Has anyone noticed that the first half of a large weight loss looks more dramatic than the second half?
When I compare pictures of myself at my top weight to pics of myself now, and then compare pics of myself now to pics of myself long before I was fat, I notice more resemblance in myself now to the 'skinny' pics than to the 'fat' pics, even though I'm only about half-way to my goal weight.
Is this distorted body image, or is it accurate to say that the first half of a weight loss is more noticeable than the second half?
Amen, For sure. My start and goal weight is close to the same as yours and I am at 217lbs now and I started in January. I swear it has taken me 2.5 months to get from 230 to 217 though. I felt as though that first 75lbs melted off me and now the hard work has begun. I know what you mean about distorted image, although I physically know I look and feel different, better and smaller and everyone comments on how much weight I have lost. When I look in the mirror I sitll see the 305lbs even though I am down to a size 14 I still feel as insecure and out of place in cute stylish clothes or clothes in general as I did when I was a size 24. We just have to hang in there and hope our mind catches up with our body. Keep up the good work you are doing great...Ill meet you at 170lbs!!
I definitely found this to be true. I started at 234 lbs. After losing the first 50 lbs. and getting to 184 the difference seemed astounding. Now that I am at 141 it doesn't seem like there is near as much difference. (compared to 184). I know that I wear smaller clothes. I know my family also thought the first big loss was the most dramatic change.
OK... I must be the odd one out. I have had more people not recognise me since the second half of my weight loss than they did during the first. I think with me, it was that my body and face 'toned up' or some such thing in the second half. I actually saw bone structure and I gained a waist. So, after losing the first half, people were still seeing an obese person, even after I had lost a lot of weight. It was noticable, but I was still BIG. Whereas, they didn't expect to see someone who was a 'normal' size, after I had lost the second half, so they didn't recognise me at all. Does that make sense? I'm not sure I've explained it very well.
I think the second half is more noticeable on me. It seems like I can hide alot of my weight over 170 or so, but when I finally get down into the 140's my figure becomes way more hourglass than flabby from the knees to the nose.
So, after losing the first half, people were still seeing an obese person, even after I had lost a lot of weight. It was noticable, but I was still BIG. Whereas, they didn't expect to see someone who was a 'normal' size, after I had lost the second half, so they didn't recognise me at all. Does that make sense? I'm not sure I've explained it very well.
No, that makes perfect sense. Thanks! I'll have to pay attention to this second half of weight loss to see if people notice more or less. I have to admit, the continual flow of compliments has been very motivating and I'd hate to see that stop.
I felt it more drastically in the first 40 than the last. However, I think people were more surprised in the last 40 because I had wandered into "thin" territory.
I don't know where my looks changed. I do know that when people see my before pictures though, they question whether that really is me. LOL It honestly looks nothing like me...me as I am now anyway. But for the second half *I* notice a difference, whether others do or not. Most of my weight loss near the end comes from my hips, thighs and lower tummy...the last places to go. And the places I focus on first. So when they start shrinking...I notice. And as someone said, the second half certainly is the hardest.
Think the first half was more noticable to *me*, but the second half was definitely more noticable to other people. In fact I had a crazy amount of people commenting on the last 20 lbs. It was very odd.
Well, I am not yet a big loser but I have lost nearly 50 pounds in the last year or so. I'm still losing at a nice rate when I stick with things. When my brother-in-law-to-be saw me for the first time since I'd started losing, at about the 30 pound mark, he was impressed. he went back home and told my future mother in law that I looked great! That is a nice compliment from a guy 10 years younger than me! People have said from the back I look thin (I wonder how bad it was before!) and that the weight came right out of my face. i suppose I can show you some pictures, i'll put a couple up somewhere. now I am going down south for labor day and I have lost another 15 or so since I saw them at the end of May and July, respectively. I hope they notice again! it's great motivation!!
Question for Big Losers
When my brother-in-law-to-be saw me for the first time since I'd started losing, at about the 30 pound mark, he was impressed. he went back home and told my future mother in law that I looked great! That is a nice compliment from a guy 10 years younger than me! 