Lost about 12 pounds but see no noticeable difference?

_Nicklebee
_Nicklebee Posts: 42
in Motivation and Support
Hey everyone(: I started my weight loss at 165 pounds. When i went on vacation i was at 155 pounds and all my family could really tell a difference and congratulated me with how much i lost. Of course after coming home I was slow with getting back on my diet, it's been about a month, but i'm very happy to say i still continued to lose some weight and i'm now at 153pounds.

Now.. why can't *I* see the difference? Everyone says the less i have to lose the more noticeable it is.. yet i can't see any difference. When i look at my stomach (which everyone said i lost a lot of weight in) it seems as if it's... fatter? It seems as it's almost bulged out? I know 12 pounds is a lot to lose, but i would love to see a difference, it's almost a bit discouraging.

Replies

  • ShibaEars
    ShibaEars Posts: 3,928 Member
    You see yourself every day. The change is gradual, and you adapt to seeing yourself. Other people don't see you as often, so they see a more drastic change.

    Take pictures! Put on a bathing suit, and either take a full length picture of yourself in a mirror, or if you have someone you're comfortable with, have them take it. Pictures are the best way to see progress. Do you take measurements? That can help you determine if you are smaller than you were too.

    And even if you don't see a change, believe your friends and family - they have no reason to lie to you about it.
  • faradaysdream
    faradaysdream Posts: 91 Member
    ^^^ Pictures and measurements.

    I have stayed the same weight for the last month...but I'm dropping inches...I oddly, feel fatter. It's mind boggling. But if I didn't have the pictures and the measurements...I would probably eat a pint of ice cream and cry lol
  • nicola1141
    nicola1141 Posts: 613 Member
    Awesome work! take measurements, and pictures. It's hard to see the changes in yourself.

    I also find that since I lose weight differently all over my body, there is a "sweet spot" where I look like I've lost a lot of weight after about 10 lbs, but then for the next 10 lbs or so, I think I actually look worse. Probably this is all in my head, but I feel like it's because it comes off everywhere else before my tummy, so there's a point where the rest of my body is skinnier than my tummy so it looks fatter. Then it catches up, I look great, then repeat.
  • chelstakencharge
    chelstakencharge Posts: 1,021 Member
    Its a mind thing! I have lost almost 100 pounds yet I still see the "fat" girl in the mirror. I am just not sure for me that will ever change no matter how tiny I get.
  • sc193usa
    sc193usa Posts: 20 Member
    I only started seeing a change recently, about 15 pounds in, and it really is a mental shift. Something that helped me when I'm feeling blobby was realizing that some problem areas (tummy, thighs) seem to look worse than before because I had lost fat in surrounding areas, so they weren't blending in as much. But since I've lost weight in the surrounding areas it just means they'll be the next to go!
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I had to lose 20 pounds before I could see the difference. Everyone around me started to notice after 15 pounds. Give it time!
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    Your brain sees what it wants. I look in the mirror, and still think "I kind of look the same as I did 85 lbs ago" .. not sure if it's because I had a VERY distorted image of me at 300 (sure, a little extra weight, but I look fine. yeah. fine. this shirt TOTALLY slims me out ... ) or if I have a very distorted image of me now. (ie I still turn sideways to get through turnstiles, etc - but I don't have to any more)

    Probably a little of both
  • _Nicklebee
    _Nicklebee Posts: 42
    Thanks everyone! I actually DID try to measurement thing, i know i have the numbers written somewhere, but i think i was discouraged as the measurement around my stomach (across my belly button) was bigger at one point? Maybe i was measuring wrong but i might have to go try that. Maybe i should take some pictures though, thanks!
  • _Nicklebee
    _Nicklebee Posts: 42
    I only started seeing a change recently, about 15 pounds in, and it really is a mental shift. Something that helped me when I'm feeling blobby was realizing that some problem areas (tummy, thighs) seem to look worse than before because I had lost fat in surrounding areas, so they weren't blending in as much. But since I've lost weight in the surrounding areas it just means they'll be the next to go!


    Wow sc193usa, i actually didn't that of that! That's an excellent point.
  • sc193usa
    sc193usa Posts: 20 Member
    It took me a while to come to it, after a few weeks of feeling really depressed about it, my fiance pointed out all the areas I had lost weight. I took a good look in the mirror and realized that he was right, and even the areas that I thought had grown were actually smaller. Just keep going, 12 pounds is a great accomplishment and is most certainly making a difference, even if you don't see/feel it!
  • Naener
    Naener Posts: 167 Member
    I only started seeing a change recently, about 15 pounds in, and it really is a mental shift. Something that helped me when I'm feeling blobby was realizing that some problem areas (tummy, thighs) seem to look worse than before because I had lost fat in surrounding areas, so they weren't blending in as much. But since I've lost weight in the surrounding areas it just means they'll be the next to go!


    Wow sc193usa, i actually didn't that of that! That's an excellent point.

    HOLY SMOKES!! this answers something thats been plaguing my mind too lately... the area of the front of my stomach above and around the belly button area has been looking horrible lately... last night i thought "AM i bloated or something?! my stomach looked better when i was 20 pounds heavier..." I was confident enough to stroll around with a bathing suit top on...

    i didnt think of that at all.... thanks!!

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