Big losers: first or second half most noticeable?

lemonsurprise · January 2015

So I'm talking people who have lost around 70lbs+ ish! Was it the first or second half that had the most benefits? Not just how you look (that as well though!) but all the added bonuses that come with losing weight.

Flookbird · January 2015

For me it was the second half as that is when I became a normal/healthy weight. That's when I got the most comments too as I started to be able to wear more of the clothes I wanted to that were more fitted/fashionable. I started feeling more confident early on though.

I'm 5'7 and went from 221lbs to 140lbs in 12 months, so 81lbs lost.

jcb1179 · January 2015

For sure it is the second half for me. It seemed to take a long time for me and others to notice. It all seemed to be much better as time and weight lost goes by.

soldiergrl_101 · January 2015

I would say the first half. Yes the second half is great mentally and physically. But the first half is where you start to get that confidence back, and you build up the endurance and lung capacity you need to keep going. My first 20lbs where rough but once I passed that 20lb mark I looked better I felt better and it gave me the fight I needed to keep going. The second half your achieving a more defined goal but I think accomplishing the first half was the hardest and therefore the most special to me.

acquilla30 · January 2015

The first half was hard...its all about adjusting to a different lifestyle. Your eating different and exercising. Your constantly looking for change in your weight and body so you know what your doing is working. The second half is all about the glory and triumph. You can exercise and its not torture, any aches and pains you had when you were overweight is lessened, your mind feels clearer, you have so much more energy, its almost like being reborn. Your body is fabulous and you get to shop in a whole new world of clothes and wear things you never thought you would. The second half is amazing.

poohpoohpeapod · January 2015

I lost 130lbs so far, I would say the first half helped with mobility and overall health. The second half has helped me move more, wear nicer clothes. They both have benefits. I stll have 30lbs to go.

beachykeen81 · January 2015

acquilla30 wrote: »

The first half was hard...its all about adjusting to a different lifestyle. Your eating different and exercising. Your constantly looking for change in your weight and body so you know what your doing is working. The second half is all about the glory and triumph. You can exercise and its not torture, any aches and pains you had when you were overweight is lessened, your mind feels clearer, you have so much more energy, its almost like being reborn. Your body is fabulous and you get to shop in a whole new world of clothes and wear things you never thought you would. The second half is amazing.

This is exactly how i would describe it!

beachykeen81 · January 2015

sorry I don't know why that posted twice!

shygirladventures · January 2015

great motivation because i;ve lost about 40 and have another 40 to go! awesome post; looking forwards to getting smaller and smaller and smaller..... and abs lolol

lacroyx · January 2015

For me it is the 2nd half. I physically was able to do things I could never do before.

BruceHedtke · January 2015

Having lost 90lbs, I think it's really about two different things. The first half, the numbers on the scale were much more noticeable. The weight just seemed to fly off and it came very easy for me. I didn't struggle the way some do and I'm very thankful for that. The second half, however, I've noticed a much bigger change in my body and mind. I FEEL healthier and when I look in the mirror, I'm not just slimmer but much more defined. For the first half of my journey, I just kind of looked like a smaller version of my fat self.

Turning_Hopes_to_Habits · January 2015

I've lost 55 lbs so far, and won't consider myself out of the first half until Onederland. I feel great, am looking pretty good in some clothes, and the increase in stamina and strength is just so liberating. Like BruceHedtke says, I do still look like a smaller version of my fat self, as opposed to how I know I'll look in another 65 lbs, but it's still great.

I think that it's just going to get better.

katherine_startrek_fan · January 2015

Interesting question! I'm only starting to get into the second half of weight loss, but the comments from others are very motivating.

girlviernes · January 2015

I like this thread too. Hopefully will be reposting in about eight months to a year with my experience on the second half

PennyHartz · January 2015

I've lost nearly 75, and I would say the second half has been more noticeable. The first 30-40, it seemed people barely noticed (comments were of the "have you lost weight?" variety). The past 30-40 is when other people have really started to comment and ask what I've been doing. I also feel so much better physically because I'm close to my goal and *very* close to be at a "healthy" weight for my height according to BMI charts.
The worst part about the first 40ish pounds is that I worked so hard for so many months only to look in the mirror (or at a BMI chart) and think "well darn. I'm still fat!" Now I can look in a mirror and think "awesome! I'm looking pretty good!"

usmcmp · January 2015

Losing weight is sort of like a paper towel roll. When you remove a sheet or two off the roll you don't really notice the change in the beginning. When you get closer to the end of the roll each sheet is more and more noticeable. Same thing with fat. The first few pounds don't make much of a difference. 10 pounds may not even look different. When you get close to the end each extra pound creates bigger changes.

BruceHedtke · January 2015

usmcmp wrote: »

Losing weight is sort of like a paper towel roll. When you remove a sheet or two off the roll you don't really notice the change in the beginning. When you get closer to the end of the roll each sheet is more and more noticeable. Same thing with fat. The first few pounds don't make much of a difference. 10 pounds may not even look different. When you get close to the end each extra pound creates bigger changes.

I just wish Bounty and Brawny wouldn't make those last sheets so freakin' hard to remove!!

DrSchmincke · January 2015

I am down 85 pounds: 222 to 137. Surprisingly, my actual physical health from day to day hasn't changed. My blood pressure meds are the same. My achy joints are about the same. I expected big changes in both. I was always an exerciser and a vegetable eater. My MD has concluded that my hypertension is just the way I am - like my dad before me.
BUT: with the second half of the weight loss, my self-assurance has blossomed. I love my new wardrobe. People did not notice I had lost weight until I was down about 50 pounds. With my new attitude, I have been able to land my dream job. I look really good in my clothes, and I can fit into the jeans I wore in grade 7. When I am not wearing clothes, my body looks old with saggy skin. But that is the price I am very happy to pay for the external transformation, the mental transformation, and no doubt quite a number of years added to my lifespan.

linkirving · January 2015

Very cool thread. I'm halfway through and the comments have started, but I don't see much difference. Looking forward to getting it done.

stackhsc · January 2015

First half had the biggest benefit mentally as in convincing myself i could do it and probably the biggest health benefits. The second half is much more noticeable physically and where i can see it changing. I am at a point now that i can see the difference in my body every lb or two (different muscles showing up, different shape or curve of an arm or leg etc) where as before it took many lbs for me to notice it.

Funny part is after all the weight gone over 5-6 years now, its only really the last year or so that i can see it in myself and see old picture of myself and have not recognized myself where as up until then id see new pictures of myself and not realize i had changed that much... the whole mental image thing.

Biggest changes over all in self confidence, and physically more energy and less sore in joints etc. the self confidence came with the second half, the energy and joints came with the first half.

seltzermint555 · January 2015

BruceHedtke wrote: »

Having lost 90lbs, I think it's really about two different things. The first half, the numbers on the scale were much more noticeable. The weight just seemed to fly off and it came very easy for me. I didn't struggle the way some do and I'm very thankful for that. The second half, however, I've noticed a much bigger change in my body and mind. I FEEL healthier and when I look in the mirror, I'm not just slimmer but much more defined. For the first half of my journey, I just kind of looked like a smaller version of my fat self.

I can relate to a lot of this. I have lost 138 total, and the most noticeable by far was the first 40 and last 20-30. In the middle I was just kind of a gradually shrinking version of the exact same body and it wasn't until the last few sizes that I have truly seen my body change drastically. As for that first 40 lb for me it was the difference between feeling unhealthy & miserable at 307 lb and totally fine at 270 lb...sounds crazy I know, and I've lost almost 100 since being at 270 but I feel like from there on down I feel pretty great and energetic.

If I had to say though...the second half.

neveragain84 · January 2015

For me, it was the second half. There was just so much happening BECAUSE of my weight loss: I literally had no shorts or pants that fit, comments from friends and family about how different I looked, the difference I felt waking up in the morning with no pain anymore, and just my own feelings of accomplishment for finally succeeding at weight loss.

softblondechick · January 2015

First half. What I found amazing was the amount of energy I had.

D_T_H · January 2015

for me it was both first and second half for different reasons first half brought far better health and mobility (getting off diabetes meds high blood pressure never ending joint pain in my feet and knees) the second half brought on people taking notice and myself feeling the reality of what I am truly capable of doing in life. I have lost 166 lbs since joining in march 2014 and a total of 272 lbs from my heaviest around 3 years ago

Tedebearduff · January 2015

lemonsurprise wrote: »

So I'm talking people who have lost around 70lbs+ ish! Was it the first or second half that had the most benefits? Not just how you look (that as well though!) but all the added bonuses that come with losing weight.

I would say the second half for sure, it's all good and all losing but when you start to see muscle definition you've never seen before and veins it's pretty awesome.

SarBear00b · January 2015

I love this thread! I have about 90 lbs to lose and I can't wait until I'm half way there, let alone to the second half. Did you all that lost the weight notice a big change in Knee pain if you had it? I'm struggling so bad with knee pain and I'm hoping that it will lessen as the weight comes off.

AShannon54 · January 2015

I have lost almost 140 lbs. The 1st half and the 2nd have are two different journeys. I didn't start getting comments on my weight loss until I was down about 40lbs. That is also when I bought some new clothes that were more form fitting and my personal confidence was growing.

The first half was very exciting - losing weight in larger numbers, being able to do more things physically, seeing clothes sizes you hadn't used in 10 years. Tough as well because you are finding a new fitness and food routine. The lifestyle change was difficult but after about 6 months it becomes the new norm.

The second half there were less 'new' things happening. People were used to me losing weight and dropping pant sizes was great but I now expected it instead of it being a pleasant surprise.

You have to not lose focus... it's easy to stop after the first half because you are better than you have been in years and you could say 'this is good enough'. I had to keep strong and mix up my workout routine and try new foods to keep things interesting. I didn't want to just lose part of the weight, I wanted to go from morbid obesity to total health/body fitness.

In the second half I started strength training and more intense cardio workouts. Every once in awhile I will see an old picture of myself when I was 320lbs and I don't even recognize that person anymore. And after an intense 1-2 hour sweat session I stop and say to myself 'you just did that... you are amazing'.

chesnity3 · January 2015

I've lost 81lbs and I think for me the second half was better. No one really noticed even after 20lbs loss and some would try to give their unwanted opinions. But now everyone is taking notice and asking for tips.

acquilla30 · January 2015

sarah00b wrote: »

I love this thread! I have about 90 lbs to lose and I can't wait until I'm half way there, let alone to the second half. Did you all that lost the weight notice a big change in Knee pain if you had it? I'm struggling so bad with knee pain and I'm hoping that it will lessen as the weight comes off.

I had bad knee and ankle and foot pain when I was heavier and I have seen a huge improvement in pain. I think the exercise and especially yoga, really helped with the improvement and of course not having all that weight helped too.

Big losers: first or second half most noticeable?

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