How do you notice the difference?

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ElizIvory
ElizIvory Posts: 141 Member
in Motivation and Support
I take a lot of "progress" photos but no matter what I can't seem to see the difference when others can.

My question is when do you guys truly notice a big difference when you look at photos or a mirror?

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  • Soccermavrick
    Soccermavrick Posts: 405 Member
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    It often takes quite a while. Our minds play tricks on us, so we often to not see the changes that others see quickly. (We see ourselves everyday. Others do not, so differences pop to them.) And often the same weight we did not see creeping on, we miss, slipping off.
  • Shortgirlrunning
    Shortgirlrunning Posts: 1,020 Member
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    I do notice a difference in pictures/the mirror. I’m about 50 lbs down. With small weight loss (like 10-15 lbs) it was a lot easier to see the difference if I was in just a sports bra and leggings or shorts. It’s hard (for me) to notice smaller weight changes fully clothed.
  • Hollis100
    Hollis100 Posts: 1,408 Member
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    Nighthawk, thumbs up. You look great and must have turned your health around in a big way.

    I went from obese to normal this year (lost about 34 pounds since mid-July 2019). I wish I could lose more weight only in my stomach, but of course it doesn't work that way. I still feel fat. I'm always surprised when I see myself in a mirror because I look slender. I agree that it takes the mind a while to catch up.
  • tony56pr
    tony56pr Posts: 141 Member
    edited December 2019
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    You are your worst critic. You eyes like to lie to you. Are your clothes fitting looser? Can you bend over easier? Does it hurt as much getting down on floor?

    Say difference can be seen after 30 pounds (likely felt after 10-15 pounds) or so much depends on how objective you can be.

    Of course, if you've only got 15 pounds or something to lose you likely will never see the difference.
  • maureenkhilde
    maureenkhilde Posts: 850 Member
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    Looking at your pictures I can see a few differences. Big weight difference in first picture on left, from the one on far right. You say fit difference, but literally there is weight that no longer can be seen. Also in your arm/hand.

    A type of picture that I do not share but actually has proven to me, of the changed weight is every 6 weeks I take the dreaded sideways view pictures.

    One area where I have lost/come down that was pretty unexpected is in wearing rings. I bought some cheap ring guards for now. So I would not lose my wedding bands. But once closer to final destination will be getting them sized.
  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 6,578 Member
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    This year it took 30lbs down to see a difference. I didn't take progress photos but my driver's license and a picture my dad has from 100lbs ago is shocking! Weirdest difference was when I thought I'd stretched out all my shoes and actually went down a size.

    I've looked at a lot of progress/success photos this year. If you want to see a difference don't wear black, wear form-fitting clothes (all my old clothes were baggy and black!), and take side shots as well. I can tell a difference in your stomach from the first to second photo, great job!
  • unstableunicorn
    unstableunicorn Posts: 216 Member
    edited December 2019
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    ElizIvory wrote: »
    I take a lot of "progress" photos but no matter what I can't seem to see the difference when others can.

    My question is when do you guys truly notice a big difference when you look at photos or a mirror?

    I’ve been doing progress photos in the same outfit (jeans & my favourite cami). The attached progress photo is from a few weeks ago. Aside from more wrinkling of cami due to looser fit, my upper and lower tummy don’t stick out/hang as far, my boobs are a little droopier because they no longer fill out my bra, my wrist is a bit slimmer, and my shoulders are smaller/more defined (as evidenced by how the bra straps press into them). There are other less obvious things such as pointier elbow and definition in the collar/pec region, but not as visible in these particular photos and I only noticed the differences because I’m used to scanning for imperfections in paint and metal finishes at work.

    ztnl61tralbn.jpeg

    In your progress photos I can see some serious composition change in your abdomen, and the bit of visible bicep looks much thicker (muscle thick) than before. Your wrist with the phone hand is also slimmer and there is a bit more definition around the jawline. This is only based on an odd angle though. A mirror alters perception only as much as the camera angle does. :)
  • koalathebear
    koalathebear Posts: 236 Member
    edited December 2019
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    It took me a while. Other people noticed it first - mostly in my face because for some reason my face seems to be the place where my weight loss shows up first.

    For me, I could feel that my clothes were getting looser and I could see the difference on the scales and I could see my measurements were shrinking, but it took me a really, really long time to 'see' the difference in myself.

    I have some progress photographs:
    cbubjshcii3l.jpg

    #1 86.6 kg (starting weight). I'm a 46 year old female, five feet tall.
    #2 84.3 kg
    #3 78 kg
    #4 71.9 kg
    #5 68 kg
    #6 65.2 kg
    #7 60.5 kg
    #8 57.8 kg
    #9 57.7 kg
    #10 56.7 kg
    #11 28 September: 54.5kg (goal)
    #12 29 November / now: 54.6kg (maintenance)

    Some people started noticing the difference in me at around 5-8 kg lost. I think I only started visibly seeing the changes for myself at around photograph 7, which is when I had definitely dropped some clothing sizes and could see the changes in the mirror. I can definitely see the changes between photograph 1 and 12, but honestly at the time, it took a really long time for me to see any changes in the mirror. Even looking at the photos now, I don't think that the changes between photos 1- 6 are that noticeable. So hang in there!!

    ETA: the fat rolls around my stomach hung around for positively ages!!! I thought they'd never go away. I still have a small fupa which I notice when not wearing clothes, but is not noticeable when I'm wearing clothes as my stomach has become quite flat - which is a miracle to me.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    When I started I took my measurements and kept a weekly journal with the dates. It was invaluable later on when my weight loss stalled. I pulled it out with my measuring tape and could see those 10cm that I had lost around my stomach. It kept me going along with reading the success threads. The measurements I took were: waist, stomach, hips, thighs, arm, and neck.
  • koalathebear
    koalathebear Posts: 236 Member
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    I have to say, it's a bit disheartening to get a disagree/woo on a post where you are trying to encourage someone. Not sure what is being disagreed with - I gave a factual account of what happened to me. Whether the person agrees with me or not - it happened :#
  • Ash_Caitlin
    Ash_Caitlin Posts: 1 Member
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    For me it was the little things that I started to notice, like one day I bent down to tie my shoe laces and thought wow that was easier than it used to be as my belly wasn’t preventing me from getting to my laces 😂 Or in the shower, I bent around to wash my lower back and could see my butt (shocking I know).
    Going to be honest everyone here is right about the mind playing tricks on you, it took me months of maintaining weight after 35kg weight loss to even begin to think I looked truly smaller when I looked in the mirror because I was seeing what used to be there when I was 107kg.
    It takes time but you’ll find your own little things you notice along the journey 💕
  • shaf238
    shaf238 Posts: 4,021 Member
    edited December 2019
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    Clothes are a big clue for me personally. I also get my bf % measured each month.

    koalathebear wrote: »
    I have to say, it's a bit disheartening to get a disagree/woo on a post where you are trying to encourage someone. Not sure what is being disagreed with - I gave a factual account of what happened to me. Whether the person agrees with me or not - it happened :#

    Pay no mind to it, some people round here are idiots.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
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    When I was losing weight it was the little things...noticing my clothes were getting loose, having an easier time painting my toenails or crossing my legs or having more room in a seat at a concert at a place I've been to before etc.

    I might not have been able to see the physical changes in the mirror or with my weight on the scale, but I knew good things were happening. I was losing fat and inches and was improving my health and physical fitness.

    It made me want to keep going and I did. After some time passed and I stayed consistent, the differences were very noticeable in pictures, others noticed and I noticed as well.

    Also I was very consistent with taking my measurements once a month. That was very useful for me to track my progress.

  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 1,994 Member
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    koalathebear wrote: »
    I have to say, it's a bit disheartening to get a disagree/woo on a post where you are trying to encourage someone. Not sure what is being disagreed with - I gave a factual account of what happened to me. Whether the person agrees with me or not - it happened :#

    I'm guessing they may have hit the wrong button by accident, because I find nothing wrong with your post that would have someone disagree with it. Congrats on your weight loss, you look great!
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,216 Member
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    Some great progress shown here by everybody.

    OP - I can see certainly see changes. It's probably even more obvious to others that see you in motion.

    Here are some tips I've used for progress pictures. I lift and I came from the opposite direction (super skinny-fat) so changes can be slow and a bit subtle especially after several years of bodybuilding.

    Find a place in your house/apartment where you can take a good body picture in minimal clothing. Keep lighting the same for each shot. Keep the angle and distance from the camera/mirror the same. Take the picture at the same time of day - morning after you've waken up taken care of business is a great time (don't mix in pumped pics with cold ones). Cut the head off ... lol - let me explain the last one. I have a huge problem with body dysmorphia (bigorexia) and if I see my face it distorts my entire view of my body. All my progress pics are headless. ;)

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