How long before friends notice you've lost weight?

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Replies

  • rosemaryhon
    rosemaryhon Posts: 507 Member
    It finally just happened to me a few days ago!! My mother-in-law said "you've lost weight" and her sister nodded "you have!" :)

    My own mom has said so before, but she knows I've been losing so that doesn't count ;). I hadn't said a word to my MIL about 'dieting' so I trust her response was more 'real'.

    It's only been recently that I've noticed as well. So for me it was25 lbs, which took me about 4.5 months to lose.
  • lilcassers
    lilcassers Posts: 163
    Focus on inches and losing fat not "weight." And it takes at least 8 weeks for someone to notice changes.
  • chrisloveslife
    chrisloveslife Posts: 180 Member
    My mom noticed after 5 pounds, and my friends haven't noticed yet.

    ETA: 5 pounds
  • MaryRegs
    MaryRegs Posts: 272 Member
    I have been on MFP since mid-March 2012 and have lost 55 pounds. Only in the last month or so, have people other than those that know what I've been doing, noticed. I know that it sounds very shallow, but I really needed some outside validation!
  • martysa
    martysa Posts: 12 Member
    pretty much everyone in my life has noticed: bosses, coworkers, friends, classmates, family, neighbors, it's insane. I only lost 25 pounds. I guess i looked pretty bad before hahaha
  • snejkaxo
    snejkaxo Posts: 91 Member
    I lost 20 lbs, dropped 4 dress sizes, and not a single person said anything. To be honest though, I don't see much difference in the mirror either. When I lose weight, I lose it proportionally everywhere, and I still end up with smaller top and heavier bottom. So it's less body, but still exactly the same shape. I don't think it is something I will be able to change, so time to start working on acceptance.
  • rosemaryhon
    rosemaryhon Posts: 507 Member
    I have a theory about why some may not notice our weight loss ~ could be our loved ones don't really *see* our fat. I know when I'm with friend/family who are heavy, I really try to gloss over their weight, I won't focus my eyes on their figure flaws. So I suspect some people are kind enough to not really take a good look at our fat.

    Thus when we are losing weight, they think we look the same as always ;)
  • bornofthorns
    bornofthorns Posts: 143 Member
    People notice on me all the time. It may be because I had a t-shirt made with before/in-progress pictures on the front and back...jk

    Honestly, it was at about 20 lbs. If you are quite heavy like I was, I think that the main difference is that it just takes awhile for it to filter through. I had pushed all of my fattest clothes to the max, so I had to lose like 40 lbs to start to fit into new things. Now every 5-10 lbs I am losing an inch, which is where it really shows, and having to get new clothes that fit better. Just keep up the good work everyone, and we will make sure to take notice on MFP!
  • luv2travelgirl
    luv2travelgirl Posts: 7 Member
    HI , your post caught my eye , I started MFP about 5 months ago and am still waiting for people to notice that I've lost weight , I mean I feel like saying "HELLO" to people around me - 'you know what I mean ' LOL!!:flowerforyou: - Im finally under the 200 pound mark & have lost 25 pounds and 5'6"!! , Im starting to think I am going to have to lose another 25 before anyone will notice! Hang in there - I'm right there with you!!
  • fooninie
    fooninie Posts: 291 Member
    I read on bodybuilding.com once: 4 weeks for you to see a difference, 8 weeks for your friends to see a difference and 12 weeks for the world to notice.
  • jollyjoe321
    jollyjoe321 Posts: 529 Member
    About a stone before they noticed.

    If you haven't seen someone for a while, they definitely notice. I went back to my old workplace having lost nearly 2 stone, they all agreed I look much better for losing it! :)
  • LisaD1025
    LisaD1025 Posts: 74 Member
    I've been seriously at this for about 6 weeks, and only my best friend has made any comment directly about having lost weight -- but I was also wearing a skirt and she could see how toned my legs were getting (thank you, Insanity!). But in the last week I've had 3 people ask me if I've cut my hair -- I haven't since November, so I think they are seeing something different about me, but just can't put their finger on it. I know my body well enough to know that in another 5-10lbs the difference will be MUCH more obvious.

    Keep at it -- I know it's nice to be noticed, but the only thing that TRULY matters, is that YOU see and feel the difference! Soon, everyone else will too! :)
  • florulent
    florulent Posts: 18 Member
    I'm pretty short, 5'3", and it took 15lbs before any of my friends said anything. When your friends see you often, sometimes it's hard to notice! It's the people who only see you once in a while that can see the change right away.
  • kittenful
    kittenful Posts: 318 Member
    It took me 4 weeks (and 15 lbs down) for my friends and family to notice my loss. I've lost 4" in my waist and I've been gaining definition in my arms and legs. At 5'2", it's a difference that even I can see.
  • Chemburly12
    Chemburly12 Posts: 53
    My family started to notice after 20lbs, but my co-workers didn't notice until I'd lost around 30lbs. I have to agree with some of the previous posts though, people that see you every day probably won't notice especially if you're still wearing the same clothes. I've recently had to purchase some new, better fitting stuff and that's when everyone at work started taking notice.
  • kittenful
    kittenful Posts: 318 Member
    It took me 4 weeks (and 15 lbs down) for my friends and family to notice my loss.

    I meant to say 6 weeks. I have no idea how I typed 4, and I can't find the edit button. :ohwell:
  • sunshine51483
    sunshine51483 Posts: 2
    From what I was reading they say it takes from 12 weeks to longer for other people to notice the change. I am guessing it all depends on your body type and how fast you lose it. Just stick with it. Do Not give up!!
  • lavaughan69
    lavaughan69 Posts: 459 Member
    I've lost 25lbs and only my husband has noticed. I think it's because most people have seen me at this size before and all I've really accomplished is getting back into clothes I already owned. I figure when I lose another 10-15lbs and I have to go on a shopping spree people will start to notice. Other than myself, only my husbands opinion matters anyways. :-)
  • JanaCanada
    JanaCanada Posts: 917 Member
    I think it was around 40 lbs. when someone finally said something, and then it was, "Oh, I didn't want to say anything in case you were sick!" Um....so you didn't care enough to ask me if I WAS sick? Thanks for caring. :tongue:
  • eazy_
    eazy_ Posts: 516 Member
    Nobody seems to care.
  • xDawnsgrace
    xDawnsgrace Posts: 436
    my friends are noticing "something's different" about me, but they're not sure what, and i've gone from 157 to 120. :noway:
  • smmorri
    smmorri Posts: 44 Member

    How long was it before people noticed that you had lost weight or changed shape??

    For the first 20 lbs, I didn't tell anybody I was trying to lose weight. Only the people I live with knew. I lost the first 20 in about three (maybe four) months. But nobody said anything.

    Afterwards, I maintained for about one year... (Except, in the 12th month, I gained 5 lbs. That is what kick-started my weight loss again.)

    When I started losing again, the pounds came off slower than what I had hoped for.... But I am surprised to see inches just falling off!! (Most likely due to strength training!) And my co-workers have been asking me HOW MANY POUNDS HAVE YOU LOST??!
    It feels so good, to have people notice!


    So, for me, it was a total of ~25 lbs lost, before people started to really pay attention. Although, Looking back at pictures from where I've started... I'm sure people noticed slight changes here and there.... It just wasn't an IN -YOUR -FACE, over-night change, that drastically shocked them.
  • mrswine
    mrswine Posts: 263 Member
    It took me losing 30 pounds before people noticed, but I lose weight very evenly and have an hourglass figure.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    A good 20-25 Lbs before my friends really started commenting. They could tell before that, but it was really drastically evident until I was about 20 Lbs or so down.

    Also, a lot of people don't really like to comment anyway because it can be taken multiple ways and people would just rather not deal with you possibly getting offended...'cuz some people...when you say..."hey...lookin' good, you lost some weight." They take that to mean, "oh...so you thought I looked like a big fat *kitten* piece of **** before huh?" So a lot of times, people just don't comment. I still have friends who haven't said a word even though I'm about 40 Lbs down, quit smoking, and went from being winded walking to my car in the driveway to running 5K and 10K races and pushing up lots of weight in the weight room.
  • cals83
    cals83 Posts: 131
    People started noticing on me at 10 pounds. All of the people who commented though knew that I was using this site and trying to lose weight. I haven't officially dropped any sizes but my jeans that were once tight are now comfortably loose.
  • twosons08
    twosons08 Posts: 46 Member
    I found at around 10lbs lost, I would start to get comments. I think it's because it shows in my face before it comes off other parts of my body.
  • Alwayssohungry
    Alwayssohungry Posts: 369 Member
    15 Pounds lost as of this morning and as I dressed to go run for the fourth time ever I saw my husband give me the up and down eyeball. Naturally he said nothing, but he's a man.
  • Lmns218
    Lmns218 Posts: 155
    My ex hadn't seen me in a few weeks until today and he noticed. But other than that nobody. I don't care really. I'm not doing it for others to notice.
  • gailwil
    gailwil Posts: 1 Member
    It took about 20 lbs of weight loss before people noticed at work. I hadnt said anything to them , because this was something I was doing on my own at first. That was 2 1/2 years ago, now I have lost 76 pounds and only need to lose 3 more to get to goal!! unbelievable. Keep at it, we all have days we eat to much, but then you wake up the next day, your slate is clean! Just start again. The formula works. Persistence, don't beat yourself. Eat things you love that are high nutrition, low calorie. Choose activity that you love, set up a routine that you can see yourself doing for the next 5 years.Include your family or friends. It will work,. I still allow myself a sweet 2-3 times a week, but i try to keep it under 200 calories. I learned if I wasn't logging what I ate then I was eating...soo I log, and will probably log for another 2 years until i can maintain what I just accomplished. Good luck to you , stay focused and you will succeed.
  • PrettyPearl88
    PrettyPearl88 Posts: 368 Member
    My family is usually the first to notice, then friends. My friends noticed about 2-3 months (and about 15 lbs down) after I had started consciously and actively trying to lose weight. My dad, however, was the very first person to notice and make a comment about my weight loss when it first started 3 years ago and it was something like 7-10 lbs of a loss at that time. That was before I was consciously trying to lose weight (it just happened because I was more active at that time), so he had no special reason to be paying attention to my weight. My dad's comment, however, motivated me to actually start trying to lose the weight and here I am now: 3 years later and 52 pounds down! I am thankful for my dad's honest and encouraging motivation!

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