How long does it take to notice you are actually losing weight?

1lexisva
1lexisva Posts: 978 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been going to the gym and exercising for about 3 weeks and overall I have lost 10 lbs but I can't tell lol Does anyone know how long it takes before you start noticing?

Replies

  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
    Honestly, it depends on how much you have to lose. Someone larger may take 20-30lbs to see a difference, where I see a major difference in 5-7lbs because I'm on the lower end of the healthy range.

    Patience. Keep going. Don't quit. You'll see it and you'll feel so much better.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Most people seem to notice around the 15-20 pounds mark. But it depends a lot on the person and how they hold their weight and their own mental image of themselves. Some people struggle to notice it at all, even after losing 40 or 50 pounds.
  • gamesandgains
    gamesandgains Posts: 640 Member
    Personally for me, it was about 6 weeks. 8-10 weeks before it was indisputable.
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
    Other people noticed it for me before I could look at myself and see a difference. We took a family photo and looking at the picture is where I first really looked at myself and noticed it. Luckily my clothes were getting looser and the number on the scale was going down.
  • 1lexisva
    1lexisva Posts: 978 Member
    Thank you everyone!! I am definitely going to keep pushing!!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Every time Mom and I go for a walk she comments that my butt is smaller or my pants are baggier, lol.

    I noticed the first 15 pounds, but as I work on the next 15, I'm no longer noticing the loss visually, although my new jeans are getting looser and I need to use the drawstrings on last year's pajamas.
  • 1lexisva
    1lexisva Posts: 978 Member
    I noticed the first 15 pounds, but as I work on the next 15, I'm no longer noticing the loss visually, although my new jeans are getting looser and I need to use the drawstrings on last year's pajamas.

    Thank you! I've lost 30 lbs once and I still couldn't tell lol
  • mylittlerainbow
    mylittlerainbow Posts: 822 Member
    I have heard that this happens when you've lost at least 10% of your body weight, but you might feel it in your clothes prior to that.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    I think this is why progress pictures are so important. It's hard to see differences when we are looking at ourselves in the mirror everyday. I was getting discouraged about my face looking the same, but when I put a before and current picture side by side I was able to see a big difference right away.
  • 1lexisva
    1lexisva Posts: 978 Member
    Thank you!!
  • DisneyDude85
    DisneyDude85 Posts: 428 Member
    jkal1979 wrote: »
    I think this is why progress pictures are so important. It's hard to see differences when we are looking at ourselves in the mirror everyday. I was getting discouraged about my face looking the same, but when I put a before and current picture side by side I was able to see a big difference right away.

    I took a picture of my face, full body front and side the day I started for this reason. Not anything that you need to share, but something you can look at when you are feeling discouraged :)
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,512 Member
    I think it really depends on where you lose it. When I dropped my first 9-10 pounds it was really obvious. People kept gushing about how I'd lost "a ton of weight." The last 10 pounds have made virtually no difference visually or in my clothing. I guess maybe it's visceral fat or something.
  • MsMaeFlowers
    MsMaeFlowers Posts: 261 Member
    I've noticed the 10 pounds I've lost (5 weeks) so far in my butt only. I'm hoping the next 5-10 will show up somewhere else.
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
    Today I measured myself just for the heck of it and it seems I've lost 7+ centimeters off of my waist. So I guess that show a bit of a loss since June...
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    You might not see it when looking in the mirror, but I can definitely feel 30 lbs in my clothes. Nowadays I can ususlly feel a diff of s few lbs. takes longer to see it. It's hard for me to grasp that I was once actually as big as I was.
    SW 301
    CW 181
    GW 150
    18 months
  • icck
    icck Posts: 197 Member
    I'm 2 dress sizes and several inches down, but still feel exactly the same as I did when I started and look the same in the mirror and progress pictures when I look at them. I honestly can't see the difference at all even after most of a year, but it is definitely there.
  • rosnigetsfit
    rosnigetsfit Posts: 569 Member
    In my case, every 10lbs loss.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    I noticed right away but everyone else didn't notice until about 15 pounds down.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    I didn't notice any difference in myself after a 10 lb loss but know that 10lb is a fantastic achievement.

    I personally started noticing differences after around 20 lbs - but every one is different. We are our own worst critics and I think many of us are guilty of expecting instant results when the reality is - we NEED to have patience here.

    Good luck and keep going!
  • minniestar55
    minniestar55 Posts: 350 Member
    I use my clothes...waist on my skinny jeans is definitely looser.
  • alanahp93
    alanahp93 Posts: 56 Member
    I lose weight very slowly so I can never see the diffrence with the naked eye, I use old clothes to determine how much Ive lost and take a few full body photos once a month :)
  • Bshmerlie
    Bshmerlie Posts: 1,026 Member
    It took about 30 pounds for me.
  • rustyquinn
    rustyquinn Posts: 41 Member
    I don't know if anyone else is like this, but after exercising for a week I FEEL like I lost 10lbs but the scale says differently. There is no change in clothes either.

    It's a good feeling to feel lighter and stronger
  • jacklifts
    jacklifts Posts: 396 Member
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  • kellellie
    kellellie Posts: 109 Member
    For a long time the only time I noticed a change was when I'd put on my old clothes, or when my current clothes didn't fit well anymore. It's a bizarre thing to still feel and look like your same old shape, but you know your clothes are way too big now. That was because my shape itself didn't change much. I've been losing pretty evenly. That was disappointing at the time, I wanted some kind of hallelujah moment, but what actually happened was me telling myself "eh, it's probably just stretched out and needs to be washed or something". I was honestly afraid to admit there was a noticeable difference until it was so obvious that I couldn't be mistaken.

    Coworkers started commenting that I looked thinner maybe about 2 months into it. I wore scrubs to work, so i'm surprised they even noticed under those shapeless things.

    I finally would start to notice little differences myself maybe 4 months in. Stuff like "huh, I actually like that picture of me". I still struggle to see it occasionally, so before/after photos are great and I wish i'd taken more.

    Now 6 months in I notice a difference every day. Putting my hands on my hips feels different because there isn't padding there anymore. It feels different when someone hugs me. Laying on my stomach hurts my ribs, and sitting hurts my butt. Odd little things like that. My shape finally IS different now, it just took a long time to happen. I see myself every day, so seeing changes isn't my forte.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    I'm super short so 3-5lbs is pretty much where I start getting comments.
  • 1lexisva
    1lexisva Posts: 978 Member
    Thanks everyone!!!

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