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.

@babylukesmum that's a fantastic achievement! just wow! well done!

That's brilliant well done OP!!
It's funny isn't it, I lost 25lbs last year & had lost almost a stone before anyone noticed, but then suddenly everyone did, it was like I got to a certain weight and the difference became visible.
I didn't mind the comments at all apart from one - I had to go to our company's Dutch office, hadn't seen people there for a while, not since I started my diet, and one lady I knew (tall and super skinny, probably eating disorder tbf) pretty much shouted across the office "oh my god you've lost so much weight!" This was just before she introduced me to a new chap in her team - who was standing next to her at the time.
He was about 25 and really didn't know what to say, so he just smiled rather sheepishly & said "well done" which I found fucking hilarious as I'd probably gone from a small size 14 to a 10 but I always imagine he has this image of me in his head as a formerly morbidly obese person 🤣
She meant well, and was just being Dutch, so I took it as a compliment after the initial awkwardness. But for a different person it would have been mortifying! I can understand why people find it safer just not to mention it!

When DS was a toddler, I went from a size 14 to a size 8. My neighbour stopped me to say I looked terrible and to ask if I was ill. I think I'd probably have preferred if she hadn't noticed
I've been losing weight over lockdown and my DSIS and DM only noticed once it was over one stone.

Congratulations on your weight loss! I agree with many others though - there is no way in hell I would bring up someone's weight - gain or loss - unless they mentioned it themselves first.

I never congratulate or comment on weight loss or gain . It implies someone is a better person / more attractive / well for the weight loss and to be told you have gained weight is mostly something people don’t want to hear.
Unless the person brings it up with me and asks do I look like I’ve lost weight as I am trying very hard and wondered if this is noticeable . I leave it alone as I like people for who they are not what they weigh .

I have lost 7 st with weight loss surgery and people commented on the loss a lot . They often would say how much better I looked which to me felt quite hurtful as implied I looked awful beforehand and they judged me for it

I’m the size height as you and lost slightly more. Only one person commented positively and to be fair she’s the type to talk about diets constantly. It was a bit
I went from nudging a size 16 to a 10-12. I was a bit pissed off as it had been a massive struggle.

10 stone exactly was my target and when I hit that another friend told me I looked gaunt. To be fair she was probably right, I couldn’t maintain that weight at all.

Look on the bright side; nobody noticed you were fat. :-)

Congrats!
As pps said, others noticed, but weight is just a massive no so we can't get compliments on our effort...It stinks a bit, doesn't it.

Well done! I'm 19lb down since lockdown and I cant even see a difference let alone anyone else mentioning it...its quite demotivating tbh but I keep telling myself perhaps the next 10lb or so will bring a visible change. If I ever get to my target of 70lb down people better notice

Unless you are a bloke btw. My husband keeps getting compliments on his weight loss fro guys and he is very happy with it.

Congratulations OP!!
I will always say 'you look well' which is code for 'you've lost a ton of weight' to any friend who's obviously lost weight.

Yes my husband whose lost a few lbs more is told frequently how much weight hes lost.

@Decisivelyindecisive

Yes my husband whose lost a few lbs more is told frequently how much weight hes lost.

Infuriating, isn't it

I personally never comment on anyone's weight. It's the least interesting thing about anyone and people who lose weight to relish in others comments just strike me as a bit vain and self absorbed!

"you've lost weight" = "you used to look fat"

people who lose weight to relish in others comments just strike me as a bit vain and self absorbed!

Most people don't lose to "relish in other's comments". Any other effort or change of looks gets some kind of kudos. "Well done on doing your new qualifications", "That's a lovely new haircut", "Nice new tits!" Etc. God forbid someone wants a little bit of "Oh wow. Great work!" from someone else than DH who has to

I don't think saying someone has lost weight always means they were fat before - I went from a size 10 to a size 8, so the people who commented on the weight loss weren't implying that I was fat before.

The other problem with nice comments is what happens if/when some weight goes back on!

I'll never forget one comment I had (having gone from obese to borderline underweight) - "Wow, you have a real woman's body now! Not that 'thing' you had before!"

It really brought home how repulsed some people really are by bodies over a certain weight, and now that I'm back to having a 'thing' instead of a body, it's a comment that haunts me!

I wouldn't comment if you gained weight, OP. Do you want me to comment if you gained weight? I'd rather leave your body size as your private business.

A colleague who's 5ft 11 lost 2.5st last year. I noticed they looked different & said have you lost weight but had no idea it was that much. I'm 5ft 10 & think a stone is quite easy to hide.

My NDN, talking about something else completely this week, was really chuffed with herself when I said, you're looking sleek. Pilates four days a week, she answered. And ladies, I promise you, she is at least 68 and she has a reshaped body that looks 10 years younger than it did. She may not have lost an ounce in weight, but the muscles that 15 weeks Pilates has built have reshaped from her from a bit lumpy and dumpy to trim and curvaceous. At 68, unless you are the instructor, it's not realistic to look 22 even from behind, but without seeing her face, anyone would see a well-toned 40 year old body. Well taught, Pilates takes years off your age, posture and balance.

I have lost over 20lbs since Xmas. Most people I’ve seen since lockdown has been lifted have noticed. The last time I saw most of them was around Xmas so pre weight loss. I think that if you are now only a few lbs lighter than before lockdown it won’t be that noticeable.
I have a few more lbs to lose but decided to just try and maintain weight over the summer. Hope to be target weight by Feb next year. My motivation is not size but to reach healthy BMI. Even at my lightest when I was stick thin I never dropped below a size 12, I have a large frame.

Is it possible, given the circs, people had other things to concerns themselves with! Not saying good job and all, but you know with furloughs, business going tots up, kids not being educated etc it's a busy time.