To have lost 20lbs and nobody has noticed

[babylukesmum]

Hi everyone
During lockdown I went up to 12st 8lbs (I'm 5'10) and over the past 8 weeks have managed to lose 20lbs which I'm really proud of! :) I now weigh 11st 2lb. Would like to lose another 2lb so I weigh 11st exactly but I'm happy either way. The only thing is, nobody seems to of noticed. I'm feeling great in myself so don't mind (although would be lovely after all my hard work ) but it's got me wondering how much weight do you think you have to lose for it to be noticeable to other people? I would say I started feeling "lighter" after I lost 7lbs, and could see it myself after I lost 14lbs.

Hmm tricky as I think people are reluctant to comment on weight. I lost just over a stone and to be honest I didn’t look that different clothes were just less snug. I’d say it depends where you carry your weight?

Congratulations though as that’s a good weight loss in 8 weeks

I’ve probably lost about that much in the last few months (I don’t weigh, but based on which clothes fit), but people tend not to mention it. One or two honest friends have, but I think people worry that they’ll offend by saying “hey, you look great!”. I suppose in case they think it implies you didn’t before.

Maybe they don’t want to offend? I would never say to somebody out of the blue about weight - ever.

Congratulations by the way, that is seriously impressive, and you look great!

A few years ago I lost 5 and a half stone. It was around 3and a half stone loss that people started to comment on my loss.
I'd dropped 3 dress sizes by that point.

I never notice. Unless someone goes from properly fat to properly thin then it completely passes me by. And even then I still sometimes need it to be pointed out (as once happened when my boss lost about 4st as he was very ill - it took someone else in the office to point it out to me before I saw it). Most people just don't pay other people that much attention I think.

I lost three stone a few years ago. Went from size 16 to size 12. The only person who commented was one of the managers at work. Literally nobody else noticed.

If you gained the weight during lockdown (when I presume you weren't seeing many people) then perhaps people haven't noticed you have subsequently lost it.

Congratulations! I'm sure you look great.

Have you bought new clothes that fit your new size? If what you're wearing isn't form fitting, then maybe no one can actually see?

I never bring weight up tbh. Who knows why someone lost weight? Could’ve been illness or stress and that’s not something to congratulate. And it can also be seen as saying you looked bad before.

Congratulations! Can I ask how you lost it? I'd like to lose a similar amount in a similar time frame....

You probably didn't see many people in lockdown so they may not have noticed you putting on weight/losing it? But its a brilliant achievement!

I'm the same height OP, I can lose a stone or put on a stone and you can't really tell.

Are you new to MN op? If not surely you know it’s a mortal sin to comment on anyone’s appearance?
After all if someone says your hair looks nice other will be upset and assuming you think theirs looks shit.

Well done, that’s brilliant!

I’ve lost similar and the only person who seems to care is my mum but even she does it in a rubbish way ‘Well, you needed to lose it, blah blah’. Everyone else sees me daily so probably haven’t noticed. It’s a bit annoying!

Well done!
Every time I see some people they ask if I've lost weight, I've been the same weight for 18 months!
I am heavier than I was before that though and I think they have an image of me as trying to lose weight so they are being encouraging

I thought the same but realised hardly anyone had seen me when I put it on.

Thanks everyone :) I have recently bought some clothes in a size 12 which felt brill (I was a size 14 before) I weighed 12st 4lbs before gaining 4lbs during lockdown, so either way I have lost over a stone. :) I lost the weight by following Paul McKenna, eating when I'm genuinely hungry and listening to my body and stopping when I'm satisfied. I was stuffing my face before, my portion sizes have probably halved. For me I wanted to make a long term change to my eating habits rather than diet. I also replaced all drinks with water and have been taking a short walk each day.

I think like some pp have said during lockdown lots of people put on weight then lost it again so people seem to have sort of stopped commenting.

It is odd peoples view through 2019 I lost 8 stone and it was only after about 5 people commented that I seemed to have lost the odd stone

I saw a friend recently who commented I had lost more weight and was insistent when I said I had actually deliberately put half a stone on ( my BMI had slipped down to 19 and at the risk of needing to fight covid if I caught it DP and I discussed as he asked politely if I felt I could put a bit on to have a buffer if I became ill, I know that sounds counterintuitive but it was only half a stone up to BMI 20). So it basically told me people haven't really got a scoobys idea about others weight gain and loss. My lovely friend was not having it lol

I've been a yo-yo dieter my entire adult life. My experience is that it takes about 3 stone before anyone notices. I'm tall though.

@Fairyliz

Are you new to MN op? If not surely you know it’s a mortal sin to comment on anyone’s appearance? After all if someone says your hair looks nice other will be upset and assuming you think theirs looks shit.

Oh dear Fairyliz, I didn't realise 😂 yes I am new, been here around 1wk :)

You put weight on during lockdown so nobody really saw you. So to a lot of people you now look like you did before!
People you live with don’t notice the difference as they live with you and see you everyday so they can’t see the difference as it’s so gradual.

Are you me a year ago?
I'm also 5ft10" and was 82kg (13st I think). It was only when I reached about 70kg that people said anything. I'm now about 67-68 (10st 7/8) and it's only mentioned by people who haven't seen me for a while.

I think a) People don't notice little changes
and b) I don't think anyone really looks or is bothered by other people's appearances unless there is a sudden really drastic change.
Congratulations though I know how tough it is

Taller people carry weight very well - I'm a tad taller than you and lost 1st 5lbs over lockdown. I feel so much better in myself and my body looks so much better, but it's not immediately obvious when I'm clothed - a few people who I didn't see for four months have mentioned I look 'really well' and then a bit later go ... 'actually have you lost some weight?!'

I bet you look and feel amazing! Congrats!

Well done you! I'm sure it is noticeable, people just don't want to comment.

I totally understand how you feel! I think is about british culture, people worry about offending...

Where I come from people would gladly comment on everything, including pointing out you have gained weight! So perhaps the lack of commenting is a small blessing.... (although I feel it can also leed to lack of connection and depression, but that is for another thread...)

I think it's rude to comment on peoples weight so I wouldn't mention it.