Before anyone worries, I’m not talking about the menopausal change, but rather instead about the positive changes that occur when you are within a healthy weight range and experience increases in your physical fitness levels.
I get this question a lot, especially from people who have a lot of weight to lose as I did.
When will people notice?
I felt this way for a good part of my journey. When you start off as an extremely obese person looking like this, it takes a LOT of pounds for someone to notice that you are making changes.
In this next picture, I had lost about 75 to 80 pounds, and people were finally noticing.
Yes, my clothes fit looser, but they still fit well enough that I didn’t need any new clothes yet. I couldn’t understand how I could have lost over a half of a hundred pounds but no one really noticed until I lost a big more weight. After all, one of my best friends only weighed 105 pounds, so that was like losing half of her. When I walked into rooms I always half-hoped that someone would ask me if I was losing weight – but no one did.
I’ll admit that it made me slightly anxious. Was the scale wrong? Was I really losing weight? Of course I knew logically that I really had lost that much weight, but the lack of comments did make me wonder.
Finally though, soon after I hit the 50 pound mark, and lost a bit more weight - two of my friends asked me if I was losing weight on the same day. I calmly indicated that they were right – but inside, my heart was thumping out of my chest. Finally someone noticed the change.
Honestly, it was after the 50 pound mark that I started to notice the change more tangibly. I realized that I wasn’t wedged so tightly into the folding chairs at meetings, bending over to tie my shoes was getting easier, and I found it easier to get in and out of our minivan.
From that point on, it almost got embarrassing how many times people commented on my weight loss. Even cashiers in the grocery store noticed and started asking me questions. Even though I’m somewhat of an introverted person, I found myself readily sharing how I was losing weight. I realized that although it seemed to take forever for people to notice my weight loss, I hadn’t let the lack of acknowledgement stop me from losing weight.
It was a revelation. I wasn’t losing weight hoping other people would think I looked good and was doing a good job, but I was losing weight for me. Sure, the nice comments and exclamations of surprise were nice, but the change I saw in myself was enough to sustain me through those difficult times when I was working hard to get healthy without any outside acknowledgement.
I hope that you are like I was – doing all this work for yourself – while at the same time looking forward to having people acknowledge your hard work and your improved appearance and health.
How long was it before people started to notice the change in you? Was it different than when you noticed your body changing? Diane
I am your perfect example of a “pear” shape so carried all my weight in my hips and thighs. Fairly easy to hike even at my highest weight. So it was MONTHS before people began to notice and even then, sometimes, they couldn’t identify what it was. They’d just ask what was different.
But my husband noticed almost from the beginning and it was his support and pride in what I was doing that kept me going. That and my own ever increasing confidence was enough. Comments from others, once they started, was just icing on the cake!
Sharon´s last fabulous musings ..Which Direction
So sorry for the typo above!! That should read, “fairly easy to HIDE even at my highest weight.”
Sharon´s last fabulous musings ..Which Direction
And then when people notice the change its like…Oh my what have you done _ they then think you too thin…look drawn etc…well thats what I got but now everyone is used to me being slimmer…:)
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I’d say by the time I lost my first 20 lbs that is when people other than my husband started to notice I had lost weight. It took a while for my vision of myself to catch up with the reality of my weight loss.
I never was obese Diane BUT I still wanted people to notice fast.. for me, I was & still am too self critical so the mirror always looked like the same fat girl to me for too many years…
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Actually, what sticks out in my mind is how some people refuse to acknowledge that I have done a good job in getting to a healthy weight and maintain it. People like my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and a few others have never once said anything nice at all about what I have accomplished. Do they really not see it? Or are they just jealous? I don’t know, but when I hear nice comments all the time from people I barely know or friends or other family members, I know it’s not my imagination.
I realize I can’t live my life based on the approval of people who won’t give their approval to me…
PS: I hope you are feeling better soon!
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Well, at the moment I am having the OPPOSITE comments lol. I was always right at the 100 pound mark in high school and early college (I’m only 5’2). After a while I started enjoying many Papa Johns pizzas and Whitecastle cheeseburgers. Then, I had two children back to back. They are 17 months apart. I never lost any of the pregnancy weight! I’m up to 160 now. My grandma saw me the other day and told my mom she needed to make me lose that weight. It bothered me a little, but not too much because I know exactly how it happened lol. Anyway, I gained it quickly and am super ready to get it off! I need more energy and stop being such a couch potato. Thanks for the inspiration
People are just starting to make comments – I am down about 30 lbs of a 72+ intended goal. It does irk me that people haven’t noticed or haven’t said anything either. But I don’t let that bother me, because I love the comments and compliments!
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I think people didn’t start noticing that much until I’d hit the 50 pound mark too. When you start at around 300 pounds like I did, 10 or 20 pounds just doesn’t make much of a difference. From the start I was focused on my fitness and I think that helped a lot. Even before I noticed many big changes in my body size or shape, I noticed that I could do more in the gym and that helped to keep me going.
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I had lost 50 pounds before people started to notice. I needed to lose 115 to reach a normal BMI. After that first 50 pounds people really noticed, and it does get a little embarrassing at times. It took me almost a year to feel comfortable in my own skin. I started feeling better after losing the first ten pounds. It’s amazing how just that small amount made such a difference.
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I lost a total of 20, but it took 10 (half) before anyone noticed. It was hard – I was working, working, working but NOTHING. Then finally someone noticed and it was such motivation to work even harder!
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It was probably about 3 months and almost 45lbs before people really noticed. However, part of that was due to spring arriving and I finally had to get rid of the heavy winter coat. I did it for myself and was actually glad people didn’t notice right away. I’ve not always liked all the attention.
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I remember standing in my closet after having lost the first 18 pounds and feeling like it didn’t really show and that I had so far to go to reach goal (I lost a total of 49 to get to my healthy weight)It felt like it was going to take forever to see any results. Another 5 pounds or so seemed to make a bigger difference and then when I started to exercise and work out with weights the changes really showed up!
I got my first comment at about 30 pounds down, then again more recently – about 45 down. I actually got a comment a few weeks ago that “You’re still losing weight, aren’t you?” That felt good!
But more than anything, like you, I’m doing this for me and I’m so glad. My goal isn’t to live up to the expectations of others, but to live a happier, healthier life and gain control over my eating habits.
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Hi. I lost a total of 30 pounds over a gradual period of time (as in a couple years) and people noticed after 20 so there IS a certain amount of lag time in noticing, especially if changes are subtle. For me, I had daily headaches from high blood pressure so they disappeared after 15 pounds so that was more noticeable than pants sizes.
People REALLY started to comment when I lost the last 10 pounds last year. Why? I dressed differently. I wore more form-fitting clothing. Also that last 10 pounds took me down from “average” to “slender” (at least on top–I’m still a little poochy tummied). I got cheekbones and a clavicle… The first 20 pounds were about getting my doctors’ visit “numbers” back down to a healthy level–that last 10 were about helping me feel like the old me before I allowed my weight to creep up.
I do have to say–it does get embarrassing after a while when people OVERnotice the weight loss. Like, even though I didn’t lose anything further and in fact gained a couple pounds at the end, people kept asking if I were still losing weight. Part of it, though, is that we had a lot of turnover at work and there were lots of people who had only met me heavier. All the people I knew for 15, 20 years saw me as returning to my natural weight. All the people who I knew for five years see it as “getting skinny.” I wonder if anyone else has noticed a difference between people who knew you when thin versus always knowing you heavy before…
My family and some friends noticed the changes faster than I noticed them. It wasn’t until I lost about 40 poundsthat I saw differences. I think myfamily was trying to be encouraging.
Ironically, I wasn’t very self-conscious when I was carrying a bunch of extra weight but when people started noticing the weight loss and commenting, it made me squirm.
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I started my journey 16 months ago. I weighted 207 pounds. My objective is to be around 150. Now I’m 175. Sometimes I think that I’m the slower loser in the world. But here I’m.
The good thing about loosing so slow is that I never note the change at the same time as other people. When I feel that I have reached a plateau, people starts asking if I have lost weight.
On the other hand, I loose so slowly that people don’t usually notes that I’m loosing weight. I see it in some comments they do (specially now, that everybody is dieting, after Christmas)!
But I’m happy about my loose, so this is the important thing. Today I have reached less than 80 Kg, and this was a very good mark for me!!!
I think that 50lb mark is true for many of us. That is when people start to notice.
And I did this in reverse to someone else last year. She had lost over 100lbs. but she was still wearing her original clothes. I would not have recognized her if I had not heard her voice. And, even as immersed in weight loss topics as I am, I asked her why she looked so different. I was confused at the change, but did not realize ‘weight loss’ until she told me.
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I’ve lost 20 of the 40 lbs I need to lose. No one has noticed except my husband (who makes a very good cheerleader). I know I’m down 4 sizes and I guess that will have to do. Le sigh.
I think it was about 20 lbs. in, that the comments/compliments began. and then, from that point on, it was nonstop. I have to admit, I miss those comments. LOL
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I think I was at about 40 lbs. gone before people finally noticed the difference. I was so ecstatic when people finally noticed! It’s almost like it validates all of your hard work.
(P.S. I’ve read back over your last few posts, and I’m SO glad you’ve decided to stay! You really are a huge source of inspiration to those around you; however, I hope you always do what’s best for you. But I’m so glad you decided to stick around, and don’t worry if you can’t get to everyone’s blog. You’re only human.:) )
I’ve only just begun a long long weightloss journey and no-one has noticed yet. They will, because I will get to the point where they do notice
Dawn
Great topic! I have lost 20lbs so far and no one has noticed. Honestly, I barely notice. It can be a bit frustrating at times but I feel better already and that keeps me motivated.
I think so many people stop or fall of their plan at this point out of frustration and its great to know that everyone goes through it.
I think this has probably contributed to my packing it in on more than one occasion in the past… All that effort and you can’t even see it? “I” can’t even see it. I think that made me lose faith that I will ever get there. Clearly this is a hurdle I am going to have to overcome!
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