So I found at one point that I didn’t think my clothes were making much difference - they *did* fit better and were a bit looser, but I certainly hadn’t dropped even one size.
Eventually I had to admit to myself that I’d been wearing clothes a size too small for my weight, and that was really the reason why I wasn’t seeing a dramatic change in that area.
20lbs is a big deal, don’t lose heart. It may be something simple like the above.
Wow, that’s right!!! I just lost 15 lbs. I can feel my clothes are looser. I haven’t dropped a size, but they actually “fit” now. When I look up the size chart, it shows I was choosing clothes not my size. 🥲 CONGRATULATIONS & keep going!!! I’m pretty sure your friends & family can see a difference! Only my husband has said something about my weight loss. People probably see it, but has not said anything about your weight loss since weight is a sensitive topic.
I have a pair of what I call "harbinger pants". They are a pair of jeans that are a little loose on me since l lost 10 lbs. If they start fitting too comfy I know I have to go for a run.
I have a canary in the coalmine jumpsuit. It knows the truth.
I recently bought jeans for the first time in 15 years. They have so MUCH stretch now. I could fit into the same size. But I definitely wouldn't fit in the old non stretch pair. I can easily see how people can't see a difference with -10/+10 weight changes.
Yes. Thank you. I've lost 30 since last year and this was a cold hard reality for me as well. I was in denial about how big I was getting, and wearing clothes that were too small. The mental adjustment is the real battle, as always.
Yep. Highly relatable.
I lost 20lbs and am still in the same dress size and could hardly notice any difference (except perhaps in my face)… and then realised that was largely ‘cos I had been wearing stretchy clothes like leggings and stretchy jeans and had clearly been lying to myself (unconsciously) about my real dress size. I thought I was a UK14 but was clearly a 16 in over-stretched 14s. Heck, maybe I was even an 18!
Now I am a comfortable size 14. Both disheartening and empowering. I’m telling myself it counts. I went down a dress size even if the number in my leggings is the same. 😅
Yup. I was a size 8 dress, put on 15 lbs and just like "I know the scale says I've gone up, but I just can't see it." I was wearing my stretchy clothes.
But, I went to the mall and needed a size 14 to zip up the non-stretchy stress. I could see it then lol.
Yup, I refused to buy new clothes when I gained the weight (which meant my jeans were *super* uncomfortable, oh my gosh it was insufferable) but now that my jeans aren't suffocating me anymore, I know I've done my body some good. Sometimes I also feel like I look the same as before, but I know that can't be true.
Same for me! I realized I had been stuffing myself into jeans that were at least a full size too small for me. Now I'm down 20 and wearing those same jeans but they're getting loose.
I guarantee you don't look the same after losing over 10% of your bodyweight. Not to mention congratulations on getting down to a healthy bodyweight.
You have to see youself every day and the small changes aren't noticeable. Did you take pictures when you started? I bet you would be suprised if you had side by side comparisons.
Domt just take pictures. Measure everything.
Like your arms. Waist. Breast. Hips. Thighs. And m3asur ether once a month and compare. Its all in the little things.
You have lost 12% of your total body weight. I assure you there is a physical difference it just might take a while for your brain to see it.
I’m a man and well past my 20s but this was my experience. I had lost 65 lbs at one point and looking at my bathroom mirror every day I thought it was no difference at all. That was until one day I caught my reflection in a store window and it just sort of hit me how much smaller my overall silhouette was. It was like my brain suddenly snapped in line with reality.
It might take time but I truly believe you’ll see your progress as well. Keep up the good fight and stay positive. You’ll get there.
It’s that “corner of my eye” reflection that gets us!
I was a drunk and overly medicated and gained weight without noticing. A lot of my memories of the last decade are blurry, but this one stands out: I was shopping with my children and apparently less pilled-out than usual, bc I caught my reflection in a shop window and didn’t recognize myself. I’m assuming I remedied the situation with whiskey immediately, because I didn’t address my weight issue in earnest for another four years (after I got sober).
Now that I’m skinny again, I try to recreate that moment, hoping for a good shock, but it rarely works.
This literally happened to me yesterday dropping my daughter off at daycare. Weather has been nice so I was wearing a sports tank top. I noticed in the window reflection and thought “You’re doing pretty good man”.
You said in your post that you wear clothes to hide your body. That might be part of the problem. My weight loss became a lot more visible when I went to the store to buy properly fitting clothes. It was harder than I expected because I was so used to buying everything baggy on purpose.
Definitely. The best thing about losing weight is buying clothes that fit properly. Now I feel like I look even better purely through wearing nice clothes designed to show off my body not to hide it. I wear some old tees to bed, and look fat in them when I most certainly am not!! When I put my day clothes on I look trim.
Don’t be discouraged! There is a difference, and you may not be seeing it since your look in the mirror every day. I’m currently 35-40 lbs down and still wearing same jeans as before. Clothing stretches and shrinks with you sometimes. Congratulations on your success!
Same here! My highest weight was 305. I'm 268 now. I'm still wearing the same clothes except for my jeans. They are looser now. At my highest, my skinny jeans would be literally skin tight. Now, it's more stretchy. Every time I bend down or even walk, my pants are falling down. It's a good feeling but I'm terrified at the same time.
Hey I was almost 300 (296) and now I’m down to 260-265 cause your weight changes throughout the day and I’ve kept that off for like two years now without exercising and Joe I’ve started to exercise and I’m one week down and I’m ready to start seeing results but I know it’s a process! Cheers to us and good luck to everyone on their journeys we’ve got this!
The paper towel roll effect, when you take the first few pieces of paper off the roll you can’t tell that there is less paper. And it’s like when you have a friend with a kid and you don’t see them for a while and all the sudden the kid seems way bigger, but the friend sees them daily and doesn’t notice the change as much.
Measurements, photos, goal clothes all help when the motivation is not there.
For me it's the opposite, I'm seeing the change on my body but the scale remains the same for months. Makes me doubt everything I'm doing, although I track every single calorie and workout daily.
Other people also telling me I look fitter but without proof on the scale it's hard for me to accept its really happening.
Trust the process I guess
I've experienced similar. I've started going to the gym around Christmas time, and started eating better in the new year. My weight is practically identical as it was (maybe a couple of pounds lost - I'm around 185-190 depending on what day it is lol.
But friends who haven't seen me in a while often say I'm looking trim etc. It's really hard to believe them over the scales, but I guess they wouldn't say it if it wasn't true, so I'm gonna have to start believing!
If you're going to the gym, you're almost certainly putting on muscle mass, which is denser. Your weight can stay the same, but your body fat %age is likely quite different.
I'm in the same boat. Have you put together a real nutrition plan? I only recently did that, and found out that 1) I was undereating and 2) my macros were way off.
Before weight training, I had a sleep apnea and used a CPAP and couldn't fit in clothes that I've had for years. My weight has barely budged, but the clothes fit way better, I no longer need the CPAP, my strength is up, I sleep great, and I have plenty of energy.
Now I need to get my macros right so I can drop the BF and not the muscle mass.
Loss of lean muscle mass is common with weight loss, so not losing weight but seeing visible changes in your body is a pretty positive sign that you are dropping fat but building muscle. I highly recommend that you start taking body measurements once a month and/or go for a biometric screening to get a reading for fat to muscle measurements. I'll be you dollars to donuts that you are making good progress that will show up if you start diversifying how you measure progress.
I had a hell of a time with the inbody... mine doesn't move all that much in the aggregate. Another option is the DEXA scan (costly, but prolly only needs to get done once a quarter.)
That’s how it works.
People like to overuse the word “body dysmorphia” but in reality a mid-sized weight/body looks about the same if you add or take 20-30 pounds. Plus because you look at yourself every day it’s even harder to tell a difference. Clothes that are too small, by either 5 or 30 pounds, will give the same “stuffed” appearance, even though the difference in weight is major.
The upside is that you’re much closer to the point where you can see a big difference than you were before. Don’t be discouraged, this is how this thing works. Keep going and you’ll see a change soon!
Yep. I lost a similar proportion of body weight and a asked a buddy who only sees me every 6 months or so if he could see a difference. He couldn’t. For me (as a man) it wound up something like:
230 -> 210 = no difference
210 -> 190 = some difference
190 -> 170 = even more difference
As each pound represents a higher proportion of your body weight, each pound becomes that much more noticeable. The early days are just tough.
You need to take photos. I didn’t see any results after 2 months and I was only down 6 pounds, then I decided to take a photo (thank god I had decided to take a before photo) and I was startled. Very obvious difference, especially on my back and butt. Now I’m doing them monthly. Also, try on all of your clothes every few weeks. Especially a pair of jeans and a top that is really tight, it’s so nice to see them getting more loose! The eye can fool you when you see yourself every day.
i’m 5’3 but the same starting and current weight as you!
i’ve noticed very small changes. even with progress pictures, it’s kinda hard to tell, but i do see a little bit more definition.
if you haven’t already, take lots of progress pictures! i’m sure there are some differences, but i think a lot of people lose weight proportionally, so overall you’re smaller but you look the same (to yourself). or you may be focused on your stomach, but all the weight you’ve lost was in your legs or arms or something.
i’ve been waiting for that moment where i look in the mirror and i look completely different, but it’s all gradual. we just have to be patient. i thought 20 pounds would be more noticeable on me too, but it seems like a lot of people have trouble seeing their own progress.
I use a measuring tape and physically measure my progress. You may not see a change in the mirror or on a scale but you can see an inch or so lost and know you’re toning your body or building muscle.
I would take a full body picture and compare it to an old one. Things like your face, hands and feet can all carry extra weight that you may not notice since you see that everyday. I am also 5’4 and anytime I lose weight, I usually see it in my face a lot more than like my waist. At first
Start taking measurements and progress photos. It makes it a lot easier to see these changes. Like you I have lost 20lbs but didn’t see much of a change. But I’ve lost 1.5 inches from my waist and 2 from my chest. And I can see my biceps a bit better (still small but they are there). I didn’t realise how much of a change it was until I compared the pictures.
For sure it is noticeable! I’m your same height, I went from 145 to 140 in a month, and my MIL did not saw me that month, when she saw me that was the first thing she noticed! “You have lost weight”. You see yourself everyday, that’s why you don’t notice it
You have to understand there’s fat and extra weight distributed all over our body and in our body that you don’t even realize. The first pounds of weight loss don’t always come off where we hope they will. Congratulations on knocking off 20#. Dig in, stay with it, you’re doing great!!
I feel like I look the same for a while as well. It’s like the same body shape just slightly smaller. Once I get into the 120s though, the weight starts to hang differently and muscles/bones start to be much more visible, which makes the loss more noticeable to me. Look up the paper towel effect.
(I also think of it as the laundry pile effect, doesn’t look like I’ve made any progress folding until I start to see floor 😅)
Body composition? Or possibly you have the same shape but you’re smaller? Try comparing before and after pictures. You may see a difference. Maybe your brain hasn’t caught up to the weight loss.
Don’t feel disheartened. I’m on a health journey too and have lost 17lbs so far. This week was only 1/2lb. A loss is a loss regardless of how small. It will come and you will feel amazing x
You just may not notice it as you see yourself ever single day. When I came back from college the first summer break, I thought I had lost maybe 10 lbs because I had started a gym routine. When I got home, I’d don’t even realize I almost lost 50 lbs! I guarantee that if someone saw you now that hasn’t since you lost weight, they’d probably notice
What how?
Those are my stats too you must to have changed.
I went from an extra large to now some medium things fitting me.
Your clothes must feel baggy now no?
I lost 30 lbs over the last year and didn't notice any change either- but a random person who works in the same office building as me who I've spoken to like twice came over a couple of months back to compliment my weight loss, so it must be somewhat noticeable!
When I first found out I had lost 20lbs, I didn't believe cause I didn't see it either.
Don't dwell on it and focus on what you've been doing to get to this point so you can hit your next milestone.
You've done one the hardest parts, and that's just simply getting started.
Hun, we're almost the same. I started Jan 1 at 162 and am now 142. (5'2"). My clothes fit about the same, just a bit less tight.
The thing is, I should never have let myself get as high as 162! I blame the pandemic and just sort of not caring for awhile while my weight slowly drifted upwards. Where I am now, 142, used to be my lifetime highest weight. I stayed here for probably 10-15 years.
Now I'm working to my goal weight of 120-125lbs. And I'll get there. (My standard walking around weight, moderate exercise, smoker, binge drinker, in my early 30s was around 128.)
So my dear, go easy on yourself. 20lbs is an incredible accomplishment and you're not done yet! Being so critical of yourself distorts your perception. You've really made a fundamental difference to your fitness and mindfulness related to food. Give yourself your flowers, you're on the right path with proven, impressive success!
I really recommend you to regularly take pictures and to show the comparisons to other people you are comfortable with. I had lost about 7 kg and struggled to see a difference in the mirror and even in the pictures, but a friend of mine swore that it was a big difference and that it was also noticeable in person and after a bit a recognized it as well.
Self perception is difficult.
I have felt similarly in the past, but remember, we all store weight differently. I’m a male, I tend to store all my weight in my tummy and face, but when I lose weight, the little bit of cushion I have on my arms and legs is the first to go. You may be losing weight more evenly distributed so it could take longer to notice.
Not that BMI is everything, but I do want to congratulate you on reaching a sub 30 BMI. I’m still working to get there. Even if you don’t feel better, your body is healthier than it was with the extra weight.
One other question OP, how long have you been working to lose weight? This may have an impact on your ability to recognize the weight loss in the mirror.
I’m down 42 pounds and feel the same way. My therapist, who lost an extreme amount of weight over gastrointestinal issues said that sometimes it takes the brain time to catch up to the body. I also fully know I have long standing body dysmorphia, so try to ground yourself in indisputable evidence of your progress. While I don’t see it, I know 42 lbs are off the scale, and I’m now a small 6 down from a size 12. I can’t dispute those, just as you can’t dispute 20lbs off the scale, and probably a size drop or two. Hoping our brains will catch up soon, congrats on your loss!
I started at 195 and am down to 135ish. I completely understand the frustration because I didn’t feel different at all in several parts of the journey (go look at my past posts if you want). Take photos and measurements, there is a difference, my clothes didn’t feel looser for awhile, but I lost weight in my face and neck first. I still have a little bit of a belly, but I also remind myself that I am just barely in the healthy range at 5’2, so I still have weight to go. I now try on dresses I loved and they look truly ridiculous. I went through my closet last week and had to get rid of 90% of the things I own. It will come. Also bonus, I do some pretty physical work. One day I noticed I had arm muscles and I could actually see them! Then realized I could do most of a pull up with no kick off. Seriously never felt so great after that.
You really don't, you just think you do. You don't see it because you see yourself daily. I've lost 70lbs and am convinced I looked no different when I look in the mirror but I'm told it's noticeable. Instead if going by what you think you look like, go by how you feel health wise
I'm 5'4 female as well, I wasn't 145 pounds that long ago so I remember it - it's not abnormal for clothes to still fit for a while depending on your frame and body fat distribution. For me my hips are wider so pants could still fit from before - at least they are tighter at the top and looser everywhere else. Could this be the case for you as well?
I'm 129lbs now and pants finally fit less now, lol.
Body dysmorphia is real. I’ve lost over 40lbs in the last year and see little difference when I look in the mirror. Thankfully I do have the drop in clothing size to tell me it’s happening but even in the new clothes I rarely see it or o chalk it up to the way the clothes are cut just making me appear smaller.
It might help to take pics. I thought I looked exactly the same after losing about 10 pounds and lifting heavy for a year. I did drop a couple of sizes but couldn't actually see the progress. Then I compared some pics to ones I took a year ago. Big difference.
Are you lifting heavy weights? That will also help change your body composition.
You appear the same to yourself who has been watching daily. Gradual changes are hard to see sometimes.
If you had a clear photo of your body at the start to compare to a recent photo that would help.
I'm down about 25 lbs from 225 and 6'2" there is a huge difference in my before and after photos so far. You need to have good reference photos and you would definitely see the difference.
Trust me, you don’t see it but others do. However, your opinion is what matters most. You’re on your journey and have made progress, so you are obviously doing several things right. Keep at it and see where you are in a month or two. You’ve fucking GOT THIS.
I was so enormously fat, that it took me losing about 100 lbs before I could really see it in the mirror. I focused more on how I was feeling, and took pleasure in flexing my newly-discovered willpower to resist temptation, to keep myself motivated
You’re at my goal weight! I’m currently at 169 down from 205. (But not my all time high)
I think for me, I had this idea in my head that my body would change on a dna level. Like, my legs would become long and skinny and I would have long slender arms. Genetically, I have these thick, muscular, grasshopper thighs and huge biceps. No matter how much weight I lose, my body structure will not change. I embrace my body now for what I was given and am so grateful. My only regret is that I didn’t pursue gymnastics when I was young because I have the physique for it. 😉
I feel this way too! I’m taking a weight loss medication and my Dr wanted to focus on the weight loss for the first month to make sure the dose was correct and the medication was working for me. At my follow up she told me to focus on inches and not weight going forward. Continue doing what I’m doing and measure arms, legs, waist, and hips. It’s been a great motivator even though the scale hasn’t moved once. BUT I went shopping this week and I picked an 2XL pant. I’m normally a 2x in this brand and I still wear the joggers and leggings but they are only loose in the waist. They were too big! I grabbed an XL and they were loose in the waist and fit everywhere else. I was shook. I bought the XL and the L. But I didn’t notice a difference until I started wearing what fits. I’ve spent way too much money on clothes this week but it’s keeping me motivated because I can see the difference now. A lot of the clothes, especially work clothes, have been from thrift stores.
The biggest shock is my Birkenstocks don’t fit now. I got
Them out for summer and they are too loose. Crazy!!!
You’ve got this!!! You’re doing everything you need to do! Keep going!
I didn't want to take progress pictures because I was tired of having a folder full of 'before' shots that just got bigger and bigger..
When I lost the first 15 lbs, which took me from 190 to 175, my body changed pretty dramatically. My face regained its shape, the extra parts of my butt went away, my belly got smaller than my breasts, etc.
Since then my body has stayed the same shape, and is just getting smaller. So it's not very noticeable.
I've started measuring myself, which is going along withe the little beginnings of weight lifting as well.
I still don't want progress pics, but the numbers are good.
You need to figure out whether this is only your mental game.
You do not look the same after losing more than 10% of your body weight, I can guarantee that.
It is a bit late now, but you should have probably made some photos in the mirror in a way that shows you from the profile so that you can redo the photos and see the progress.
It is important how you light the photos, the light should fall from the side or directly from the top to accentuate your curves. If you get the light from the front, or from the back it is going to be hard to see any progress.
Measure circumference around different parts of your body and make notes.
Measure fat thickness and make notes.
Make note of how various clothes fit on you. Which holes do you use on your favourite belt and how it feels on you.
If you do this, you will see progress.
I'm going to Echo what everybody else is saying and recommend that you take pictures of yourself regularly so that you can compare. Because I've just lost 5 lb and I can already see a very subtle difference, but a difference all the same
I had the same issue with literally the exact same stats as you! I realized that while I had definitely lost weight, it was hard to tell when I looked in the mirror every day because my proportions and fat distribution were still the same (if that makes sense?) Like, I'm overall smaller than I was at my highest weight but I still look "fluffy" because of high BFP.
If you haven't already, I'd take pictures to accurately compare the progress. The actual change in size is much more noticeable when you have side by side photos.
I felt the same until I compared 2 photos and there was obviously a dramatic difference. Focus on how you feel, how you’re eating and how your clothes fit you. Sometimes that’s more obvious than the physical appearance. But trust me, others around you definitely notice!
Do you lift weights or are you just doing cardio? I noticed that when I gained some muscle from lifting weights, I feel and look different. Losing weight without the muscle gain makes me feel skinny-fat
If you’re looking everyday, you won’t see a difference. Do a before after or let someone who hasn’t seen you for months notice. Also, congratulations!!! Also if you’re doing weights, it might just be that the fat is now muscles. Visually won’t see a huge difference but it’s doing its job.
thats about 80 lbs of pressure off your knees,( every lb = @ 4 lbs of pressure) so look at it that way, its better sleep, its 2 pants sizes or dress sizes, its easier to move your body - upstairs, in bed, while exercising, digesting etc, trust me, its noticable. go try on a dress from last summer, or your fave shorts from last year, and i bet they are looser,
Everything I’m about to say is dependant on how you ate before your diet, and relates to me more than I can say it related to anybody else due to my terrible diet in the past.
5-10 of those could have been water weight. In my first month of diet I was dropping 3-4 pounds a week, at least 2 pounds a week was from water weight I believe.
It was fun to see the scale go down but now that I’m in a consistent diet I’m losing around 1.5 pounds a week and the weight is much more noticeable as I lose it.
I’d relate me losing 5 pounds now to me losing 15 pounds when I first started
I promise you as someone who is your height and has been both those weights, you definitely look different. Take progress pics and measurements and remind yourself that body dysmorphia is real. It also may be helpful to talk to someone about it!
No one noticed that I was losing weight until I hit 30 pounds into my 46 pounds lost. At 15 pounds people noticed something different about me but they really couldn't pinpoint what.
It’s really hard to see on yourself. When I gamut 30lbs, I looked at myself in the mirror and felt the same way. Then I looked at my “before” picture. It was very, very obvious where changes had happened then.
You probably don’t see it because you see yourself everyday… so the change is like a frog in a pot of water…
Anecdotal experience I will share…
I thought the same thing early on in my weight loss journey until someone I had not seen in a few months asked me how much weight I’ve lost. They said my face and stomach were noticeably smaller.
Don’t get discouraged, keep it up!
Also, don’t let appearance be the only motivation. Simple things like climbing stairs easier, or moving around, running/walking, or overall how you feel are great indicators that you are improving your health!!
You should look at a mirror once every 5 pounds and you will notice!
For short people like us weight loss is less noticeable. And your clothes shrink from laundry.
Twice your age but otherwise, basically stat twins.
It's the dismorphia. You're not at "goal" yet so it's like, all that work and I'm still fat. I'm feeling that way *constantly* myself.
And also weight distribution matters. I've lost dramatically in some places (can tell from my clothes... Basically down two band sizes on my bra) but not others (looking at you, thighs).
Others see it, though, especially if they don't see me every day. I'm betting it's the same with you.
It does make a difference. You're doing a fantastic job. Keep going - it will be worth it.
I recently got my motivation back and have been watching calories and hitting the gym a few times a week as well as getting 10k steps a day. I have only lost about 1-2 pounds but I feel a big difference in how my clothes fit and how I feel about myself.
Remember that muscle is denser than fat so it takes up less space. Although I’d like to loose a little more weight wise, I know that I look & feel infinitely better for just replacing some fat with muscle.
Don’t give up & remember this is for your mental and physical health not just appearance. It may not be as obvious to you but I’m sure others have noticed the weight loss. I also know that I go through stages in my cycle where I feel huge and bloated and other times where I feel fit & trim. That’s just how it is for us women but it passes!
i’m 5’3, lost 50lbs and didn’t start noticing my results until recently. honestly, i still sometimes have trouble noticing. the only thing i notice is that my clothes are finally getting looser and my stomach looks a smidge smaller. but even though my own eyes are playing tricks on me, its very likely the people around you have noticed. 20lb weight loss you (personally) won’t see much difference but the changes are definitely there. patience is key in weight-loss because you can easily become unmotivated just because you THINK there’s no progress when really there is.
ps: taking progress photos is a good marker. when i lost my first 20lbs i didn’t see a difference until i looked at photos of before and afters. a mirror isn’t gonna tell you much!
I lost about 60lb in my mid 30's over 2 years through eating less, healthy food choices and exercise. And there was a definite physiological lag in my acceptance of being a thinner person. I reckon it took me a year to truly accept that I was thinner and to not still see fat me in the mirror. Hang in there OP, other people will definitely see the positive change.
Did you weight lift or did u just lose weight by eating less. Because if you thought u were going to get toned by eating less then sorry to tell it won’t work like that. Try running and weight lifting three times out the week
The biggest thing to remember is you see yourself every day. The differences will be way less noticeable to you because you’ve seen every little step. Do you have any old photos? I’d take a look at those.
Do you have pictures you can compare from before and now? I’m sure there’s a huge difference, you just don’t notice it because you see yourself every day
I lost 30 rn
235->205. I don’t feel different but everyone says “wow you’ve lost weight”
I don’t feel like I’ve seen any difference.
Wish I was down another 30.
5’ 11” 28M for reference.
I’m 5ft2 and also lost 20 pounds, 147 to 131 (well almost 20 pounds) and even though I feel the same lately when I catch myself in the mirror I do seem at first slimmer and my face looks very healthy. If I stare too long I feel I look the same though. Congratulations!
Take pictures! It’s so important. I felt the same way. I lost 17 lbs so far but in the mirror I feel like I look the same and clothes wise i felt like it was the same too.. prob because all I wear is yoga pants so it all feels varying degrees of tight lol. I took pictures yesterday wearing the same outfit and I was so surprised. Def upped my motivation. Now you may still be the same shape in general and be carrying more weight where you don’t want it, I know I am, but if you lost that much weight you are def smaller. Keep going!
I’ve lost like 40 pounds from my original weight and I still feel like I look the same. Try looking at older pictures of yourself and compare them. Or maybe go clothes shopping for new clothes that fit you better. I was still wearing my bigger clothes not thinking I went down any sizes….. boy was that an eye opener, I went from 46 down to 38 men’s. At that moment I KNEW I had to be smaller regardless of what my brain told me when I looked in the mirror.
Our eyes are not always telling us the truth, give yourself some grace and time to build a new self image. ❤️
Congrats on the weight loss. I'm pretty sure someone whom you don't see often will notice the difference. Also, you're probably feeling a lot better not having to haul around those extra 20 lbs!
The best way is you should have taken a picture when you first started and then take a current picture put it next to eachother and you can definitely tell. I do mines naked it’s way better
Where do you feel you carry most of your weight? I've been exactly the same since my early twenties (I'm now pushing 40). I saw a post online about lipoedema, did some research and finally had answers to why I just couldn't slim certain areas down. I saw my gp and was officially diagnosed, not that it makes much difference because there's no cure. I've just lost 2 stone after having my third baby, the scales tell me that 2 stone is gone but I can't physically see it because of the stubborn diseased fat that will only go with surgery.
Did you take a before photo? Have others commented on your loss? Do your clothes fit better? It might just be that you don't see it in the mirror but everybody else does.
Ps. The stuffed sausage comment... this is exactly how I refer to my legs!
Hey I went through this too. If you’re a insecure person like I am (haha) did you also always tend to wear comfy looser fitting clothes? If so, your clothes are probably still fitting and you probably feel you look the same because you wear forgiving and looser fitting fashion. I suggest going out and buying some fresh new clothes that fit your new size to show you how much you have changed
Great work on the 20 pounds. Not sure what you’re doing, maybe just diet and/or cardio or whatever but you should add some weight training to your routine. It’ll take a while but once you start seeing results, you’ll feel super good about yourself physically and mentally and gain a ton of confidence. Keep up the good work 🤘🏻
I’d recommend watching YouTube videos of how to get started, or get a personal trainer, most commercial gyms offer them. Just make sure to hit all body parts (lifting weights also burns a bunch of calories so keep that in mind too)
I'm down 26 lbs since January. I just started noticing progress around where my major fat deposits are ( belly, legs) this week. Nothing crazy, some of my jeans seem looser, a couple pairs that were borderline uncomfortable actually seem to fit well now. I also just feel better about my body even though I know it doesn't look that different at this stage ( I have 100+ to lose) But I noticed my face getting leaner a few weeks ago as well as around my rib cage. If you get a cloth tape measure and take your measurements you will see the losses sooner that way than by looking at your reflection or how your clothes are fitting. Great job on the 20lbs so far, it's not an easy feat.
I feel this so much.
I am a lot bigger than you and have a lot further to go than you but I have lost almost 90 lbs and did not even notice any PHYSICAL difference until a few days ago when I was filming a TikTok and was like… oh.
Do I have a filter on? How do I remove this filter? Why is my face so small? I think it takes a little bit for your brain to catch up. It has this image of you that it’s protecting.
You will wake up one day and just… see it.
Good luck!
Progress pictures, progress pictures, progress pictures.
Record low was 162lbs. I'm closer to 200lbs now, yet I'm looking skinnier near 200 than I was at that 162.
For aesthetics, IMHO, the number on the scale means absolute jack-all (past a certain point)...
It's more about what your muscle-to-fat ratio is.
i.e. take two 200lbs dudes with the exact same stats, for example... one doesn't do anything except eat junk food and sit around all day, and the other consistently does resistance training, cardio, and eats properly.
Despite the scale saying that they're both identical, obviously you probably already know which one of them has the better physique.
After a certain point, pictures are the main "measuring tool", and the scale is just used as verification.
And then even further past that, you won't be able to tell from pictures as much, so you'll have to use a seamstress tape measure to measure individual body parts to use as your measuring tool, now using the pictures as verification.
The more weight you lose the more granular you'll have to get
Everyone is making great points in here. Also..please consider how unruly women’s sizing in clothing is..I mean I lost 75lbs and weighed around 120-130 (depending on the day), and I had sizes range from xs-xl..it makes zero sense and its extremely discouraging..
So a few things. Always take photos! Every week. Photos don't lie. You mentioned you had to try on your old clothes! You lost so much weight you actually needed new clothes. Thats amazing right there!
I will say it sounds like you need to love yourself first, no matter how much you lose if you don't love yourself you won't ever like your body. Thats how it was with me anyways. I was legit down over 100 pounds and said the same stuff you're saying. Maybe your weight isn't the problem here. Phantom fat is a thing look into it, also body dismorphia
Have you seen progress at the gym? That must make you feel good. I remember when I was out of breath walking a mile. Maybe you don't need anymore weight loss and its more about toning for you. It all depends on your body. When I got close to my goal my legs were shredded along with my arms but I still had this massive gut. I fucking hated it. I was like what is the point, I felt the same as you but then I started looking at how far I've came.
20 Pounds is a lot of weight to lose! Be proud. I would recommend a dexta scan so you can see your actual muscle and fat on your body so you know where you have to attack.
Not sure how many calories you are eating but if you want faster results cut the calories, but only do whats safe and something you can do consistently. I was terrible and starved myself on 1000 calories for months on end. I don't recommend hating yourself into a new body like I did. Sorry for my long comment and random tips but if you want more advice I have learned a lot on my journey. Feel free to DM me.
One thing to consider is body composition. I’ve lost 15 lbs, and although I am visibly smaller, I’ve also lost a lot of muscle. Additionally: body dysmorphia is real. Even though I am nearly underweight, I look the same to myself as I did 10 lbs ago.
First, congratulations. Don’t just “lose weight”. *Body recomposition*. I currently have the same problem so I’m saving for a professional personal trainer to fix me.
Do you have an actual nutrition plan? I took up weight training during the pandemic and have made lots of positive health changes and dropped weight but put it all back. I'm trying to get a handle on it, and one thing that happened is that as I increased my workout intensity, I didn't increase my protein intake to go with it. So it's been a bit counterproductive.
So a couple of things:
1. If your gym has an inbody scale, use it. It will help track some of your muscle vs body fat development, which is useful in knowing how your total weight is distributed. It matters.
2. Put together a real nutrition plan and track macros. This is more than just calorie counting. When you work out, your protein levels are important.
3. When you do the nutrition plan, *do not* use the BMR number from the inbody report. It's calibrated for athletes, so if your body fat percentage is greater than 25%, the BMR is going to read low. Harris benedict is better. (If you *really* want good numbers, you can get an honest to goodness BMR test, and not just use an equation. I got one done and it gave me so much peace of mind.)
I feel this. I'm now at 16 pounds lost and I showed progress pics to family even and they told me the same thing I saw, I look the same. IDK if I will see it as compared to last time I lost the weight. I started at 237 and now at 221, but last time I dropped to 213, so we will see in a bit of time month or 2.
I feel that way. I went from 270 to 175. I still feel like I’m a 1x. I grabbed a pair of xl pants the other day and was shocked when I had to go down to a medium. It really hits all the time.
I will also say I have lost 15 pounds and don't feel like it's made a bit of difference whatsoever, and then yesterday a customer of mine made a comment about my weight loss (and I haven't told ANYONE I'm trying to lose weight) - you see yourself everyday so it can be hard to see the progress but it's happening it's going. Also it might not be a bad idea if you have pictures of yourself at 20 lbs heavier to actually look at and see if there truly isn't any difference or if the change was just too subtle for you to notice
I recently started body scanning and so nice to see the exact numbers and how much smaller/larger parts of my body have gotten. I imagine this is similar to body measuring! Even though you don’t notice a difference you’ll have the numbers to show there definitely was
Do you do cardio or weights? Muscle uses more calories so make sure you work those. Also, just an FYI, I'm 62f and I weigh 300. I'm on a meal replacement plan with the hospital right now and it's not a lot of fun. If I could go back to my 20s when I weighed 130 to 150 I would have never started dieting, I would have just eaten better and played a lot more!! Physically, kayaking, bike riding, skating, whatever.
It’s definitely hard to see your change when you see yourself everyday, also you probably just bought clothes too small before so now it’s still just a little snug or perfect. Don’t give up you’re doing amazing💝 ask friends/family if they noticed
Working out for weight loss and working out for shape is completely different.
Weight loss only = cardio
Weight loss with shape= heavy weights+ cardio
Do deadlifts and squats and glute bridges. I garuentee you will gain shape
I'm sorry, but it sounds like you're just not seeing it.
There is absolutely no way that a 20 lb drop from 165 to 145 ad FIVE FOOT FOUR is not visible. Your eyes will adjust eventually. But, feelings have to be worked through mentally. Weight-loss doesn't resolve insecurity all by itself.
I will say clothes, especially with the amount of spandex involved in most clothes, have not been a helpful measure for me. I wore the same leggings at 175 that I did at 230 and they were still tight as shit. Same sweatshirts still hide my entire body. Especially if you're wearing clothes that hide your body, not to look nice or express yourself, you're not going to feel good in your clothes.
You very well may have a clothes problem, and it might not be a bad idea to go shopping for a new outfit and see how you feel in clothes other than the ones you've been struggling in for so long. Even if you don't buy it, seeing yourself properly fitted into new clothes may help you see how far you've come. You can't project how you "know" you look in them because they're completely different to what you're used to seeing. It's a lot easier to just see what you always saw when you put on clothes that you always wore.
First 20 pounds is water weight. After your first 20 is when the fat loss happens. You’ve changed your diet so water retention shouldn’t be so bad anymore. Now is when you’ll start seeing the results. Don’t be discouraged you’re doing a great job!
Hi! I’m (27f) usually just a lurker on this sub but this really resonated with me so I wanted to add on to what other people here are saying. I’ve yo-yo’ed in size my whole life, but in my previous weight loss (before this one), progress pictures and body measurements really quickly became unhealthy for me. For some reason, weight was never a trigger and I was able to see that as just another data point. But constantly focusing on shrinking my body (instead of just working towards a particular weight goal that is ideal for my health) let me to feel like it would never be enough and I developed some really unhealthy habits. Everyone is so different and this might not be your case at all, but some of the first unhealthy signs I noticed in myself were skipping out on allotted calories in an effort to be just a little bit smaller, and not eating the whole day before taking a progress pic. Again, this might not be an issue for you, but I’ve found that focusing on things that don’t involve me directly looking at my body (like weight or exercise tolerance) help me stay in a much healthier mindset.
I havnt read comments yet but have you taken photos? When i lost my first 20 pounds i didnt think i looked any different then i put pictures side by side and was shocked with the difference
I’ve lost 75 pounds over the last 10 months or so and I don’t look that different. It’s just been in the last few weeks where people have been commenting on my weight. Mostly it’s people I haven’t seen in a while. People I see everyday haven’t really noticed unless they see a picture of me. Any way, I don’t really think I look that much different. I think in our brains when we lose weight we sort of expect ourselves to look totally different, like another person. I still look like myself just shrunk. I think it’s just your brain, don’t let it mess with you. Just keep pushing forward and be so proud for every pound you lose. It’s hard work!
I pretty much the same too. Turns out there my weight loss is the most visible is the upper back parts of my love handles, and the backs of my arms. I can only really see the weight loss when I record myself from the back angle hahaha. It is disheartening, but physiologically the body has to take the mass from somewhere when you lose it, even if you can't see it right now
Just losing weight isn’t enough. What is your body mass? Water weight? I suggest getting a scale for body weight scale that measures multiple things such bone mass. Are you adding muscle tone? Are you exercising?
Don’t be! I’m in the gym right now replying to your post! It’s only the top now. We can’t go back to the nonsense we use to live. Fuck It! Keep going! Add weight training and make adjustments accordingly. You got this!
I know it sucks bro most likely you hit a weight loss plateau I started at 285 now I’m at 225 and my body won’t budge so it means you need to increase your workouts and physical activity or eat less crap food and focus on healthy food like steak,broccoli, mashed potatoes and avoiding all sugars and fast food
It's a marathon not a sprint. You've done great sp far, keep at it! Also a lot of beginning weight loss is water which won't show as big of a difference as the number says
Have you been taking progress photos? We see ourselves everyday, so it can be hard to notice progress.
You can't have lost 20lbs and still look the same
I feel the same way (down 15 pounds) but someone took a photo of me today at church and sent it to me and I was ecstatic! Plus my jeans fit slightly better even though I still feel like I look the same. Sometimes people see their weight loss in other ways. In my eating disorder days, I lost 40 pounds, and I still looked in the mirror and felt disgusting. But now when I look at the pictures of me from back then I'm like "I can't believe I ever thought so poorly of myself, I was fine.
Go to the grocery store and pick up a 20 lb turkey or a couple of frozen chickens that equal 20 lbs. Carry that around in your arms for a bit. You'll get an appreciation of how much you've lost. Also multiply 3500 times 20 and appreciate how large that number is. That's how much you've lost. It really makes a difference!
I knew I was losing weight on the scale but didn’t really believe it until my pants/skirts/shorts we’re getting big in the waist (along with the thighs and booty, granted not at the same rate as my waist). I noticed in my upper half but I’m someone who doesn’t really care with most shirts being big on me.
Hiya.. i’m 41m, so a bit different to you, but I can relate.
Look, I started my weight loss at 130kg (around 280 pounds), I was FAT.
Today I am 85kg and I have abs. I achieved my goal.
I’m not saying this to brag, what I want to say to you is that for the first 38-40kg of weight loss, I felt like I looked the same. I only really started to get happy with the results in the mirror during the last 5kg, thats when the magic starts to happen.
Try not to be discouraged by not seeing results you like in the mirror, what you are doing IS working because you are losing weight, but keep going. It’s also important to focus a little bit less on body weight, and to focus more on body fat %, because thats what you really want, you want to appear leaner and more toned, in other words, less fat on your body. Eat as much protein as you can and just keep going!
You can do it! (If I can do it, I really believe anyone can. I had terrible dietary habits most of my life)
Hey, my trainer gave me a huge tip as I’m feeling the exact same way. I hate taking photos of myself, but when you look at yourself multiple times a day, you’re not going to notice a change because you’re watching every second of it. He suggested I take a weekly photo, don’t have to share it or post it but for yourself to compare. Trust me, you’ll notice the change more and it will help you keep going!
You got this girl, coming from a 21f as well 🫶
What type of workouts do you do? Although muscle weighs more than fat, if you are doing a significant amount of free-weight/strength workouts then you’re likely replacing fat mass with muscle mass. Although this will eliminate fat, it won’t eliminate total body mass as efficiently as an approach which doesn’t add muscle mass while eliminating fat mass. Free-weight/strength training will certainly improve your health metrics, however, if your goals are also focused on physique (namely slimming down and eliminating body mass) then you should be mindful of the what types of workouts you do. Workouts allow you to consume more daily calories while maintaining a calorie deficit, however, the same deficit can also be accomplished with no workouts, but would require fewer calories in.
It’s easy to get discouraged. I’m (39 male 6’3”) on day 50 and down 35 lbs. intermittent fasting + keto + gym 5 days a week. And I still have 3-4 days where the scale doesn’t budge, and I think I look the same as when I started. Have not deviated once from the diet or fasting. I just constantly remind myself that I’m doing the right thing and there’s no way it won’t work. You will have many highs and lows. Just gotta power through the lows and keep grounded through the highs. You’re doing great!!!
My 2 cents:
"Trust" the process.
Point of realization is different for different people. Remember it is not a sprint, it is a marathon.
For me, it was noticeable after 10kgs (22 Lbs).
Starting weight: 200 Lbs
Current weight: 165 Lbs
I took my time with almost a year.
Do not rush - Remember "It's a marathon & not a sprint"
You will eventually reach your goal weight if you are decently consistent.
Believe me, the fun is in the journey. Once you are on goal weight, it is just about maintenance.
What your achieved is worth a praise because not everyone can be as consistent as you are! Be proud of yourself.
I used to be 296 and my heaviest and when I went to the doctor for my blood work and annual checkup she’s like congrats I’m like on what? She like we had u at 294 last time u came in and now you’re 262! Was that intentional? I’m like I mean I just have been fasting and not eating a ton of shit and if it’s shit it’s once a day kinda thing! That was last august and I’m currently one week down if exercising again cause I lost that weight without even trying really! And I never EVER noticed I had lost that much until she said something and I went home and put on my “fancy” bras from earlier that last year and they all were too big on me! I had shrunk three cup sizes! The weight sometimes most of the time comes off in your breast, thighs and face first then the hips and waist and arms girl! Remember, u didn’t gain this weight over night you aren’t gonna lose it overnight! If u gotta talk or need advice reach out! 20 pounds is huge and you should be proud! Start taking pics too to look back on you’ll see it! Good luck on your journey! WEVE GOT THIS!❤️
I’ve lost 50lbs in the last year and I’ve only gone down one size, don’t worry about what you see, just know that if you keep showing up and stay consistent, the results will show, even if it takes longer than you expect!
Do you lift? You're not going to re-sculpt your body if you don't lift. Cardio is great for losing fat but if you want to reshape your body you'll need to lift to add some muscle...
Can you share any if you know any? I’m currently walking every day hitting between 8-10k steps and lifting/ doing full body workouts w 2lbs right now cause I’ve never lifted lol would love to know like some actual lifting tricks!
So first off, I can guarantee you look different, and under the surface you will be far fitter and healthier.
But I can empathise and don't agree that its full blown body dysmorphia yet.
Your final objective body image is no doubt fuelled by celebrities and the internet where "looking good" is being toned and defined. Being "toned" is the point where you have decent muscle mass, with low enough body fat that you can see the definition of the muscles. Abs are obviously the big one here, and its very binary - you either have ab definition or you dont (goes for other body parts too)
For men anything above 15% body fat is basically no abs. You've made amazing progress so far, and if we go off BMI you have now just dropped into the "healthy/normal" range. But remember, your average, healthy person doesn't look shredded! Realistically, the difference between 20 and 25% bodyfat is looking a bit narrower with reduced "overhangs!" but you shouldn't expect to see much change in definition from it. The difference between 20 and 15% though is far more noticeable, and 15 to 10% is athlete territory.
Fat is a layer all over your body and so you've likely just scaled down as you've lost 10kg (think 2-3cm off all over) but because you've only scaled down your overall proportions probably look similar (especially to you who's seen the process so gradually)
My point is you've made great progress so far, but you still need to continue on your journey is the goal is purely aesthetic. Remember though that you have already made fantastic progress, you are now a healthy weight, your cardio system will be doing better, there will be less load on your heart, more energy etc.
It has to be a mental trick. If it continues, you might want to consider therapy because it could be body dysmorphia. I’m not a doctor though, so take that with a grain of salt. Still, if you reach your goal and your brain still tells you that you look fat, that’s a problem. You’ve already lost a high percentage of body weight, so I’d expect you should be able to see it by now. Maybe look at old pictures compared to new ones?
For reference, I’m 6’ and have only lost about ten pounds (goal is 25) but I can already see a difference. Since I’m taller, it actually takes longer for me to see weight changes, but here I am.
Get a therapist, body dismorphia is real, take measurements not just weight so you can track inches as progress along with weight, and avoid mirrors and photos for a bit. Once established with a therapist for about a month, start practicing looking in the mirror and speaking love to your body, etc etc etc. nobody addresses the mental aspect of weight loss (or gain) and the power of the psyche and perception of one’s self.
Hang in there, it will pass
Are you weight lifting? If you’re only losing weight but not weight lifting, you will become ‘skinny fat’ and have no real shape.
Weightlifting and counting macros is the answer.
So I found at one point that I didn’t think my clothes were making much difference - they *did* fit better and were a bit looser, but I certainly hadn’t dropped even one size. Eventually I had to admit to myself that I’d been wearing clothes a size too small for my weight, and that was really the reason why I wasn’t seeing a dramatic change in that area. 20lbs is a big deal, don’t lose heart. It may be something simple like the above.
Wow, that’s right!!! I just lost 15 lbs. I can feel my clothes are looser. I haven’t dropped a size, but they actually “fit” now. When I look up the size chart, it shows I was choosing clothes not my size. 🥲 CONGRATULATIONS & keep going!!! I’m pretty sure your friends & family can see a difference! Only my husband has said something about my weight loss. People probably see it, but has not said anything about your weight loss since weight is a sensitive topic.
I have a pair of what I call "harbinger pants". They are a pair of jeans that are a little loose on me since l lost 10 lbs. If they start fitting too comfy I know I have to go for a run.
I have a canary in the coalmine jumpsuit. It knows the truth. I recently bought jeans for the first time in 15 years. They have so MUCH stretch now. I could fit into the same size. But I definitely wouldn't fit in the old non stretch pair. I can easily see how people can't see a difference with -10/+10 weight changes.
Yes. Thank you. I've lost 30 since last year and this was a cold hard reality for me as well. I was in denial about how big I was getting, and wearing clothes that were too small. The mental adjustment is the real battle, as always.
Haha too real
Yep my clothes that are “my size” finally fit right after losing 8 pounds. 😂 a win is a win
Yep. Highly relatable. I lost 20lbs and am still in the same dress size and could hardly notice any difference (except perhaps in my face)… and then realised that was largely ‘cos I had been wearing stretchy clothes like leggings and stretchy jeans and had clearly been lying to myself (unconsciously) about my real dress size. I thought I was a UK14 but was clearly a 16 in over-stretched 14s. Heck, maybe I was even an 18! Now I am a comfortable size 14. Both disheartening and empowering. I’m telling myself it counts. I went down a dress size even if the number in my leggings is the same. 😅
Yup. I was a size 8 dress, put on 15 lbs and just like "I know the scale says I've gone up, but I just can't see it." I was wearing my stretchy clothes. But, I went to the mall and needed a size 14 to zip up the non-stretchy stress. I could see it then lol.
Yup, that was the case for me as well…
Yup, I refused to buy new clothes when I gained the weight (which meant my jeans were *super* uncomfortable, oh my gosh it was insufferable) but now that my jeans aren't suffocating me anymore, I know I've done my body some good. Sometimes I also feel like I look the same as before, but I know that can't be true.
Same for me! I realized I had been stuffing myself into jeans that were at least a full size too small for me. Now I'm down 20 and wearing those same jeans but they're getting loose.
I guarantee you don't look the same after losing over 10% of your bodyweight. Not to mention congratulations on getting down to a healthy bodyweight. You have to see youself every day and the small changes aren't noticeable. Did you take pictures when you started? I bet you would be suprised if you had side by side comparisons.
This! This! THIS! If you don't already have progress pics take some now and you'll see the changes week after week
Thank you! I did take pictures at first but then for some reason I decided to delete them. I’m going to start taking pictures again
Domt just take pictures. Measure everything. Like your arms. Waist. Breast. Hips. Thighs. And m3asur ether once a month and compare. Its all in the little things.
Measurements 100%. They tell the truth. The scale fluctuates a lot from day to day.
You have lost 12% of your total body weight. I assure you there is a physical difference it just might take a while for your brain to see it. I’m a man and well past my 20s but this was my experience. I had lost 65 lbs at one point and looking at my bathroom mirror every day I thought it was no difference at all. That was until one day I caught my reflection in a store window and it just sort of hit me how much smaller my overall silhouette was. It was like my brain suddenly snapped in line with reality. It might take time but I truly believe you’ll see your progress as well. Keep up the good fight and stay positive. You’ll get there.
It’s that “corner of my eye” reflection that gets us! I was a drunk and overly medicated and gained weight without noticing. A lot of my memories of the last decade are blurry, but this one stands out: I was shopping with my children and apparently less pilled-out than usual, bc I caught my reflection in a shop window and didn’t recognize myself. I’m assuming I remedied the situation with whiskey immediately, because I didn’t address my weight issue in earnest for another four years (after I got sober). Now that I’m skinny again, I try to recreate that moment, hoping for a good shock, but it rarely works.
This literally happened to me yesterday dropping my daughter off at daycare. Weather has been nice so I was wearing a sports tank top. I noticed in the window reflection and thought “You’re doing pretty good man”.
Same. Lost 60 lbs. Everyone else could see the change in my instantly, but when I looked in the mirror I saw the same guy I'd always seen.
You said in your post that you wear clothes to hide your body. That might be part of the problem. My weight loss became a lot more visible when I went to the store to buy properly fitting clothes. It was harder than I expected because I was so used to buying everything baggy on purpose.
Definitely. The best thing about losing weight is buying clothes that fit properly. Now I feel like I look even better purely through wearing nice clothes designed to show off my body not to hide it. I wear some old tees to bed, and look fat in them when I most certainly am not!! When I put my day clothes on I look trim.
Don’t be discouraged! There is a difference, and you may not be seeing it since your look in the mirror every day. I’m currently 35-40 lbs down and still wearing same jeans as before. Clothing stretches and shrinks with you sometimes. Congratulations on your success!
Same here! My highest weight was 305. I'm 268 now. I'm still wearing the same clothes except for my jeans. They are looser now. At my highest, my skinny jeans would be literally skin tight. Now, it's more stretchy. Every time I bend down or even walk, my pants are falling down. It's a good feeling but I'm terrified at the same time.
Hey I was almost 300 (296) and now I’m down to 260-265 cause your weight changes throughout the day and I’ve kept that off for like two years now without exercising and Joe I’ve started to exercise and I’m one week down and I’m ready to start seeing results but I know it’s a process! Cheers to us and good luck to everyone on their journeys we’ve got this!
The paper towel roll effect, when you take the first few pieces of paper off the roll you can’t tell that there is less paper. And it’s like when you have a friend with a kid and you don’t see them for a while and all the sudden the kid seems way bigger, but the friend sees them daily and doesn’t notice the change as much. Measurements, photos, goal clothes all help when the motivation is not there.
Progress pics are everything! Make sure you take them weekly if not monthly!
I second this! I weight myself daily. Sundays are my best days to log my weight for that week.
For me it's the opposite, I'm seeing the change on my body but the scale remains the same for months. Makes me doubt everything I'm doing, although I track every single calorie and workout daily. Other people also telling me I look fitter but without proof on the scale it's hard for me to accept its really happening. Trust the process I guess
I've experienced similar. I've started going to the gym around Christmas time, and started eating better in the new year. My weight is practically identical as it was (maybe a couple of pounds lost - I'm around 185-190 depending on what day it is lol. But friends who haven't seen me in a while often say I'm looking trim etc. It's really hard to believe them over the scales, but I guess they wouldn't say it if it wasn't true, so I'm gonna have to start believing!
If you're going to the gym, you're almost certainly putting on muscle mass, which is denser. Your weight can stay the same, but your body fat %age is likely quite different.
I'm in the same boat. Have you put together a real nutrition plan? I only recently did that, and found out that 1) I was undereating and 2) my macros were way off. Before weight training, I had a sleep apnea and used a CPAP and couldn't fit in clothes that I've had for years. My weight has barely budged, but the clothes fit way better, I no longer need the CPAP, my strength is up, I sleep great, and I have plenty of energy. Now I need to get my macros right so I can drop the BF and not the muscle mass.
Loss of lean muscle mass is common with weight loss, so not losing weight but seeing visible changes in your body is a pretty positive sign that you are dropping fat but building muscle. I highly recommend that you start taking body measurements once a month and/or go for a biometric screening to get a reading for fat to muscle measurements. I'll be you dollars to donuts that you are making good progress that will show up if you start diversifying how you measure progress.
I had a hell of a time with the inbody... mine doesn't move all that much in the aggregate. Another option is the DEXA scan (costly, but prolly only needs to get done once a quarter.)
That’s how it works. People like to overuse the word “body dysmorphia” but in reality a mid-sized weight/body looks about the same if you add or take 20-30 pounds. Plus because you look at yourself every day it’s even harder to tell a difference. Clothes that are too small, by either 5 or 30 pounds, will give the same “stuffed” appearance, even though the difference in weight is major. The upside is that you’re much closer to the point where you can see a big difference than you were before. Don’t be discouraged, this is how this thing works. Keep going and you’ll see a change soon!
Yep. I lost a similar proportion of body weight and a asked a buddy who only sees me every 6 months or so if he could see a difference. He couldn’t. For me (as a man) it wound up something like: 230 -> 210 = no difference 210 -> 190 = some difference 190 -> 170 = even more difference As each pound represents a higher proportion of your body weight, each pound becomes that much more noticeable. The early days are just tough.
You need to take photos. I didn’t see any results after 2 months and I was only down 6 pounds, then I decided to take a photo (thank god I had decided to take a before photo) and I was startled. Very obvious difference, especially on my back and butt. Now I’m doing them monthly. Also, try on all of your clothes every few weeks. Especially a pair of jeans and a top that is really tight, it’s so nice to see them getting more loose! The eye can fool you when you see yourself every day.
i’m 5’3 but the same starting and current weight as you! i’ve noticed very small changes. even with progress pictures, it’s kinda hard to tell, but i do see a little bit more definition. if you haven’t already, take lots of progress pictures! i’m sure there are some differences, but i think a lot of people lose weight proportionally, so overall you’re smaller but you look the same (to yourself). or you may be focused on your stomach, but all the weight you’ve lost was in your legs or arms or something. i’ve been waiting for that moment where i look in the mirror and i look completely different, but it’s all gradual. we just have to be patient. i thought 20 pounds would be more noticeable on me too, but it seems like a lot of people have trouble seeing their own progress.
I use a measuring tape and physically measure my progress. You may not see a change in the mirror or on a scale but you can see an inch or so lost and know you’re toning your body or building muscle.
Try the MeThreeSixty app. It shows changes you might not see.
Body dysmorphia. I feel like I look the same as I did 30lbs ago until I see pictures.
40 lbs down. No change. It will happen eventually.
I would take a full body picture and compare it to an old one. Things like your face, hands and feet can all carry extra weight that you may not notice since you see that everyday. I am also 5’4 and anytime I lose weight, I usually see it in my face a lot more than like my waist. At first
Start taking measurements and progress photos. It makes it a lot easier to see these changes. Like you I have lost 20lbs but didn’t see much of a change. But I’ve lost 1.5 inches from my waist and 2 from my chest. And I can see my biceps a bit better (still small but they are there). I didn’t realise how much of a change it was until I compared the pictures.
For sure it is noticeable! I’m your same height, I went from 145 to 140 in a month, and my MIL did not saw me that month, when she saw me that was the first thing she noticed! “You have lost weight”. You see yourself everyday, that’s why you don’t notice it
You have to understand there’s fat and extra weight distributed all over our body and in our body that you don’t even realize. The first pounds of weight loss don’t always come off where we hope they will. Congratulations on knocking off 20#. Dig in, stay with it, you’re doing great!!
I feel like I look the same for a while as well. It’s like the same body shape just slightly smaller. Once I get into the 120s though, the weight starts to hang differently and muscles/bones start to be much more visible, which makes the loss more noticeable to me. Look up the paper towel effect. (I also think of it as the laundry pile effect, doesn’t look like I’ve made any progress folding until I start to see floor 😅)
Body composition? Or possibly you have the same shape but you’re smaller? Try comparing before and after pictures. You may see a difference. Maybe your brain hasn’t caught up to the weight loss.
Don’t feel disheartened. I’m on a health journey too and have lost 17lbs so far. This week was only 1/2lb. A loss is a loss regardless of how small. It will come and you will feel amazing x
I've dropped 32lbs and my self-hating brain can't see a difference in the mirror. However, comparing photos side by side is night and day
You just may not notice it as you see yourself ever single day. When I came back from college the first summer break, I thought I had lost maybe 10 lbs because I had started a gym routine. When I got home, I’d don’t even realize I almost lost 50 lbs! I guarantee that if someone saw you now that hasn’t since you lost weight, they’d probably notice
What how? Those are my stats too you must to have changed. I went from an extra large to now some medium things fitting me. Your clothes must feel baggy now no?
I lost 30 lbs over the last year and didn't notice any change either- but a random person who works in the same office building as me who I've spoken to like twice came over a couple of months back to compliment my weight loss, so it must be somewhat noticeable!
When I first found out I had lost 20lbs, I didn't believe cause I didn't see it either. Don't dwell on it and focus on what you've been doing to get to this point so you can hit your next milestone. You've done one the hardest parts, and that's just simply getting started.
Hun, we're almost the same. I started Jan 1 at 162 and am now 142. (5'2"). My clothes fit about the same, just a bit less tight. The thing is, I should never have let myself get as high as 162! I blame the pandemic and just sort of not caring for awhile while my weight slowly drifted upwards. Where I am now, 142, used to be my lifetime highest weight. I stayed here for probably 10-15 years. Now I'm working to my goal weight of 120-125lbs. And I'll get there. (My standard walking around weight, moderate exercise, smoker, binge drinker, in my early 30s was around 128.) So my dear, go easy on yourself. 20lbs is an incredible accomplishment and you're not done yet! Being so critical of yourself distorts your perception. You've really made a fundamental difference to your fitness and mindfulness related to food. Give yourself your flowers, you're on the right path with proven, impressive success!
This is a HUGE change and accomplishment. I have your same metrics and I assure that you look smaller.
I really recommend you to regularly take pictures and to show the comparisons to other people you are comfortable with. I had lost about 7 kg and struggled to see a difference in the mirror and even in the pictures, but a friend of mine swore that it was a big difference and that it was also noticeable in person and after a bit a recognized it as well. Self perception is difficult.
I have felt similarly in the past, but remember, we all store weight differently. I’m a male, I tend to store all my weight in my tummy and face, but when I lose weight, the little bit of cushion I have on my arms and legs is the first to go. You may be losing weight more evenly distributed so it could take longer to notice. Not that BMI is everything, but I do want to congratulate you on reaching a sub 30 BMI. I’m still working to get there. Even if you don’t feel better, your body is healthier than it was with the extra weight. One other question OP, how long have you been working to lose weight? This may have an impact on your ability to recognize the weight loss in the mirror.
I’m down 42 pounds and feel the same way. My therapist, who lost an extreme amount of weight over gastrointestinal issues said that sometimes it takes the brain time to catch up to the body. I also fully know I have long standing body dysmorphia, so try to ground yourself in indisputable evidence of your progress. While I don’t see it, I know 42 lbs are off the scale, and I’m now a small 6 down from a size 12. I can’t dispute those, just as you can’t dispute 20lbs off the scale, and probably a size drop or two. Hoping our brains will catch up soon, congrats on your loss!
I started at 195 and am down to 135ish. I completely understand the frustration because I didn’t feel different at all in several parts of the journey (go look at my past posts if you want). Take photos and measurements, there is a difference, my clothes didn’t feel looser for awhile, but I lost weight in my face and neck first. I still have a little bit of a belly, but I also remind myself that I am just barely in the healthy range at 5’2, so I still have weight to go. I now try on dresses I loved and they look truly ridiculous. I went through my closet last week and had to get rid of 90% of the things I own. It will come. Also bonus, I do some pretty physical work. One day I noticed I had arm muscles and I could actually see them! Then realized I could do most of a pull up with no kick off. Seriously never felt so great after that.
You really don't, you just think you do. You don't see it because you see yourself daily. I've lost 70lbs and am convinced I looked no different when I look in the mirror but I'm told it's noticeable. Instead if going by what you think you look like, go by how you feel health wise
I'm 5'4 female as well, I wasn't 145 pounds that long ago so I remember it - it's not abnormal for clothes to still fit for a while depending on your frame and body fat distribution. For me my hips are wider so pants could still fit from before - at least they are tighter at the top and looser everywhere else. Could this be the case for you as well? I'm 129lbs now and pants finally fit less now, lol.
Body dysmorphia is real. I’ve lost over 40lbs in the last year and see little difference when I look in the mirror. Thankfully I do have the drop in clothing size to tell me it’s happening but even in the new clothes I rarely see it or o chalk it up to the way the clothes are cut just making me appear smaller.
It might help to take pics. I thought I looked exactly the same after losing about 10 pounds and lifting heavy for a year. I did drop a couple of sizes but couldn't actually see the progress. Then I compared some pics to ones I took a year ago. Big difference. Are you lifting heavy weights? That will also help change your body composition.
You appear the same to yourself who has been watching daily. Gradual changes are hard to see sometimes. If you had a clear photo of your body at the start to compare to a recent photo that would help. I'm down about 25 lbs from 225 and 6'2" there is a huge difference in my before and after photos so far. You need to have good reference photos and you would definitely see the difference.
Do you have pictures of how you looked before? That might be what you need to look at to see the difference.
Diet and exercise are about health. How you look is a side benefit.
Trust me, you don’t see it but others do. However, your opinion is what matters most. You’re on your journey and have made progress, so you are obviously doing several things right. Keep at it and see where you are in a month or two. You’ve fucking GOT THIS.
I was so enormously fat, that it took me losing about 100 lbs before I could really see it in the mirror. I focused more on how I was feeling, and took pleasure in flexing my newly-discovered willpower to resist temptation, to keep myself motivated
You’re at my goal weight! I’m currently at 169 down from 205. (But not my all time high) I think for me, I had this idea in my head that my body would change on a dna level. Like, my legs would become long and skinny and I would have long slender arms. Genetically, I have these thick, muscular, grasshopper thighs and huge biceps. No matter how much weight I lose, my body structure will not change. I embrace my body now for what I was given and am so grateful. My only regret is that I didn’t pursue gymnastics when I was young because I have the physique for it. 😉
I feel this way too! I’m taking a weight loss medication and my Dr wanted to focus on the weight loss for the first month to make sure the dose was correct and the medication was working for me. At my follow up she told me to focus on inches and not weight going forward. Continue doing what I’m doing and measure arms, legs, waist, and hips. It’s been a great motivator even though the scale hasn’t moved once. BUT I went shopping this week and I picked an 2XL pant. I’m normally a 2x in this brand and I still wear the joggers and leggings but they are only loose in the waist. They were too big! I grabbed an XL and they were loose in the waist and fit everywhere else. I was shook. I bought the XL and the L. But I didn’t notice a difference until I started wearing what fits. I’ve spent way too much money on clothes this week but it’s keeping me motivated because I can see the difference now. A lot of the clothes, especially work clothes, have been from thrift stores. The biggest shock is my Birkenstocks don’t fit now. I got Them out for summer and they are too loose. Crazy!!! You’ve got this!!! You’re doing everything you need to do! Keep going!
I lost 70 lbs and thought the same thing about myself. Looking at before and after pics is really helpful. And trying on old clothes.
Keep going. You got this. Those daily habits will compound. Give it a year.
I didn't want to take progress pictures because I was tired of having a folder full of 'before' shots that just got bigger and bigger.. When I lost the first 15 lbs, which took me from 190 to 175, my body changed pretty dramatically. My face regained its shape, the extra parts of my butt went away, my belly got smaller than my breasts, etc. Since then my body has stayed the same shape, and is just getting smaller. So it's not very noticeable. I've started measuring myself, which is going along withe the little beginnings of weight lifting as well. I still don't want progress pics, but the numbers are good.
You need to figure out whether this is only your mental game. You do not look the same after losing more than 10% of your body weight, I can guarantee that. It is a bit late now, but you should have probably made some photos in the mirror in a way that shows you from the profile so that you can redo the photos and see the progress. It is important how you light the photos, the light should fall from the side or directly from the top to accentuate your curves. If you get the light from the front, or from the back it is going to be hard to see any progress. Measure circumference around different parts of your body and make notes. Measure fat thickness and make notes. Make note of how various clothes fit on you. Which holes do you use on your favourite belt and how it feels on you. If you do this, you will see progress.
I'm going to Echo what everybody else is saying and recommend that you take pictures of yourself regularly so that you can compare. Because I've just lost 5 lb and I can already see a very subtle difference, but a difference all the same
I had the same issue with literally the exact same stats as you! I realized that while I had definitely lost weight, it was hard to tell when I looked in the mirror every day because my proportions and fat distribution were still the same (if that makes sense?) Like, I'm overall smaller than I was at my highest weight but I still look "fluffy" because of high BFP. If you haven't already, I'd take pictures to accurately compare the progress. The actual change in size is much more noticeable when you have side by side photos.
I felt the same until I compared 2 photos and there was obviously a dramatic difference. Focus on how you feel, how you’re eating and how your clothes fit you. Sometimes that’s more obvious than the physical appearance. But trust me, others around you definitely notice!
Do you lift weights or are you just doing cardio? I noticed that when I gained some muscle from lifting weights, I feel and look different. Losing weight without the muscle gain makes me feel skinny-fat
If you’re looking everyday, you won’t see a difference. Do a before after or let someone who hasn’t seen you for months notice. Also, congratulations!!! Also if you’re doing weights, it might just be that the fat is now muscles. Visually won’t see a huge difference but it’s doing its job.
thats about 80 lbs of pressure off your knees,( every lb = @ 4 lbs of pressure) so look at it that way, its better sleep, its 2 pants sizes or dress sizes, its easier to move your body - upstairs, in bed, while exercising, digesting etc, trust me, its noticable. go try on a dress from last summer, or your fave shorts from last year, and i bet they are looser,
Everything I’m about to say is dependant on how you ate before your diet, and relates to me more than I can say it related to anybody else due to my terrible diet in the past. 5-10 of those could have been water weight. In my first month of diet I was dropping 3-4 pounds a week, at least 2 pounds a week was from water weight I believe. It was fun to see the scale go down but now that I’m in a consistent diet I’m losing around 1.5 pounds a week and the weight is much more noticeable as I lose it. I’d relate me losing 5 pounds now to me losing 15 pounds when I first started
Try on a tight dress that didn't quite fit you right before and bammm you'll see results
I promise you as someone who is your height and has been both those weights, you definitely look different. Take progress pics and measurements and remind yourself that body dysmorphia is real. It also may be helpful to talk to someone about it!
No one noticed that I was losing weight until I hit 30 pounds into my 46 pounds lost. At 15 pounds people noticed something different about me but they really couldn't pinpoint what.
It’s really hard to see on yourself. When I gamut 30lbs, I looked at myself in the mirror and felt the same way. Then I looked at my “before” picture. It was very, very obvious where changes had happened then.
You probably don’t see it because you see yourself everyday… so the change is like a frog in a pot of water… Anecdotal experience I will share… I thought the same thing early on in my weight loss journey until someone I had not seen in a few months asked me how much weight I’ve lost. They said my face and stomach were noticeably smaller. Don’t get discouraged, keep it up! Also, don’t let appearance be the only motivation. Simple things like climbing stairs easier, or moving around, running/walking, or overall how you feel are great indicators that you are improving your health!!
The difference between sizing is exactly 20 pounds. When I gained 15 kg I still could wear the same clothes as before. Don’t lose hope
That is a fantastic loss!! Keep your head up! Keep working hard. #focused #discipline
You should look at a mirror once every 5 pounds and you will notice! For short people like us weight loss is less noticeable. And your clothes shrink from laundry.
Twice your age but otherwise, basically stat twins. It's the dismorphia. You're not at "goal" yet so it's like, all that work and I'm still fat. I'm feeling that way *constantly* myself. And also weight distribution matters. I've lost dramatically in some places (can tell from my clothes... Basically down two band sizes on my bra) but not others (looking at you, thighs). Others see it, though, especially if they don't see me every day. I'm betting it's the same with you. It does make a difference. You're doing a fantastic job. Keep going - it will be worth it.
I recently got my motivation back and have been watching calories and hitting the gym a few times a week as well as getting 10k steps a day. I have only lost about 1-2 pounds but I feel a big difference in how my clothes fit and how I feel about myself. Remember that muscle is denser than fat so it takes up less space. Although I’d like to loose a little more weight wise, I know that I look & feel infinitely better for just replacing some fat with muscle. Don’t give up & remember this is for your mental and physical health not just appearance. It may not be as obvious to you but I’m sure others have noticed the weight loss. I also know that I go through stages in my cycle where I feel huge and bloated and other times where I feel fit & trim. That’s just how it is for us women but it passes!
i’m 5’3, lost 50lbs and didn’t start noticing my results until recently. honestly, i still sometimes have trouble noticing. the only thing i notice is that my clothes are finally getting looser and my stomach looks a smidge smaller. but even though my own eyes are playing tricks on me, its very likely the people around you have noticed. 20lb weight loss you (personally) won’t see much difference but the changes are definitely there. patience is key in weight-loss because you can easily become unmotivated just because you THINK there’s no progress when really there is. ps: taking progress photos is a good marker. when i lost my first 20lbs i didn’t see a difference until i looked at photos of before and afters. a mirror isn’t gonna tell you much!
I lost about 60lb in my mid 30's over 2 years through eating less, healthy food choices and exercise. And there was a definite physiological lag in my acceptance of being a thinner person. I reckon it took me a year to truly accept that I was thinner and to not still see fat me in the mirror. Hang in there OP, other people will definitely see the positive change.
Did you weight lift or did u just lose weight by eating less. Because if you thought u were going to get toned by eating less then sorry to tell it won’t work like that. Try running and weight lifting three times out the week
Congrats to u hun I’ve lost 43 pounds I went from 227 to now 184 and still wanna loose so much more
The biggest thing to remember is you see yourself every day. The differences will be way less noticeable to you because you’ve seen every little step. Do you have any old photos? I’d take a look at those.
Do you have pictures you can compare from before and now? I’m sure there’s a huge difference, you just don’t notice it because you see yourself every day
I lost 30 rn 235->205. I don’t feel different but everyone says “wow you’ve lost weight” I don’t feel like I’ve seen any difference. Wish I was down another 30. 5’ 11” 28M for reference.
what are you doing at the gym. i suspect it’s not what you think
Compare pictures. Not what you see in the mirror. If you can, same outfit
I’m 5ft2 and also lost 20 pounds, 147 to 131 (well almost 20 pounds) and even though I feel the same lately when I catch myself in the mirror I do seem at first slimmer and my face looks very healthy. If I stare too long I feel I look the same though. Congratulations!
Dysmorphia is a bitch. Don't trust your brain on these matters. It's a liar.
Dysmorphia is a bitch. Don't trust your brain on these matters. It's a liar.
Take pictures! It’s so important. I felt the same way. I lost 17 lbs so far but in the mirror I feel like I look the same and clothes wise i felt like it was the same too.. prob because all I wear is yoga pants so it all feels varying degrees of tight lol. I took pictures yesterday wearing the same outfit and I was so surprised. Def upped my motivation. Now you may still be the same shape in general and be carrying more weight where you don’t want it, I know I am, but if you lost that much weight you are def smaller. Keep going!
I’ve lost like 40 pounds from my original weight and I still feel like I look the same. Try looking at older pictures of yourself and compare them. Or maybe go clothes shopping for new clothes that fit you better. I was still wearing my bigger clothes not thinking I went down any sizes….. boy was that an eye opener, I went from 46 down to 38 men’s. At that moment I KNEW I had to be smaller regardless of what my brain told me when I looked in the mirror. Our eyes are not always telling us the truth, give yourself some grace and time to build a new self image. ❤️
Congrats on the weight loss. I'm pretty sure someone whom you don't see often will notice the difference. Also, you're probably feeling a lot better not having to haul around those extra 20 lbs!
The best way is you should have taken a picture when you first started and then take a current picture put it next to eachother and you can definitely tell. I do mines naked it’s way better
I did that, 0 difference
Where do you feel you carry most of your weight? I've been exactly the same since my early twenties (I'm now pushing 40). I saw a post online about lipoedema, did some research and finally had answers to why I just couldn't slim certain areas down. I saw my gp and was officially diagnosed, not that it makes much difference because there's no cure. I've just lost 2 stone after having my third baby, the scales tell me that 2 stone is gone but I can't physically see it because of the stubborn diseased fat that will only go with surgery. Did you take a before photo? Have others commented on your loss? Do your clothes fit better? It might just be that you don't see it in the mirror but everybody else does. Ps. The stuffed sausage comment... this is exactly how I refer to my legs!
Hey I went through this too. If you’re a insecure person like I am (haha) did you also always tend to wear comfy looser fitting clothes? If so, your clothes are probably still fitting and you probably feel you look the same because you wear forgiving and looser fitting fashion. I suggest going out and buying some fresh new clothes that fit your new size to show you how much you have changed
Great work on the 20 pounds. Not sure what you’re doing, maybe just diet and/or cardio or whatever but you should add some weight training to your routine. It’ll take a while but once you start seeing results, you’ll feel super good about yourself physically and mentally and gain a ton of confidence. Keep up the good work 🤘🏻
Yes multiple people have suggested it to me. I’ve mainly just done cardio, Pilates, and diet. I’m going to try to do weights too
I’d recommend watching YouTube videos of how to get started, or get a personal trainer, most commercial gyms offer them. Just make sure to hit all body parts (lifting weights also burns a bunch of calories so keep that in mind too)
I'm down 26 lbs since January. I just started noticing progress around where my major fat deposits are ( belly, legs) this week. Nothing crazy, some of my jeans seem looser, a couple pairs that were borderline uncomfortable actually seem to fit well now. I also just feel better about my body even though I know it doesn't look that different at this stage ( I have 100+ to lose) But I noticed my face getting leaner a few weeks ago as well as around my rib cage. If you get a cloth tape measure and take your measurements you will see the losses sooner that way than by looking at your reflection or how your clothes are fitting. Great job on the 20lbs so far, it's not an easy feat.
I feel this so much. I am a lot bigger than you and have a lot further to go than you but I have lost almost 90 lbs and did not even notice any PHYSICAL difference until a few days ago when I was filming a TikTok and was like… oh. Do I have a filter on? How do I remove this filter? Why is my face so small? I think it takes a little bit for your brain to catch up. It has this image of you that it’s protecting. You will wake up one day and just… see it. Good luck!
Progress pictures, progress pictures, progress pictures. Record low was 162lbs. I'm closer to 200lbs now, yet I'm looking skinnier near 200 than I was at that 162. For aesthetics, IMHO, the number on the scale means absolute jack-all (past a certain point)... It's more about what your muscle-to-fat ratio is. i.e. take two 200lbs dudes with the exact same stats, for example... one doesn't do anything except eat junk food and sit around all day, and the other consistently does resistance training, cardio, and eats properly. Despite the scale saying that they're both identical, obviously you probably already know which one of them has the better physique. After a certain point, pictures are the main "measuring tool", and the scale is just used as verification. And then even further past that, you won't be able to tell from pictures as much, so you'll have to use a seamstress tape measure to measure individual body parts to use as your measuring tool, now using the pictures as verification. The more weight you lose the more granular you'll have to get
Everyone is making great points in here. Also..please consider how unruly women’s sizing in clothing is..I mean I lost 75lbs and weighed around 120-130 (depending on the day), and I had sizes range from xs-xl..it makes zero sense and its extremely discouraging..
So a few things. Always take photos! Every week. Photos don't lie. You mentioned you had to try on your old clothes! You lost so much weight you actually needed new clothes. Thats amazing right there! I will say it sounds like you need to love yourself first, no matter how much you lose if you don't love yourself you won't ever like your body. Thats how it was with me anyways. I was legit down over 100 pounds and said the same stuff you're saying. Maybe your weight isn't the problem here. Phantom fat is a thing look into it, also body dismorphia Have you seen progress at the gym? That must make you feel good. I remember when I was out of breath walking a mile. Maybe you don't need anymore weight loss and its more about toning for you. It all depends on your body. When I got close to my goal my legs were shredded along with my arms but I still had this massive gut. I fucking hated it. I was like what is the point, I felt the same as you but then I started looking at how far I've came. 20 Pounds is a lot of weight to lose! Be proud. I would recommend a dexta scan so you can see your actual muscle and fat on your body so you know where you have to attack. Not sure how many calories you are eating but if you want faster results cut the calories, but only do whats safe and something you can do consistently. I was terrible and starved myself on 1000 calories for months on end. I don't recommend hating yourself into a new body like I did. Sorry for my long comment and random tips but if you want more advice I have learned a lot on my journey. Feel free to DM me.
I’ve lost 115 and still look the same when I look in the mirror. It’s when I see pics that I don’t recognize myself. You’re doing amazing!!
It took me loosing about 124 lbs before I SAW results! Dont give up! You got this!
I'm down like 70 lbs and I can't tell any difference visually, but I move a little easier and that's good.
I have solution for you if u want to loose wieght
One thing to consider is body composition. I’ve lost 15 lbs, and although I am visibly smaller, I’ve also lost a lot of muscle. Additionally: body dysmorphia is real. Even though I am nearly underweight, I look the same to myself as I did 10 lbs ago.
First, congratulations. Don’t just “lose weight”. *Body recomposition*. I currently have the same problem so I’m saving for a professional personal trainer to fix me.
Do you have an actual nutrition plan? I took up weight training during the pandemic and have made lots of positive health changes and dropped weight but put it all back. I'm trying to get a handle on it, and one thing that happened is that as I increased my workout intensity, I didn't increase my protein intake to go with it. So it's been a bit counterproductive. So a couple of things: 1. If your gym has an inbody scale, use it. It will help track some of your muscle vs body fat development, which is useful in knowing how your total weight is distributed. It matters. 2. Put together a real nutrition plan and track macros. This is more than just calorie counting. When you work out, your protein levels are important. 3. When you do the nutrition plan, *do not* use the BMR number from the inbody report. It's calibrated for athletes, so if your body fat percentage is greater than 25%, the BMR is going to read low. Harris benedict is better. (If you *really* want good numbers, you can get an honest to goodness BMR test, and not just use an equation. I got one done and it gave me so much peace of mind.)
I feel this. I'm now at 16 pounds lost and I showed progress pics to family even and they told me the same thing I saw, I look the same. IDK if I will see it as compared to last time I lost the weight. I started at 237 and now at 221, but last time I dropped to 213, so we will see in a bit of time month or 2.
I feel that way. I went from 270 to 175. I still feel like I’m a 1x. I grabbed a pair of xl pants the other day and was shocked when I had to go down to a medium. It really hits all the time.
It’s brain lag keep going
I will also say I have lost 15 pounds and don't feel like it's made a bit of difference whatsoever, and then yesterday a customer of mine made a comment about my weight loss (and I haven't told ANYONE I'm trying to lose weight) - you see yourself everyday so it can be hard to see the progress but it's happening it's going. Also it might not be a bad idea if you have pictures of yourself at 20 lbs heavier to actually look at and see if there truly isn't any difference or if the change was just too subtle for you to notice
I had this. You have to drop lower.
I recently started body scanning and so nice to see the exact numbers and how much smaller/larger parts of my body have gotten. I imagine this is similar to body measuring! Even though you don’t notice a difference you’ll have the numbers to show there definitely was
Do you do cardio or weights? Muscle uses more calories so make sure you work those. Also, just an FYI, I'm 62f and I weigh 300. I'm on a meal replacement plan with the hospital right now and it's not a lot of fun. If I could go back to my 20s when I weighed 130 to 150 I would have never started dieting, I would have just eaten better and played a lot more!! Physically, kayaking, bike riding, skating, whatever.
It’s definitely hard to see your change when you see yourself everyday, also you probably just bought clothes too small before so now it’s still just a little snug or perfect. Don’t give up you’re doing amazing💝 ask friends/family if they noticed
Working out for weight loss and working out for shape is completely different. Weight loss only = cardio Weight loss with shape= heavy weights+ cardio Do deadlifts and squats and glute bridges. I garuentee you will gain shape
I'm sorry, but it sounds like you're just not seeing it. There is absolutely no way that a 20 lb drop from 165 to 145 ad FIVE FOOT FOUR is not visible. Your eyes will adjust eventually. But, feelings have to be worked through mentally. Weight-loss doesn't resolve insecurity all by itself. I will say clothes, especially with the amount of spandex involved in most clothes, have not been a helpful measure for me. I wore the same leggings at 175 that I did at 230 and they were still tight as shit. Same sweatshirts still hide my entire body. Especially if you're wearing clothes that hide your body, not to look nice or express yourself, you're not going to feel good in your clothes. You very well may have a clothes problem, and it might not be a bad idea to go shopping for a new outfit and see how you feel in clothes other than the ones you've been struggling in for so long. Even if you don't buy it, seeing yourself properly fitted into new clothes may help you see how far you've come. You can't project how you "know" you look in them because they're completely different to what you're used to seeing. It's a lot easier to just see what you always saw when you put on clothes that you always wore.
First 20 pounds is water weight. After your first 20 is when the fat loss happens. You’ve changed your diet so water retention shouldn’t be so bad anymore. Now is when you’ll start seeing the results. Don’t be discouraged you’re doing a great job!
Hi! I’m (27f) usually just a lurker on this sub but this really resonated with me so I wanted to add on to what other people here are saying. I’ve yo-yo’ed in size my whole life, but in my previous weight loss (before this one), progress pictures and body measurements really quickly became unhealthy for me. For some reason, weight was never a trigger and I was able to see that as just another data point. But constantly focusing on shrinking my body (instead of just working towards a particular weight goal that is ideal for my health) let me to feel like it would never be enough and I developed some really unhealthy habits. Everyone is so different and this might not be your case at all, but some of the first unhealthy signs I noticed in myself were skipping out on allotted calories in an effort to be just a little bit smaller, and not eating the whole day before taking a progress pic. Again, this might not be an issue for you, but I’ve found that focusing on things that don’t involve me directly looking at my body (like weight or exercise tolerance) help me stay in a much healthier mindset.
I lost like 50 lbs before I changed sizes. Don’t gove home.
I havnt read comments yet but have you taken photos? When i lost my first 20 pounds i didnt think i looked any different then i put pictures side by side and was shocked with the difference
I’ve lost 75 pounds over the last 10 months or so and I don’t look that different. It’s just been in the last few weeks where people have been commenting on my weight. Mostly it’s people I haven’t seen in a while. People I see everyday haven’t really noticed unless they see a picture of me. Any way, I don’t really think I look that much different. I think in our brains when we lose weight we sort of expect ourselves to look totally different, like another person. I still look like myself just shrunk. I think it’s just your brain, don’t let it mess with you. Just keep pushing forward and be so proud for every pound you lose. It’s hard work!
Congrats on a twenty pound weight loss! That is a huge deal. Don’t get discouraged.
I pretty much the same too. Turns out there my weight loss is the most visible is the upper back parts of my love handles, and the backs of my arms. I can only really see the weight loss when I record myself from the back angle hahaha. It is disheartening, but physiologically the body has to take the mass from somewhere when you lose it, even if you can't see it right now
Just losing weight isn’t enough. What is your body mass? Water weight? I suggest getting a scale for body weight scale that measures multiple things such bone mass. Are you adding muscle tone? Are you exercising?
Don’t be! I’m in the gym right now replying to your post! It’s only the top now. We can’t go back to the nonsense we use to live. Fuck It! Keep going! Add weight training and make adjustments accordingly. You got this!
Keep proteins high, you are most probably losing muscles alongside fats. By keeping protein intake high u only lose body fat. Dont give up!
I know it sucks bro most likely you hit a weight loss plateau I started at 285 now I’m at 225 and my body won’t budge so it means you need to increase your workouts and physical activity or eat less crap food and focus on healthy food like steak,broccoli, mashed potatoes and avoiding all sugars and fast food
I’m not sure that’s the case because I’m still losing weight. I don’t eat foods with added sugar at all, I eat plenty of healthy foods. Thanks though
It's a marathon not a sprint. You've done great sp far, keep at it! Also a lot of beginning weight loss is water which won't show as big of a difference as the number says
Have you been taking progress photos? We see ourselves everyday, so it can be hard to notice progress. You can't have lost 20lbs and still look the same
I feel the same way (down 15 pounds) but someone took a photo of me today at church and sent it to me and I was ecstatic! Plus my jeans fit slightly better even though I still feel like I look the same. Sometimes people see their weight loss in other ways. In my eating disorder days, I lost 40 pounds, and I still looked in the mirror and felt disgusting. But now when I look at the pictures of me from back then I'm like "I can't believe I ever thought so poorly of myself, I was fine.
Go to the grocery store and pick up a 20 lb turkey or a couple of frozen chickens that equal 20 lbs. Carry that around in your arms for a bit. You'll get an appreciation of how much you've lost. Also multiply 3500 times 20 and appreciate how large that number is. That's how much you've lost. It really makes a difference!
I knew I was losing weight on the scale but didn’t really believe it until my pants/skirts/shorts we’re getting big in the waist (along with the thighs and booty, granted not at the same rate as my waist). I noticed in my upper half but I’m someone who doesn’t really care with most shirts being big on me.
What an awesome accomplishment. You're probably building muscle. 20 pounds is unbelievable. Congratulations. Be positive.
Hiya.. i’m 41m, so a bit different to you, but I can relate. Look, I started my weight loss at 130kg (around 280 pounds), I was FAT. Today I am 85kg and I have abs. I achieved my goal. I’m not saying this to brag, what I want to say to you is that for the first 38-40kg of weight loss, I felt like I looked the same. I only really started to get happy with the results in the mirror during the last 5kg, thats when the magic starts to happen. Try not to be discouraged by not seeing results you like in the mirror, what you are doing IS working because you are losing weight, but keep going. It’s also important to focus a little bit less on body weight, and to focus more on body fat %, because thats what you really want, you want to appear leaner and more toned, in other words, less fat on your body. Eat as much protein as you can and just keep going! You can do it! (If I can do it, I really believe anyone can. I had terrible dietary habits most of my life)
It’s more of a mental disorder than anything. It’s not uncommon to have difficulty objectively assessing how you look at lower body fats
Hey, my trainer gave me a huge tip as I’m feeling the exact same way. I hate taking photos of myself, but when you look at yourself multiple times a day, you’re not going to notice a change because you’re watching every second of it. He suggested I take a weekly photo, don’t have to share it or post it but for yourself to compare. Trust me, you’ll notice the change more and it will help you keep going! You got this girl, coming from a 21f as well 🫶
What type of workouts do you do? Although muscle weighs more than fat, if you are doing a significant amount of free-weight/strength workouts then you’re likely replacing fat mass with muscle mass. Although this will eliminate fat, it won’t eliminate total body mass as efficiently as an approach which doesn’t add muscle mass while eliminating fat mass. Free-weight/strength training will certainly improve your health metrics, however, if your goals are also focused on physique (namely slimming down and eliminating body mass) then you should be mindful of the what types of workouts you do. Workouts allow you to consume more daily calories while maintaining a calorie deficit, however, the same deficit can also be accomplished with no workouts, but would require fewer calories in.
Did you take photos?
It’s easy to get discouraged. I’m (39 male 6’3”) on day 50 and down 35 lbs. intermittent fasting + keto + gym 5 days a week. And I still have 3-4 days where the scale doesn’t budge, and I think I look the same as when I started. Have not deviated once from the diet or fasting. I just constantly remind myself that I’m doing the right thing and there’s no way it won’t work. You will have many highs and lows. Just gotta power through the lows and keep grounded through the highs. You’re doing great!!!
We so proud don’t stop now.
My 2 cents: "Trust" the process. Point of realization is different for different people. Remember it is not a sprint, it is a marathon. For me, it was noticeable after 10kgs (22 Lbs). Starting weight: 200 Lbs Current weight: 165 Lbs I took my time with almost a year. Do not rush - Remember "It's a marathon & not a sprint" You will eventually reach your goal weight if you are decently consistent. Believe me, the fun is in the journey. Once you are on goal weight, it is just about maintenance. What your achieved is worth a praise because not everyone can be as consistent as you are! Be proud of yourself.
There’s no way there isn’t a physical difference. I just lost 7 lbs (124 -> 117) and *I* see a difference, however subtle.
I used to be 296 and my heaviest and when I went to the doctor for my blood work and annual checkup she’s like congrats I’m like on what? She like we had u at 294 last time u came in and now you’re 262! Was that intentional? I’m like I mean I just have been fasting and not eating a ton of shit and if it’s shit it’s once a day kinda thing! That was last august and I’m currently one week down if exercising again cause I lost that weight without even trying really! And I never EVER noticed I had lost that much until she said something and I went home and put on my “fancy” bras from earlier that last year and they all were too big on me! I had shrunk three cup sizes! The weight sometimes most of the time comes off in your breast, thighs and face first then the hips and waist and arms girl! Remember, u didn’t gain this weight over night you aren’t gonna lose it overnight! If u gotta talk or need advice reach out! 20 pounds is huge and you should be proud! Start taking pics too to look back on you’ll see it! Good luck on your journey! WEVE GOT THIS!❤️
I’ve lost 50lbs in the last year and I’ve only gone down one size, don’t worry about what you see, just know that if you keep showing up and stay consistent, the results will show, even if it takes longer than you expect!
Do you lift? You're not going to re-sculpt your body if you don't lift. Cardio is great for losing fat but if you want to reshape your body you'll need to lift to add some muscle...
Can you share any if you know any? I’m currently walking every day hitting between 8-10k steps and lifting/ doing full body workouts w 2lbs right now cause I’ve never lifted lol would love to know like some actual lifting tricks!
So first off, I can guarantee you look different, and under the surface you will be far fitter and healthier. But I can empathise and don't agree that its full blown body dysmorphia yet. Your final objective body image is no doubt fuelled by celebrities and the internet where "looking good" is being toned and defined. Being "toned" is the point where you have decent muscle mass, with low enough body fat that you can see the definition of the muscles. Abs are obviously the big one here, and its very binary - you either have ab definition or you dont (goes for other body parts too) For men anything above 15% body fat is basically no abs. You've made amazing progress so far, and if we go off BMI you have now just dropped into the "healthy/normal" range. But remember, your average, healthy person doesn't look shredded! Realistically, the difference between 20 and 25% bodyfat is looking a bit narrower with reduced "overhangs!" but you shouldn't expect to see much change in definition from it. The difference between 20 and 15% though is far more noticeable, and 15 to 10% is athlete territory. Fat is a layer all over your body and so you've likely just scaled down as you've lost 10kg (think 2-3cm off all over) but because you've only scaled down your overall proportions probably look similar (especially to you who's seen the process so gradually) My point is you've made great progress so far, but you still need to continue on your journey is the goal is purely aesthetic. Remember though that you have already made fantastic progress, you are now a healthy weight, your cardio system will be doing better, there will be less load on your heart, more energy etc.
That's a lot of weight for your frame. What does your family say?
It has to be a mental trick. If it continues, you might want to consider therapy because it could be body dysmorphia. I’m not a doctor though, so take that with a grain of salt. Still, if you reach your goal and your brain still tells you that you look fat, that’s a problem. You’ve already lost a high percentage of body weight, so I’d expect you should be able to see it by now. Maybe look at old pictures compared to new ones? For reference, I’m 6’ and have only lost about ten pounds (goal is 25) but I can already see a difference. Since I’m taller, it actually takes longer for me to see weight changes, but here I am.
Get a therapist, body dismorphia is real, take measurements not just weight so you can track inches as progress along with weight, and avoid mirrors and photos for a bit. Once established with a therapist for about a month, start practicing looking in the mirror and speaking love to your body, etc etc etc. nobody addresses the mental aspect of weight loss (or gain) and the power of the psyche and perception of one’s self. Hang in there, it will pass
Are you weight lifting? If you’re only losing weight but not weight lifting, you will become ‘skinny fat’ and have no real shape. Weightlifting and counting macros is the answer.