will 20 lbs really make a difference?
 

my goal for october is 170 lbs and im starting to lose that "drive" that got me to the point in my weight loss journey that iam now at. i know that i have alot more weight to lose but from seeing myself in the mirror then and seeing myself now.. i dont see a dramatic change. i see people who say they have lost 100 lbs and they look amazing and skinny.. why not me? i mean yes.. my jean size has dropped from a size 26 to an 11 but aside from that.. when i look in the mirror i see the same overweight or should i say obese person. to be honest, i dont know where all my lbs i lost came from because i see the same bulges everywhere. to make things short, do you think that for a person my size, losing those next 20 lbs will make a "NOTICIBLE" difference or will i basically continue to look this huge? or will i have to wait until im 125 to see a dramatic change in myself?

When I went from 190 to 170, I went from a 16 down to a 14 and fit into a few 12s. We're the same height, but I don't know about body shape (I think I'm an hourglass). Either way, I think you will see lots of changes in yourself along the way! Probably every other week you'll find something. Like your thighs aren't as big, you have hip bones, where did those collar bones come from... :lol:

You need to give it time. Sometimes I still see an obese person in my mirror. It takes time to re-adjust! So just give it that - time - and be happy that you have come so far!

Well, the thing is, we're always the last ones to see the changes in our bodies. :) I still see myself as borderline obese, but if you show me a pic of myself with the head edited out, so that I can't see who it is with just a quick glance, I consider it's a pic of a normal girl. Ah, the way our brains can still mess with us even after a big loss... it's both amazing and very, very irritating!

Don't forget that it's not just what's happening outside, but what's happening inside as well. 20 pounds can result in your BP dropping, your cholesterol dropping, Blood Sugar decrease, etc. Not saying those are of a particular issue with you, but to be healthy is also just as important as self-image. ;) :hug:

Keep up the good work!! :carrot:

Well, I certainly know what you mean about the clothing. Sometimes if I didn't see the tiny sizes I am now wearing as opposed to the largest sizes I was wearing before, I swear I wouldn't notice a difference.

But, that's only SOMETIMES. I will tell you the last 10 lbs, not even the last 20 made a huge, just a huge difference for me. It really changed my entire "look". I look at the pics I have posted here at 3FC, the one's where I'm at 158 lbs and wonder what even happened to THAT girl. That's how much different I look having lost another 25 lbs or so. But if I didn't have those pictures, I'm not so sure I would notice. My advice - yup, take some pictures. They tell a much better story then the mirror ever could for me.

Pinup, you are doing so phenomenally. Hang in there. There are many more rewards just ahead for you. :)

I think your next 20lbs will be much more noticeable. The less you weigh, the more noticeable the change when you lose weight.

(ie) a 300pound person losing 10lbs and a 120 lbs person losing 10lbs

Keep with it, don't give up, you will really see the weightloss :)

"but aside from that" What?? Aside from that? That's a HUGE difference!

Your BMI right now is in the Overweight range, not Obese. Losing the next 20 pounds will still mean your BMI is in the Overweight range, but very close to the normal range. You may see a big difference.

But I'm concerned that after losing over 100 pounds, you still see someone obese in the mirror. That's very strange! Perhaps if you have some photos you could compare them to give yourself a better idea...

Perhaps you'd like a break from weight loss before you tackle those next 20 pounds. Maybe you could try maintenance for awhile--just keeping your weight where it is. And then, you could start fresh.

Hang in there!
Jay

Yes the BP. My blood pressure has dropped in the last 15 lbs. from 118/78 to
106/64. I definitely also have noticed that I have gone from a xl top to a medium.
:hug: keep going if you feel you want and need to
:o my 5 yr old wanted this smiley.

Sweetie, dieting to lose weight changes the size of your body. Exercise changes the shape of it. What are you doing for exercise?

Just came in to give you a :hug: Get some old pics and look at how FAR you have come! Remember we are always harder on ourselves. That is like I have heard some of the maintainers on here say that their problems areas are still their problem areas. They are just smaller problem areas.

If you are stressed, take a break and maintain for a while. You are doing great!!

this sounds so right... i dont know what else to say but wow because i never really looked at it this way. some of my friends said that after i was done losing weight i should start toning but somehow the word toning didnt seem real at this point since im still heavy but the use of "shape your body" fits so perfect... the only excercising i do is walking or jogging.. and sometimes but rarely crunches.

thank you all for the help, it brings a smile to my face to see that here at 3fc we always have support. im going to keep on going and see where this all takes me. :)

What I would suggest for you is to start shifting your focus toward what your body can do, and what you can do with your body, rather than what size it is. I PROMISE you, and you can hold me to this, if you find a sport/activity that you love and do that regularly the shape of your body WILL change. Even if you don't ever lose another ounce. Try dancing! There are lots of different styles of dancing, and they all use the whole body (and they're fun!). Try biking or swimming or rock climbing or...I don't know...kayaking...anything that moves your body and uses your muscles. You have absolutely no reason to trust me [aside from my two degrees in exercise], but trust me anyway! ;)

I think it will make a difference. A few years ago, I started out around 198 lbs and I could tell a huge difference when I got down to 170, and so could people around me. And I totally agree about the health benefits of losing 20 pounds. There are so many studies to back that up.

Pinup!!! You are doing AMAZING!!! Way to go on over 100 pounds lost!!! How exciting!! I can't believe you can't see the difference. My gosh...going from a 26 to an 11!!! WOW!!!

I agree with the you have problems areas when you are big and still have problems with problem areas when you are smaller. They are just smaller problem areas. I have lost 46 pounds and i still have a fat tummy...it's just a smaller fat tummy!! But I know as i get closer to my goal, it will be an even smaller fat tummy!!

Keep your chin up and i agree with comparing pics from before and now. Heck...try cutting your head off and just concentrate on the body. You'll see the difference.