I've lost 50+ pounds and going but....

340lbs down to 288 lbs.... but i don't see a thing! is this normal?

I never took pictures when i was at my highest but i took pictures when i was 315lbs. From then to now, comparing the pictures i don't see any change. And from the highest weight to now i don't look any different i dont think. Plus all my clothing still fits the same as i remember. My numbers have been sliding down the Lbs pretty quickly but is it strange that i can't actually see any changes? I feel better, stronger and more energetic then i used to but i don't look any slimmer. I'd have thunk that i'd look different 50Lbs lighter o_o is this a normal thing?

oh! i've also taken measurements since 215 of my body and none of those changed much either so i'm not really sure where the weight is coming off haha. What i'm really hoping to see is if other people have experienced this too and why do you guys think it isn't showing at all besides on the scale.

Don't worry, as long as i see some progress (the scale) i'm still driven to keep going and reach my goal of being approxametely 140Lbs. I just want to know is if this is irregular O_O thanks everyone!

Replies

  • Completely normal. I have lost 93 pounds and I still don't see it in the mirror. I am starting to see it in pictures. I saw myself in the mirror out of the corner of my eye a few weeks ago and I was shocked. My first thought was actually "wow, I look taller." I had to correct myself - no, not taller. Thinner. I think our brains go to great lengths to make us think we look the same.

    Just keep at it, keep taking pictures, and take measurements from lots of different places. I don't know if this ever goes away completely, but I have heard it does get better.
  • Nikoruo
    Nikoruo Posts: 771 Member
    Completely normal. I have lost 93 pounds and I still don't see it in the mirror. I am starting to see it in pictures. I saw myself in the mirror out of the corner of my eye a few weeks ago and I was shocked. My first thought was actually "wow, I look taller." I had to correct myself - no, not taller. Thinner. I think our brains go to great lengths to make us think we look the same.

    Just keep at it, keep taking pictures, and take measurements from lots of different places. I don't know if this ever goes away completely, but I have heard it does get better.
    I love that we both have just keep swimming in our little weight thingie haha xD but yeah i'm so glad to hear someone else is experiencing this! i just can't wait till it shows more, it's much more rewarding :)
  • Height can sometimes hide weight loss too... I'm pretty tall (almost 5'11") and it takes a much larger loss for me to go down a clothing size than a more petite person.

    How tall are you?
  • CandelLife
    CandelLife Posts: 127 Member
    I think it's harder to see when we weigh more. I started right at 300 lbs and lost 50 lbs too fast, in about 3 months from cutting out soda, drinking water, bike riding and no appetite without pills to make that happen. I think my face showed it a little but nothing like what you would want or expect for 50 lbs, I FEEL YOUR PAIN!

    Then my doctor tells me the lack of appetite is from my enlarged liver and spleen problem plus puts me on Chantix to quit smoking and Depro Provera shots to stop another issue, both of which GUESS WHAT, increases the appetite. I gained 10 lbs back so far... anyway, I just needed to say that since I can't yell at my dr, doesn't really apply here LOL!

    I see people dieting to lose 10 lbs and showing before and after pictures and (NO OFFENSE TO THOSE OF YOU IN THAT GROUP) but I just want to shake them good and hard and maybe slap them around a little in the process! LOL...
  • Nikoruo
    Nikoruo Posts: 771 Member
    Height can sometimes hide weight loss too... I'm pretty tall (almost 5'11") and it takes a much larger loss for me to go down a clothing size than a more petite person.

    How tall are you?
    I'm 5'8" i suppose that could be it. i'm naturaly (bone structer) big too
  • Nikoruo
    Nikoruo Posts: 771 Member
    I think it's harder to see when we weigh more. I started right at 300 lbs and lost 50 lbs too fast, in about 3 months from cutting out soda, drinking water, bike riding and no appetite without pills to make that happen. I think my face showed it a little but nothing like what you would want or expect for 50 lbs, I FEEL YOUR PAIN!

    Then my doctor tells me the lack of appetite is from my enlarged liver and spleen problem plus puts me on Chantix to quit smoking and Depro Provera shots to stop another issue, both of which GUESS WHAT, increases the appetite. I gained 10 lbs back so far... anyway, I just needed to say that since I can't yell at my dr, doesn't really apply here LOL!

    I see people dieting to lose 10 lbs and showing before and after pictures and (NO OFFENSE TO THOSE OF YOU IN THAT GROUP) but I just want to shake them good and hard and maybe slap them around a little in the process! LOL...
    LMAO to that last part! yeah see i was looking at "watch me shrink" video's on youtube and it was of tiny girls usually just becoming tinier, like up to 40lbs smaller and you can see it on them but not me D: it makes me sad! I tried looking up the journey of someone who lost 200lbs in video but i couldn't find any (at least any females that showed the progression in a video)

    and yeah i lost a bunch of weight that way too, just getting off soda's, drinking more water. putting calories to 1500 and doing as much exercise as my big body can do. I'm proud to lose that much but wish it would just show already! I've always had a rather slender looking face (with a big head in general because my skull is huge!) but the rest of me i havne't noticed a difference and ihope it comes real soon.

    Thank you for sharing your story with me and that doctor needs a good shaking too! i hate when you try some medications for your health and they either make you gain weight or they make you more hungry! bleh!! I wish you luck on that situation~! i know you can do it, you;ve come this far already.

    :)
  • Coyoteldy
    Coyoteldy Posts: 219 Member
    remember you are seeing yourself through YOUR eyes and that's where the "fat girl" lives...you have lost a lot of weight and I would bet you look a lot different than what your eyes see... I have lost close to fifty pounds... and simply could not see it because MY eyes still saw all the rolls and muffin top.... my friends finally helped out by pointing out things such as my clothes not fitting..belt being smaller ect... you may need to retrain how YOU see yourself..but it will be worth if... keep at it you are doing well!
  • CandelLife
    CandelLife Posts: 127 Member
    Best weight I lost was through bike riding, I started off not being able to hardly make it to the stop sign and my sons laughing at me (I laughed too) it would have been funny if I was skinny lol... But it was funnier still when my 16 year old son had to really push it to go faster than me after I got used to doing it and built up better! On top of the meds, I can only do walking right now until I get through these appts and fix my insides up. Doctor doesn't want me to burst my spleen or something from over-exertion. In the mean time, tallying my calories every day and the bit of walking helps me make sure the weight doesn't get out of control until I can get back out and really push it again.

    Your face in your picture looks amazing for 288 lbs! Is that a recent picture? I don't think you have a large head at all! It looks more the size my face was before the weight gain. I've noticed from anyone posting before and after pictures, it's the same as when I went through this the last time, the weight ages a person, makes you look older, it does me and it seems to on all the pics I've seen people post. I think we see it in the face first.

    Maybe you should do that measurement thing, it's in the same place on this site as where you log your weight. I imagine you'll see the difference there first as muscle replaces fat, you could have toned up more than you realize.
  • TheBaileyHunter
    TheBaileyHunter Posts: 641 Member
    I'm around 5'6.5" (yes that half inch counts) and I find I have to lose at least 25lbs before anyone sees it at all except maybe in my face. It takes over 30 before it really becomes noticeable at all, so at your height I suspect that's a big part of it. And of course there is also the fact that you are so used to seeing you one way, that the brain tricks you and continues to flash that image instead of the real one when you look in the mirror.

    I'd ask friends or family if they have any stolen pics of you at your heaviest (they lie, they have some, sneaky bastiches) so you have something to real to compare against.

    Oh, and keep up the awesome work!
  • TriShamelessly
    TriShamelessly Posts: 905 Member
    Based on the photos in your profile, I can definitely see a difference in your face. Keep up the great work. Your mind will eventually catch up with where your body is. I am only 10 pounds from where I think I want to be after losing 55 pounds. I am more critical of my body now then when I was at my highest weight. Keep up the great progress!
  • Nikoruo
    Nikoruo Posts: 771 Member
    remember you are seeing yourself through YOUR eyes and that's where the "fat girl" lives...you have lost a lot of weight and I would bet you look a lot different than what your eyes see... I have lost close to fifty pounds... and simply could not see it because MY eyes still saw all the rolls and muffin top.... my friends finally helped out by pointing out things such as my clothes not fitting..belt being smaller ect... you may need to retrain how YOU see yourself..but it will be worth if... keep at it you are doing well!
    this makes complete sense except my friends don't see it either haha. they say maybe 5 pounds or something but don't see 50+ D: i dont see it in the normal measurements either
  • Nikoruo
    Nikoruo Posts: 771 Member
    Best weight I lost was through bike riding, I started off not being able to hardly make it to the stop sign and my sons laughing at me (I laughed too) it would have been funny if I was skinny lol... But it was funnier still when my 16 year old son had to really push it to go faster than me after I got used to doing it and built up better! On top of the meds, I can only do walking right now until I get through these appts and fix my insides up. Doctor doesn't want me to burst my spleen or something from over-exertion. In the mean time, tallying my calories every day and the bit of walking helps me make sure the weight doesn't get out of control until I can get back out and really push it again.

    Your face in your picture looks amazing for 288 lbs! Is that a recent picture? I don't think you have a large head at all! It looks more the size my face was before the weight gain. I've noticed from anyone posting before and after pictures, it's the same as when I went through this the last time, the weight ages a person, makes you look older, it does me and it seems to on all the pics I've seen people post. I think we see it in the face first.

    Maybe you should do that measurement thing, it's in the same place on this site as where you log your weight. I imagine you'll see the difference there first as muscle replaces fat, you could have toned up more than you realize.

    haha yeah one has to be careful. your kids are a load of help i bet :)

    and thank you! yeah it's a recent one, then again, my face has always been really slender. the pictures on my page right now are even of my biggest weight but i bet you couldn't tell the difference. People always thought i was really small looking at my face but it's pretty decieving to be honest, it always has been. My head right now looks perportionate to my body but i'm sure it'll look quite big when i lose the weight. I always have to buy big caps otherwise nothing else fit haha. My face is, as described my my friends and fiance, 'cute baby face' haha

    I have been doing the measurements since i was 315, so since then i haven't seen any measurement changes. I'm thinking muscle is probably immediately replacing fat so i cant see it yet haha. i've started taking pictures now since measuring hasn't been looking different ):
  • Nikoruo
    Nikoruo Posts: 771 Member
    Based on the photos in your profile, I can definitely see a difference in your face. Keep up the great work. Your mind will eventually catch up with where your body is. I am only 10 pounds from where I think I want to be after losing 55 pounds. I am more critical of my body now then when I was at my highest weight. Keep up the great progress!
    as for the photo's in my profile, none of them are in order and most of them are from my bigger weight. but i took old pictures and new pictures and mixed them together haha. i find, personally comparing images, that my face doesn't really look different either from my old photo's to my new ones. i'd place them in order but it would take a while haha. but thank you otherwise :) i feel like my mind is doing good and pretty set on this lifestyle :) I'm not really critical of it but i'm wary because i really like to see progress and all the methods i've done i don't see anything really yet haha. i'm hoping real soon :)

    thank you very much for your input though :) goodluck on your journey!!
  • Nikoruo
    Nikoruo Posts: 771 Member
    I'm around 5'6.5" (yes that half inch counts) and I find I have to lose at least 25lbs before anyone sees it at all except maybe in my face. It takes over 30 before it really becomes noticeable at all, so at your height I suspect that's a big part of it. And of course there is also the fact that you are so used to seeing you one way, that the brain tricks you and continues to flash that image instead of the real one when you look in the mirror.

    I'd ask friends or family if they have any stolen pics of you at your heaviest (they lie, they have some, sneaky bastiches) so you have something to real to compare against.

    Oh, and keep up the awesome work!

    haha that's how i look at it, i'm 5'7".5 basically. see my problem there is i've always had a small looking face so that's definately not where one would see it, there's not much fat there to go away haha. It really probably has to do with height and muscles. Again though i'm comparing images and don't see a difference between the two, i dont really look in the mirror because i know that seeing the gradual change i wont notice. also watching the measurements. what really makes me firmly believe that it's not showing though is that my friends/family don't see it yet. they think i've lost 5 pounds or something but nothing near 50 haha.

    that's a good one though! however, the time i was at my heaviest i was pretty much a hermit and i was the only one around with a camera. At that point i refused to take full body pictures of myself haha. It is a good suggestion though, i'll look around to see if anyone has any pictures of me at random :)

    thank you for your input and i hope you all the best on your journey! :)