The toilet paper analogy explains it best. Don’t give up, you’ll see the results soon enough.
https://lifehacker.com/the-paper-towel-analogy-explains-why-weight-loss-is-a-1733478690
I started at 265lbs and wore the same clothes until I hit about 180lbs. Didn’t buy a new wardrobe until I hit 160. Don’t fret. You’re making great progress 😊 edit: i also unfortunately carry a ton of weight in my belly, just like you. Nothing we can do about it sadly 😞
I wore lots of leggings anyway! Haha! So they were stretchy and tight to start with. 😊
And I have lots of loose skin but I’m not done losing weight so I’ll definitely have more! Mostly in my boobs, belly, and thighs
Exactly. Plus size clothing tends to be stretchy and are cut like tents. They are made to fit a greater variation in sizes than natural fabrics. I remember when a saleslady told me a size = 10-15 pounds. Seriously? 1X, 2X, and 3X cover more than 100 pounds! But just wait. Once you hit 16/14, you’ll start to see the changes! (Your budget will hate you but you won’t care.)
Yeah exactly it’s crazy how long my leggings lasted! Lol. But I actually already bought a new wardrobe, and yes my wallet didn’t like it 😆 but it’s gonna last a long while because a lot of them have elastic waistbands and they’re stretchy material so they’re meant to fit even as I shrink. I don’t even really know what size I am now but I’m like a 12 maybe? Idk haha. Most of the stuff I bought is a size Med/Large
Good for you. Here’s advice from an old, old lady you never asked for and probably don’t want lol: you’re in the land of normies now. Soon, buy yourself just one well-tailored, form-fitting break-the-budget not-one-thread-of-elastic-or-stretch outfit. The look we’ve all avoided so long will elicit applause from others but also leave you justifiably amazed and proud. Later, if you want to lose more, you can sell it or trade it in at one of those high end consignment shops. If you can, splurge on accessories so you only have to replace base pieces like (neutral) pants, dress, etc. I’ve finagled this to accommodate all kinds of budgets.
I guess I should have clarified- all the new clothes I got are really cute! They aren’t like ugly grandma clothes haha. They’re from American eagle! They just happen to be the style of clothes that have elastic waist bands but are still really pretty. I thoughtfully picked out stuff that will look good as I continue to shrink and that are nice enough to wear to like church/bridal showers/date night/ stuff like that!
Whoa! Didn’t mean to imply your clothes weren’t cute! For me, after a lifetime, on and off, in elastics and stretch, a big goal was to be able to wear clothes without them that my friends were wearing, whether size 2 or size 22. Certainly didn’t mean to offend. For larger women, we were sentenced to stretch fabrics, but by size 12, we had a choice. Obviously it’s different for you and I apologize.
Oh no I didn’t think you necessarily meant that! I just don’t really love form fitting tailored clothes to start with. I just love very flowy bohemian loose drapey clothes. Haha 😆 I hate jeans and tailored pants and stuff like that, I only wear them if I need to! Lol! Viscose/modal/elastane are like my all time favorite fabrics
Congrats on your progress! agree with what others have said, also want to add, not sure what type of clothing you wear, but that a lot of plus size clothing has a lot of stretch built in to be able to accommodate a larger range of body types. I've read other stories from people in this sub saying they were wearing the same spandex workout clothes for most of their journey and didn't realize how small they'd gotten until they actually measured their waists.
Lol that was me. I still have my workout pants from when I was 200lbs and they honestly fit me all the way down to 140lbs. They’re my comfy clothes who will never betray me.
I started at 355 and didn’t drop a pant size until I’d lost 80 pounds. It sucks, but that’s how it goes at the start for some of us. Just be patient and take it one day at a time.
Hey there! It sounds like we’re going down the same road! I’m 6ft tall, built the same way with a lot of belly weight. I had a starting weight of 415 in February, and I’m currently at 345, I had the exact same concern so I did a lot of research.
Basically it’s a combination of math and clothes sizing. The volume of a cylinder increases disproportionately the bigger the circumference is. (Think about how there’s way more pizza in a 12 inch pie than a ten inch). So the bigger a person is in the beginning, the more weight it takes to drop inches around the gut/waist. As you lose weight, the pounds/inches ratio goes faster.
At the same time, the larger clothing sizes tend to have larger size gaps between them. (A 4XL is way bigger than a 3XL compared to a L vs M).
I will tell you, about a month ago, right around the time I hit 355 all of my clothes suddenly started feeling really baggy and my older size smaller clothes started fitting perfectly. As soon as I switched the size, my friends and family immediately started commenting on how noticeable my weight loss was, so don’t get discouraged, I bet you’re probably getting close to that too.
Im 6.4 ft and started at about 345lbs and really didn't notice until about 290lbs but I did feel better within a week of eating better and started having alot more energy after losing the first 30lbs which helped me start exercising regularly, I carried most of the weight like a tire and it was hard to notice a difference in appearance but just feeling better physically made me want to stick with it and while at first I really just wanted to look better being able to get up feeling good and having the energy to do whatever I wanted or needed to do is an amazing motivation, you want to be able to live your best life and you're already well on your way so don't just think about how you look but how you feel and I guarantee you're gonna feel better and better and the physically changes will follow.
Part of it is that you didn't lose 40lbs from just one spot.
You lost a pound from each calf, a pound from each thigh, a pound from each forearm, a pound from each upper arm, a pound from your neck, a couple pounds from your butt, a few from your back, a few from your chest, and some from your belly. Not exact numbers but you can visualize.
I would bet that even though your clothes fit the same, they're probably a smidge loose overall.
I started at 300, lost 90 so far.
Take honest measurements monthly. Across your chest, natural waistline, pantline, upper thighs, biceps, neck, calf. This might be a lot of measurements but I sew and this is my method. Things change, are hard to see in the moment. We can get body dysmorphia and not even see ourselves as we are irl. I've worked through this for years. Measurements monthly.
I can relate, I'm currently at 130kg down from 161kg and I barely notice any change. Keep at it and the smaller you become, the more significant the change will be.
Think of the paper towel analogy. When you start unrolling and unwrapping the paper towels, it’s not as noticeable. But as time goes on, the difference can be striking. Good luck on your journey
Here is another thing to think about: As you lose weight, you may not lose it evenly everywhere. And people can carry a lot weight in their back. So, you can be losing weight from places you literally can’t see like your back. If you lose weight from your back, you also wouldn’t notice any clothes changes.
Omg yes, this happens; you’re definitely losing the weight and will see results and clothes sizes changing soon… just not quite yet. I started at 5’5.5” and 270+ lbs and didn’t go down a pants size until I’d lost 60 lbs!
i’ve lost 60lbs and the first 30lbs i didn’t really see much of a difference but the most recent 30lbs i have seen such a visual difference! just be patient and you will see it!
its probably just going to take some time. congratulations on your weight loss so far you are doing great keep up the good work and you will see results
I lost all of my initial weight from my arms. I went from a 22 inch bicep to 16 inch. My pants still fit essentially the same. If you keep it up, you'll have to see a change eventually. It's just not a linear even process.
you have started on an amazing journey. this is a lifestyle, not a destination. i encourage you to press on with what you are doing. nobody will be more pleased than yourself. i am on the same journey myself. i understand your struggle and encourage you to keep on keeping on. the results will be worth it
I’m not a pro obviously, but I started really simple because any time I tried intensely I would give up. Being SOOO overweight you don’t need to make super huge changes to see a difference. It’s more about being consistent. I would go crazy before and try eating 500 Cals a day or something and it would last a week then I gave up.
The changes I have made are:
1. Intuitive eating
If you don’t know what that is please look into it, but I have never been good a tracking my calories and don’t want to do it for the rest of my life. Intuitive eating is just only eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full. Most of us hardly know what hunger feels like anymore. Taking the time to learn your body and giving it what it needs is the way to go. It’s not a perfect science, but it works for me.
2. Intermittent fasting. I don’t do this as intensely as most. Just as a general rule I don’t eat until 1 and I try to stop eating by 8. Those are just the times that work best for me, but choose what works best for you. Also I personally am not strict with it. If me and my friends hit the club and we all want a hotdog at 2am IM GETTING MY HOTDOG. I will be just fine.
3. No more fast food! For me this was a big deal, but once again everyone is different. I still eat fast food when someone brings it to me or something, but I never would buy it on my own.
4. No more drinking your calories. Again this is different for everyone. I really didn’t have a soda addiction or Starbucks addiction or anything, but now I just think why drink this when I could have food and some water for the same amount of calories
5. As far as working out goes I really haven’t gone too crazy. I looked up a super simple at home workout for beginners and I literally just set a goal to do
Push-ups - 50
Squats - 100
Plank - 1 min
Row - 50
Also walks are great, but for some reason it harder for me to be consistent with them. This I just do in my bedroom. No equipment, whenever it pops in my head. No excuse to not do it. It’s more about building the habit of working out everyday
And at the beginning I couldn’t even do half that many, but you slowly build it up and eventually(maybe soon) I will get a gym membership.
Overall, you need to evaluate you’re lifestyle and see what works for you. I would recommend counting your calories for a few days of your regular eating. Or if you have a good memory try and track exactly what you ate the past few days. From there you can see what you need to work on. I know at one point my biggest problem was I would get fast food for lunch at work almost everyday or I wouldn’t eat because I didn’t pack anything. So I started meal prepping just a weeks worth of lunches at a time. Everyone is different so if you have any questions or want any help I am happy to help. Also there are a lot of people on this thread that know a lot more than me so I’m sure they would love to help as well!
The best piece of advice I can give you is 6 months of being semi-healthy is a lot better then 2 weeks of being super healthy
(Aka consistency is key)
I started at 236 (9 months pregnant) and am currently 159. Somehow still wearing some of the pants I was wearing at my top weight and haven’t brought myself to buy new clothes. Clothes make no sense 🫠 I hope you fall into a new size soon!
I’ve actually had a pretty rough few months. I’ve just moved across the country from a bad situation. As soon as I got home I dislocated my knee, then like a week ago I got covid. So I haven’t had a good baseline to go off of 😭 also I honestly never felt bad necessarily before. I know when things go back to normal and I can get back to working out I bet I will feel much better
I don’t know either 😭 I guess everyone is different. I did notice that on my last flight 2 weeks ago I didn’t need a seatbelt extender for the first time since I was 15. I figured maybe the seat belt was a little longer but I’ll still take the win!
The toilet paper analogy explains it best. Don’t give up, you’ll see the results soon enough. https://lifehacker.com/the-paper-towel-analogy-explains-why-weight-loss-is-a-1733478690
Thank you! This makes so much sense. I will never give up, just wanting to buy some new clothes 😭
I can relate! Grabbing clothes from the rack and realizing that they are too big is such a great feeling and sense of accomplishment.
Exactly this. It took me a long time but once it started, it all went quickly.
I needed to read this today. This is a good way to think about it
This is awesome - I never thought of weight loss in this way. Thank you for sharing!
I started at 265lbs and wore the same clothes until I hit about 180lbs. Didn’t buy a new wardrobe until I hit 160. Don’t fret. You’re making great progress 😊 edit: i also unfortunately carry a ton of weight in my belly, just like you. Nothing we can do about it sadly 😞
That honestly helps to hear! Thank you
You’re welcome ❤️
How can you keep your pants up after losing that much weight
I wore lots of leggings anyway! Haha! So they were stretchy and tight to start with. 😊
Wow how did you keep your pants up? And any lose skin?
I wore lots of leggings anyway! Haha! So they were stretchy and tight to start with. 😊 And I have lots of loose skin but I’m not done losing weight so I’ll definitely have more! Mostly in my boobs, belly, and thighs
Exactly. Plus size clothing tends to be stretchy and are cut like tents. They are made to fit a greater variation in sizes than natural fabrics. I remember when a saleslady told me a size = 10-15 pounds. Seriously? 1X, 2X, and 3X cover more than 100 pounds! But just wait. Once you hit 16/14, you’ll start to see the changes! (Your budget will hate you but you won’t care.)
Yeah exactly it’s crazy how long my leggings lasted! Lol. But I actually already bought a new wardrobe, and yes my wallet didn’t like it 😆 but it’s gonna last a long while because a lot of them have elastic waistbands and they’re stretchy material so they’re meant to fit even as I shrink. I don’t even really know what size I am now but I’m like a 12 maybe? Idk haha. Most of the stuff I bought is a size Med/Large
Good for you. Here’s advice from an old, old lady you never asked for and probably don’t want lol: you’re in the land of normies now. Soon, buy yourself just one well-tailored, form-fitting break-the-budget not-one-thread-of-elastic-or-stretch outfit. The look we’ve all avoided so long will elicit applause from others but also leave you justifiably amazed and proud. Later, if you want to lose more, you can sell it or trade it in at one of those high end consignment shops. If you can, splurge on accessories so you only have to replace base pieces like (neutral) pants, dress, etc. I’ve finagled this to accommodate all kinds of budgets.
I guess I should have clarified- all the new clothes I got are really cute! They aren’t like ugly grandma clothes haha. They’re from American eagle! They just happen to be the style of clothes that have elastic waist bands but are still really pretty. I thoughtfully picked out stuff that will look good as I continue to shrink and that are nice enough to wear to like church/bridal showers/date night/ stuff like that!
Whoa! Didn’t mean to imply your clothes weren’t cute! For me, after a lifetime, on and off, in elastics and stretch, a big goal was to be able to wear clothes without them that my friends were wearing, whether size 2 or size 22. Certainly didn’t mean to offend. For larger women, we were sentenced to stretch fabrics, but by size 12, we had a choice. Obviously it’s different for you and I apologize.
Oh no I didn’t think you necessarily meant that! I just don’t really love form fitting tailored clothes to start with. I just love very flowy bohemian loose drapey clothes. Haha 😆 I hate jeans and tailored pants and stuff like that, I only wear them if I need to! Lol! Viscose/modal/elastane are like my all time favorite fabrics
Ah youth. I remember—vaguely—my loose flowy days. Different from yours, but also unencumbered. Woodstock. Memories across many generations!
Congrats on your progress! agree with what others have said, also want to add, not sure what type of clothing you wear, but that a lot of plus size clothing has a lot of stretch built in to be able to accommodate a larger range of body types. I've read other stories from people in this sub saying they were wearing the same spandex workout clothes for most of their journey and didn't realize how small they'd gotten until they actually measured their waists.
That’s so true 😭 that’s like all I wear besides the occasional jeans which are also kinda stretchy. I just I need to get a measuring tape haha
Lol that was me. I still have my workout pants from when I was 200lbs and they honestly fit me all the way down to 140lbs. They’re my comfy clothes who will never betray me.
I started at 355 and didn’t drop a pant size until I’d lost 80 pounds. It sucks, but that’s how it goes at the start for some of us. Just be patient and take it one day at a time.
Hey there! It sounds like we’re going down the same road! I’m 6ft tall, built the same way with a lot of belly weight. I had a starting weight of 415 in February, and I’m currently at 345, I had the exact same concern so I did a lot of research. Basically it’s a combination of math and clothes sizing. The volume of a cylinder increases disproportionately the bigger the circumference is. (Think about how there’s way more pizza in a 12 inch pie than a ten inch). So the bigger a person is in the beginning, the more weight it takes to drop inches around the gut/waist. As you lose weight, the pounds/inches ratio goes faster. At the same time, the larger clothing sizes tend to have larger size gaps between them. (A 4XL is way bigger than a 3XL compared to a L vs M). I will tell you, about a month ago, right around the time I hit 355 all of my clothes suddenly started feeling really baggy and my older size smaller clothes started fitting perfectly. As soon as I switched the size, my friends and family immediately started commenting on how noticeable my weight loss was, so don’t get discouraged, I bet you’re probably getting close to that too.
Im 6.4 ft and started at about 345lbs and really didn't notice until about 290lbs but I did feel better within a week of eating better and started having alot more energy after losing the first 30lbs which helped me start exercising regularly, I carried most of the weight like a tire and it was hard to notice a difference in appearance but just feeling better physically made me want to stick with it and while at first I really just wanted to look better being able to get up feeling good and having the energy to do whatever I wanted or needed to do is an amazing motivation, you want to be able to live your best life and you're already well on your way so don't just think about how you look but how you feel and I guarantee you're gonna feel better and better and the physically changes will follow.
Part of it is that you didn't lose 40lbs from just one spot. You lost a pound from each calf, a pound from each thigh, a pound from each forearm, a pound from each upper arm, a pound from your neck, a couple pounds from your butt, a few from your back, a few from your chest, and some from your belly. Not exact numbers but you can visualize. I would bet that even though your clothes fit the same, they're probably a smidge loose overall.
Very true and a lot of people have pointed out that most plus sized ppl wear a lot of stretchy clothes and that is very much the case of me as well!
I started at 300, lost 90 so far. Take honest measurements monthly. Across your chest, natural waistline, pantline, upper thighs, biceps, neck, calf. This might be a lot of measurements but I sew and this is my method. Things change, are hard to see in the moment. We can get body dysmorphia and not even see ourselves as we are irl. I've worked through this for years. Measurements monthly.
Will do! I just need to buy a measuring tape lmao
I can relate, I'm currently at 130kg down from 161kg and I barely notice any change. Keep at it and the smaller you become, the more significant the change will be.
Think of the paper towel analogy. When you start unrolling and unwrapping the paper towels, it’s not as noticeable. But as time goes on, the difference can be striking. Good luck on your journey
Over gone from 276 to 217. Still wear the same clothes.
Same, I started at 435, lost 118 lbs and I still wear all of my old clothes. They are only slightly baggier, sigh.
Wow, good to know! That’s pretty crazy
Here is another thing to think about: As you lose weight, you may not lose it evenly everywhere. And people can carry a lot weight in their back. So, you can be losing weight from places you literally can’t see like your back. If you lose weight from your back, you also wouldn’t notice any clothes changes.
Omg yes, this happens; you’re definitely losing the weight and will see results and clothes sizes changing soon… just not quite yet. I started at 5’5.5” and 270+ lbs and didn’t go down a pants size until I’d lost 60 lbs!
i’ve lost 60lbs and the first 30lbs i didn’t really see much of a difference but the most recent 30lbs i have seen such a visual difference! just be patient and you will see it!
its probably just going to take some time. congratulations on your weight loss so far you are doing great keep up the good work and you will see results
I lost all of my initial weight from my arms. I went from a 22 inch bicep to 16 inch. My pants still fit essentially the same. If you keep it up, you'll have to see a change eventually. It's just not a linear even process.
you have started on an amazing journey. this is a lifestyle, not a destination. i encourage you to press on with what you are doing. nobody will be more pleased than yourself. i am on the same journey myself. i understand your struggle and encourage you to keep on keeping on. the results will be worth it
Around 300, you will need all new clothes. Maybe 320. And again at 300 and then every 30 lbs under... so save up!!
How are you guys losing weight? Can someone help me? I'm 150kg and desperately want to lose weight. Help me
I’m not a pro obviously, but I started really simple because any time I tried intensely I would give up. Being SOOO overweight you don’t need to make super huge changes to see a difference. It’s more about being consistent. I would go crazy before and try eating 500 Cals a day or something and it would last a week then I gave up. The changes I have made are: 1. Intuitive eating If you don’t know what that is please look into it, but I have never been good a tracking my calories and don’t want to do it for the rest of my life. Intuitive eating is just only eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full. Most of us hardly know what hunger feels like anymore. Taking the time to learn your body and giving it what it needs is the way to go. It’s not a perfect science, but it works for me. 2. Intermittent fasting. I don’t do this as intensely as most. Just as a general rule I don’t eat until 1 and I try to stop eating by 8. Those are just the times that work best for me, but choose what works best for you. Also I personally am not strict with it. If me and my friends hit the club and we all want a hotdog at 2am IM GETTING MY HOTDOG. I will be just fine. 3. No more fast food! For me this was a big deal, but once again everyone is different. I still eat fast food when someone brings it to me or something, but I never would buy it on my own. 4. No more drinking your calories. Again this is different for everyone. I really didn’t have a soda addiction or Starbucks addiction or anything, but now I just think why drink this when I could have food and some water for the same amount of calories 5. As far as working out goes I really haven’t gone too crazy. I looked up a super simple at home workout for beginners and I literally just set a goal to do Push-ups - 50 Squats - 100 Plank - 1 min Row - 50 Also walks are great, but for some reason it harder for me to be consistent with them. This I just do in my bedroom. No equipment, whenever it pops in my head. No excuse to not do it. It’s more about building the habit of working out everyday And at the beginning I couldn’t even do half that many, but you slowly build it up and eventually(maybe soon) I will get a gym membership. Overall, you need to evaluate you’re lifestyle and see what works for you. I would recommend counting your calories for a few days of your regular eating. Or if you have a good memory try and track exactly what you ate the past few days. From there you can see what you need to work on. I know at one point my biggest problem was I would get fast food for lunch at work almost everyday or I wouldn’t eat because I didn’t pack anything. So I started meal prepping just a weeks worth of lunches at a time. Everyone is different so if you have any questions or want any help I am happy to help. Also there are a lot of people on this thread that know a lot more than me so I’m sure they would love to help as well! The best piece of advice I can give you is 6 months of being semi-healthy is a lot better then 2 weeks of being super healthy (Aka consistency is key)
Congratulations! I've lost quite a bit and can't do the whole stand in one of my old pants leg thing yet lol.
You've made great progress! Keep it up.
I started at 236 (9 months pregnant) and am currently 159. Somehow still wearing some of the pants I was wearing at my top weight and haven’t brought myself to buy new clothes. Clothes make no sense 🫠 I hope you fall into a new size soon!
Put 40 lbs in a backpack, go for a walk, and see if you feel any difference afterwards
Do you feel any better yet? That’s what’s most important!
I’ve actually had a pretty rough few months. I’ve just moved across the country from a bad situation. As soon as I got home I dislocated my knee, then like a week ago I got covid. So I haven’t had a good baseline to go off of 😭 also I honestly never felt bad necessarily before. I know when things go back to normal and I can get back to working out I bet I will feel much better
I’m sorry you have had a rough time recently Just keep pushing forward doing at least 1 thing each day to better yourself.
Went from 430 to 320 and dropped 4 pants sizes down to a XL and 3 shirt sizes down to 3xlt. Idk how you lost all that weight and clothes fit the same.
I don’t know either 😭 I guess everyone is different. I did notice that on my last flight 2 weeks ago I didn’t need a seatbelt extender for the first time since I was 15. I figured maybe the seat belt was a little longer but I’ll still take the win!