Wow - I really see a difference! And, I was in a size 18/20 and even some 22s at 215 lbs. so you are on track size wise.

I can tell you that the next 40 lbs. will make such an incredible difference. You will be absolutely amazed. Just hang in there and you won't believe how fast the sizes will change, your body shape will change, and lastly - even you will start to notice the difference.

That being said, we see ourselves every day, so we don't see the changes in us. Everyone around me is commenting about how different I look 50 lbs. lighter. I came back from a 2 week vacation and people are amazed (I lost a whole lb. during that 2 weeks. It was because they hadn't seen me for a while that they noticed).

I took a progress picture and compared it to my starting weight picture and I honestly don't see that much of a difference. Same old me when I look at both pictures. It was so depressing, that I refused to post them in the mini-goal section.

How do I deal with it? I use other cues to validate my progress - the scale, how my clothes fit, how I feel physically when I do things, how much more I am able to do without getting tired, how much healthier I feel, compliments from others, etc.

We are so hard on ourselves! In this case, listen to all of the rest of us that see what amazing progress you have made!!!!

I find that when you start out with more than 100 to lose, you can lose 50 and while it shows, you are still morbidly obese. I certainly felt that, people could tell I'd lost weight but I couldn't tell. I think I was around your weight when I was at the doctor and they told me that one of my liver tests didn't come out great, so they wanted to do an ultra sound. By the time I got to do the ultrasound I'd lost like 20-30 pounds and that and my new blood tests were awesome. She told me that it had probably been a fatty liver. I hadn't seen any changes in my body so I started telling people that I had lost all that weight from my organs! It was probably a little bit true, before that I hadn't realized your organs could get fat too.

Anyway, when I started losing weight beyond that is when it really started making a difference and people really began to notice. The joy you'll feel when you get down to sizes that you can buy anywhere will be so worth it.

Keep going stay motivated.

There is a danger in never feeling thin enough. I am there now. I am size 10, and I seem to be stuck at my current weight. It may be the weight that I am comfortable at and I am trying to accept that even though I know I could lose more. I know we all are doing this for many reasons but try to focus on health rather than looks, you are so much healthier now already! When you get to a healthy weight, you'll be set. Love you at any weight because you are a very pretty girl and that's not changing no matter what weight you are at.

Thankyou guys so much!

I've been hearing that for months. When I walk away at work, the site director and assistant was talking about me and how different I look. They tell me that it looks like I shrink over the weekends. My mother says when I turn around she can't recognize me. I think if it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be here now.

That makes me feel better.
That's what I keep telling myself because I read on this board how someone said they were at size 20 forever and then all of the sudden switched sizes like crazy.

You're right 50 pounds down and according to BMI, I'll be moridbly obese till 196, I think. Also, I realized that my preceptions of loosing weight was when I was 250. They didn't change from 298 to 248ish. If I had lost the weight then, there would have been an huge difference to see. But because I had so much more weight than I had when I started those preceptions, I was setting myself for mental break down.

I haven't really done much of Turbo jam just turbo sculpt. I think what made me not like it so much cause it was so hard. My mom mentioned that I shouldn't use weights at first/or go lower. I only have the one learn and burn DVD. I'm hoping my mom will buy the whole set soon. Right now I can't use it because my mother stole my Turbo Jam.

Again thank you guys so far.

If it's too hard to the point you're not wanting to do it definately drop the weights or do some very very light ones. Our arms still have extra weight in them so no weights is still a workout!

When you're quite out of shape you make fitness gains a lot quicker then someone who is already in shape. You'll be able to increase the weights soon enough all that matters is your challenging yourself for your current fitness level. I mean Geeze when I started walk away the pounds was too fast for me! When you start to feel the muscle base building inside you you'll start feeling a lot better.

And I agree with Kitty 15lbs makes a world of difference where you are right now. I noticed almost NO change in myself the first 50lbs (although others did) and the more you exercise the more obvious it will be.

I was using 5 pounds. Whenever I get it back, I will switch to 3 pounds. I think that was half the reason that it's hard. My arms are like jelly after that

You look great :)

Thanks CyberGypsy

Shannon,

You look great! Please be very proud of yourself.

I also despise exercising in public, and do all my exercise at home with dvds. Do you have Netflix? You can try tons of exercise dvds through there. What other instructors do you like? If you need help with picking strength videos, please let me know. I've used many over the past few years!

Take care,
Sherry

Holy crap! The difference is amazing girl!

I totally understand what you mean. We're roughly the same starting weight and nearly the same height. (My ticker says my starting weight was 280 but 298 was my really old starting weight). I was in a tight busting out size 28 when I was 298 and now I'm in a loose 24 and not really comfortable in anything but a 2X. Sooooo I totally GET IT. But, as they say, the proof is in the pudding and those pics really show how long you've come. Good job!

I know how that is. When I first started on 3FC, I had 272 as my starting weight because I really couldn't remember being 298 and had lost so much working. Then, I found proof on fit day that I was 298, so I changed it. I guess I was still in denial. :p

I remember one of the first posts I read on 3fC was your first tri post. When I was doing my first 5k walk, I was thinking of you. I was like, "I want to be her some day." *blush*

I forgot to answer you. Yes, I have Netflix. I don't know of any instructors I like. I kinda like Leslie Sansone. I can't stand Denise austin. I haven't found any i LOVE. The next strength training workout I have in queue is Double pump cause I read some good reveiws about that. I'd love an suggestions you'd have. I'm thinking of also trying to Firm since it combines cardio and strength training.

I hear you .....
 

I knew that I would have to endure some "private suffering" while I was losing weight and no one noticed including me. I had to turn my attention instead to how my clothes fit. I spent a lot of time in late November trying on different outfits. If something fit better than another than I would wear that one. When I changed food plans my weight lose began to show up in other places that hadn't before. I really believe that all I needed was to follow a low carb food plan. It seemed like my body fat did do a "meltdown".

Within a month one favorite skirt of mine went from "just fitting" to yesterday I pulled it 3-4" away from my waist! It did take almost 50 lbs for others to really notice. I even saw a "regular" at church do a "double take" yesterday. I am concerned about how loose a person should wear their clothes. I prefer that but I can see others' points here who say to try on the next size smaller. Again, it is something new that we will have to deal with. Readjusting our body size/image as we reduce it body mass-wise.

In spite of my girth, I have always been a clothes horse. I remember a size 6 friend of mine saying "Well, you do dress really nice!" I guess, I felt responsible to at least keep up the parts of my appearance that I could if I couldn't control my eating.

Now, I look forward to the day when I can be thin and go out in a ponytail and comfortable sweats. I have never allowed myself to do that when I was fat. I just felt that it was such a horrible stereotype of fat people not caring. Does anyone ever fault the skinny chick who decides to make a quick dash to the store looking that way? I don't know but maybe some day I can tell you if they do. Again, it could be argued that I care too much what other people think and I would "guilty as charged" but I blister inside when I hear about some of the fat stereotypes that are out there and I feel like I want to squelch at least one of them while I am here at this size. Fat people do care about how they look and how they look to others! We are not brain dead nor socially unaware. I wanted others to think I did care and looking as nice as I could was the only way I could --at the time. Now, my worry is that people will think I am too vain.

Crazy huh?

I have bought a lot of really attractive dressier clothes that I wear to church. I work from home so I don't have to dress up for my job so I really look forward in getting dressed up when I go out.

The skirt I wore yesterday is a plum microsuede long a-line. I wore a white satin blouse with it and a plum cashmere cardigan with plum beading on the upper chest. I got compliments on that outfit but the sweater (3x) was loose on me and I felt that it was too long also. Now, that my bigger bust and bigger hips are shrinking my hemlines are getting longer. I have almost tripped on some of the hems of my pants. I never even thought about this as a possiblity when I was thinking about losing all of this weight.

Does anyone else plan on altering any of their existing clothes? I am sure that some things may be too difficult to do but I have also considered taking some of my favorites to a professional tailor.

As for exercise, I can't add anything more to what has been said. I think the Netflix idea is great. Nothing sucks worse than getting a dvd and then putting it in only to find out it isn't what you wanted or thought it would be. I have done that a couple of times. Then you are stuck with it.

I totally agree! O.O I think I dress 10545498 times better than most heavy set people even if that means clothes that fit and jeans. Not tight shirts and sweats. I have to compare myself to other heavy set people and go, "I totally look better" to make myself feel validated. I'm so harsh sometimes. Although now, I will wearing slightly tighter clothes anyways so I can say, "HEY, I'M WEARING A NON STRECHED TO CHINA XL!" I noticed today that my tummy isn't peeking out as much in the XLs.

I have so many old clothes from 4-H and FCCLA that have sentimental value. I don't know what I will do. I think I will either alternate them like the T shirt books or make a quilt from them. It's soooooooo hard. :(

you need to throw that shirt out and get one in your actual size all you can see is a baggy sack shirt not the person underneath no wonder you feel frumpy its just wayyy too big on you ..