Does 15lbs *REALLY* matter???
sundaywishes
Posts: 246 Member
I posted the below paragraphs on a thread someone created regarding they will look and feel better once they lose their goal of 15lbs, but how do they cope with how they look and feel in the meantime. It made me think about how to some people, 15lbs isn't a big deal. Whether it is or isn't to you, it can be to some men and women. So I wanted to start a new thread on it. There seems to be a stigma (not by everyone!) against people that "only" want to lose 10lbs or 15lbs, but the thing is, they still feel they need to lose that weight. What's the difference between someone starting out with "only" 10-15lbs to lose, and someone who started out with 150lbs to lose and now they're working on those last 10-15? Nothing. They both aren't where they want to be and are trying hard to get there. We should support each other no matter what our goals are (as long as they're healthy 
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"When I started my journey to a healthy lifestyle, I had about 18lbs to lose to get back to where I once was. And on a 5'0" frame, or at least mine, that's 'a lot'. It's the difference of about 4 jean sizes. It's the difference between a flat stomach and a stomach that came out to my size 32 D/DD boobs. It was the difference between a flat back and back fat/bat wings, between a pretty much double chin and a defined jaw line. Between having love handles and not. So anyone that says 15lbs is not enough to be upset over doesn't get it. For someone 6in taller than it me it may not be 4 jean sizes, or any of the other differences I noted, but it is all relative to your body and your frame. People carry their weight differently. And all those differences lead to a much more self-conscious me.
I felt very uncomfortable going out. Few things and fit, and what did obviously looked like it was too small or didn't fit right. I wore a lot of baggy tee shirts (definitely not my style) and always kept my jacket/coat on indoors if it wasn't too warm. When I decided to start my journey, I said to myself, 'You know, I may not be where I'm at not, but I will be one day. And that 'one day' isn't very far off.' So I decided to go ahead and go out and not constantly worry about how my shirt was hugging me and the batwings under my bra band and how my stomach came out to my boobs. I knew that I was working towards my goal and soon enough I won't have to worry about those things. So why worry now? I started to look forward to how I was going to look because I was determined to look 'fit' a hell of a lot longer than my 'fat' self. And that's what got me through the rough patches. Now I'm 10lbs down and even though I'm not at the finish line yet, I feel sooooo much better! Many things in my closet look good on me again. There's still definitely some stuff that doesn't, so I don't wear it being that now I have better options. But when I felt nothing looked good on me, I just focused on the future and it helped substantially. "
)"When I started my journey to a healthy lifestyle, I had about 18lbs to lose to get back to where I once was. And on a 5'0" frame, or at least mine, that's 'a lot'. It's the difference of about 4 jean sizes. It's the difference between a flat stomach and a stomach that came out to my size 32 D/DD boobs. It was the difference between a flat back and back fat/bat wings, between a pretty much double chin and a defined jaw line. Between having love handles and not. So anyone that says 15lbs is not enough to be upset over doesn't get it. For someone 6in taller than it me it may not be 4 jean sizes, or any of the other differences I noted, but it is all relative to your body and your frame. People carry their weight differently. And all those differences lead to a much more self-conscious me.
I felt very uncomfortable going out. Few things and fit, and what did obviously looked like it was too small or didn't fit right. I wore a lot of baggy tee shirts (definitely not my style) and always kept my jacket/coat on indoors if it wasn't too warm. When I decided to start my journey, I said to myself, 'You know, I may not be where I'm at not, but I will be one day. And that 'one day' isn't very far off.' So I decided to go ahead and go out and not constantly worry about how my shirt was hugging me and the batwings under my bra band and how my stomach came out to my boobs. I knew that I was working towards my goal and soon enough I won't have to worry about those things. So why worry now? I started to look forward to how I was going to look because I was determined to look 'fit' a hell of a lot longer than my 'fat' self. And that's what got me through the rough patches. Now I'm 10lbs down and even though I'm not at the finish line yet, I feel sooooo much better! Many things in my closet look good on me again. There's still definitely some stuff that doesn't, so I don't wear it being that now I have better options. But when I felt nothing looked good on me, I just focused on the future and it helped substantially. "
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Replies
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right on!
I'm a 10/12 now, 15lbs to go and i'll be back to 4/6. Which is where I should be based on my body. Its not where everyone else should be, but its the optimal place for me to be according to my doctor.
I have the same issues as anyone else who's trying to lose weight. The same motivational problems to eat better and move more, the same being fed up with how I look and how I let myself get to the size I'm at. Sure its not 20, 30, 40, 70, 100lbs overweight, but its still 15lbs overweight. And its the hardest to lose. So actually those of us who either are or who made it to the last 15 have a harder time because results slow down, losing .5lbs a week is demotivating in itself. and one extra cheat meal, or a couple mised workouts could wipe out the .5 or even move me in the wrong direction.0 -
That's awesome! And now you can also focus on how far you have come too! Over halfway there for ya!0
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I too am just trying to lose 15lbs and its hard to find the motivation and to stop obsessing and self hating. i wish i didnt think about 24/7!
you have a great outlook! that is awesome!!0 -
right on!
I'm a 10/12 now, 15lbs to go and I’ll be back to 4/6. Which is where I should be based on my body. It’s not where everyone else should be, but it’s the optimal place for me to be according to my doctor.
I have the same issues as anyone else who's trying to lose weight. The same motivational problems to eat better and move more, the same being fed up with how I look and how I let myself get to the size I'm at. Sure it’s not 20, 30, 40, 70, 100lbs overweight, but it’s still 15lbs overweight. And it’s the hardest to lose. So actually those of us who either are or who made it to the last 15 have a harder time because results slow down, losing .5lbs a week is demotivating in itself. and one extra cheat meal, or a couple missed workouts could wipe out the .5 or even move me in the wrong direction.
I'm losing an average of a pound every week and a half, 2 weeks. Sometimes it's more like a half pound in that time span. (In the past week and a half something crazy happened and I lost 2, but that has not been the average for me.) Since January I've lost 10lbs, so do the math, that's 1.6lbs a month (even with my 2 month gym hiatus due to family problems, that's still only 2.5lbs a month). It definitely gets harder and takes longer the closer you are to your goal. You burn less calories during your workouts and you lower your calorie intake as well (reminding people to stay healthy here !
) so it feels like it's just at a crawl of a pace. But like I said to someone else, in the grand scheme of things, what's a few weeks? What's even a few months when compared to the rest of your life?? Once I got that through my thick skull (I always knew it, but never fully grasped it), I stopped stressing as much. And boy am I happy my skull wasn't any thicker, because it took long enough to accept it!! :laugh: 0 -
That's awesome! And now you can also focus on how far you have come too! Over halfway there for ya!I too am just trying to lose 15lbs and its hard to find the motivation and to stop obsessing and self hating. i wish i didnt think about 24/7!
you have a great outlook! that is awesome!!
Thank you both so much! And I wish it was easy to stop obsessing and self hating. Just keep telling yourself "grand scheme of things, grand scheme of things!!"0 -
Yeah! This is so true. I started on this site only wanting to lose 10-15 more lbs and and I am also 5ft tall. I can definitely say that makes a huge difference on me; I've only lost 5lbs so far but I went from wearing 6-8 jeans to 4! It is still hard to lose those last 5lbs whether its at the end of a 95lbs weight loss or not!0
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As a fellow shortie, I can definitely relate! All it took was 15 lbs additional on my 5 foot and half inch frame for me not to get into any of my clothes. My choice was to lose the weight or buy more clothes and I'm not made of money! Everyone has their own goals and their own time frame to reach those goals. There's a lot of hard work wrapped up into two simple steps of eating right and exercising. Whether you're looking to lose 15 lbs or 150 lbs, it makes no difference to me - I'm happy to support anyone looking for encouragement!0
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People who don't think 15lbs don't matter should strap it on their back for a day.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I love this! Thank you for posting! I have only about 10-15lbs to lose to where I am comfortable! And it does matter to me!
Thank you! 0 -
Thank you for this post! I started out with about 20 to lose and have around 12 left. At 5'2" those pounds do make a difference!0
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As someone who wants to lose a total of around 100lbs I completely agree!
Wish I'd sorted myself out when I too "only" had 15lbs to lose!
Everyone on mfp should encourage others to be healthy and be happy so keep it up and don't be discouraged/annoyed by the "only" comments 0 -
15 more lbs will get me out of the obese zone!
Cannot wait!!0 -
People who don't think 15lbs don't matter should strap it on their back for a day.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
So true! Thank you!!
And I'm so happy that people are taking part in this thread and happy to see it posted :bigsmile:0 -
I love this! I'm trying to lose 8 lbs but it honestly will make a huge difference to me once i've lost it!0
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In my opinion, any weight that a person wants to lose or gain absolutely matters. I haven't had the misfortune of seeing that much negativity in any threads, but I would hope people are encouraging no matter what a person's personal goals are. Ten pounds or a hundred pounds, we all have our individual challenges.
Ironically, if I drop another ten to fifteen pounds of fat, I would be at the lean mass/body fat ratio that I want to be. So I get what you're saying. Surround yourself with encouraging people and use all the negativity as fuel in the gym. Works for me!
On an unrelated note...nice ink on your back! I have four myself.
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Yeah! This is so true. I started on this site only wanting to lose 10-15 more lbs and and I am also 5ft tall. I can definitely say that makes a huge difference on me; I've only lost 5lbs so far but I went from wearing 6-8 jeans to 4! It is still hard to lose those last 5lbs whether its at the end of a 95lbs weight loss or not!
Totally agree! Probably 10-15 lbs don't show as much if you have 100 to lose (unfortunately!) but if you're very close to your healthy weight each pound might show and feel!!
I wish I would have been smart enough to start losing when I had only 15lbs to go, I think starting your weight loss sooner than later is a really wise thing to do!! And yes, losing your lbs then is much harder too! so couldn't agree more - same motivation and encouragement needed!!0 -
Weight is relative to the person carrying it. I have a very very slim friend, she has always been slim, if she puts on a few pounds none of her clothes fit and it makes her feel uncomfortable with herself. So she works to lose those few pounds.
I don't care how much or how little you have to lose, if it makes you uncomfortable in your body then you need just as much support and help as anyone else.0 -
So true 15 lbs is a big deal I wish I would have stop myself when my first 15 lbs came on. Great post0
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I've lost about 14 pounds now and I look VASTLY different than I did when I started. I took progress photos and put them in my profile. I haven't dropped a clothing size, but have acknowledged that my size 6's were too tight when I started...:embarassed:
And it has been hard.0 -
Yes 15 lbs really matters.....I have lost about 85 or so and I have about 12 pounds to get to my goal. I am working very hard to get that 12 gone.0
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In my opinion, any weight that a person wants to lose or gain absolutely matters. I haven't had the misfortune of seeing that much negativity in any threads, but I would hope people are encouraging no matter what a person's personal goals are. Ten pounds or a hundred pounds, we all have our individual challenges.
Ironically, if I drop another ten to fifteen pounds of fat, I would be at the lean mass/body fat ratio that I want to be. So I get what you're saying. Surround yourself with encouraging people and use all the negativity as fuel in the gym. Works for me!
On an unrelated note...nice ink on your back! I have four myself.
I haven't seen much negativity towards this on the threads, more so in real life. But threads are created by and commented on by real life people. I have seen a few remarks here and there on threads, but thankfully not much. Honestly this was something I just felt like needed to be shared and said. I told a girl at my job that I wanted to lose weight (she is borderline obese) and she just looked at me like "who the hell are you?!" She didn't say those words but I could see them in her eyes. She then did say that I didn't need to lose anything and I simply told her my clothes had a different opinion :laugh: She said she understood. I wanted to let people know that a "small" amount of weight can make a big difference, which is why I put my embarrassment aside and described my body at my "fat" time. And I wanted other people to know they're not alone
And thanks for the compliment on my tat! I also have words that curve along my hip.
It's so nice to see so many supportive posters 0 -
I try to accept people's goals--a lot of people give me a hard time for wanting to lose weight. As long as people are hurting themselves in very drastic ways (it's debatable that we are all hurting ourselves to some extent), I see no issues. We all carry weight differently, feel different mentally and emotionally at different weights.
Today someone suggested I take vitamins, but I'm not sure if it's worth it--I am not very sensitive to supplements and foods like many people seem to be. I don't know if I could tell a difference, and wouldn't have the motivation to remember to take them each day.0 -
I agree! It is not their fault that they only have 10 lbs of excess weight and I have 50 and others have 150. Most of us are here to be fit and healthy and you can still be unhealthy if you only have 10 lbs to lose.
Plus, through running and strength training and eating better while watching portions, I have lost 15 lbs so far. I have more energy, I feel confident in more clothes, and I dropped 2 pant sizes! Went from a 14 to a 10. So yes, 15 pounds matter no matter what kind of body they are coming off of!0 -
Fifteen pounds matters if you're passing it through any orifice..0
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I'm short, 5 1 1/2" and 15 lbs makes a huge difference on me! I'm wanting to lose just a little more than that, but when you're body seems comfortable where it is, it seems harder
I'm not giving up, I will lose it! 0 -
For me 15lbs is about a pant size. 15lbs does matter. Even people who have to lose 25lbs, 50lbs+, they have to do it in steps.0
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I wish myfitnesspal had a LIKE button!! I am short as well and have about 17 pounds to go. I am an 8 right now and 17 pounds will get me back into a 2-4.
Just 5 pounds makes a big difference on a short person. 15 is a huge difference.
I WILL LOSE IT!!
Thanks for posting this.
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I totally get this. I'm only 4'11, and my heaviest was 150 pounds. Since January I've lost almost 25 pounds. I feel SO much better! Weight is so much more noticeable on a small frame. I've gone from a 10 petite in pants to a 4 petite. No matter how much weight you lose, it makes a difference!0
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I can understand their plight. I'm within sight of my goal weight now, but I still see the fat in my lower tummy and I hope like heck that once I get to goal that is gone. I know 15 pounds from now, I'll still be wearing the same clothes, but I gotta hope I look better in them.0
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Right on! I'm glad you brought this up. I'm 5'2 and 15 lbs is at least two or three pant sizes for me. It matters. Over the last six months I have gained about 17lbs and NONE of my clothes fit. That is why I'm here! I really love you attitude about not feeling bad about your current weight. Lately I've been feeling insecure about how I look working out (big boobs and butt bouncing haha), but after reading your post I think I'm going to go for a jog and let it all hang out, after all it's the only way I will loose the 17lbs the are dragging me down!0
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