26lbs lost but still the same size???

  • I'm so proud of myself, I've stuck to my "live-it" (not diet) for 2 months, have been exercising every single day, and I feel great! The scale says I've lost 26lbs, my energy level is way up, I've lost a couple of inches here and there, and some of my clothes are fitting me kind of better.

    BUT...

    I can't SEE the weight loss on me, and I haven't gone down a size! I'm still wearing the same clothes although they're not snug anymore. I'm soooo frustrated and discouraged that nobody has noticed my weight loss and I've been shopping to find a new size clothing but am still not fitting into a single size smaller than where I began 26lbs ago.

    When will I start SEEING results?
  • hey, you should be happy that youve lost weight! thats a great accomplishment! ive not lost any pounds after exercising for weeks, but someone did comment that my face is getting smaller...lol...

    im sure others see the weight loss on you...

    as for seeing results, are you looking for visible results? have you taken pics from before and compared it to now?

    thats something i would do if i were you...
    good luck..keep doing what you are doing...
  • I'm in exactly the same boat! I'm down 27lbs, and still in the same size! But I was squeezing into absolutely everything before, and just in the last week or so I've noticed that all my clothes are getting looser.
    I don't think I've lost that many inches, the last time I measured was about a week and a half ago and I'd only lost maybe a centimetre (if that) on each measurement.

    On a positive note: My friend (who lives half a world away from me, so I haven't seen her) has just lost 36lbs, and said people didn't even begin to notice until she she hit about 30, then people were commenting left right and centre.

    So I'm holding out for 30lbs until I start getting too frustrated.

    Have you taken any pictures for comparison? maybe then you'll see the results, instead of seeing yourself everyday in the mirror.

    You're doing really well! don't be disheartened
  • Thanks for the encouragement, I'm definitely going to keep going.

    Yes I'm taking front/side/backside pictures every 2 weeks and I still don't see much difference, maybe a little that's why it's so disheartening. I feel like I want to buy new clothes but I refuse to buy this same size!
  • If your clothes were snug before and now fit fine I'd say that's a definite improvement! I'm sure you are almost there
  • A few things to consider.

    One, our brains are resistant to seeing changes in our physical image. Basically, when you look at yourself in a mirror, you aren't seeing -you- exactly, you're seeing your brain's recollection of you, with some details from what you're looking at. It's called "pattern recognition and completion," and basically, it allows your brain to process images faster. So it sees the outline and general features of you and fills in the rest from memory, instead of spending the time to process it. The issue, of course, is that memory shows you as bigger than you actually are. A great way to see this effect is with photographs...a photo is in a different proportion than your brain looks at normally, so you won't have this effect...yet another reason to take before and after photos!

    Another point to consider is that larger sizes have more "room" in between sizes...so it takes more weight loss to go from a 14 to a 12, for example, than from a 4 to a 2. The smaller the size, the more quickly you go down to the next lowest when you lose weight. So the size-dropping-rate will increase.

    Finally, (and I'm stealing this analogy from another poster or two here...come in and give yourself credit because I forget who first said it) picture for me a roll of paper towels. Each paper towel is a pound. Now, when the roll is full, removing one paper towel doesn't make a noticeable difference...it still looks pretty full. As that roll gets smaller and more paper towels are removed, each one that comes off has more and more of a visual impact, right? By the time there are 10-15 paper towels left, you get a significant visual change with only 2 or 3 towels, as opposed to having to wait for 20-30 when it's full. Weight is just like that...the more pounds you peel off, the more each pound will be visible.
  • nice analogy - I do understand that recollection thing too. Sometimes I think I see something in the mirror that's a bit different, but I can't quite grasp it. Like a thought in the corner of your mind, or a word on the tip of your tongue.
  • I find it helps to post the pics of my mini goals. sometimes I can spot it right off and sometimes others comment on it. As long as your clothes are getting looser you are doing it right sweetie..
  • Quote: A few things to consider.

    One, our brains are resistant to seeing changes in our physical image. Basically, when you look at yourself in a mirror, you aren't seeing -you- exactly, you're seeing your brain's recollection of you, with some details from what you're looking at. It's called "pattern recognition and completion," and basically, it allows your brain to process images faster. So it sees the outline and general features of you and fills in the rest from memory, instead of spending the time to process it. The issue, of course, is that memory shows you as bigger than you actually are. A great way to see this effect is with photographs...a photo is in a different proportion than your brain looks at normally, so you won't have this effect...yet another reason to take before and after photos!

    Another point to consider is that larger sizes have more "room" in between sizes...so it takes more weight loss to go from a 14 to a 12, for example, than from a 4 to a 2. The smaller the size, the more quickly you go down to the next lowest when you lose weight. So the size-dropping-rate will increase.

    Finally, (and I'm stealing this analogy from another poster or two here...come in and give yourself credit because I forget who first said it) picture for me a roll of paper towels. Each paper towel is a pound. Now, when the roll is full, removing one paper towel doesn't make a noticeable difference...it still looks pretty full. As that roll gets smaller and more paper towels are removed, each one that comes off has more and more of a visual impact, right? By the time there are 10-15 paper towels left, you get a significant visual change with only 2 or 3 towels, as opposed to having to wait for 20-30 when it's full. Weight is just like that...the more pounds you peel off, the more each pound will be visible.
    This whole thing is very interesting. I didn't know that about how the brain processes it's "pictures" of us.
  • That is a nice analogy!

    I had a pair of cargo pants that were tight, but I wore them, when I started, and loose, but I wore them, after 30 pounds.
  • As has already been said here, the larger the size the larger the range of fit. If they're getting loose you're doing just fine, congratulations on your impressive accomplishment!
  • Sometimes, and I say this loosely, we lose weight in areas where our clothes don't really make a difference or the body area is large enough (thigh, back) to lose a lot but not be noticable to the naked eye. My guess is that is what is going on. When most people lose weight, it typically ( not always) comes off the face, legs, and arms area first. Not the core area. The core doesn't get the weight loss until father into the weight loss.

    Just my two cents.

    SB96