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Old 04-01-2006, 02:08 PM   #1  
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Is it easier to tell a weight loss difference in generally thin people than larger people? Some excellent ladies have done amazing work on here losing weight (10-20 lbs), but were not 'THAT' big to begin with, and you can tell a huge difference! I started at 227 back in January and today I weighed in at 211.5! My measurements are a tad different, but nothing drastic... and I haven't changed clothes sizes or noticed a difference in how they felt on, either. I still think that I look just as big!
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Old 04-01-2006, 02:40 PM   #2  
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Oh I think it is definately easier to tell on *smaller* people. If my husband for instance who weighs about 190 at 5'10 lost 20 lbs, he would look REALLY super thin and everyone would be able to tell....

Me for instance, being in the mid to high 200's, 20 lbs is a drop in the bucket really even though it is still great and all... you may only be able to tell a *little*....

Keep up the good work though, people will definately notice soon and so will you!
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Old 04-01-2006, 03:00 PM   #3  
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I started losing at just under 260. I was at 230 before other people started noticing that I was losing. I lost 50 pounds before I could see even a small smidgeon of a change in myself. Now, at 62 pounds lost, I can see only a very modest improvement. Oh, I know it's been more than that. I've had to go out and by new clothes for work two times now. I went through my closet and packed up a bunch of stuff that looked like clown clothes on me now. But when I look in a mirror, I simply don't see much of a change.

I have a feeling that I'm not the only person who has this issue, and I think it's one of main things that makes it hard to stick to a weight loss regime. Hunger is everyday. I have to drive by two Steak N' Shakes on the way home from work. It would be sooo easy to simply say "Nuts to this. It's not doing any good, and one serving of burgers and fries won't change much."

I got around this by just accepting that for me, it doesn't matter if I see a difference or not. It will be nice if I do, of course, but that's not the main issue. I'm forcused on the numbers themselves. Those are going down, steadily if more slowly now. The half pounds really do add up over time, and now I'm stolid in the 100s, and will not weigh over 200 pounds again. I let that be my good feeling, rather than depending on seeing the proof with my own lying eyes.
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Old 04-01-2006, 03:12 PM   #4  
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I think it is with in the eye of the beholder.

When someone who only needs to lose 20 Lbs. who looses that weight and also works and they tone up, parts of their body becomes more define a lot faster. Like seeing the jaw line becomes more define, arms less flabby, tummy tighten exc.

I also think it works for the same for someone that needs to lose 100 LB. You can still see a difference for their loss. It may not be a drastic change like someone that is overweight vs. someone obese but if someone who is 100 LB over weight you can see a certain amount of change.
I have seen it in people’s pictures who post on here who is 80 to 100Lbs over weight when they lose 20 or 30 LBs and put up a side by side difference you can see change.

As for myself I see and feel changes by the time I have dropped 18 LBs. I think in another 5 lb loss I will be do to go down another jean size. the jeans right now I can basicly slide them off with out unbuttoning them. They are a size 14 mid rise boot cut. I see it being between 20 to 25lbs loss for cloths to change. to the very next size. My shirt size changed after a 17lb loss.


"within the eye of the beholder"

If you got family members, friends, or coworkers who see fat is fat that is all there is to it. These people will never see a change. 238 in their eyes is just like 216 and 200 is like 238. In other words to them 200 to 238 lbs is the same fat person with no change. I call these people non supported idiots because these are the people who are locked into a standard! If you do not fit in that standard you are still fat regardless. You only change in their eyes when your weight becomes portion with your height.

Usually this kind of thinking comes from people who have never experience being fat.

Then you have people like 3FC! We all have been there some where before. We who had experience in the fat field can see change.

I have notice I only get complements from people who had problems with their weight before.

Last edited by FeistyRoo; 04-01-2006 at 03:24 PM.
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Old 04-01-2006, 03:33 PM   #5  
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You've got to keep in mind that 20 pounds off of a person who only weighed, say, 150 to begin with is a much larger percentage of their body than 20 pounds from someone who weighed, say, 250. I lost 40 pounds (starting at 310.5) before anyone mentioned that they noticed a difference, and I still definitely didn't see a difference in the mirror at all. Had I started at 180 and lost 40 pounds, it would make a WORLD of difference!

Also, as pointed out, you are your own worst critic. It's likely that other people will notice a difference before you ever do, but I bet you still FEEL better, and that has to count for something, right?
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Old 04-01-2006, 03:34 PM   #6  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jillybean720
You've got to keep in mind that 20 pounds off of a person who only weighed, say, 150 to begin with is a much larger percentage of their body than 20 pounds from someone who weighed, say, 250. I lost 40 pounds (starting at 310.5) before anyone mentioned that they noticed a difference, and I still definitely didn't see a difference in the mirror at all. Had I started at 180 and lost 40 pounds, it would make a WORLD of difference!

Also, as pointed out, you are your own worst critic. It's likely that other people will notice a difference before you ever do, but I bet you still FEEL better, and that has to count for something, right?
you're sooo right!
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Old 04-01-2006, 04:36 PM   #7  
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I didn't personally notice a difference in myself (visually) until I was down about 35-40 pounds.
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Old 04-01-2006, 05:19 PM   #8  
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It definitly has to do with percentage.. Like I lost about 14.5% or 23.5 pounds of my body weight so far and now people are starting to notice. Say someone whos 250 lost the same percentage it would be like 36 pounds.
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Old 04-01-2006, 05:33 PM   #9  
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I've lost 32 pounds so far from being 240 and I only see tiny differences. Mostly in the way clothes fit and sometimes on parts of my body.

It is definately what everyone else has said, and is different on a bigger persons body vs a smaller persons. Just keep trucking along and you'll see a difference.
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Old 04-01-2006, 08:49 PM   #10  
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I totally know what you mean. Ive lost 38 pounds and people tell me all that time how I look like Ive lost weight. But I dont see it in myself. I know I have because my clothes are smaller, but I just dont see it.
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Old 04-01-2006, 09:00 PM   #11  
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Yes, you can tell sooner on smaller people. Makes me think of the paper towel theory. Copying and pasting from another thread:

The Paper Towel Theory - by Bob White (paraphrased)

"Here's a little inspiration for those of you who are worried about not seeing any changes in your bodies so far. It's what I call the Paper Towel Theory.

Let's assume you go out and buy two rolls of paper towels, each with only 84 sheets on it. You put one aside, and keep it for future reference (it will be your "before" picture.) The other represents you (I'll call your Paper Towel You, "Ed.") The cardboard core represents the lean Ed. The towels represent the fat that is covering the lean Ed. For the sake of argument, let's say that Ed wants to lose 21 pounds of fat, so (84/21) each sheet represents a quarter-pound of fat lost. Let's also assume that Ed loses his fat equally during each of 84 days (1 for each paper towel sheet.)

Each day during the first week, you tear a sheet off of Ed, representing the fat he has lost for the day. Next, you put Ed next to the untouched full roll ("Big Ed") for comparison (that's why you need 2 rolls.) No noticeable difference! Even at the end of the week! This can't be working for me, say you!

But, being a good Ed, you continue to follow your diet plan, your new way of life. At the end of weeks two and three, you continue to compare Ed to Big Ed, and still notice very little difference.

But Ed is determined! He works hard! Three more weeks go by, the sheets peeling off day after day, before Ed gets up the courage to stand next to Big Ed again. Holy Nonfat Cottage Cheese! Ed is skinny! Ok, not skinny, but less huge!

By the end of 12 weeks, Ed is down to his lean dream, or somewhere near it or on the way to it. Ed is happy. We are happy. Big Ed - well, he's not so happy.

The lesson to be learned is that fat, like paper towels, comes off in sheets. When you are heavy, you are big around. And when you are big around, that fat is spread over a MUCH larger area - just like that outside towel sheet. The closer you get to the lean you, the more each lost pound of fat shows, because it is spread over a smaller area.

While the outside sheet may only cover 1 layer of the roll, the inside sheet may go around 4 times! That last sheet looks like it gives you 4 times the results of the first sheet, but in reality, the results are the same -- your perception is just different! And you'll never see the inside, if you aren't patient while the outside is coming off."




So, if you have someone who is starting with 50 sheets (of figurative weight) while you start with 84 sheets, naturally it'll show sooner on the smaller roll than on the larger.
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Old 04-02-2006, 02:39 PM   #12  
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People didn't really notice on me until I had lost over 40 pounds (from 210). I could tell much sooner than that. My stomach became less bloated, my hipbones appeared, there was this little teeny-tiny space between my thighs... They were things really only I could notice. But yeah, no one said anything till after 40 pounds. It was a little frustrating, actually.
"Can't you tell ANY difference at all???"
"Well, Jen, I guess now that you mention it...."
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Old 04-02-2006, 05:05 PM   #13  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by teahoney
Yes, you can tell sooner on smaller people. Makes me think of the paper towel theory. Copying and pasting from another thread:

The Paper Towel Theory - by Bob White (paraphrased)

"Here's a little inspiration for those of you who are worried about not seeing any changes in your bodies so far. It's what I call the Paper Towel Theory.

Let's assume you go out and buy two rolls of paper towels, each with only 84 sheets on it. You put one aside, and keep it for future reference (it will be your "before" picture.) The other represents you (I'll call your Paper Towel You, "Ed.") The cardboard core represents the lean Ed. The towels represent the fat that is covering the lean Ed. For the sake of argument, let's say that Ed wants to lose 21 pounds of fat, so (84/21) each sheet represents a quarter-pound of fat lost. Let's also assume that Ed loses his fat equally during each of 84 days (1 for each paper towel sheet.)

Each day during the first week, you tear a sheet off of Ed, representing the fat he has lost for the day. Next, you put Ed next to the untouched full roll ("Big Ed") for comparison (that's why you need 2 rolls.) No noticeable difference! Even at the end of the week! This can't be working for me, say you!

But, being a good Ed, you continue to follow your diet plan, your new way of life. At the end of weeks two and three, you continue to compare Ed to Big Ed, and still notice very little difference.

But Ed is determined! He works hard! Three more weeks go by, the sheets peeling off day after day, before Ed gets up the courage to stand next to Big Ed again. Holy Nonfat Cottage Cheese! Ed is skinny! Ok, not skinny, but less huge!

By the end of 12 weeks, Ed is down to his lean dream, or somewhere near it or on the way to it. Ed is happy. We are happy. Big Ed - well, he's not so happy.

The lesson to be learned is that fat, like paper towels, comes off in sheets. When you are heavy, you are big around. And when you are big around, that fat is spread over a MUCH larger area - just like that outside towel sheet. The closer you get to the lean you, the more each lost pound of fat shows, because it is spread over a smaller area.

While the outside sheet may only cover 1 layer of the roll, the inside sheet may go around 4 times! That last sheet looks like it gives you 4 times the results of the first sheet, but in reality, the results are the same -- your perception is just different! And you'll never see the inside, if you aren't patient while the outside is coming off."




So, if you have someone who is starting with 50 sheets (of figurative weight) while you start with 84 sheets, naturally it'll show sooner on the smaller roll than on the larger.
That is a really good theory!
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Old 04-02-2006, 05:13 PM   #14  
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tracey, that's a good example. We just all have to wait til our paper towels falls off.


But you have to realize that it's MUCH harder for someone smaller to lose weight than it is for a larger person to lose weight. Because larger people have larger composition, more muscles, more available energy in storage (adipose tissue), it's easier for larger, taller people to lose weight. There are some people who contantly eat cheeseburgers and never gain an ounce, and to top it off, they have a petite frame. However, these people have bodies that are relatively comfortable with their weight. They never gain because their metabolism just increases as they eat more (I know, I'm living proof). However, for them to lose weight, it's insanely hard. Once they plop down to 2 pounds lower than they usually are, the body hates it and sets a 1 month plateau! I haven't been losing anything but I don't care for losing. (Well, I do it for my health, and I keep a weight tracker cuz I feel left out if I didn't have one like everyone else!)

Last edited by veggielover; 04-02-2006 at 05:21 PM.
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Old 04-02-2006, 05:52 PM   #15  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by veggielover
Because larger people have larger composition, more muscles, more available energy in storage (adipose tissue), it's easier for larger, taller people to lose weight.
I'm going to have to say that height has nothing to do with it since your lean mass should be proportional to your height anyway. Taller people have more muscle and such because they have larger, heavier bones and such.

It is true, though, that the closer you are to a healthy, ideal weight, the harder it is to lose. The bigger you are, the more calories your body burns normally (since it takes more energy to move 200 pounds around than to move 130 pounds, hence more calories burned just by walking, sitting, eating, breathing, living). However, I would never say it's easy for bigger people to lose weight--the more fat in your body, the more of a chemical imbalance there is since fat cells contain fun stuff like estrogen that can throw your body all out of whack. I hit a plateau at 280 pounds that lasted nearly 3 months, so I would DEFINITELY not say that it's easier for bigger people to lose weight
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