Clothing shopping crushed my soul

I've lost about 10 pounds (waiting until Thursday weigh in day to update) and I am still amazed how big I am. I gained it slowly over the years but I wish someone would spoke up. I don't know if I have really lost enough for others to notice (though my female co-workers have said I look thinner).

Keep your chin up and know things take time. You are not alone.

As for the plateau, I wish I had advice. Normally when I hit mine, I quit. Switch up your diet, change your exercise???

I felt really great about the 20 pounds I've lost until I spent 10 soul crushing hours shopping for clothes for the big weekend. I'm realizing that I have a really long way to go. A plateau on top of that is nearly bringing me to tears. Trying to take the advice of someone I heard that said you should never talk to yourself in a way that you wouldn't talk to a child you loved. But how did I ever get this big without even realizing it? As I'm trying on clothes it seems like I'm seeing myself as fat for the first time and not just kind of chubby. I'm really discouraged about my progress. It has been 3 months and I've lost 20 pounds but hardly anyone has noticed. Only 1 of my 3 sisters has noticed. Please help. I'm never going to quit this journey but it is so hard to look at the next 2 years of hard work and believe that I can really do it. Any of you have advice? I rarely go over my calories (started at 240 lb) and I do kickboxing 5 hours a week plus other things like walking, swimming, and gardening because I love being active.

I never really noticed how much I was putting on at the time either, which really blows my mind now. You are definitely not the only one whose done that. ...Theres a quote from Maya Angelou that occurs to me here..."When you know better, you do better." It took me a long time to view weight loss as a journey to a fit life instead of "getting skinny" only. You can do this. The only way you can't succeed is if you quit. Keep trying. If the exercise gets too rough for a bit...ease back, take walks instead for a bit and modify your calories accordingly...just stay on track. Don't look too far ahead. People don't notice for quite a while...which is ok. It's about you and being there for your family. You can totally do this. Also, it sounds like you have a lot of activity...I wonder if you are under-eating a bit. Maybe try upping your calories by a couple hundred and see if it works. That helped me break my last plateau. Good luck. Hang in there. :happy:

:frown:

Don't let it upset you.
I have learnt something in the last few years..... Clothes are dumb.

I have lost 14lbs (started at 185 now 171) since November....I have bought 1 new pair of pants and 2 shirts.
I go try on clothes, think "WTF, i've lost 14 lbs, how am I still the same friggin size of clothes???"

But it's a long process, i have to tell myself, it took years to put the weight on, it's going to take a while for it to come back off. You have lost 20lbs, that's WONDERFUL. Don't belittle what you've accomplished, you've done great! Just keep going.

If you are stuck, just change up your routine a bit, exercise or food wise.


BUT, remember...you are doing awesome

Clothes shopping can be brutal. I remember crying inside fitting rooms all the time when my weight loss didn't seem enough... Everything under xl or 1x was too tight. So I stopped going to shop for clothes. Just stopped. I kept calorie counting and working out day after day. Every week I would just wear my older clothes and feel good about how loose they were getting. Then finally when they got too loose, and I didn't have any clothes that fit, I decided to shop and saw that I was a size 14! I hit a 2 month plateau after that which was depressing as hell but I kept going because I didn't know what else to do. Now I'm a size 10. Don't go clothes shopping till everything is loose. I know that might sound dumb but it isn't worth getting so upset over.
Try strength training. It is more effective than cardio. It takes inches off within 3 weeks even if the weight doesn't decrease. You'll get fitter, stronger and look better and FEEL better.
People don't get how hard it is to lose 20 pounds... I know! What you have achieved so far is amazing! Keep going. All of us go through this stage. Just keep pushing on. You'll get there and it will be so worth it. You've already done more than most people even bother to. All the best!

Clothes shopping crushes my soul every time too! I hate trying on pants mostly!!!

Clothes ARE dumb. Seriously... they don't even have brains. Don't let them define you.

I'm at my goal, really happy with how I look naked, but I haven't found one pair shorts this year that fit my waist AND my thighs. One or the other. Not both. Jeans are a nightmare, too.

I joined here at the tail end of January of this year and I've also only lost 20 lbs so far. But I'm tickled that my clothes are fitting looser and I'm wearing clothes I'd pushed to the back of the closet for being too tight. I refuse to buy new clothes until my old ones are obscenely too big. Why bother if I plan on losing more weight, right? I'm saving up for a goal weight shopping spree.

Sounds like in terms of your intake and exercise you're on the ball. But if you find yourself stalling, perhaps slipping in a few more calories on boxing days might work? I'm still scared to up my level to the 2000 all the calculators are pointing me to. So I'm inching and eat anywhere from 1750 to 1900 most days. My losses have slowed, so I'm trying new things, hopefully I can outlast the transition period. Keep up the good work.

Congrats of the 20 pounds lost! I've only lost 13 but I've lost inches as well. No one has said anything to me about my lose either. I went from an 18 to a 14...I thought for sure everyone could see the difference. I've decided not to put my feelings on what other see me as, i know I have lost and I am doing this for me...not for anyone else, yes my family and hubby benefits from my lose of weight, but they love me the way I am. We are working so hard and yes want a pat on the back, but don't let that set you back...one day everyone will take a look at you and say..."dang girl...you are looking good!" Remember, you look good the way you are now!

I felt really great about the 20 pounds I've lost until I spent 10 soul crushing hours shopping for clothes for the big weekend. I'm realizing that I have a really long way to go. A plateau on top of that is nearly bringing me to tears. Trying to take the advice of someone I heard that said you should never talk to yourself in a way that you wouldn't talk to a child you loved. But how did I ever get this big without even realizing it? As I'm trying on clothes it seems like I'm seeing myself as fat for the first time and not just kind of chubby. I'm really discouraged about my progress. It has been 3 months and I've lost 20 pounds but hardly anyone has noticed. Only 1 of my 3 sisters has noticed. Please help. I'm never going to quit this journey but it is so hard to look at the next 2 years of hard work and believe that I can really do it. Any of you have advice? I rarely go over my calories (started at 240 lb) and I do kickboxing 5 hours a week plus other things like walking, swimming, and gardening because I love being active.

Please do not let this get you down! I know it's difficult, but you must stay strong and believe in yourself. Although, you've gained weight, that weight does not define the person you are. The weight is NOT there forever. That said, 20 pounds is a big deal!!

I want to tell you that my family and friends tell me I dress very well though I am a "real woman". I shop mostly at Dress Barn because thet have nice /casual and work clothes for normal size and plus size women.

You are a lovely woman! Continue on your program for you. Soon enough everyone will notice your success and you will get many compliments, but until then, we here at mfp are all here for you!

Ermmmm....well...I still don't feel like I know enough to give advice, BUT. Here is a bit.
People have just started noticing my weight loss at 31 pounds down, so you may not be to a noticeable (for them) clothes-on difference yet. But you are CLOSE.
I am noticing body changes that I feel wouldn't be happening if I wasn't strength training. My strength training wasn't advancing and my form was not getting better (aka I wasn't increasing from any of my starting weights) until I cut some of my cardio. That's right, I cut some of my cardio. Again, no joke, for real, I cut some cardio.
That is kind of a big biggie for me because I love to eat so much. Anywho, I began using my cardio as more of a warm up, getting enough schweat to earn some treat calories and warm enough to get a GOOD stretch in. Then, with better focus and a bit more time on the strength training, I felt it was more intense. Intense enough to record as a bit more cardio in my daily burn, which I had never done before. I am REALLY starting to see progress. I am wondering if I might reach my body goal before my weight loss goal. I really want to fit a size 6 and look tight and toned. If it doesn't take the 24 more pounds I think it will, then so be it.