Just curious, I am one of those people that want results and I am very blah today. Its been a month on Sunday. I don't notice much and the things i do notice, I wonder if i just want to see results so much, that the results I think i see are all in my head,..lol

So,.. how long did it take you guys to really start seeing results?

5 months or 10% of my intial body weight. Most people always notice between 30-50 lbs. because your face will start to thin out.

Chris

5 months?..grrr I dont want to wait that long,..LOL I can be impatient sometimes, but oh well, i will just keep plugging along:-)

Hi Heather,
I know what you mean, I wish all this business could be achieved SO much quicker....ah well.

I really started to see results when I hit the three stone loss mark, it was funny, it was like (in my head) I looked the same for months and months, and then one day I caught sight of myself in a mirror and looked very different. It was a strange moment!!

Good luck!

I would say it took me 3 months to really really notice something big. Heather you have improved your fitness level by being able to walk further and I know that isn't something like catching yourself in the mirror and saying "wow" but it is something. Also, have you kept measurements? I love being able to look back and see how many inches that I have lost, it is quite motivating.

Hey guys, I am new to this website, but I like it so far!! A bit of background information, I started my diet at 280 lbs, that was on 9-1-04, I am down to 275 already. I didn't think about measuring myself, but that a good idea! I haven't really noticed anything either, except for that I have more energy. I am not trying any specific kind of diet, I am just trying to burn more calories than I eat! I have given up cokes, this is my 11th day!!! It was very difficult at first, but now that I have given up caffiene (except for a small cup in the morning) I sleep so much better at night!! Also, I have been walking at least one mile a day, sometimes two. I am at a loss as to what to eat, though, because I don't have much time to cook, and I am sure getting tired of fruits! Any ideas would be very helpful. Thanks for any support, guys, and good luck to all of you!!!!

Heather, even if you can't SEE a physical difference, as its often hard to see in ourselves when we get so used to how we look (and often times, when we finally accept looking in the mirror, etc), you'll probably notice that your clothes are fitting better and looking better on you. I've dropped about a size (a little more, maybe, the 20s were real tight), and I can finally officially call myself a size 18, but I still dont think I look any different.
Just stick with it. You'll see and feel results soon, I promise. ANd so will everyone else

Welcome, Samantha and congratuations on starting your journey and already losing 5 pounds!

As far as what to eat, you actually have more options than you probably think you do! Cooking helps, but isnt necessary as WW and Lean Cuisine etc have made it possible to just pop a box in the microwave! Alot of the low fat/carbs/calories miscro-meals are good, but if you are anything like me, I get tired of those quickly. You have to keep me interested so I don't fall off the wagon. I don't like to cook either, but now with a hubby and two boys, I have to, but some meals are easy to make. Chicken and fish are always good options, lots of veggies, salad. Salad can get boring, but throw some grilled chicken in there to liven things up.

My biggest problem is my sweet tooth, so I need to keep things in the house to solve that issue when it hits. Animal crackers I always have on hand, or a little nutrigrain bar etc. If the chocolate fairy is beating on my head, I keep those Carb-Smart ice cream bars in the freezer. They are wonderful and a life saver! I don't eat one every day, but for the times when nothing is gonna solve my chocolate craving, they do the trick.

You just need to experiment and do a little planning...dieters cannot live by fruit alone!

And to who started this thread (dang it, I can't recall the name! Sorry), I am not yet seeing results, but even after two weeks, I am feeling them. Working out and walking have me feeling so much better and I know it is just a matter of time before I can see them as well. We need to remember and it is only fair to keep in mind that we didnt put this weight on overnight, so naturally it is not going to come off overnight either. But also know, that we will succeed!

Hi Heather, You will see results soon enough, just keep plugging away like you are. I hope your knees better - are you still walking away the pounds? How far can you manage now???
Hi Samantha - congrats on the 5 pounds!!!!!
Hi Lakegirl, Did you manage to resist the power of Cadburys when your husbands friends brought it over??? I've noticed you've been doing well too!
Don't you just love lazy Sundays!!!!!
Keep going everyone!

I feel like I'm seeing or feeling results when other people start to notice. For me being so heavy that has just started happening at 59 lbs. I started at the end of April so it's been allmost 5 months. Just stick with it. You can do it and you will get the results you want.

After losing 40 lbs myself, other people are barely starting to notice. Last week, I got a lot of compliments from people saying that I look like I've lost a bit of weight and that I look good. It makes me feel really good.

According to my sweetie, it started to be visible in my waist at 25 pounds, but I know that I really started to get comments from my coworkers around the 35-40 pound mark. I just met with a couple of friends that I hadn't seen since last Christmas, and they were both adamant that I'd lost "a half a person" at 61 pounds. Obviously that's not QUITE true, but they last saw me in a 28 and now I'm in a loose 18.

I agree with Nelie (as usual!) that measurements are SO important!! Of course I'm a big old hypocrite as I say that, because I haven't taken my measurements since I started (where the heck is that tape measure, anyway??) I just know that even when the scale isn't showing as much progress as I'd like (like now, for instance) I -- and others -- can still tell by how my clothes fit, and how my "parts" feel when I touch them. My thighs are hard, my waist is much smaller, my hands and arms are more shapely, my legs have definition, my chest is harder and you can actually feel my shoulder bones instead of just soft round mounds! My jawline is clearly apparent and I've lost an entire chin, my face is MUCH smaller, you can see my cheekbones, and my eyes no longer get lost in my face.

I don't huff and puff when I walk anymore, I can take the stairs without feeling like I'm going to have a heart attack, I jump/hop up and off steps, I'm back to the brisk walking pace I had before gaining all the weight, I have my LAP back! -- so as I'm typing this on my laptop, it's on my lap comfortably in front of me.....this was just NOT possible before, as my huge stomach took up so much space. I can lean forward while driving and scratch my feet with ease, I get in and out of the car without making embarassing breathing sounds, I sit sideways in the passenger seat like a girl again instead of having to face forward with my legs spread a little, in turning my head I don't feel my neck-flesh -- and I can turn my head farther.......there are so many ways to tell that you've made progress. I'm just getting started with this list, Heather. I completely understand that you want to see results right now, but you need to just make up your mind that you're in this for the long haul. Tell yourself you're going to do a whole laundry list of improvements at the 6 month point.

There are so many ways to "notice" weight loss -- not just by the scale, not just by inches, not just by non-scale victories.....think of what you're doing for your health! You're in the process of saving your own life, Heather; think in those terms. Think reduced blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and more. Think cardiovascular fitness, the elimination of that edema, and increased endurance and mobility. Think energy levels, mental alertness, stamina and strength. Think not having a heart attack, warding off diabetes, and living an active life in this world.

You're doing great Heather, and you're solidly on your way down a long road to where you want to be. It IS a long road, but all along the way there are so many victories. I've only lost 61 pounds of the 149 that I intend to, and I feel and look like an entirely different person. I still have a long road ahead of me, but if I hadn't persevered and continued to look forward I wouldn't have made it this far. You can do it, too, Heather -- there's not a doubt in my mind, just keep at it and you'll continue to not only progress, but amaze yourself and others in the process.

I think its different for everyone.. I'm down close to 20 lbs. and I can't really tell yet and I haven't had people notice really... However, don't let that discourage you.. even if you can't see the weight loss, I'm sure you feel 10x better and healthier.. It'll come..

I'm thinking between 40 and 50 lbs. is when I should see a big difference... We'll have to just keep plugging along and wait and see I guess.

Also some people never really take a good look at you. I have been pretty much 177 lbs since the beginning of the year and last night I got hot over at the germ plant and took off my sweater and both the guys went. "Holy ****, why are you getting so thin? " Also weightlifting helps alot because as long as I excercise my clothes are smaller even when the scale isn't moving.

Chris

Annie-Rose,

Shamefully, I did not resist which is part of the reason why I really hopped on the bandwagon at long last! I saw how quickly I could put away a Cadburys!

Sarah, I love reading your post as you always give me new things to consider!