Question for those that started 100+ pounds over weight

I started noticing after 25 lbs. Now, all pounds are not the same. If you are not losing fat, you're not going to see it happen. Then again, you can lose 10 lbs. in 3 weeks and your body may take another 2 weeks to give up the slack. Everyone's different though.

Taking pictures is a great idea. I started out at 290 and am now at 197, with another 65 to go at least.

One thing I noticed pretty quickly was how easily simple tasks started to be. I used to really huff and puff bringing in groceries, but that resolved itself pretty quickly after losing the first 20 pounds. My fitness was already starting to shine through. It was easier for me to climb a flight of stairs or vacuum my apartment. Those are really small things, but when I was at my heaviest, they were annoying and drained me of energy. I didn't have to lose a lot of weight before I saw improvement in my physical fitness.

Another thing that can give you pretty quick hits of improvement is weight lifting. When you are first getting started, if you keep at it on a regular basis, you will make gains very quickly and be adding weight to your dumbbells in just a few weeks.

It took a while for my clothes to become loose and for me to feel like I could SEE the changes in my weight. Be patient and be persistent. 17 pounds is a great loss and you are that much closer to your goal!

I started at 298, now down to 165. Keep going! It took me about 30 to notice, everyone else about 50. Don't be discouraged, 17 lbs is a lot! Keep up the good work!

Congratulations to you! I started a little bit higher than you (at 5'6") and have now lost 91 lbs. I also found it took about 25-30lbs before I felt any different or needed a new pant size. If you didn't take some other measurements when you started - take them now. After losing 18lbs, I had lost 1.5 inches from my waist, but had lost 2.5 inches around my hips and each thigh. That was exciting to see.....even if I didn't feel different.

I didn't notice until 40lbs, no joke. Clothes didn't change, nothing. It was crazy but I knew I had to keep going.

I went from 340 to 180 and only started noticing around 260.

I stared at 300 and could not really see/feel much difference myself until around 220.

nutmegoreo wrote: »

It can take some time. My pants were so tight at my highest weight, that it took a long time before they became loose. Now they are practically falling off.

I agree with this- I was definitely squeezing myself into the size I was wearing at my heaviest so it took a bigger weight loss before I actually I went down to, and comfortably fit in, the next size down. I started to notice the change in my appearance around the 20 pound mark but it becomes even more noticeable the more you lose. After the initial 10 pounds which is often a lot of water weight, I think each 5-10 pound increment becomes more and more noticeable. It takes time but you will be able to see the changes soon! Good luck!!

ald783 wrote: »

nutmegoreo wrote: »

It can take some time. My pants were so tight at my highest weight, that it took a long time before they became loose. Now they are practically falling off.

I agree with this- I was definitely squeezing myself into the size I was wearing at my heaviest so it took a bigger weight loss before I actually I went down to, and comfortably fit in, the next size down. I started to notice the change in my appearance around the 20 pound mark but it becomes even more noticeable the more you lose. After the initial 10 pounds which is often a lot of water weight, I think each 5-10 pound increment becomes more and more noticeable. It takes time but you will be able to see the changes soon! Good luck!!

It was crazy how tight those poor pants were. I had to lie down on the bed to zip them (think 80s tight). At one point I gave up on wearing them and went into stretchy pants. I don't know how those things held up, they are just getting loose on me now.

I have been told many times over the last few years to not pay as much attention to the weight scales as perhaps measurements.... measure yourself. Arms, legs, etc etc. That will be a better tale-tell sign than the 'ol scale, which to me is fickle and fluctuates too much in a day to be totally 100% reliable.

Kitty_Nikki wrote: »

Hi. I am 30 years old, 5'7 with a starting weight of 256. So far I have lost 17 pounds and I feel like I can't even tell aside from the scale. I still look the same, all my clothes still fit the same. So I am just wondering what everyone else's experience was. How much weight did you have to lose before you started to actually "notice" it?

I am 33, 5'7", and my highest weight was 260 last year... During christmastime last year I lost 15 lbs without trying (super stressed with closing escrow on our home and apparently I am a forget to eat type of person when I'm stressed)... I didnt really notice a difference at that time, but other people did... Then I started purposefully losing in March at 245, and am currently 173... I definitely noticed a difference in the first 10 lbs... My clothes fit differently, and my body just felt tighter... But I was working out HARD for at least 30 minutes every day... I think that made a huge difference.

Hiya. Well done for starting this journey! I AM 5ft10,begun at almost 300...now I am 168. Noticed changes after 40 pounds, approximately. Good luck to you. This road is easier than it seems. Just stick with it, even if you get a slip up now and then xxx

I started at 540 pounds. Am currently at 453. I look in the mirror and see very little change. I put on the clothes I wore when I started and they are HUGE! I feel the larger one is the more one needs to lose to see a difference. Plus I think our own eyes/mind don't let us see the results until they are far more pronounced.

The day my underwear kept falling down my butt was they day I started to notice, visually, that I was losing weight.