When did people notice?

Lietchi · November 2019

Out of curiosity, at what point did people start noticing you lost weight?

Do people tend to notice when you're wearing new (smaller) clothes, or when wearing older clothes that have become too big?

etherealanwar · November 2019

My husband notices changes very easily so he would always mention whether I was looking smaller. I visit my family every 2-4 months and in my first year of losing weight they would mention it almost every time I would visit. Nobody at work mentioned anything until I was down 40 lbs, it all happened around then and has not since even though I have dropped another 30 lbs.

epangili · November 2019

People who I saw every day and monthly noticed when I lost 10 pounds but it's only because my height is only 4'11" so makes a big difference on a petite frame. People I saw weekly not so observant.

moonangel12 · November 2019

I was surprised that I got comments within a week or two, I think because I was so swollen and puffy when I started so those first few pounds of water weight really showed in my face...

ElizabethKalmbach · November 2019

I tend to distribute my fat layer pretty evenly when I gain, so no one ever seems to notice until I've gone about 40 lbs either way. Plus it's getting cold out, so instead of getting smaller jeans after losing 15 lbs, I've started adding layers under them to stay warm.

LP4life · November 2019

My family and my co-workers noticed at 12lbs of weight loss and now they really notice because my clothes are falling off.

NovusDies · November 2019

Some people will, thankfully, never comment. Some people will comment and keep it brief. Some people will go on and on. Some people will comment and then offer you unwelcome and even bogus advice.

If you have enough weight to lose that your face starts to shrink expect some chatter then. Otherwise it will depend on your distribution.

ellie117 · November 2019

People that work in my building but don't see me daily were the ones that made the most comments. "I almost didn't recognize you" and "you look like a new person!" were some of the more notable responses. They started to come after about 20-30lbs down. When I got to 50-60lbs down, then came people asking me how I did it, and asking what they could incorporate in their own lives to have similar success.

I've always worn fitted clothing, even at my heaviest (215lbs) so I guess it was pretty noticeable when my fitted stuff started getting loose and I had to start incorporating a new wardrobe of outfits fitted to my new physique.

cwolfman13 · November 2019

Lietchi wrote: »

Out of curiosity, at what point did people start noticing you lost weight?

Do people tend to notice when you're wearing new (smaller) clothes, or when wearing older clothes that have become too big?

A lot of people notice, but will never say anything. I lost 40 Lbs total and I can count on one hand the number of people who ever commented. Talking about someone's weight regardless of whether it's a compliment or not is kind of up there with religion and politics, only even more personal. A lot of people can't take a compliment and something like, "Hey...looks like you've lost some weight...looking good, good job" is interpreted as, "wow...you lost weight...you used to look like a fat piece of *kitten*" in their minds.

Most of the comments I received were from close family members rather than friends, acquaintances, or colleagues. The comments I did get outside of family members were typically from people I saw infrequently...like I could go months without seeing them...so changes over months were very noticeable to them.

neugebauer52 · November 2019

After about a year when I had lost 35 kg or so.

Hollis100 · November 2019

Hollis100 wrote: »

I'm an older widow. I've lost about 25 pounds (3 or 4 before MFP, and then 22 since July 31). I went from obese at 174 lbs to 147 lbs and am 2 pounds away from "normal." Some of my jeans are falling off me.

So far, none of my friends and co-workers have said a word. I rarely talk about it, only to turn down food at work, and then only say I'm trying to lose weight because I have health problems (which is true).

I wanted to add: I'm doing this for myself, am very happy with my weight loss and appearance, and whether people close to me in real life comment doesn't really matter. My MFP friends are super supportive. I feel great about my progress.

kgonsman1 · November 2019

Down 17 pounds (I am petite to begin with!) People I see everyday have not noticed and/or have not commented. On the other hand, people I haven't seen in a long while think I have lost a tremendous amount (again, 17 pounds is a lot from my small frame).

greenolivetree · November 2019

I lost probably 70 pounds in 2011-2012 and the comments were nonstop after I lost the first 30ish lbs. I gained pretty much all of it back in 2016 and now in the past few months I've lost probably almost 40 (I don't like to weigh myself when I'm heavy. LOL) and I only a couple days ago got my first 2 comments. Kinda surprising because I've gone from an XL to a M and I'm only 5'1 so that should be extremely noticeable.

I'm kinda glad I haven't gotten the comments because I really wasn't interesting in drawing attention the second time around. Even my inlaws who hadn't seen me at all through this round of weight loss didn't comment that I had dropped from XL to M/40lbs since they last saw me. Part of me wonders if people feel as awkward mentioning it the second time around as I feel about receiving the comments the second time around. Also I wonder if because I was obese for less time (previously I had been XL for 7 years so everyone was quite used to me being obese before the drastic change) maybe it's not so shocking for them to see me size M. Plus I spent several years being size XS so maybe size M is still looking super fat to everyone else. LOL! I'm still currently 11 pounds overweight and wanting to lose probably 20-25 pounds more.

The 2 comments I received a couple days ago were:

"Maybe it's just me not paying attention, but it sure seems like you lost half of yourself in like the past week." (My reply was "Well, it wasn't a week but it's been pretty fast."

and

"Have you lost weight? I found it." LOL

bobsburgersfan · November 2019

For me it was 40-50 pounds before people noticed or said much. And I get more comments when I get new clothes that fit properly.

HoneyBadger302 · November 2019

When I hit my heaviest (~163ish - not sure) and started getting my eating under control, and got down into the 145ish range, I started to get a few comments. After a bad leg break, I put about 2/3 of that back on, and now I'm back to the 143ish range (and losing) and have put on a fair bit of muscle, but I only rarely get a comment. I think mostly because I was always very careful how I dressed, and tend to prefer looser fitting clothes, so it's not as easy to see. My progress photos show it though, especially this last 10 pounds!

riffraff2112 · November 2019

Me : 4 weeks I really noticed the difference with clothes
Random people that I see occasionally: 4-8 weeks
Family, people I see often : 12 weeks

Shortgirlrunning · November 2019

Probably somewhere around 20-25ish lbs. A lot of people won’t comment your weight loss even when they do notice as it can be seen as rude. Most of the comments I get come from family who I’m open with about trying to lose weight. I’ve never had a co-worker comment on my weight loss even at 50 lbs down.

My husband is the sweetest and when I tell him I’ve lost even 5 lbs he says he can see a difference 🥰

Unknown · November 2019

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nighthawk584 · November 2019

I live alone, and during most of this time I have hunkered down away from people to concentrate on this weight loss journey. Close people knew but only saw me after I was down the first 30 lbs. I dropped weight in my face first so it was very noticeable but body changes weren't significant until I was down around 50-60. This Thanksgiving will be the first time many will see me since I started. I am down 82 lbs right now and will probably be around 85 lbs by then.

Deanner03 · November 2019

I'm really tall and had a LOT to lose, but people REALLY started to notice around 35lbs down. Now I'm almost 90lbs down, and people who haven't seen me in a while often ask questions or comment.

Luke_rabbit · November 2019

Except for the few people who are close enough to me to know that I am losing weight, I hope nobody comments even if they notice. I really don't appreciate personal comments from anyone other than the closest people (husband, son, 2 close friends). Fortunately my family, who I don't see often, never talks about weight unless you bring it up yourself.

Rhumax67 · November 2019

A friend I hadn't seen since Dec. asked if I was sick. I think I was down about15 lbs

LittleLightShine · November 2019

I'm 5'1" and I've lost 70lbs. No one really noticed until I lost around 40-45.

RelCanonical · November 2019

I think that the people who knew me for a while started noticing at like 35-ish pounds down, basically when I went from obese to overweight. I started a new job around the same time I started losing weight, and the people who I met at this job didn't notice until I was about 50 down. I think they didn't have a chance to really get "used" to me when I was obese, even though I was at my highest weight when I first started the job.

hafsatoheed2019 · November 2019

LittleLightShine wrote: »

I'm 5'1" and I've lost 70lbs. No one really noticed until I lost around 40-45.

I’m the same height and need to lose same amount. Would you plz share some details food and exercise wise. What you think that remained consistent during the journey whict brought you success in losing 70 lb. I restart every day and mess up every day and stuck in a rut.

ElBence · November 2019

There may be a difference between noticing, and saying something. I'm 6'0" and started at 222 lbs. The first person to say anything did so at about 15 lbs. Some people said something at 20-25. I'm down to 175, and some people just barely said something. I think people sometimes don't say something because it may be considered impolite.

Outside of my close family, each time somebody said something, though, I've been happy to tell them that I have lost weight. They almost inevitably follow up with something along the lines of, "I thought you were losing weight," which indicates that they noticed before they said anything about it. Don't worry about whether people say something. They are probably noticing far in advance of saying something. Some may notice and never say a word, and that doesn't mean that they are unfriendly or unsupportive. It means they've chosen not to say anything.

Self validation will take you much further than the comments of others. Do this for you, and nobody else. As long as you notice that you feel better, look better, fit in your clothes better, or that the scale is kinder to you in the morning, who cares what people say or whether they say anything at all?

JenniferM1234 · November 2019

I'm in my 50s and have been a yo-yo dieter since I was...15 years old, I think. The same 20-23 pounds, up and down, up and down. When I was in my 20s people would be complimentary, but I think by the time I was in my 40s no one I consistently knew bothered saying anything anymore, because it's all "been there, seen that" to them!

I wish that this time I could stick to maintenance. That's why I am on this site 100% in the first place. But history gives a bad indication.

aries68mc · November 2019

I really don't know. I will guess after about 20 or 30 pounds. People at work (in my Division, anyway), knew what I was doing. There was a rep from one of our vendors who knows me and comes in often, who noticed. A few other people in my building who I do not really see that often noticed and commented. So this has been several months ago. Within the last couple of weeks, 2 other different people that I passed in the hall didn't comment but I could tell they noticed by the way they looked at me. And these 2, btw, are obese. You might even say one is morbidly obese.

merph518 · November 2019

I started getting a lot more comments from people not aware that I'm trying to lose weight around the -75 lb mark. I was a lot bigger than most to start, so that's probably part of why. Right around where I started wearing 2xl shirts and slimmer fitting jeans.

rainbow198 · November 2019

I lost 85 pounds and I started noticing small NSV's at 20 pounds down.

At around 30 pounds down people noticed and started asking questions (did you cut your hair? you look different! have you lost weight - what are you doing? etc).

At the -60 lbs down I became unrecognizable. That was also when I started dressing for my size at the time and stopped wearing my bigger clothes so that helped too.

LivingtheLeanDream · November 2019

I had 20lbs to lose to get to a healthy weight, so when I lost the first 10lbs people really started to notice - 20lbs loss meant I went down 2 dress sizes and I think when someone has less to lose its more noticeable when they do.

When did people notice?

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