I'm 28 pounds away from having a normal bmi. I know that the bmi can sometimes be a bit unreliable, but in general, people within the normal range really do look "normal."

Looking at myself, I just don't know how thats possible. I mean, as proud as I am of my 58 pounds loss (and believe me, I'm very proud), when looking at pictures of me losing 30 pounds at a time, it's not that big of a difference. I just don't see how some 20+ pounds will be able to change sooo much. Are 30 pounds more noticeable once one is smaller? I just don't know...

I guess I'm just a little frustrated and need to vent lol

I think (know?) we are our very own worst critics. I'm fairly certain there is a MARKED difference to you now then from 58 pounds ago. It also does take time for our brains to catch up with our bodies.

If you haven't taken measurements in the past, this would be a good time to start doing so. Stay on plan and check those measurements monthly, I think you'll be pleased. Continue to take photos too.

But yes, the smaller we are, the even MORE of a difference each and every pound lost will make. Though you're still losing that same one pound, that same one pound is coming off a smaller thing and therefore the percentages are larger. And that will keep on happening. The closer you get to goal, the more you will notice that one pound.

This analogy has often been used here at 3fc -

Imagine you have 2 rolls of paper towels. One has 100 sheets, the other 50 sheets. Take off 10 sheets from that 100 pound roll - all right a difference for sure, some what noticeable, but not THAT much of a difference. Take 10 sheets off of the 50 sheet roll - MAJOR difference - MAJORLY noticeable. Take those 10 sheets off of an even smaller roll....

Hang tight. You are doing great! Keep on going, keep on plugging away and one day it'll hit you - you've changed. You are indeed "normal", "regular", "average"

"Just 28 more pounds" will make a difference, and yes, as rockinrobin said, the difference is greater at lower weights.

If you were expecting to look like a slim teenager, though, that may not happen! And, it does take time for your mental image to catch up with reality.

Are you looking for a reason to stop? I hope not! Keep with it, get to your goal!

Jay

Hahah! I'm definitely not looking for a reason to stop, and I know that I WILL NOT stop. I know that you two are right, in theory lol. It's just very difficult to actually convince myself of this. In my mind I'm making myself out to be some kind of exception to the rule, like I won't look "normal" at any weight. Ridiculous.

I like that paper towel analogy. I'm familiar with the concept but I've never heard that one!

That's funny. I was just coming back to edit my post to say something like -

JUST 28 lbs???? 28 lbs is quite a bit of weight. What is that like an entire 2 - 2 1/2 year old child? Yeah, it's quite a bit of weight...

losing 30 pounds if your weight is 300 pounds might not make a big difference but if you lose 30 pounds when your weight is 180 pounds can make heck of a difference.

As usual, the wisdom of the maintainers prevails, and they have said it all and well, but if this helps you any, it is simply a *math thang:

5 #s is 5% of a hundred pounds, but it is only 2.5% of 200 #s. ..so those 28 #s are a much , much larger percentage of your actual wt. now.

5 #s is a big, big darned deal on me now. Back when I was 220 #s, not so much..lol..obvioiusly, not at all. Now, I can see/feel as little as 2#s..a gift, really..helps me know and not avoid what I need to be doing.

Congrats on your success and look forward to -28#s..it will be a very big darned deal of a change. You go, girl!

I know the percentage thing makes a difference but the thing is, I've lost 58 pounds from 255 which is almost 23%, and I now have to lose 28 pounds from 197 which is about 14%. So the percentage of myself that I will lose now is definitely smaller. However, you guys are right; I'm smaller so it will look like a lot more.. I hope.

Thanks for the support guys, I know you're all right!

I don't mean to hikack your thread, but you and I are similar heights, and I might be able to give you a visual.

This is me at starting weight, 183lbs (terrible before pics, sorry). http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/b...g?t=1261846415 and http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs116...._4528155_n.jpg

And here's me at 169lbs about two weeks ago. http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/b...g?t=1261846486 and http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/b...g?t=1261846526

There's not a HUGE difference...I'm still wanting to lose more. I stared at these few pictures for quite awhile, and showed them to some friends and asked if they saw a difference. They definitely could, and I'm starting to. My face and arms are the biggest difference. There's also just less...mass on my chest and shoulders. I saw a few relatives that I hadn't seen in a few months since I lost weight, and they all noticed right away. So there IS a difference.

Also, now that I'm getting lower, small changes are making a bigger difference to my appearance. We look at ourselves in the mirror several times a day and it's hard to notice those gradual changes.

Thank you for those pics!! I definitely see what you mean. Your face and arms are so much smaller and more toned and that's from 16 pounds. I know it's difficult, at our height, to see "small" (not actually small, just relatively small) pound changes but you can definitely see the 16 pounds. This gives me hope lol!

Oh, honey, I know just how you feel! I'm bouncing between 45 and 50 pounds lost. I barely see a difference. Another 45 to 50 pounds will have me at the weight I was in high school, but I wonder how I'm going to see a substantial difference. If this 50 pounds looks like nothing, how is the next going to make a huge difference? My husband took several pictures of me over Christmas. In some, I look awesome, like a completely different person. In others, I look flabby, fat and just plain awful. (Here's one in which I look awesome, I refuse to release the bad ones. :P)

Like others said, though, we have to put aside our frustrations and accept that it is. If we worry about it, we'll just self-sabotage by wondering "What's the point?"

Just wanted to add that exercise will make all the difference in the world how someone looks at a given BMI.

I started out within "normal" BMI range and I looked frumpy and dumpy and lumpy @ 34% body fat. I haven't really lost much weight over 6 months - less than 10 lbs at my max loss. But with really pushing myself to exercise cardiovascularly and strength train, I am starting to see that with *almost* the same BMI number I am tightening up and gaining definition.

Congrats on your weight loss so far! That is an amazing accomplishment.

Everyone's given you great advice. You will surely notice a big difference in 28 more pounds. Keep at it as you're doing wonderfully!

I remember my own frustrations at losing about 30 pounds and only going down 1 dress size! LOL!

Yes 28 lbs is going to be a much bigger difference at a lower weight, but you still may not see it, if you don't use tools other than the mirror.

Sometime we don't see the difference, because we don't look at photos of ourselves (and when we do, we usually don't compare side-by-side old photos to new photos) as much as we look in the mirror to gauge progress - and the mirror is a lousy tool for monitoring progress, because, every day we look in the mirror, and it seems to be exactly the image that we saw the day before and the day before that, and the day before that - so it feels like there's been no change at all. Some people make it all the way to a normal or ideal weight - and don't feel they look any different (when they really do). Sometimes even loved ones very close to the person doesn't notice the difference either, because they too see the person every day, and the cumulative changes don't really register unless there's some trigger (seeing you in an outfit that was snug, now fitting very loosely - or seeing old photos...).

When you're even marginally overweight, it's very tempting to avoid cameras like the plague, but photos are a better progress tool, especially if you're not comparing candid shots (caught unaware, bad posture or certain camera angles can make you look heavier than you are).

One year, I put two pieces of tape on the basement floor - one for me to stand on - and one a few yards away for my camera person (my sister) to take a photo. I wore a white t-shirt and knit capris (very close-fitting in the first shot). Every few weeks, we took another photo. It was amazing to me how much better I could see the changes with those photos.

I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't see the difference in the mirror.

I'd forgotten about them, and hadn't thought of those photos in years, until very recently. I've been a big disappointed that my 70 plus pounds isn't noticeable. I'd seen the difference in my Driver's License photo (but that's only a head shot). I was pretty convinced that the change in my body was minimal at best (because I'm still wearing a lot of the clothes that I did at my highest weight - even though I've been able to buy clothing one size smaller than when I started, I wasn't sure that it wasn't just because of the trend that sizes are being made more generous).

Then a couple visits ago, we were visiting with my MIL and she had out one of the family albums, and even she was surprised "Oh my," she said showed me a picture of myself at my highest weight (at my bridal shower). The difference was amazing. I now have an actual waist, and my Humpty-Dumpty
abdomen is noticeably smaller. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't had the photo right in front of me (and I did excuse myself to look in their huge bathroom mirror to double check).

Our perceptions can play nasty tricks on us, if we don't go out of our way to reveal the optical/mental illusion.

kaplods I like that idea of photographing every few weeks... I think I'm going to try that