Losing on the scale but not physically. . .
SereneRose
Posts: 500 Member
Hey, this is driving me crazy and no one I speak to seems to understand.
I've lost 22 lbs (1st 8 lbs) yet I cannot see any difference in my body, yes my face is a bit slimmer but I still have a big stomach, thighs, arms and a bit of a double chin. I'm 5ft 1 and weigh 215.6 lbs (15st 6 lbs). My friends say i'm being silly and they can see the difference but I am not seeking compliments I honestly don't see it and when I see photos of others who have begun around the same stage as me and lost the same I get so frustrated I want to scream!
I've taken measurements as I know the scale can be an evil liar but again hardly any movement and my weight keeps fluctuating up and down almost a pound a day. I've been eating a keto diet since the 17th October 2016 and my losses were high first few weeks but now barely a pound a week.
I'm thinking of buying Body Beast hoping it will help shred my excess fat, i've got Chalean Extreme and found it doable so thought why not kick it up a gear with BB.
Anything you can advise? TIA
I've lost 22 lbs (1st 8 lbs) yet I cannot see any difference in my body, yes my face is a bit slimmer but I still have a big stomach, thighs, arms and a bit of a double chin. I'm 5ft 1 and weigh 215.6 lbs (15st 6 lbs). My friends say i'm being silly and they can see the difference but I am not seeking compliments I honestly don't see it and when I see photos of others who have begun around the same stage as me and lost the same I get so frustrated I want to scream!
I've taken measurements as I know the scale can be an evil liar but again hardly any movement and my weight keeps fluctuating up and down almost a pound a day. I've been eating a keto diet since the 17th October 2016 and my losses were high first few weeks but now barely a pound a week.
I'm thinking of buying Body Beast hoping it will help shred my excess fat, i've got Chalean Extreme and found it doable so thought why not kick it up a gear with BB.
Anything you can advise? TIA
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Replies
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No advice but I sympathize. I lost 50 and not a single inch or pant size. Body was exactly the same. But just keep going - things will catch up, you're just losing from places you aren't measuring or noticing.5
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Weight loss is not linear, thus weight fluctuations of a few pounds daily. If it bothers you, don't weigh as often.
Weight loss in the beginning is mostly water, thus the quick drop followed by a slowdown.
You look at yourself daily. You will probably be the last to see changes.
No exercise program will shed excess fat. Calorie deficit will. Exercising to obtain your deficit is fine, but don't get caught up in the exercise will shed fat misunderstanding.
I think that covers everything. Just keep doing what you're doing, make sure to log accurately, and you'll get there.
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I advise being patient. 22 lbs in 2 months is a big loss but you are still very overweight. It is going to take time before you see big changes in the mirror or in clothing sizes. Stop comparing yourself to others.8
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vespiquenn wrote: »Weight loss is not linear, thus weight fluctuations of a few pounds daily. If it bothers you, don't weigh as often.
Weight loss in the beginning is mostly water, thus the quick drop followed by a slowdown.
You look at yourself daily. You will probably be the last to see changes.
No exercise program will shed excess fat. Calorie deficit will. Exercising to obtain your deficit is fine, but don't get caught up in the exercise will shed fat misunderstanding.
I think that covers everything. Just keep doing what you're doing, make sure to log accurately, and you'll get there.
At the moment I swim once a week but trying to get more exercise in, isn't it true that weight lifting does more for changing the bodies composition that cardio? Muscle burns more and makes you look leaner? That's what i'm aiming for, any sort of change in my body.I advise being patient. 22 lbs in 2 months is a big loss but you are still very overweight. It is going to take time before you see big changes in the mirror or in clothing sizes. Stop comparing yourself to others.
I agree I really shouldn't compare myself to others but it's really hard when you're part of a community who are showing amazing progress and you're stuck in the slow lane. Yes I know water weight goes first but I would've thought 10 lbs of that would have been water the rest fat. I'm not giving up but staying on the right path is getting harder every day when I am not seeing progress, I just need a sign that what I am doing is right or should I do more.0 -
SereneRose wrote: »vespiquenn wrote: »Weight loss is not linear, thus weight fluctuations of a few pounds daily. If it bothers you, don't weigh as often.
Weight loss in the beginning is mostly water, thus the quick drop followed by a slowdown.
You look at yourself daily. You will probably be the last to see changes.
No exercise program will shed excess fat. Calorie deficit will. Exercising to obtain your deficit is fine, but don't get caught up in the exercise will shed fat misunderstanding.
I think that covers everything. Just keep doing what you're doing, make sure to log accurately, and you'll get there.
At the moment I swim once a week but trying to get more exercise in, isn't it true that weight lifting does more for changing the bodies composition that cardio? Muscle burns more and makes you look leaner? That's what i'm aiming for, any sort of change in my body.I advise being patient. 22 lbs in 2 months is a big loss but you are still very overweight. It is going to take time before you see big changes in the mirror or in clothing sizes. Stop comparing yourself to others.
I agree I really shouldn't compare myself to others but it's really hard when you're part of a community who are showing amazing progress and you're stuck in the slow lane. Yes I know water weight goes first but I would've thought 10 lbs of that would have been water the rest fat. I'm not giving up but staying on the right path is getting harder every day when I am not seeing progress, I just need a sign that what I am doing is right or should I do more.
You have lost 22 pounds! Look at the number.
22
22
22
22
22
22 POUNDS LOST
FTLOG I do not understand how a person could lose 22 lbs in 60 days and think she has not progressed.6 -
I never said I haven't progressed obviously there has been progress but I cannot see where it is as all my clothes fit the same, the measuring tape isn't showing any different and now that the scale is yo-yo ing it can be frustrating at times.0
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What are you measuring?
You need to measure:
Ankles
Calves
Thighs
Hips around largest point of your butt
Waist at navel
Waist at narrowest point between navel and ribs
Bra bandline
Chest
Shoulders
Neck
Upper arm
Forearm
Wrist
And just trust in the process. This is going to take 1.5-2+ years more to lose the weight and 2+ years to work on body composition. You need to lower expectations.
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I am measuring all of the above except shoulders, forearm, wrist and ankles.
I agree I need to be patient i'm just a person who needs some reassurance as I am prone to quitting when results don't show and I am really trying to not do that again. I'd love to lose 42 lbs by the end of May but i'd be content with 28 lbs. Wishful thinking huh lol3 -
Did you take a "before" photo? If so take a photo now wearing about the same clothes and look at them side by side. You mat see a difference if you do that. I didn't think there was a big difference with myself until I did that.2
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Ok, so you know that your past weight loss efforts did not meet your standards for progress so you quit them and then landed in the 230s before trying again in October. I think that a logical step would be to change your standards for progress as they have hurt you rather than helped you.6
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Before and after pics taken and the results were minimal, bit of tum loss which I know was because I was always so bloated as I ate a lot of crap on a daily basis, my face is the only significant area of weight loss I see.
My mentality has definitely changed for the better, I've never stuck to a eating plan for this long but the last few days I've felt my mind slipping back to its old ways although I've resisted following through. I think I am panicking as Xmas is coming, I've not hit my mini target and temptation is a %$*&^!
Last time I reached 259, lost 32 lbs, everyone saw it, I noticed I had gone down a trouser size but my mind was so warped I still didn't believe I lost any weight and quit. Not doing that again this time, even though I know nothing is budging.
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SereneRose wrote: »
Last time I reached 259, lost 32 lbs, everyone saw it, I noticed I had gone down a trouser size but my mind was so warped I still didn't believe I lost any weight and quit. Not doing that again this time, even though I know nothing is budging.
You say that, but that's exactly what is happening again! You don't think you look any different so you're getting tempted to quit. But we ourselves are often the last people to see our own weight loss. Everyone else was commenting on how much I looked like I had lost, and I still thought I looked the same until I had lost about 45lbs. But then I looked back with new eyes and saw that I was changing. Be patient. The change doesn't happen overnight. I truly did not look any different for the first 20lbs lost, but then it caught up with me in a big 'woosh' and I changed.
If you keep going, eventually you'll get to where you want to be. If you quit, you go back to where you were. The choice is yours.3 -
Fat around your internal organs.4
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SereneRose wrote: »vespiquenn wrote: »Weight loss is not linear, thus weight fluctuations of a few pounds daily. If it bothers you, don't weigh as often.
Weight loss in the beginning is mostly water, thus the quick drop followed by a slowdown.
You look at yourself daily. You will probably be the last to see changes.
No exercise program will shed excess fat. Calorie deficit will. Exercising to obtain your deficit is fine, but don't get caught up in the exercise will shed fat misunderstanding.
I think that covers everything. Just keep doing what you're doing, make sure to log accurately, and you'll get there.
At the moment I swim once a week but trying to get more exercise in, isn't it true that weight lifting does more for changing the bodies composition that cardio? Muscle burns more and makes you look leaner? That's what i'm aiming for, any sort of change in my body.I advise being patient. 22 lbs in 2 months is a big loss but you are still very overweight. It is going to take time before you see big changes in the mirror or in clothing sizes. Stop comparing yourself to others.
I agree I really shouldn't compare myself to others but it's really hard when you're part of a community who are showing amazing progress and you're stuck in the slow lane. Yes I know water weight goes first but I would've thought 10 lbs of that would have been water the rest fat. I'm not giving up but staying on the right path is getting harder every day when I am not seeing progress, I just need a sign that what I am doing is right or should I do more.
If you're essentially asking if you should start lifting, the answer is always a huge yes. Although you wouldn't gain muscle in a deficit aside from some newbie gains, it will help you retain what you already have. So as you lose fat, you will have more of a toned composition. It's always better to start as you're losing because it's better to retain what you have rather than trying to add muscle on, which can be difficult. When all is said and done, muscle does burn more, but it's an insignificant amount in the grand scheme of things, if you're viewing it as a calorie burner.
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SereneRose wrote: »I never said I haven't progressed obviously there has been progress but I cannot see where it is as all my clothes fit the same, the measuring tape isn't showing any different and now that the scale is yo-yo ing it can be frustrating at times.
You are close to the age I was when I quit trying to lose weight. I made feeble attempts for over 30 years. Now, I have finally done it, from 190 to 130ish. Don't quit and find yourself in your 60's still overweight and wondering why you didn't try harder when you were younger. It's not an easy process, but if you want it bad enough you can do it. Be patient. I didn't really see a difference in how I looked until I was down 30 pounds and that's when people started to comment. You have a tremendous support and advice group here on MFP. Don't hesitate to reach out. Here is my mantra:
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Thank you for all the advice, I really needed to vent my frustrations and hear from others also on this journey, I feel better. I'm not going to let the scale or tape dictate my success, I am losing and healing my body from the inside. 2
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Don't give up! Don't!
I am 5'2" and started at 204 lbs. I didn't take a lot of measurements (about 4 places on my body) until I lost 35 pounds and wished I had started sooner. Also, my actual size in pants didn't go down until 30 pounds lost. I think there are 2 reasons for this:
1) I was wearing pants that were too tight because I couldn't bear to buy bigger. So, I didn't even have a realistic baseline.
2) I have read on here that the heavier you are the more weight you need to lose to go down a size. (Not sure if that's true but it seems to be what people experience.) Now that I am closer to my goal, I'm going down in pants size every 5 to 8 pounds.
Sorry, didn't mean to make it about me. Think hard: are your clothes fitting better? In any way? Like not leaving as deep of marks on your skin. Are your pants baggier in any areas? Maybe not all over but somewhere? Do your feet hurt less or shoes fit better? Is your jewelry looser?
An above poster mentioned a big woosh. This happened to me. It's like one weekend my jeans fit. Not too baggy, not too tight. The next weekend, they were baggy to the point where it was embarrassing. I lost one pound that week.
This will come. Please try to be patient and don't give up.
22 pounds is GREAT. Don't forget that. You could still have that 22 pounds.
Good. Luck.5 -
It's because of your starting size. 22lb off when you are in the "normal" or "overweight" BMI brackets is easy to see, but it's much harder to notice, the further into the "obese" bracket you are.
As you keep going, you will find that the differences are more obvious. You say you have lost around your face. That is a nice place to lose, because that is the first thing people notice about you, and your primary means of communication. Think about the positives!
You are not stuck in the slow lane. 22lb is a very big loss indeed in two months. It is about 10% of your body weight. That is phenomenal!
Don't think solely about your appearance. That 22lb off is already a huge improvement as far as your health risks are concerned. You are on the verge of changing your classification from "severely obese" (BMI>40) to "obese". Just a line in the sand, but that will be a victory already, with more to come.
Even if you can't see the weight loss, your body can feel it. Try picking up something of 22lb, and see how much you are no longer lugging around. That's the weight of a car tyre, or the maximum cabin baggage allowance for many airlines. It's a lot.4 -
SereneRose wrote: »Hey, this is driving me crazy and no one I speak to seems to understand.
I've lost 22 lbs (1st 8 lbs) yet I cannot see any difference in my body, yes my face is a bit slimmer but I still have a big stomach, thighs, arms and a bit of a double chin. I'm 5ft 1 and weigh 215.6 lbs (15st 6 lbs). My friends say i'm being silly and they can see the difference but I am not seeking compliments I honestly don't see it and when I see photos of others who have begun around the same stage as me and lost the same I get so frustrated I want to scream!
I've taken measurements as I know the scale can be an evil liar but again hardly any movement and my weight keeps fluctuating up and down almost a pound a day. I've been eating a keto diet since the 17th October 2016 and my losses were high first few weeks but now barely a pound a week.
I'm thinking of buying Body Beast hoping it will help shred my excess fat, i've got Chalean Extreme and found it doable so thought why not kick it up a gear with BB.
Anything you can advise? TIA
are you sure you are in a caloric deficit? even eating keto you have to be in a deficit or you wont lose weight.to shed excess fat you still have to be in a caloric deficit. how do you gauge how much you eat? do you weigh everything solid/semi solid on a scale? or do you eyeball or estimate portions?0 -
successgal1 wrote: »Fat around your internal organs.
OP ^^^^
This so much!!!!
If you haven't changed externally enough for you to feel satisfied, be reassured that your 22 lbs of loss has probably come off the most 'dangerous fat' of all.
Also, as someone else has wisely stated comparison really is the thief of joy....Focus on you only and know that you have done a remarkable job. Patience and persistence are going to be your strongest allies, embrace them.
All the best.3 -
I have noticed that I can wear the same old clothes I used to when heavier so that hides a lot from friends . They see you as the same because you wear the same clothes .. it does take awhile for people to say something . I think they may notice but scared to say something in case there mistaken ...kind of like the guy says to the girl .. I see your pregnant. .. she say no I'm not LOL so we learn to keep our mouth shut lol
Good luck sounds like your doing well ..
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Just remember youre a shorter girl like me and when we are over 200lbs it can be hard for us to tell on ourselves because our stomachs can still look big since theres no where for it to go lol it just takes time and a little more loss to notice it in yourself. Im positive the changes are there - you just dont notice because you see it gradually when you look in the mirror everyday. Other people notice because they see you then dont see you for a while and when you come back youre way smaller all of a sudden - it's not gradual.1
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22 lbs is an excellent achievement, well done! I'm currently on week 10 of Chalean Extreme. I lost 7 lbs first phase but gained 3, second phase. Christmas didn't help, but overall I'm 6 lbs down, lost 7 inches from waist and gone from 32.7 to 25 % body fat, my weight was just into overweight bracket. My point is, think less about the scale, especially with this program. Again, excellent work - don't be discouraged!2
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