23lb lost - don't look any different!

lauren3101
lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
As above really.

Now, I'm not expecting miracles, and I have definitely noticed a difference in my general health, which I am happy about. But 23lb seems like a pretty substantial weight loss to me, and whilst my ankles are definitely making an appearance, when I measure myself (hips, stomach and thighs), I have not lost an inch!
My clothes feel exactly the same, and when people ask how I'm doing with my weight loss and I say 23lb, I get a look of disbelief.

I go to the gym around 3-4 times a week, but I do cardio exercises, not muscle building.

Has anyone else experienced this? I do have a grand total of 121lb to lose (98lb left), so I'm wondering if it's because I have a long way to go. It's not overly motivating, if I'm honest.
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Replies

  • Chairless
    Chairless Posts: 583 Member
    I had 30-40 lbs to lose originally and it took at least half to come off before I noticed a big difference. You have a long way to go, just stick with it and it will happen.
  • JPod279
    JPod279 Posts: 722 Member
    Unfortunately, if you have that much to lose, it may take longer to show. If you are 40 lbs overweight and you lose 23 it will show up a lot more than someoen who has to lose 100+ lbs to lose and loses the same. 23 lbs is great. Don't get discouraged.
  • noweightfisherj
    noweightfisherj Posts: 220 Member
    Have you looked at before and after pics of yourself? You might be surprised by what you see.
  • sazzyp1973
    sazzyp1973 Posts: 517 Member
    Hello! Unfortunately everyone is different. Give it time it will happen. I bet one day you just look in the mirror and go 'wow, that is me"

    I have been doing this for about four months now and it is only this past week or so that I have noticed a shape difference.

    Don't give up, you have made amazing progress so far, 23lbs is loads!
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    As we lose, you just have to "take what you can get" so to speak! I think that after only 23 pounds lost the fact that you have seen a change in your ankles is amazing!! Although I can't say if this is 100% truth, most people say they lose weight last in the areas where they gained it first, which for women tends to be in the hips/midsection. Don't give up! A few more pounds and people will start commenting, they usually notice it in the face first :) You can add me as a friend if you'd like! 23 pounds is a great accomplishment!
  • MCrome
    MCrome Posts: 14 Member
    thats so harsh :(
    erm I would go to your gp because thats not right ..all that exercise should be toning u .
    some people have strange metabilsms , you might be harming yourself without realizing .
    Im not an expert , just saw the post and felt bad x
  • redfroggie
    redfroggie Posts: 591 Member
    Typically at about 20% loss is when others will notice. I'm at 20 lbs lost and I have had to drop a size in jeans and I notice things fitting better but it took some time. I haven't lost much in inches either. You'll get there. Don't give up. Feel free to add me if you need support.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    As above really.

    Now, I'm not expecting miracles, and I have definitely noticed a difference in my general health, which I am happy about. But 23lb seems like a pretty substantial weight loss to me, and whilst my ankles are definitely making an appearance, when I measure myself (hips, stomach and thighs), I have not lost an inch!
    My clothes feel exactly the same, and when people ask how I'm doing with my weight loss and I say 23lb, I get a look of disbelief.

    I go to the gym around 3-4 times a week, but I do cardio exercises, not muscle building.

    Has anyone else experienced this? I do have a grand total of 121lb to lose (98lb left), so I'm wondering if it's because I have a long way to go. It's not overly motivating, if I'm honest.

    Are you taking pictures? If you aren't........do. That is how you will really see the difference.
  • cestlafete
    cestlafete Posts: 71 Member
    Honestly, I know how you feel about this. Though I'm posting 15~20lbs lost, I don't see much of a difference at all. There are a very few articles of clothing that fit differently, and it's not a large amount. There is one pair of shorts that has gotten too big, however it was a bit looser to start with (since I couldn't fit the next size down due to cut).

    It's disheartening, but you have to just trust that once you lose a bit more, you'll start showing. It's not something I attest to begin good at, but it's what I have to tell myself. If you can make it to 30lbs without seeing an improvement, maybe there is something more at work. In any case, you have to lose the weight, regardless of the 'results', so just set your mind to it and do it.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    I am trying not to get discouraged, it's just hard, especially when people don't actually believe you are losing weight.

    Thing is, if I haven't lost an inch, where/how am I losing it?
  • hs1956
    hs1956 Posts: 16
    You have a great start with the loss. Many folks with a lot to loose don't notice appearance change in a bigger way until they hit the 40+ loss or more. Take photos for your records and use a tape measure for waist, hips, arms, etc. What you can't see through a visual glance will show up there. You may want to start some strength training at some point if you are looking for more definition. Hang in there.
  • linda1243
    linda1243 Posts: 166
    I'm in the same boat except I do do strength training. I'm down 20 lbs (30 lbs if you count the 10 I lost before MFP) and no one has said anything and I am still wearing the same sizes.

    I have decided to focus on how good I feel (when I am not sore from working out) and hopefully my body will catch up with me. =)
  • ajh1014
    ajh1014 Posts: 80 Member
    I lost about 40 before even my mom said anything. I'm 6'0 tall and the weight is spread pretty evenly so it takes about 20# just to lose 1 size.

    23# is great! Keep up the good work!
  • jfan175
    jfan175 Posts: 812 Member
    You're still 83% away from your goal. You're off to a great start, keep it up! And start lifting weights (not little pink dumbells), you'll notice more physical change as the weight comes off.
  • cobracars
    cobracars Posts: 949 Member
    I didn't see anything at 10-15 pounds, and just started to notice at 20 lbs. Now I'm at 26 pounds lost and about halfway to my goal. I was at my step-son's house yesterday and his wife looked me over and said "Have you lost weight?" :bigsmile:

    Be patient, its working for you and the visual rewards are just around the corner.
  • PixLover
    PixLover Posts: 2
    You and I have almost exactly the same number stats, and it did take awhile for people to start noticing for me as well. However, with that said, keep in mind that this is a lifestyle change that is propelling you toward greater health... it's ok if others don't notice; do this for yourself and the rest will come down the road. Good luck and don't give up!!!
  • Chairless
    Chairless Posts: 583 Member
    Thing is, if I haven't lost an inch, where/how am I losing it?

    visceralfat.jpg

    From places that really matter.
  • stefanie1990
    stefanie1990 Posts: 19 Member
    I've lost 30lb and have another 20 to go, but I haven't lost an inch from around my waist.
  • Bonnyr1971
    Bonnyr1971 Posts: 51
    I have lost 15lbs so far, I too go to the gym 3-4 days a week, cut my calories to 1200 and have not noticed anything different other than more energy. I started at 224 and currently at 209 and still want to lose another 60. 23lbs is a great and you need to just stay motivated. : ) Have a great day!
  • philOHIO
    philOHIO Posts: 520 Member
    You didn't sound like you were happy 23 lbs. heavier. You have to keep at it... no one says it is fun, or easy. You are much better off realizing this now... instead of later. Each year you age, it only gets HARDER.
  • timjwall
    timjwall Posts: 2
    My body seems to lose it where it wants to not where I want it to. My wife laughs at my skinny legs but it won't shift from my middle still.

    Keep going as others have said one day out of the blue you will notice that things are a bit looser
  • steveinrc
    steveinrc Posts: 7
    I'm with Chairless, stick with it. A lot of what I read is that you lose the fat internally around your hear and other organs first. My bet is that if you had your cholesterol or triglycerides tested you would feel a whole lotter better about your progress. Hang in there, your inner hotness will emerge!
  • PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot
    PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot Posts: 596 Member
    What percentage have you lost thus far? I found that it's not so much the number of pounds, but the percentage you lose that'll determine if it's noticeable. I found that when I lost over 10% is when it started to become noticeable. Best of luck!
  • bellygoaway
    bellygoaway Posts: 441 Member
    It was about 30lbs or so before I could see the difference in me. Keep up your great work, you will start to notice pretty soon!
  • fitpilatesqueen
    fitpilatesqueen Posts: 337
    Yes I have. I have lost 21lbs. I feel like I´m lighter and happier but not lost an inch. My clothes are the same and I´m running out of clothes, I only have two pants that fit and lots of smaller ones that I can´t still fit into. This irritates me. I´m ok with not losing a lot but I was hoping my shape would change a bit, not much, just a bit. But the only change I can see is my watch is constanly turning on my wrist and I have to have 1 -2 links removed :D
    Lets hope we will see difference soon.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Thing is, if I haven't lost an inch, where/how am I losing it?

    My assumption is you are losing it in the areas that aren't the typical places we measure when losing weight! I've read a few more posts from other people here and some people pointed out strength training. This REALLY helped me lose a lot of inches! I went from being a size 10 in January to a size 6 now and I have only lost about 3 pounds since January!
  • hsmaldo
    hsmaldo Posts: 115 Member
    23 lbs lost is GREAT! Don't get discouraged because you haven't lost "inches" Because, honestly, you ARE losing weight. Unfortunately, it's not all concentrated in one area that is measurable right now. It sounds like you're losing weight everywhere. I agree with other posters about taking pictures to compare (and share!) We are sometimes overly critical of ourselves and while YOU may not have noticed it, it may be noticable to others.

    A lot of times, you can tell that you're losing weight because your face begins to look thinner. You can't really measure that. Sorry if this is so disjointed, (I'm still working on my coffee!) but just wanted to encourage you to keep going and SOON you will be able to see (and measure!) the loss! :)
  • jcstanton
    jcstanton Posts: 1,849 Member
    As above really.

    Now, I'm not expecting miracles, and I have definitely noticed a difference in my general health, which I am happy about. But 23lb seems like a pretty substantial weight loss to me, and whilst my ankles are definitely making an appearance, when I measure myself (hips, stomach and thighs), I have not lost an inch!
    My clothes feel exactly the same, and when people ask how I'm doing with my weight loss and I say 23lb, I get a look of disbelief.

    I go to the gym around 3-4 times a week, but I do cardio exercises, not muscle building.

    Has anyone else experienced this? I do have a grand total of 121lb to lose (98lb left), so I'm wondering if it's because I have a long way to go. It's not overly motivating, if I'm honest.

    In my experience (I started out needing to lose 160+lbs), the first 25-30lbs was alot of fluid retention and fat coming off my internal organs. Once I got over the -30lbs mark, I started to notice a big difference. Did you take before photos? I did, and then I took some more at -30lbs. The biggest difference I could see was I didn't look as "puffy" because I had flushed so much fluid out of my system. Before, I looked like I'd had some sort of allergic reaction.
  • AnneM69
    AnneM69 Posts: 30
    Have you measured your chest, and looked for back fat? They say that you lose weight first from your back, specifically between your shoulder blades.
    I've lost 12lb in the last 12 months too and I don't look much different either, but some tight clothes without stretch in them have more room in them than they had last year and I had to buy smaller jeans from the charity shop as my others were falling off me.
  • Curvimami
    Curvimami Posts: 1,851 Member
    Congrats on the 23lb loss!!! Like many others have said. With 100 + lbs to lose, it isnt as noticeable, yet. But the fact that you are starting to see your ankles does confirm that you are infact losing. Perhaps you just aren' t losing in the more "significant" area (i.e, bust, tummy, thighs, and hips). Taking pics would probably be a better way to see a difference. And keep measuring, if you are starting to see your ankles than you are losing inches, just not where you had expected. Good luck. 23 lbs down means that you are doing great. :smile:

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