I think the higher your start weight the longer it takes for people to notice. I think for me it was probably about 30 lbs. But now I get comments every 5-10 lbs.
I would imagine it has something to do with how quickly you lose. I've lost about 20 lbs, so I'm not sure that people would have noticed anyway, but I'm sure they're less likely to notice because I've lost it quite slowly. It makes the difference less noticeable.
I started getting comments about 15lbs down when I was around 170 (going down from 183). Now I get comments constantly because I'm losing from a smaller body. Each pound is a bigger percentage from my body now than when I was 180+.
I restarted last year and have lost around 50 pounds since... Yesterday, my hairstylist was the first person to comment. My mom and husband claim to notice, but sometimes I wonder if they are just saying that because they want to make me feel good.
After about 28-35lb weight loss people who hadn't seen me for a long time noticed. My mum said people were saying I'd lost weight but she was sure I hadn't - was so annoyed with her! My mum didn't comment until I'd lost a total of 70lb! A lot of other people started commenting then too. It was frustrating to have to lose so much before people who saw me regularily noticed and commenting but now people seem to notice (or think they notice) every time I lose a lb or two and that's even more annoying than not noticing at all! Now at the stage people are starting to hint I don't need to lose much more weight and won't believe I do - I'm at the top of the overweight category of course I still need to lose more! COmemnts seem to get more oppinunated the lighter I get!
People will notice in time then you may wish they never did!
Are you asking when people started noticing, or when they started saying something to me about it?
Because I think those are two different things. I think people actually notice sooner, but don't quite believe it, and have to see you a few more times & maybe see you get even thinner before they think, yes, it's not a haircut or a new outfit. There's a lag between perception and when they are willing to risk making a comment. And that lag may depend on their character & their relationship with you & etc.
Also, people who see you every day take longer to notice than people who see you at fixed intervals, like, say, every six weeks or eight weeks or whatever. My parents noticed before my coworkers, but I don't live anywhere near them & at the time, only saw them every two months or so, less frequently during the winter. My parents could see it at 20 pounds down. But it was 30 pounds down before my coworkers said anything.
I also put off buying new clothes for a while. I let my clothes get really baggy & oversized, in an 80s way (since I'm older & lived with that 80s fit for years past when it was fashionable), before buying newer clothes with a more modern, close-to-the-body fit. Changing my silhouette so radically made it pretty obvious. Even men said something then -- and in my workplace, which has mandatory harassment education classes & is supposed to be very professional (it's a consulting firm), they are all darned careful about making such comments.
No one but my dad has made a comment on my weight loss. No one else has really noticed I suppose. I look a bit thinner, but I am still wearing the same clothes. I guess it's harder for people who don't see you all the time to really notice. No one in my classes at school has noticed any changes, or at least no one has said anything to me. I have lost 47lbs, and I don't think many people have noticed. I guess eventually as I continue to lose someone else will notice... or maybe no one cares.
Last edited by Asherdoodles87; 03-26-2010 at 10:03 AM.
The heavier we are, the more of a loss will be needed in order for folks to start noticing it. I think for me it was close to 50 lbs. Though I did get a few "wow, you look really good today" comments. They knew I looked somewhat "better" but weren't quite sure why. Because even 50 lbs down I was still waaaaay overweight.
And yes, the properly fitted clothing does help.
I know this is hard, but you've just got to hang on. The rewards WILL start surfacing. But it does indeed take time. Weight loss is most definitely not an instant gratification type thing. Though there were benefits right off the bat. Just that sense of accomplishment and gaining that control was wonderful.
The big, big, big rewards - they're a bit further down the road. And no, you don't have to get all the way to goal to start seeing them. No where near.
Hang on tight. When those rewards DO start surfacing - and provided you stick to your plan, no stopping, just continuing, they WILL surface - it's a thrill a minute.
Last edited by rockinrobin; 03-26-2010 at 10:03 AM.
When Did People Start To Notice?
