats!

captainsuperpants

Treat yourself to a new outfit and/or haircut!!

You'll look fabulous and more importantly feel fabulous after all the hard work you've done to get where you are. It can help to look in the mirror and see a 'new' you.

A few years ago i lost about 12 kilos (26 pounds). I was still wearing the same clothes but they were a bit loose. I love to scour op shops, so i set out and found several better fitting dresses and other fab things, and got a new hairstyle. I also bought some new bras for better cleavage (not from the op shop LOL). I felt great and looked great, and people commented then. It's like my new confidence gave them permission or something.

I'm looking forward to that feeling again when i knock off another 10 kilos...

lesliethescrivener

Exactly, do not get discouraged people. People you see every day will not notice unless you were to drop, say 50 lbs, and buy new clothes. I guarantee you if you were to run across someone you haven't seen in a while, they will notice and say something. The way I look at it... this is not a race, time flies so keep working hard everyday and you will reach your goals before you know it. Stay on top of it, don't give up, and before long everyone will notice.

^ precisely!

yksdoris

I love this thread! everyone is so supportive

I've lost about 30 lb (14 kg - I'm counting in kg), but with my height it means moving from borderline obese to the heavier side of normal weight range. Lots of people have noticed but that's I think more to do with the percentage of weight lost than the grand sum of weight lost. Also, a lot of them didn't say anything until I was a good 15-20 lb lighter; so this is compatible with the experiences of a lot of people here.

As for seeing yourself, I totally understand what you mean! At my heaviest, I didn't see the weight when I looked in the mirror, I especially didn't see it when I looked at myself naked, which is a bit odd, but I suppose everyone's minds are different. When I did see it and hated myself was when buying new clothes or whenever someone took a picture of me. Holy cow, what a cow! Then, when I started losing, at first I was amazed at the changes I was seeing... but for the last 10 lb or so (that's actually my profile pic, about 6-7 lb back), I don't see it in the mirror any more. I see it on the scale and I see it in the clothes sizes but I dont'see it when I look in the mirror. It really freaks me out. I think it may be because I was at the weight of about 10 lb up from where I am now for a very long time and I just got used to thinking of myself AT that weight. But now every time I see a picture of me, I am startled at the tiny person looking back, but then I forget about it again, lol...

So, instead I try to focus on looking at parts of my body rather than the whole. I like the way my arms look now - the bat-wings are totally gone... My tummy isn't washboard-tight but that hasn't been my aim anyways; it is however looking slimmer... I have collarbones, that's nice. I have cheekbones, that's even nicer! My calves are starting to REALLY get there, which is awesome, I hated my calves even more than I hated my arms. I have a crease/wrinkle on my neck where before I lost the weight I had some fat... that's less nice, but look, the fat isn't there any more.

shaunap3

Have you talked about it, made it obvious you're trying to get healthy and/or gotten new clothes that fit?

There's a lot of factors that go into people responding to weight loss. I've noticed that if YOU don't say anything other people don't feel it's their place to make comments. It can be a really touch topic for a lot of people.

But congrats! I bet you're looking and feeling much better!

hattie2833

Losing 38 lbs is wonderful. My neighbor lost about 50 and I never noticed because she still wore the same clothes. But when she bought herself a new top and new jeans, wow! Also, there was a big difference in her face when compared to an old driver license picture. Keep going....they'll notice!

bluemilan

Its such a hard thing to do--lose weight and you should be extremely proud of your achievement even though no-one else has noticed.

I agree that people may not want to upset you by remarking onnyour weight loss but I am delighted for you.

Having never been thin in my life-even as a child, I still always see myself in the mirror as the fat person. Its such a difficult concept to realise that you are shrinking and even though clothes are smaller, you still feel the same.

Stand up and be proud of your achievements---you are doing a fantastic job!!!!

LA x

nfrewin

Annnnnnd sometimes if people see you every day they don't notice as easily because the change is gradual. People only noticed I was losing weight when I went home on break from college, and my relatives hadn't seen me in like two or three months.

Totally agree - a colleague of mine had lost about 20 ponds but because i saw them every day i never noticed the difference - and when i eventually did i felt too awkward to say anything as it had been so long

SCharlie123

If no one notices just think that it benefits you in the long run. I've lost nearly 15 pounds now and I still look like the same obese guy but as long as I know I'm losing weight its fine by me, it just takes time I guess. I reckon I need to lose around 50lbs first to notice any changes in myself.

Velum_cado

Annnnnnd sometimes if people see you every day they don't notice as easily because the change is gradual. People only noticed I was losing weight when I went home on break from college, and my relatives hadn't seen me in like two or three months.

Yep. I've been losing weight pretty steadily for the last year and a half... No one at uni really noticed through all of last year, but when we came back from summer break, suddenly *everyone* was asking me about it, complimenting me, etc. I had been losing at the same rate over the summer, they just hadn't seen me in 5 months.

chameleonish

I haven't managed to read through the other comments, but I once read an analogy which explains this: losing weight is like unraveling a roll of toilet paper. Every pound you lose is 1 sheet. At the very beginning, you can take off a lot of sheets, and you still don't really know the difference. It takes quite a lot of "sheets" to get rid of just 1 layer (especially if it's getting colder, and you're wearing more clothes, it can be pretty hard to tell). The further you progress, the more people will notice.

And towards the end, 1 sheet will wrap around the whole roll, so if you take that off, it'll be much more noticable. Which is why towards the end, when people actually start noticing, they'll probably start commenting that you're losing weight "so fast all of a sudden", and perhaps that you are losing "too much weight".

At the end of the day, people noticing is just a nice bonus. The real reward is what you are giving your body: health.

EDIT: Forgot to say - 38 lbs is AMAZING! Congratulations, and keep up the good work.

geebusuk

People that see you daily are less likely to realise.

For me a friend that maybe saw me every week or two commented "I didn't realise how much you'd lost until you were wearing that tight t-shirt".
I have a load of medium t-shirts, but hadn't worn them for a while; I tend to carry my weight fairly well and dress appropriately if I have too much of it.

Finally, have a look at some of the threads where people have been offended by all sorts of things in relation to their weight - no wonder a lot of people may not want to mention it when people can be so easily 'hurt'.

stewy1963

i have lost 34 lb don't know how much weight you have to lose to be noticed

pinkraynedropjacki

It's taken 69lbs in 8 months before anyone noticed with me & before I got out of the 'fat girl' mentality.

eatrainsmile

I am sure your inner organs and blood values have already noticed your weightloss. Does it matter that others are aware of it or not? You are not doing it to draw others' attention. You are doing it for your health. Keep doing whatever you are doing. There will be the day they all will congratulate you for your weight loss.