Will 10 pounds really make a difference?

I'm 5'4" and currently about 139 pounds. My goal is around 130. Size wise I'm a 9 and want to be a 7. Will that last 10 pounds make a noticeable difference? Between 148 and now I don't see much of a difference in how I look or how things fit (shirts are a bit looser) and don't want a repeat of that. Have any of you been around there and noticed good changes??

Replies

  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,519 Member
    Depends. I started going to the gym 2 years ago (I'm about 5'3 and started out at 139lbs). I lost about 10lbs in a little over a year through cardio alone. I dropped about 1 size. I did look smaller. People did mention that I look like I had lost weight.

    I started strength-training in addition to cardio (reduced the cardio a bit to fit the strength-training into my sched). In the last 6+months, I have only lost 2 lbs, BUT I have dropped another full size. People have really commented on "how much weight I have lost." Technically, I have only lost 2 lbs.

    Dieting 10lbs off and "working off" the last 10lbs are different. I'm was really resistant to strength-training, but it has done more to change the look of my body in the last 6 months than YEARS of running did.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    I'm 5'4" and currently about 139 pounds. My goal is around 130. Size wise I'm a 9 and want to be a 7. Will that last 10 pounds make a noticeable difference? Between 148 and now I don't see much of a difference in how I look or how things fit (shirts are a bit looser) and don't want a repeat of that. Have any of you been around there and noticed good changes??
    the lower your weight, the more noticeable a drop in weight will be. I'm 5'8", and at 140 lbs. I was a size 4/5. Now I'm 131 lbs and a size 2/3.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,519 Member
    And too put it in perspective a little bit more...I started at 139lbs as a 10, got down to an 8 (and sometimes a roomier 6 through cardio), and am now down to a 4 at 127lbs (through strength-training/cardio).
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Going from 140 to 130 should be noticeable. Take photos.
  • Depends. I started going to the gym 2 years ago (I'm about 5'3 and started out at 139lbs). I lost about 10lbs in a little over a year through cardio alone. I dropped about 1 size. I did look smaller. People did mention that I look like I had lost weight.

    I started strength-training in addition to cardio (reduced the cardio a bit to fit the strength-training into my sched). In the last 6+months, I have only lost 2 lbs, BUT I have dropped another full size. People have really commented on "how much weight I have lost." Technically, I have only lost 2 lbs.

    Dieting 10lbs off and "working off" the last 10lbs are different. I'm was really resistant to strength-training, but it has done more to change the look of my body in the last 6 months than YEARS of running did.

    I totally agree with this. When I was into Insanity (and sticking with it) my body went through a big change. Toning makes a big difference. Good luck!
  • WestCoastJo82
    WestCoastJo82 Posts: 2,304 Member
    I'm 5-5 and went from 150 to 135. That was two dress sizes (8/10 to 4/6) and a big difference for me. Everyone's different though.
  • mrsamanda86
    mrsamanda86 Posts: 869 Member
    Depends on what you do to lose the weight as to how noticeable it will be. If it's just through a deficit and maybe some cardio, there will be a difference, maybe not drastic though. If you do any strength training, should be a pretty big difference. I took pictures of me(4'11) with a ten pound difference from 149-139(if I remember the numbers correctly) and there was a HUGE difference. I went from size 10 to size 8 as well. I do a decent amount of strength training and some cardio in there as well. Also, I usually drop a pant size around every ten pounds, so you might be able to get to a size 7.
  • svsl0928
    svsl0928 Posts: 205 Member
    It should 7-10 pounds should take you down a size.
  • scarrletti_girl
    scarrletti_girl Posts: 479 Member
    well it's noticeable when you gain 10lbs so i assume that it's noticeable when you lose 10lbs. Plus YOU may not notice a big difference but others might, because when we look at ourselves sometimes we can't tell the small changes that others can. plus a 10lb loss isn't always physically noticeable but sometimes you can tell a change in your health. so good luck! :)
  • I'm wwayyyyyyyyyy heavier and I can see a big difference in 10lbs on me. Mostly in my face
  • At your height, it should be pretty noticable I would think. I'm 5'3, and just losing 5 lbs is noticable on me. I think once you get in a normal weight range for your height, weight lose becomes more appearant at 5-10 lbs.
  • pps7
    pps7 Posts: 46
    Yes, it makes a big difference for me bc I'm only 5'2".
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    I'm 5' 3". Started at 143, size 8. Now 119 and a size 2. I'd say the biggest noticeable difference for me was between 127 and 120. Now I'm losing very slowly, and the fat I'm losing is normally disguised by a flattering clothes fit. So, no one but me really has noticed the last couple of pounds, which is fine. I'm already getting the 'don't lose any more, you'll starve to death' comments despite being 12 lbs away from being considered underweight. I only want to lose 4 lbs more, max, and then it'll be time to bulk, so no need for anyone to worry :tongue:.

    As you get lighter, each pound generally becomes more noticeable. Still, a lot of it is how you carry the fat and where your body decides to shed it. Your proportions will determine what dress/shirt/pant size you are at a particular weight.
  • Thanks for all the answers so far! Will body weights exercises (push ups, sit ups, squats, etc.) on a regular basis make a difference and help with the tightening aspect as I lose??
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
    Thanks for all the answers so far! Will body weights exercises (push ups, sit ups, squats, etc.) on a regular basis make a difference and help with the tightening aspect as I lose??

    I picked up some dumbbells (light ones - 1.1kg & 2.3kg) and they seem to work for me. I haven't seen any difference but I haven't eaten the best either (may be over deficit in the past few days) should be on track from tomorrow. From what I understand as you build muscle and loss fat simultaneously, you'll notice a decrease in fat (flab) and more definition in less time so instead of losing it all then toning - you can do both together.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Toning/tightening is really dieting to get rid of the fat over your muscles so they're more visible, while making sure you retain as much muscle as you can while you're in a deficit. It's easy to lose a lot of muscle along with fat if you're not careful.

    Doing body weight strength moves (like pushups, pullups, etc) and/or progressive weight training will help retain your muscle. You should also shoot for eating a good amount of protein every day. The general recommendation is to eat your lean body mass in grams of protein, or (0.8 * your current weight) as a rough estimate. I try to get in 90g of protein, but usually fail :ohwell:.
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
    The lighter your weight, the more noticeable a 10-pound loss looks. Its a numbers (percentage) game. Someone starting at 200 lbs, who loses 10 lbs, will have lost 5% of total weight. While someone at 100 lbs, who loses 10 lbs, will have lost 10% of total weight. You would think a 10% loss is more noticeable than a 5% loss. That being said, we don't have control to pick and choose where the loss happens (butt, legs, stomach, breasts, etc). So, it is possible optical illusions occur when the loss happens in a less ideal part of the body. So, doing exercises to accentuate muscles, toning, etc, provides you with a way of changing the look of your body.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,519 Member
    Body weight exercises will help, BUT using weights will help more. You'd probably be surprised at how much you can pick up. The heavier the better. I didn't notice big changes in my body until I started building confidence and started going heavier with the weights.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    I'm 5'7', have almost lost 10 lbs, and I'm not seeing any noticeable difference or drop in clothing sizes. It's just the way my body carries and loses weight.