I've lost weight but I don't see it, fat loss tips

My height is 5'5 and I use to weigh 165lbs. and now I'm 138lbs. and I would like to get down to 126lbs. But I don't think I look that much thinner. I know I've lost inches in my thighs because my pant size dropped and they do look a little less fat I guess but I thought I would look thinner. I haven't noticed my stomach to be smaller Either but I never had that big of one to begin with. Is this because I haven't been losing fat? Just recently I have started to do strength training 3x a week in hopes to burn more fat.

My diet is pretty good I think, I don't eat fast food and eat lots of fruits and some veggies ( though I know I could eat more veggies), drink lots of water, eat lean meat and very rarely drink pop. I do drink coffee and usually have one "bad food" once a week like cookies, chocolate or marshmallows, ice cream. I eat around 1500 calories.

Replies

  • You might not see it because you look at yourself all the time. Do you have any old photos? Take a new one and compare the two.
  • WilmaDennis91
    WilmaDennis91 Posts: 433 Member
    I think you just have to have a better positive view of yourself, you lost a lot of weight, and you're still working for what you want. You could measure yourself with a tape measure to compare the differences to give you a better perspective.
  • lmckillo
    lmckillo Posts: 127 Member
    Sometimes we are, are own worst critics and we fail to see what others see. If you dropped pant size's then I would say the that it is noticable. Stength training will help to tone and areobics will help burn more calories. If you want to burn more calories with strenght training then it has to be intense, very little rest between sets and I recommend high reps..between 10 to 15. Keep up the good work and good luck.
  • MsEndomorph
    MsEndomorph Posts: 604 Member
    I tend to grow and shrink pretty proportionally so it was hard to see myself gaining weight and it's hard to see myself losing. Throw in the fact that I am a recovered (recovering...is it like addiction where you're always recovering??) bulimic and in pretty much screwed at appraising myself.

    Pictures are great. So is someone you trust. My husband won't tell me if I'm getting fat but he's great at telling me when I'm shrinking. :)

    And trust the pants! If they're shrinking so are you :-)
  • I feel exactly the same way! I posted some before/after pictures in my topic on here and it took some of the responses on my photos for me to really see it. Now i've spent the past 2 days all smiles because I feel that much better. I thought I still looked like the before photos because that's what I saw in the mirror. Now I have about another 15-20 I want to go and I am still a little nervous that I wont look/feel any different.
    Its a rough feeling for sure.
    You asked for tips, my suggestion ((based solely on my experience! I AM NOT A DOCTOR!!))
    is to try and reduce some water weight.
    I do this by cutting carbs, or at least bad carbs (white rice, white bread, etc. Also sugars/processed foods)
    Also try to tone your problem areas, muscles take up less room so even if you don't "lose" weight you will be tighter (AKA see the difference! & feel it!).
    Not sure if this helps? But that's what I've been up to!

    I am a 4-6 now but I was a six at 150. So i don't know if i lose another 15 if that would drop me to a 2-4?? I have a small frame, what is your frame size?

    Try taking measurements, maybe a photo once a month. A picture tells 1,000 words!

    ALSO!! You are 2 lbs less than me! and the same height! and our goal weight is the same!! :D
    Yay twinsies!
  • tl_dr
    tl_dr Posts: 96
    I guess it's too late if you haven't already taken before pictures in your skivvies, but it really helps to compare if you do happen to have one!

    I lost about 20 pounds last summer and was in a poor humor because I felt like I didn't look different at all. I thought that everyone was telling me I looked thinner because I had mentioned that I was going to the gym quite a bit. I was thrilled when I finally took my second set of progress pictures and saw how different I looked!

    As it turns out, most of the weight I lost was only visible from my backside. :laugh: