Question For People Who Have/Had A Lot To Lose...

...how long does it take to see results in the mirror? Just curious. If the scale is moving in the right direction and you're working really hard, how much weight do you have to lose so that it begins to show? I know for heavier people it tends to take longer to actually see (right?) and i promised myself i'd have patience and take comfort in the knowledge that as long as the scale says weight is coming off then it's coming off SOMEWHERE and i'd chill out and wait it out until i can see it. I guess what i'm looking for is reassurance and some real-life examples if possible. Thanks.

Replies

athenawho

I lost about 50 lbs, couldn't see a difference in the mirror but I took pictures every 10 lbs and I could see the loss.

...but in the reverse: I took a break from weight lost and gained and I could definitely see it in the mirror...

juliee274

Don't be discouraged. Sometimes with people who have a lot to lose, it takes time to see a difference. I am 5'10 and started at 274. I am at 251 now (23 pounds) and I have just started to see a difference. However, I have gained and lost before, and I know it takes about 30-35 pounds lost for me to start REALLY seeing a difference. I would also recommend measuring--last time I weighed, I only lost 1 pound, but I had lost 2 inches in my waist and an inch in my hips! The measuring tape is your friend!

RhonndaJ

I had lost a total of 45 lbs and, honestly, the only thing I saw by that point was the starting of a chicken neck. Not even in pictures.

That said, I am finding that my clothes fit me differently. Even having gained back 20 lbs which I'm getting back off now, the slacks i'd been able to wear the winter before I can't wear out in public now and require something to cinch them in so they slide off.

So I'm thinking that while a difference is occurring, I'm simply unable as of yet to recognise it.

dsn1118

When I first started losing, I didn't see any change. Other people started noticing at about 15-20 lbs (I've lost 50 so far), but I still couldn't see it in the mirror. What I did notice, was my clothes getting bigger and the car seatbelt got longer. :bigsmile:

It wasn't until around 40 lbs that I could really see it myself in the mirror.

rebeccasedwards

If you have a lot of weight it does take a while to show. However I look at myself sometimes and still see a very heavy person even though people are like wow when they see me now. I know there is a difference but I have trouble seeing it myself.

HeatherDee92

It might just be in my head but I saw differences in just a week. Small things like my butts a little lifted and calves have changed a bit. I think you have to pay attention to the small details sometimes to see a difference

MelisRunning

It took me 30 lbs before I could see a difference. My clothes had been getting less tight but I couldn't SEE a difference until I had lost 30 pounds.

itskaraxx

Make sure to take measurements of your body and measure yourself maybe once a month.
You are losing! I myself just took measurements again and saw I lost one inch in my waist!!
(also my pants have been falling down haha)

Just be patient, I know I can't really see differences in the mirror but I know changes are happening!

Rhodium1976

I had lost 100 lbs over 15 years ago (and kept most of it off).

I saw a motivational poster that is pretty much true>

"
It takes about 30 days for you to notice it.
It takes about 60 days for your closest friends to notice it.
It takes about 90 days for everyone else to notice it.
"

For me, the face is what I noticed first, then the pants sizes, and the last thing was abdominal circumference (unfortunately). One day at a time, it takes awhile to gain the weight and it takes awhile to lose the weight. Like the poster above me said, take measurements. To me, this is far more important than the scale.

Cheers.

AquaFitQueen

I've lost over 150lbs and I cannot see differences in the mirror, nor can I see it in pictures unless it is right next to a before pic.

MinnieInMaine

Two things are fighting against you:

1) we are our own worst critics... and
2) you see yourself in the mirror every day so small changes might not be noticible.

Taking pictures and measurements and being conscience of how your clothes are fitting can be a much better way of keeping track of the changes because they're more tangible

rlw1221

I know how you feel. I am the exact same way . A few years ago I lost a ton of weight.(330-195),, And I still saw that fat person in the mirror. I have since put back on most of the weight . back on track to losing it again, but for me I think I will always see myself as the fat kid.....

Reesecup312

My husband said he could feel the difference after I lost 10 pounds. He always notices my losses. I couldn't see the difference until I lost about 30 pounds. I noticed it in my clothes way before that though!! With me, I tend to keep the same body shape but it just shrinks, so it isn't as noticeable as I would like it to be. Keep at it and get some exercise because you will FEEL much better even if you can't see the change right away!

amytag

I didn't notice AT ALL until this week. I've lost about 29 lbs. I've had people ask me about my loss almost every day this week, and my clothes literally all of a sudden became baggy.

jaimemc86

I highly suggest taking photos of yourself in the mirror! I take a frontal view and a side view about every 4 weeks. I do pay attention to the scale, but I've noticed that while it takes awhile for the scale to move (and if you're impatient like me, this can be very unmotivating), but you can definitely see the results in the pictures. You're just more used to looking at yourself multiple times a day, so the results aren't as obvious to yourself. I am baffled by the change in my pictures from just 15lbs! I can't wait to see what the next 15lbs lost looks like

Good luck on this journey! There is not a day that goes by that isn't hard (at least for myself), but I constantly remind myself that it's giong to take time, and that I'm tired of being miserable and refuse to feel sorry for myself any longer!

tinkermommc

I've lost over 50 lbs and I see it in my clothes size, measurements, stamina and side by side before and after pictures and other people see it when they look at me. As for the mirror....Those damn things are worse than the scale, I still don't see it!

emnk5308

Take pictures!

You aren't gonna see it for awhile.. I still don't see it in the mirror..but I look at my progress pictures and I can really see it

KayeeDaisyBee

How often do you all recommend i take pictures?

African_Safari

Take pictures! You aren't gonna see it for awhile.. I still don't see it in the mirror..but I look at my progress pictures and I can really see it

Yup!! I also still felt and look fat to myself even after losing 100lbs. the only way you can SEE the weight loss is with pictures. Even though my friends told me I looked great I still did not (in my mind) believed it.

jadedone

I haven't really noticed until basically now. I noticed my legs look smaller and I am starting to see my collarbone.

I recommend taking pics. I am really bad at this. And measure in lots of places (I do this).

Maybe pics once every 2 weeks to a month? I measure weekly, and I know that is a bit obsessive.

I have lost about 6 inches in the hips, the same in my waist and bust and about 3 in each thigh.

happyfeetrebel1

I started at 301, and nobody noticed til around the 45 lb mark or so. I'd lost a full size, but being so big, people just didn't see it. NOW they comment all the time

you'll get there!

yoovie

Every 10%

montana_girl

I lost about 50 lbs, couldn't see a difference in the mirror but I took pictures every 10 lbs and I could see the loss.

^^ This was me too!

My friends noticed the weight loss long before I saw it in the mirror. Took me a long time before I looked in the mirrow and saw the "new" me.

My suggestion would be to take a picture of yourself for every 10 pounds (or once a month, which is what I did) and then you will notice it!

foodlover2

I agree with the others about taking pictures. You look at yourself every day and you know what you want to see. Take a picture and compare. Wear the same clothes so it's easier to see. Comparing each week to the first week's picture will give you LOTS of motivation. Keep up the good work!!!

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lucylousmummy

18 months it has taken me to notice a difference, so far i have lost 86lb, my family and close friends have been telling me for about 9 months that i was looking good, but whenever i looked in the mirror i just saw my older larger self, lately every person i see seems to be commenting on my loss, and as a result i've started seeing the progress i have made, i still think i look bigger than i am though :0(

BandForAlyAnne

i noticed at about 40lbs

lizzybethclaire

*bump*

kmm7309

I've lost 41 pounds and don't see a difference in the mirror, HOWEVER... everyone else sees a big difference. You are going to be your own worst critic for a long time. When I lost about 20 pounds I had a panic attack because I was starting to see how big I had let myself become and was suddenly afraid I would break my own bed! Those weren't fears for me before. I just walked around with blinders until I started to lose. Also, my first twenty pounds didn't do much, but my next twenty pounds were more effective. The more weight you have left to lose, the harder it is to tell. Think of it like an onion; when you peel back the first layer, it doesn't look very different. Then you peel back the second layer, and even though it's just one layer (and smaller than the last one), you start to notice the difference in the size of the onion. As you peel more and more, the layers are smaller, but the effect is more profound.

mrsevanrust

I'd say typically for a heavier person around 30#'s. As a nurse I know you lose visceral (internal, surrounding your organs) fat first. I think for encouragement's sake, to stay on the wagon, you should take a monthly picture and/or weekly measurments. I know everyone professes to want to be and feel healthy, but we all want to look good too. Hang in there-

cbferriss

I've lost 89 lbs over the last year and I still don't see a difference but the clothes tell another story.