Hi!!

SO I am down exactly 5 pounds. But no one has noticed and I barely can notice a difference if anything. I know its only 5 pounds but dont they say when you are not overweight, 5 pounds is a big difference and very noticeable?? My sisters are def. ones to say something when I lose weight (because they know it means a lot to me) and they didnt notice either. No one has. Is it too soon for people to notice? Did you feathers have people noticing you lost weight when it was only the first 5 pds?

First, there's typically a good deal of water weight involved in the first five pounds. It's not all fat by any stretch of the imagination. So, while you might look less bloated to yourself—I know I look much better to myself when I lose that initial water weight—it isn't really strange that no one else would notice. In fact, I've gained 10 pounds on vacation before and nobody could tell (except me) because it was largely water weight. People were telling me how thin I was and were shocked to find out I weighed so much more than I had when they last saw me. My clothes fit, too, much more comfortably than they would have if I had actually gained ten pounds of fat. In fact, when I came back from vacation at 122 pounds (I had been 112 when I left) I was still able to wear size 1 juniors jeans, but when I ended up weighing 122 for real (I kept eating after vacation and ended up gaining 10 pounds of fat), those size 1s didn't fit anymore. Fat and water weight are very different animals.

Fat loss happens over time and you just have to be patient.

It also has a lot to do with how you dress and present yourself. I'm pretty sure, for example, that most people I know don't realize I lost more than 20 pounds. When I weighed more I always dressed myself in a way that made me look as thin as possible. I know what looks good on me and how to look my very best. But my clothes did start to fall off of me as I was losing weight. I think you will notice this happening now that you will be losing more fat than you did initially.

I understand your impatience. I really do. But don't let it derail you. You're doing so well. Just relax and stay focused. If you do, you will see the results you want to see very soon. It won't be long at all before your clothes are falling off, too.

I think that for me it was about 8 lbs when someone noticed. And only when wearing certain cloths. Then around ten alotbof people noticed. And I plateued there for quite a while. When I started to drop weight again this time after the plateu, although I'm almost down another 5 pounds no one has said anything. And I feel like I notice the 3 or 4 pounds of the last two weeks.

One thing I've noticed is that because I have yo-yo'd a lot in the same weight range (hence my screen name), people don't necessarily notice and/or comment when I'm at a weight that I've been at before. So this Spring, when my parents visited, my mom didn't mention anything about me being at 132, even though it was 5 lbs less than when I'd seen her 6 weeks before. Likewise, my friends have all seen me at that weight before, so while they might think I looked at the lower end of my normal, it was nothing particularly noteworthy. Once I got below 130 people really started commenting because it was uncharted territory!

Can you notice yourself? Often 5 lbs comes off evenly from everywhere and so your body stays in proportion to how it was 5 lbs ago, if that makes sense. Plus depending on your clothes etc. it's easy not to notice.

I wouldn't let it discourage you at all though! As long as you can feel the differences, it's encouraging and will motivate you to keep on truckin.

It comes off all over your body so therefore it is not as noticeable, give yourself time people will begin to notice.

Thanks everyone for the encourgement!

I can notice a teensy weensy bit! Even if people havent noticed, I am not giving up. I see the scale going down, my crazy cravings not as bad, and I know I am doing good for my body. But it would still be nice to prove the devil on my shoulder that I can lose weight without the crash diet way!

HEY in my eyes as long as the scale is going in the right direction dont worry about other people noticing! Once you reach goal (most likely you will notice sooner) you and everyone else will see a HUGE difference! you will be amazed. Also my first 5lbs I didnt notice anything, once I lost 10lbs I could tell a huge difference and thats when everyone else started making comments!

KEEP GOING! your doing GREAT!

Echoing what others have said. For me, I've now lost 11 lbs. and only my husband is noticing, because he knows I've been working hard and can tell more easily. Nobody at work is noticing because I haven't had to change my wardrobe yet. I'm still wearing the same clothes but doing things like cinching my belts tighter, which you can't always tell. Probably once I have to start wearing smaller things, people will notice more. At losing 5 lbs., you probably haven't moved into that phase yet, either, of needing new clothes lest everything just literally fall off. But just be excited for now for YOU--if you're seeing the scale go down, if you're seeing things fit differently, if you feel better, then that's all that matters right now. And congratulations!

I had to lose ~20 pounds before most people made comments. That doesn't mean they didn't notice before that, but I think people are a little reluctant to comment when they may be wrong ("have you lost weight?" "no, not really" is an awkward response to field). I agree with the posters above, who advise you to take comfort in knowing your own weight loss, not necessarily waiting to be validated by others.

Thanks everyone! All your advice has helped and I keep you all in the back of my head whenever I feel discouraged or want to go off plan. I am not counting my chickens before they hatch but I really feel like I have the hang of this. Ahh I feel like I am going to eat my own words later. hah Eat. lol ok Jk. Anyways, my mom and sister have both said something now. I dont think its a big difference yet but I think I dont look as bloated, or thick. Yay! Down 6.6 pounds today! yay!

Congrats Kat and Neuro for your weight loss success!! Truly something to be proud of!!