HOW MANY LBS DO YOU HAVE TO LOOSE TO SEE YOURSELF THINNER

lanenalatina · May 2011

Hi there, I have been on a diet since Feb 2011 of an on BUT really have been trying my hardest with out failing since April 2011 Since I started in Feb 2011 I have lost a total of about 10 pounds all together but since I started MFP I have lost 5 lbs.
The funny things is I see myself in the mirrow and I still see myself very fat, some things fit looser now and I feel I can move more now. I haven't been doing much exercises lately b/c haven't been feeling so well and really can't do them any how.
But I have try to eat healthy and stay under my calories witch I have been doing good.
Yesturday (Mother's day) some family and friends came over for Mother's day that I haven't seen since Christmas and they all were bragging how good I look and that I should keep going and all. It felt really good that other people were seeing things that I don't see yet.
I took some pictures and compare them to older pic and I couldn't see the different. So I don't know if people are just saying b/c they know I am trying to loose weight and they want to make me feel better or if they really can't see a different by loosing only 10 pounds since they last saw me.
I couldn't post the pic b/c I am not home and also I thought why bother posting pic when I look the same.
well I guess all I am trying to say is.................
When did any of you who will reply to this post starting realizing you really have lost weight when looking in the mirrow? When did you started feeling proud of yourself and say WOW my hard working effort is really paying /showing off now?

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cdthom · May 2011

take pictures it helps

Fattack · May 2011

I'd lost nearly 70lbs since I started losing weight, and still didn't really *see* a difference in myself until I saw photos.

amycrims · May 2011

This is such a relative question. I haven't lost any weight in almost 2 months but I've been doing a lot of strength training and toning up. I have had more comments on how I've slimmed down in the past 2 months then during the time it took me to lose almost 20lbs.

Onesnap · May 2011

When my clothes fit better and I'm fitting into clothes from last summer. So now for me is when I feel thinner.

Bridgetc140 · May 2011

Well, for me I could tell a big difference after only 10lbs. It really depends on how much you have to lose and how tall you are. I'm only 4'11'' so at my height a loss or gain of 10lbs is usually pretty noticeable. How wonderful that your family is so supportive. I'm sure it's quite noticeable and you just have more trouble seeing it, because you see yourself every day. Keep going!!! You're doing great!

Ezwoldo · May 2011

My Partner has started to get look thinner but, she has not lost enough according to her I notice it but she don't, so my point is maybe you have but can't see it as you are over critical of yourself

lanenalatina · May 2011

Well, for me I could tell a big difference after only 10lbs. It really depends on how much you have to lose and how tall you are. I'm only 4'11'' so at my height a loss or gain of 10lbs is usually pretty noticeable. How wonderful that your family is so supportive. I'm sure it's quite noticeable and you just have more trouble seeing it, because you see yourself every day. Keep going!!! You're doing great!

Thankz ladies @ Bridgetc140 I am only 5'1 and I have about 65 lbs to go, I am currently 183.7 and when I started this diet I was about 193 So I hear what you are saying the problem is I don't see it yet!!!

Mel_Power · May 2011

I agree, take pictures I am sure they will help

I wish i would have taken pictures when i started working out in March... I have lost 30lbs so far and somedays i still feel fat too :l But I prob. started to notice my weight loss when I lost around 15-20lbs

Keep up the good work

hatchhome · May 2011

For me I just feel better, not sure I look any different. Keep going. No matter what the scale says if you eat better and exercise when you can you will get the benefits. Pictures do help. Keep going, be strong

Hsanders3961 · May 2011

I have lost 13 lbs with MFP since February, and 24 lbs overall since last fall, and I am just now starting to feel a big difference. Fitting into old, smaller clothes and feeling all my pants get looser is a great feeling! You will get there! Keep up the hard work.

fitterpam · May 2011

It depends on you and how you're weight is distributed. If you post the pics, I'm sure people would be glad to point out specific things that have changed.....If things are fitting better, than they probably look better and that could be the difference that people are seeing.

It sounds like you're pretty down on yourself and your progress. What kind of expectations did you have for the first 10lbs? your first mini goal? Your final goal weight?

People started commenting for me around 30lbs lost. Personally it took another 20lbs for me to start to see it. Even then, I didn't really see it was more specific things. Since around 50lbs lost, I keep noticing things more and more: I've lost my double chin (at all angles....LOL), my cheekbones are more prominent, my hips are more toned, I can see my wrist bone. Overall though, I don't really see a difference, but then my personal view of myself is quite different in the mirror than in photos. In photos, I see a huge difference. In the mirror, not so much.

scaatynj · May 2011

Having been on the weight merry-go-round for years, It's always been hard to see myself as *thinner* whenever I lose weight. Other folks don't notice until I go down at least 20 pounds. For me to feel thinner will be when clothes that I love that are sitting in the closet start to fit.

I use the pounds lost as my motivation and try to stay focused on feeling healthier!

TVanD · May 2011

it takes a long time to "see "oneself as thinner or as a thin person. it helps to change your thought process - instead of saying to your self "look how fat i am" start changing those thoughts to " my clothes are fit better, i can do more, i have more energy" take the focus from your body image and focus on body awareness

Trista87Marie · May 2011

If you know that you have lost some weight and you have been feeling more confident in yourself it could simply be the way that you are carrying yourself that is the difference you are noticing. You would be amazed by how much different you look to ppl when they are seeing you happy with yourself.. also it may be very subtle changes that when you see yourself everyday you dont see, but to ppl who havent seen you in months they are much more noticeable. try not to be so anxious to see the changes. Ive noticed that this is something that get me in trouble personally. If your doing the the things you know you should be doing then keep at it. Just sticking with it is an amazing accomplishment. Your doing great!

Qarol · May 2011

It can vary. Height is a big factor. On shorter people, a smaller amount of weight loss is likely more noticeable than on taller people. I'm 5'8" and really could tell a difference after about 20 lbs lost. Pictures do help b/c it's hard for us to see the loss in ourselves day to day. Other people will probably notice it better if they don't see you every day. Also, in addition to tracking weight loss on the scale, it's good to track your inches lost. And paying attention to how your clothes fit is another good thing.

lisastrom · May 2011

Personally, I didn't start really seeing any difference until I had lost at least 20 lbs.. My clothes were fitting better but didn't get really loose and I couldn't go down a size until after 20. People didn't start actually noticing and commenting until I had lost at least 25 lbs. (I have now lost 38 lbs. and the difference is quite profound).

mfkfoster · May 2011

I've lost 45 pounds and I still don't see a difference. I know I'm losing because I started wearing a 24W and today I'm wearing a 16W, but when I look in the mirror I still see the size 24 me!

Quaneshia1983 · May 2011

Well I really didnt notice a differents until my work cloths were so bagging to the point . My manger came to me and said you need to get a new uniform. I mean I knew they were to big but you know how you don't want to change until you get to your goal that's how I felt. But I need my job so I did. I was wearing a men pants 42 and a women shirt 24. Now I'm in a mens pants 38 which is little to big and a woman shirts 20. So I still have 39pounds left to lose but I want to go pass that.

spcopps · May 2011

I started seeing a change in my boobs after about 10 lbs LOL but face and stomach at 20 lbs...rest of my body looks the same to me and measurements aren't changing much any place else either..

bltmgray · May 2011

Hi there, I have been on a diet since Feb 2011 of an on BUT really have been trying my hardest with out failing since April 2011 Since I started in Feb 2011 I have lost a total of about 10 pounds all together but since I started MFP I have lost 5 lbs.
The funny things is I see myself in the mirrow and I still see myself very fat, some things fit looser now and I feel I can move more now. I haven't been doing much exercises lately b/c haven't been feeling so well and really can't do them any how.
But I have try to eat healthy and stay under my calories witch I have been doing good.
Yesturday (Mother's day) some family and friends came over for Mother's day that I haven't seen since Christmas and they all were bragging how good I look and that I should keep going and all. It felt really good that other people were seeing things that I don't see yet.
I took some pictures and compare them to older pic and I couldn't see the different. So I don't know if people are just saying b/c they know I am trying to loose weight and they want to make me feel better or if they really can't see a different by loosing only 10 pounds since they last saw me.
I couldn't post the pic b/c I am not home and also I thought why bother posting pic when I look the same.
well I guess all I am trying to say is.................
When did any of you who will reply to this post starting realizing you really have lost weight when looking in the mirrow? When did you started feeling proud of yourself and say WOW my hard working effort is really paying /showing off now?

Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

I didn't really see a difference until about 20 lbs. Then I really started to see it. Now that I only have about 20lbs left to go, I look in the mirror and still see a "fat" girl. I still don't like a lot of the pictures of myself and I still have a lot of moments of feeling fat. I guess it just takes time. The first time I knew that I was really losing weight was when my mother-in-law took me to get new jeans and handed me a size 14 and they actually fit me. I was so excited and felt like all my hard work was finally paying off. It just takes time, my friend. Do not give up and you will see results. Keep eating healthy and work out when you can. Remember, this is a lifestyle change, NOT a diet. Love you girl! :flowerforyou:

tacey21 · May 2011

Thankz ladies @ Bridgetc140 I am only 5'1 and I have about 65 lbs to go, I am currently 183.7 and when I started this diet I was about 193 So I hear what you are saying the problem is I don't see it yet!!!

I am agreeing with everyone else... taking pictures helps immensely! I'm going to rope my photographer boyfriend into photoshoots along the way, just so I can see progress.

When I was in highschool I was very heavy... I dont know my weight, but I was 5'6" in a size 22w pants. My senior year I decided that I was going to diet hardcore and exercise... with the help of my parents I went down to a size 11/13 in 9 months. After I graduated I carried an undiagnosed case of mono for 3 months (I went to 3 different doctors who all told me I "Just had a bad cold." before they caught it) and went to a size 7.

I STILL FELT LIKE A SIZE 22.

I had seen my body for so long as being overweight that I still felt heavy when I was not. I still felt like the fattest of my friends. If a guy hit on me I was sure it was because he thought I was the fat girl with low self esteem who would be easy... not because I was actually really cute and lean with a killer booty!

Looking back, and now that I'm older (and overweight again, lol) I've realized that the only thing that helped me see how amazing I looked or how my progress was showing was pictures.

So this time around, I'm going to take many pictures, looking incredibly fabulous at any size, and use a tape measure o.o

Best of luck to you! I hope sharing this experience might help you some.:flowerforyou:

AEisele · May 2011

This really is a loaded question. Self image is a hard one. Sometimes it takes a long time to really see yourself as thin. That's why there are so many people fighting eating disorders. But then there are others who are able to see it right away.

I'm not in the later group. It usually takes me 20 or 30 lb before I really feel like I'm looking thinner. But this time. I took my measurements in March and then again recently and it shows I have lost inches off my waist and hips. That made me feel real good.

But the important thing is to not give up. It"s about being healthy so we all need to keep good focus. You can do this one step at a time!

fpueblo · May 2011

I see a lot of people saying take a picture and compare it to the before. Now it does help to do this but I really think as far as seeing results and feeling different about your size has more to do with self image and how you are feeling about yourself when you are looking in the mirror. If you are looking at yourself and expecting to look fat/big and you aren't feeling to good about yourself at that particular time you might actually see yourself bigger than you really are. this happens to me on my off days when I don't exercise the allotted time I've set out for myself or if I'm holding water weight and the scale shows it (The scale is evil don't use it on a regular basis). I'm really not the same size as I started out and I haven't put on enough weight to show but because I feel a bit down on myself it shows in my view of the image I'm looking at. I hope this helps you as far as feeling thin and why you wouldn't.

mlb929 · May 2011

I lost 30 lbs, gained back 10 marathon training, then lost 18 more - and still didn't notice. Yes my clothes got smaller, but I still didn't see it. It wasn't until I really started toning and lifting heavier weights that I finally noticed - I still don't see myself as thin or small even though I know I am - I'm my worst critic. However, I also don't ever see it in other people. I see photos posted on here and really don't see a difference until it's very very drastic.

MandaLee8908 · May 2011

This is my 2nd time really trying to lose weight. It usually takes 15 to 20lbs before I start to SEE the difference for myself in the mirror. Clothes loosen up, but I don't see the difference until about 20lbs.

NovemberJune · May 2011

i've lost 10 and can barely tell a difference, and that's because i have before/after pictures. but i'm hoping that by the time i hit 10% of my body weight lost (23 lbs for me), i'll really see the difference in the mirror

congrats on the 10 lbs!

jennytaffe · May 2011

I've lost 40 and still don't see a difference when I look in the mirror. But when I look back at pictures I can see a huge difference! And also am getting a lot of compliments from people. I agree with everyone who says to take pictures. You'll be amazed what you notice in pictures that you don't see when you look in the mirror. Keep up the good work!

IndigoFlowers · May 2011

I recently hit 40 pounds lost.. I definitely noticed the difference this morning actually! Took me awhile!

fteale · May 2011

It totally depends on the person, on your starting weight, on your body composition. I don't think I look different naked, but my old clothes are totally baggy on me now, so I can see a big difference clothed, even though compared to many here I haven't lost much. If I had started out at 300lbs, the 11 lbs I have lost wouldn't make much difference to how I looked, but the difference between 152 and 141 lbs is quite dramatic.

petithamu · May 2011

I'm 5'2 and I started at 160lb. It took about 10lbs for me to see any difference. I took photos every 30 days and I took measurements as well. When you don't have massive weight to lose (like 50+), I think it's harder to really 'see' the difference so we have to use other methods to motivate us cuz we all know how the scale lies!

Like others have said, take photos every few weeks and take your measurements. Don't give up, consistency and persistent is the key to this. Good luck!

HOW MANY LBS DO YOU HAVE TO LOOSE TO SEE YOURSELF THINNER

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