How before you started seeing results?

jayjay3251
jayjay3251 Posts: 13
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
I am new to MFP and starting my new diet has gotten me excited for the futuree! I am expecting the results I want to take time, but I am wondering when you guys started seeing weight changes on the scale and in the mirror?
Thanks!

(Also, I currently weight 243 lbs)

Replies

  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
    it pretty much depends on how much you have to lose. i lost quickly at first as i imagine it was all water weight. then its slowed down to between 1 and 3 pounds a week. i have a lot to lose. i couldnt see the difference until the 30 pound mark. and i feel the difference in my clothes. wish you lots of success.
  • Some people started to notice at around 10-15lb weight loss, and lots of people noticed at 30lb weight loss. I think I lost around 3 or 4lb in the first few weeks of my weight loss then it started to balance out at around 1-2 a week
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Other people noticed the difference before I did. I saw changes in my amount of "back fat" first, which was a nice surprise to suddenly have a flatter back where there used to be so much chub. Then my pants started fitting horribly in my crotch and thigh area, and when I got new smaller pants people really noticed changes in my legs and bum. I also saw the difference in my lower abdomen around that time (flatter). That all happened after losing about 20 lb (going from 262 to 240) and since then I feel like others have seen the change and I don't really, most of the time. It's kind of surreal to me that I fit into spaces differently, buy smaller clothing, etc. I feel the same and I don't think I look very different.
  • Avarindria
    Avarindria Posts: 70 Member
    I have quite a bit to lose but could REALLY tell after losing 25lbs+... At 31lbs down, I can finally get into a pair of jeans and a cute black sweater that's a size smaller! Friends say my face looks much thinner as well. :D Good luck on your journey!
  • Ladytrajedi
    Ladytrajedi Posts: 16 Member
    It does take a while for you to see results on the scale, so I decided to use different methods for seeing my success......Measuring tape.....I love to see inches drop.....Focusing on the scale can be uplifting as well as devastating, because at any given time you can retain water weight....especially as a woman.....So I only bother with the scale once a week, and don't concern myself with the numbers, because if my pants are looser, then I'm celebrating!!!.......My goals are based on being a certain size vs. a certain weight.....I want to be a size 12w/14w.....Perfect size in my eye!!!!
  • captmiddy
    captmiddy Posts: 147 Member
    Some of us have a hard time noticing at all ;). It has happened over the full year and when I look in the mirror I look like I did yesterday. That is why measurements (which I never did and still haven't) and such are important to really notice the difference. As far as like clothing fitting differently and the like, it took a good month before I started to feel that my clothing fit better. Then a couple more months and I couldn't wear them anymore without fear that I would cause a scene (at least for the pants, I still wear my old shirts because I liked them big to begin with).

    People I know really starting to notice around 30 to 35lbs. But given I was 120 to 130 overweight it is easier to hide 20 to 30 lbs lost.
  • markiend
    markiend Posts: 461 Member
    I am no expert , but when I realised I needed more exercise to get rid of my belly I got myself a cheap bike and got cycling. The results didn't happen as fast as I had hoped but after a month it started to accelerate and was steady from there on. As soon as I could fit into my old jeans... it spurred me on a lot



    If you are dieting and exercising , then I would guess you will notice within that time period and you will notice with your clothing first

    Good luck
  • Other's noticed before I did. I started getting comments from them around the 30 lb mark. The clothes felt different but I didn't really see a change until looking at pics that were recently taken. A wake up for me that it was working was wanting to try on a dress at a department store to see how much I needed to lose to get into it since it was 2 sizes smaller. It fit! Best feeling ever! It's little things like that that keep me going. Add me if you like :flowerforyou:
  • sandy_gee
    sandy_gee Posts: 372 Member
    Take lots of pictures! And measurements. I always make sure to stick a post it note in each of my pictures with the date, and what the day marker is (30, 60) since I started. And I take measurements every 3 months. Pictures every month.
    I actually noticed it in my face first, but not from just looking in the mirror. Just a friend tagged me in a photo, (at about 20lbs lost) and I was like... Oh!
  • cdahl383
    cdahl383 Posts: 726 Member
    I already notice a small difference after losing just 7 lbs honestly. My pants are looser, my shirts aren't so tight, my stomach isn't bulging over my pants, my face doesn't look as bloated, and I feel much better in general. Visibly I really can't tell much of a difference yet, just slightly more muscle tone since starting to lift weights again in the past month or so and stomach isn't as big, but nothing drastic yet.

    In the past, when I lost 20-30 lbs before I think I really started to notice around the 20-25 lb mark that I was much thinner than before.

    I would recommend taking some before/after pictures and some progress ones along the way. If you see yourself in the mirror everyday its hard to tell the changes. But if you look at a photo from a month ago you'll realize that you're in fact making good progress! Helps to keep you motivated as well.
  • lewandt
    lewandt Posts: 566 Member
    I have read that it takes about 6 weeks to see results. I think that is probably close for most people.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    It'll greatly depend on how much you have to lose. Someone with a lot of weight to lose isn't going to look noticeably different with 20 lbs off, whereas someone with 40 or 50 Lbs to lose will look very different with that much weight gone. The leaner you get, the more small losses impact the way you look.

    You will notice your clothes first...way before you notice physical changes. I dropped scale weight right from the get go and pretty steady throughout my losing process.
  • Rastamann
    Rastamann Posts: 139 Member
    I had to get a tape measure, because the scale would not move for the first 3 weeks. After the 4th week I started to lose 1 lb a week and last week I lost 5. I think I see an Ab when I flex in the mirror now. Stick with IT!
  • ewrob
    ewrob Posts: 136 Member
    I had a lot to lose and initially lost weight very quickly after making a significant lifestyle change to a vegan diet. The loss started very quickly and has remained consistent over the 7 months I have been at it, with an average of about 16 pounds per month.There was a one month span where I only lost around 7 pounds as well as a few months that were higher, but overall my weight loss has been steady.

    I think everything depends on where you start health-wise and how significant your change is.
  • kell2116
    kell2116 Posts: 77 Member
    It does take a while for you to see results on the scale, so I decided to use different methods for seeing my success......Measuring tape.....I love to see inches drop.....Focusing on the scale can be uplifting as well as devastating, because at any given time you can retain water weight....especially as a woman.....So I only bother with the scale once a week, and don't concern myself with the numbers, because if my pants are looser, then I'm celebrating!!!.......My goals are based on being a certain size vs. a certain weight.....I want to be a size 12w/14w.....Perfect size in my eye!!!!

    I'm totally with you here. Two months ago I started sticking to 1200 calories per day (Mon-Fri only, mind!) and doing exercise 6 days a week. I've only lost 2 kg since then which is a bit disappointing, but my inch loss has really made a difference with the way clothes fit (2 inches off the waist, 1.5 off the hips and an inch off the thighs - YAY).

    I'm 5' 7.5" and currently hovering around the 62kg mark.

    Good luck! :-)
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