I feel it already..

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sarahfadell87
sarahfadell87 Posts: 182 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Tomorrow is the 7th day.

I’ve lost 5 lbs with 100+ more to lose, but 20 until my first goal.

But I already feel like i look smaller? Is that a thing or perhaps psychosomatic?
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  • texasredreb
    texasredreb Posts: 541 Member
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    Weigh as often as you like. I'm a daily weigher. I think it helps me stay accountable and motivated. My sister is on the other extreme; she only weighs once a month. Many people weigh weekly. Do what works best for you but don't get discouraged by daily fluctuations in your weight. It will go up and down, but mostly down!
  • kbmnurse1
    kbmnurse1 Posts: 316 Member
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    I think it is wonderful why question it?
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,023 Member
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    Look up a photo of what 5 lb of fat looks like. It's amazing!
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,757 Member
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    Great start, likely will slow down but don't get discouraged when in does it is very normal. The first 5 lbs is awesome to get your confidence going and you may in fact notice it in the mirror and how some of your clothes fit.
    I used to weigh daily, I liked the info it provided and when I was losing I wanted to know everything about how my body reacted to cardio, weight training, recovery and I got pretty good at predicting spikes in water weight etc based on my weighing so often (multiple times a day). Now I rarely weigh myself because I am more concerned about weight training goals and how I look in the mirror!
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,984 Member
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    sarahfadell87 wrote: »
    Tomorrow is the 7th day.

    I’ve lost 5 lbs with 100+ more to lose, but 20 until my first goal.

    But I already feel like i look smaller? Is that a thing or perhaps psychosomatic?

    It's possible that some of that loss was water that was causing "puffiness" wherever you feel like you look smaller. I wouldn't generally expect 5 lbs of weight loss to be noticeable on someone who has 100+ pounds to lose. Sorry. But keep at it, and eventually it will definitely be noticeable. Taking before, in-progress, and after pictures in same clothes at same angle and lighting can help give you a more objective view, as well as linear body measurements (with a tape measure).
  • 1BlueAurora
    1BlueAurora Posts: 439 Member
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    I weigh every day to keep myself accountable but, like you, it's mostly to rejoice at my progress! I agree with taking progress photos: I wish I'd done that at the start, because it took my brain awhile to register that my body was changing. I kept buying the same size pants, when I should have gone down a size, because I really didn't see the changes. I also started using a tape measure for my breasts, waist and hips. It gave confirmation to me that I was, in fact, doing well at this weight loss thing!
  • sammidelvecchio
    sammidelvecchio Posts: 791 Member
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    I take pictures. It helps me to see progress in a way I wouldn't day-to-day in the mirror. Awesome first week :) Very exciting!
  • gearhead426hemi
    gearhead426hemi Posts: 919 Member
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    Good job! You will have highs and lows just take them all in stride and try to keep focused. Don't be hard on yourself if you have off days because everyone does. Keep changing up your workout routine and what you eat to keep it interesting. Try foods you have never tried. Try physical activities you have never tried to keep working out fun. Mountain biking, hiking, kayaking anything that gets you outdoors. Good luck!!
  • hungrywombat
    hungrywombat Posts: 47 Member
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    That's awesome! Keep at it and you'll keep feeling physically and mentally better. Just remember that weight loss isn't linear so don't get discouraged when losses slow or stall temporarily, or if it takes others a long time to notice your progress. Persistence and patience are key. Taking measurements and progress photos is a great way to keep reminding yourself of your progress when the inevitable scale stalls and fluctuations occur.
  • sarahfadell87
    sarahfadell87 Posts: 182 Member
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    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    It's most likely both. It's a new sensation. Clothes feel ever so slightly smaller and you are proud of yourself doing what you need to be doing. New sensations register more strongly than familiar ones. Your body is dropping weight (a lot of which is water weight) and it's exciting.

    It's important to understand something, however. It's perfectly fine, even good, to enjoy these experiences, but be aware that they may not last. There will be days when the scale won't read what you want it to read, and may even go up. These new sensations of feeling smaller will become more familiar and they don't register as strongly. You may need to lose 20, 30, or even 40 pounds before you change to a smaller clothing size. You may have days where your diet isn't as perfect as you want it to be and you just don't have it in you to do what you want to do, which may make you question your abilities and the point of it all. It's important not to expect to ride on motivation forever or for the path to be straight forward.

    Enjoy it for now, but don't be shocked when you go through your first setback and be mentally prepared, because that's when many people are tempted to quit.

    Thank you. This is very helpful and insightful.. i’ll try to remember these things when I am feeling discouraged. These are important in success too.. I’ll continue to remind myself to keep going even if i hit a setback
  • magnusthenerd
    magnusthenerd Posts: 1,207 Member
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    csplatt wrote: »
    Look up a photo of what 5 lb of fat looks like. It's amazing!

    Unfortunately, many of the popular pictures of 5 lbs of fat are wrong.
    Also, someone who loses 5 pounds, even purely from fat cells, probably has lost still at least 10% of that as water, and most initial weight loss will be more water than that because some will be glycogen and water.
  • magnusthenerd
    magnusthenerd Posts: 1,207 Member
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    5 lbs with a 100 to lose could be visible.
    One nice thing is that while weight loss slows down when you have less to lose, it takes less loss to make a noticeable difference as it goes on.
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,757 Member
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    I agree its both. I always feel a little better when I lose my first 5 lbs ( I then to gain weight every winter and need to tighten up my regiment for a month or so to get back to my ideal weight. People always say its all water or whatever but I know my pants fit better, and I just feel less bloated.
    Yup it doesn't stay that easy, and some weeks you wont lose at all but those first five or so let you know that you can do this!

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