How much did you lose before people started noticing/comment

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sroseber
sroseber Posts: 197 Member
in Motivation and Support
Just curious. I've lost about 12 1/2 lbs and not one person has noticed. Which is fine. I'm not upset about it. Just curious how much a person has to lose before it's noticeable to the outside world. Obviously this depends on how much your starting weight is and I'm sure that working out and building muscle will make you look thinner when maybe you haven't lost as many pounds (because you've put on muscle weight) so I guess this is more of a curiosity poll to keep me motivated while I wait for the day someone says "have you lost weight?" and I can say "Yes, I've lost X lbs, thanks for noticing!" :)
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Replies

  • deckerp
    deckerp Posts: 4,365 Member
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    I found the same thing. The first people to actually say something were people I didn't see every day. I think it's hard for people that see you every day to see the changes. Heck, it's hard for me to see the changes since I look every day.

    I'd say it was about 15 pounds or so though, for me.
  • bovbjerg
    bovbjerg Posts: 172 Member
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    It totally depends on how big you are to start with.....someone starting out at 250 and losing 10 pounds is totally different from someone starting at 150 and losing 10 pounds. Plus the people that see you everyday might not notice for awhile....it's you that will notice the small changes first and really - isn't that what's it all about anyways? :wink:
  • mckval
    mckval Posts: 64 Member
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    I wish I could remember when, exactly, it was...but I do recall that it took a while before some were brave enough to say something. It's a touchy thing, especially in the workplace, to put yourself out there like that.
    But, I would guess that it was close to 20lbs before folks actually said something.
  • fatgirlslim47
    fatgirlslim47 Posts: 33
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    Ive lost 16lb and nobody has noticed yet, but I can hardly tell myself to be honest. I haven't dropped a dress size so I am still wearing my normal clothes they just fit better..... so I will keep plodding away and I am sure some one will notice before I fade away lol
  • mycrazyturtles
    mycrazyturtles Posts: 96
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    It is different for everyone. Think about it, everyone looses weight in different places at first. This is not about everyone else its about you. So I know people noticing matters but its not about them.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    It was around 20 - 30 lbs for me. Not many people thought I was as heavy as I was. After the initial weight loss from water weight, the fat loss became more noticeable.
  • Rhiven43
    Rhiven43 Posts: 8
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    Hang in there, people probably notice now, however some are reluctant to mention it as they don't want to seem rude for bringing up your weight (odd I guess if its noticing you've LOST, but then again, the logic is that noticing you've lost means they noticed you needed to in their mind!), some people hate to admit someone else has lost weight because they might be struggling with it, and some people just don't see it- not because it's not obvious but simply because they are focused on something else.

    I have lost 7 pant sizes and over 100 pounds and some people don't notice- or maybe they do and don't comment. It used to bug me, but not so much now. I am not losing the weight for them but for me anyway.

    Keep doing what you are doing, the people that count will eventually notice, and as you continue being healthy and achieving your goals, you will be so happy with yourself, it won't matter if they don't- YOU know you are doing great!

    Great job on the 12 pound loss, that's awesome!!! :smile:
  • hyoung3
    hyoung3 Posts: 85 Member
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    It could be they're noticing and not saying anything.

    I don't always make comments like that to others,
    but I certainly do notice when I see a change in someone.
  • sehncw99
    sehncw99 Posts: 73
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    For me people have only noticed it in my face, and ive lost about 16 lbs so far even tho i can't see it
  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
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    It all depends on how much you weigh to begin with and how you carry it. People started noticing when I had lost 9lbs. I am 6 feet tall and have an "hourglass" shape so it's noticable when I gain and lose weight...even tho when I started I was over 250lbs.
  • RaeN81
    RaeN81 Posts: 534 Member
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    It depends. It will be harder for those who are around you all the time to notice and it will likely be someone who has not seen you during the process. Also, people are hesitant to mention anything because it implies that you needed to lose weight in the first place. Also, if you continue to wear the same clothes there is a possibility that no one can tell because your clothes are covering up the loss. I think I was twenty pounds down or something like that when someone noticed without knowing I was actively working to lose weight.

    My suggestion? Get a new shirt/pants to celebrate your success thus far and enjoy noticing the difference yourself!!!
  • hilhall822
    hilhall822 Posts: 116 Member
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    Same with me- it was a friend who I haven't seen in a while who first commented on my loss! My fiancee didn't notice until we took a picture together and it was more visible to see before & afters :)
  • Shaye85
    Shaye85 Posts: 107
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    when i lost 40lbs people started noticing, and then at 60lbs lost everyone was congradulating me all the time and saying they didnt recognize me, i never noticed a diffirence myself until 60lbs, i couldnt wear anything i owned before and was out of plus size clothing.
  • JoyfulJC
    JoyfulJC Posts: 18 Member
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    I agree with the previous posts. It will vary depending on how much you have to lose and where you currently carry your excess weight. I feel that more people start to notice my weight loss when I start wearing clothes that are a bit more form fitting. Also, I believe we all look thinner when we carry ourselves with high self esteem. Stand tall and proud of what you've lost so far. If they don't notice your weight loss they'll definitely notice your improved optimism! Keep up the hard work, you're doing great!
  • meg811
    meg811 Posts: 49
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    I have lost 32 so far and no one has said anything unless they knew I was doing this (pity comments I think). BUT my mom made a good point the other day... she said that when you're bigger, sometimes people don't want to embarrass you or themselves by asking if you've lost weight, just in case you really haven't or something.

    I have also heard that people won't notice til you've lost 10% of your starting weight. So if you're 250 pounds, they might start noticing after you've lost 25 pounds, and so on. But... everyone is different!
  • sroseber
    sroseber Posts: 197 Member
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    All good points. I'm not concerned too much about it. Although it is nice to hear. I know I will hear it eventually. I was just trying to remember from previous efforts how much I'd lost when people started commenting. I was thinking it was around 10-15lbs. and I'm in-between there now. The other thing is it's usually people at work that have noticed and those same people know this time that I've been trying to lose and/or they too are trying to lose. I can't tell a huge difference myself to be honest, still wearing the same jeans, though they are a little looser so I can tell some. I can mostly tell a change in my energy level and mental attitude, not sure how much of that is the weight loss and how much is other wonderful things happening in my life but either way it's great.

    Congratulations to you all! You all look amazing! ;)
  • PNCTink
    PNCTink Posts: 232 Member
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    I've lost 30 pounds now and most people ask, and then say they can tell in my face (which I always thought was slim compared to the rest of me!!). I'm not worried because I can see where I've lost and I'm fitting into clothes I haven't worn in over four years.
  • happy_vegan
    happy_vegan Posts: 200 Member
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    In high school I decided to stop eating for the most part.. for around a year and I lost 30 pounds and nobody ever said anything! It was the kind of thing that I didn't really even think I was losing weight until I looked at a scale at a friends' house (we didn't own one). So it's interesting to hear that people (maybe when we're older and more into weight loss as a lifestyle and not a fad) start saying things to you at 20 pounds.

    Now I'm trying to lose weight to be in a place I've never been before (below a size 11) and I'm really embarrassed to be doing this. I've literally been the same size since 8th grade (11-14 depending on brand and juniors/womens).

    Most of my friends are small and I'm DREADING the day if and when someone notices. To me, someone saying oh you've lost weight is saying that you are fat, because to me fat is all i've ever been. I don't need anyone pointing these things out. Does anyone else feel this way? or am I alone.
  • adawn09
    adawn09 Posts: 21 Member
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    I've lost 30 pounds, and it seems like the only people that have noticed are people that don't see me often. The people that I work with would never know unless I have told them, and then they're like "oh yeah, you have haven't you".... But I think that you should feel great about how much weight you've lost even if nobody has noticed, because if they see you frequently it is hard to notice when somebody is gradually changing. Good luck on your weight loss journey :)
  • blondie_0506
    blondie_0506 Posts: 110
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    I've only lost 10 pounds but everyone says that they can see it in my face.

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