I’ve lost almost 100lbs, why don’t I look any different?

My start weight back in 2016 was roughly 275lbs and to be fair a lot of my weight was carried in my chest. For the past few weeks I’ve hit plateau but my weight is now 180lbs. I’m 5lbs away from losing 100lbs in total, my height being 5”9.

While I feel really proud of getting myself healthier, And people always commenting on it, don’t feel any different and I don’t think I look any different. I still feel 275lbs.

I don’t know if it’s my body structure but No matter how hard I try to lose, I still look big.

A friend took a few photos of me last night, and felt awful. I’m always comparing myself to my thinner girl friends every day and I know it’s not right.

Has anyone else felt like this after a weight loss and has any advice?

Here is a photo as a reference

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Replies

  • loganag
    loganag Posts: 1 Member
    You look amazing!!
  • msunat97
    msunat97 Posts: 511 Member
    You look amazing. Your dedication is clear and very visible. You should celebrate your hard work and look forward to your next challenge.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,281 Member
    In time maybe your head will catch up to reality. I'm 5 10 and weigh 150. I felt so fantastic when I lost down to that amount. Now that I've been maintaining for a year.. I realize I look normal and I'm working on toning and perfecting other things. The mind is a funny thing..it takes time for it to adjust to your new size.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,467 Member
    It’s just hard to see yourself as others see you. You look to me like you’ve lost about 100 pounds! So much difference!
    Your feet and ankles don’t look much different. But even your fingers have lost weight!
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    There’s a huge difference between your two photos! And you do look beautiful, your facial features in particular are so much more defined at your present weight.

    I understand though because you and I have similar stats and I went through something similar. I started 272 lbs at 5’8” and when I had lost 100 lbs I felt like I looked great in the mirror but I kept thinking photos of me still looked heavy. Well... it took another 25 lbs and suddenly the photos looked the way I wanted to look. Someone once said that the last twenty pounds make as much difference to your appearance as the first hundred, and in some people that’s true. You are still a little bit above a healthy BMI, why not keep going until you hit the top of the healthy BMI range and see if it’s more like what you pictured?
  • mi_nina_lola
    mi_nina_lola Posts: 767 Member
    i lost twenty pounds and didn't see a difference in the mirror. people see it all the time with me, but i still sometimes have that twenty pounds extra mindset!

    this is an incredible transformation that you've undergone. please Lady - give yourself some credit and pat yourself on the back for your achievement. you look sensational. if only we could see ourselves the way other people see us.

    good luck on your journey - and i hope you will learn to be kind and gentle with yourself <3 .
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,757 Member
    you are half your original size and look great. Common problem to feel that way. Hope as time passes and you get used to the new you, you realize how far you have come. You can keep striving forward if that is your intent. Congrats on the loss, you look great
  • saofei
    saofei Posts: 8 Member
    If u work out and do gym Everyday and wearing those special corset . Would give u a slimmer waist . Koreans and Chinese love doing these to get a smaller body" when they have a big body even tho they lost weight sit stand on a wall without touching the ground. Without a chair * is like a crunch/ squat and u can tone up waist/legs/stomach /arms because arms have to be on a vertical line not losen up. And sitting then upper your legs 40 X for a flat stomach and legs and arms .
    I can tell u lost a lot weight but are indeed still a little chubby on the waist /shoulders. But the amount fat you lost on your chin is amazing and the half u got away too .
    U can do it .
    And there is a saying people that were fat will always feel fat. It's true .
    Apologies if I sound rude because I'm a very honest person . I would tell u the truth rather what u wanna hear .
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
    Losing weight can be a mind Frack...... enjoy it your hard work and maintenance.
  • buster2485
    buster2485 Posts: 9 Member
    I think were always more hard on ourselves than others. You look great! No doubt about it.
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 1,979 Member
    Well, echoing others, I think you look 100% better and healthier! I am hard on myself too so I know where you are coming from. Trying to recondition my brain into being good to myself for a change. It's a slow process. Congrats on the 100!
  • cbstewart88
    cbstewart88 Posts: 453 Member
    edited September 2019
    You look marvelous!! When I lost weight, I was perplexed too. Why don't I look skinny?? I realized that I have a HUGH ribcage and would never look like I had imagined I would look. My doctor told me sarcastically: Yeah. I can take out about 6 ribs if you want...
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    I am thinking are you crazy, you look great. Great weight also because you are tall. I have hear anorexia people dont know they are skinny, always feel fat. Come to think of it I always think I am chubby I guess because my Dad called me short and dumpy. I am 5'4 and 158. Be glad you are tall, you can eat more also. I have boobs also, yep they aren't all that, a lot of trouble. Mine really didnt go down that much after 40 lb weight loss but yours sure did!