Can you see your own weight loss or gain?!

[catonmylapcantmove]

I've recently made some major changes including getting much more active and have for the first time in about a decade of promising myself I would try, lost around 2.5 stone and started running regularly and walking everywhere.

I have some health issues that make losing weight and being active difficult but have finally managed to get myself in gear and do something about it. It's taken almost a year to lose that weight slowly.

But I'm still absolutely stuck in the image of 'old me'. I don't wear certain things because of my weight. I'm even buying clothes in the same old size and wondering why on earth they don't fit.

I look at photos of myself or in the mirror and don't think I look any different. But with a 2.5 stone weight loss taking me from obese to a healthy weight alongside 35+ miles a week of running and walking toning me up, surely I must look different?!

Incidentally it was also the same when I gradually put on weight, mainly due to said health problem. It took me ages to 'see it' and stretchy clothes allowed it.

This really isn't a stealth boast or a 'you look lovely' fishing exercise. I'm genuinely bemused that my brain doesn't seem to be able to see the difference. I know I should have measured myself at the start but didn't so don't have that to try and convince myself either. It's probably exacerbated by having worked from home and not really seeing anyone as we've been in local lockdown most of the time. And family haven't commented. Although I just asked DH and he said yes it was clear I'd lost weight but didn't want to mention it (!).

Anyone else? Can you see your own weight gain or loss??!

Congrats on your weight loss and health changes!

I lost around 2 stone/1.5 dress sizes and still feel similarly about my body. Except when I see ‘before’ photos. Still wearing most of my old clothes. When I need new things (including when old stuff looks awful as too big) am going for my new size.

My old (nice) workwear especially looks rubbish too big, wfh has helped there!

So, suggest first stopping buying NEW clothes that’re too big!

Firstly congrats you’ve done an amazing job,

And for me, it’s Yes and no.

I can easily put on weight and not spot it, so I go by my clothes and what fits, usually I low carb and exercise most days as a life style choice,, but over the last lock down I kinda let it go and gained some weight.which I knew I was. But didn’t really give a shit.

I’m using this lock down to reverse it, and two weeks in I can see the bloating in my stomach and my face, has disappeared so can see I look slimmer.

However I need to pay attention to see weight gain or loss, that’s why my clothes are such an important indicator, because if I can’t see it, then I know my clothes will tell me ( I tend to wear fitted stuff and not a lot of loose stretchy stuff).

If you’re exercising that much and have lost 2.5 stone it will be very visible on you, yes. It’s odd your husband didn’t wish to mention it. Do you know why not?

@Bluntness100 - he's the gentle 'I love you however you look' type so I think he was anxious about suggesting I look 'better' now, given the weight gain was due to illness. He's very cautiously using words like 'toned'

I think it might be because I'm an hour glass 'put weight on all over' type. So even when obese have a clearly defined waist and technically healthy waist hip ratio. So I'm shrinking all over. Come to think of it I think my toes look a bit thinner

@Dozer - you'd think it would be simple wouldn't you. Buy smaller clothes! But my brain tells me they're too small and I'm not that size . I'm a lost cause.

And thank you - I feel healthy!

Same for me.

I’ve lost about 2 stone 13.5 to 11.5. I can’t really tell that much difference. Though M&S size 16 looks odd on me now. Nobody’s commented much, but I’ve lost is over 18 months so very gradual. Apart from a neighbour who waxed lyrical one day, almost in disbelief at the change in me . I also don’t notice when I put weight on, until one day, usually in a shop mirror, I think holy smoke!

Tbh 2 stone is not necessarily all that noticeable on a large frame. For me it’s been size 16 to size 14.

I think if I lost another 10 lbs - my final stage it would def be more noticeable.

Also, note, side view more telling! And the first weight to go is more visceral ie fat between organs I believe, may not show up so much?

That's a really good point on visceral weight @ChickSmile . I've got body fat scales and while the overall body fat percentage is slowly coming down, it's my visceral fat that seemed to drop much quicker.

Well done on the 2 stone! I feel like the pounds I am losing now are starting to be more visible than the original two stone.

And yes I do get confused with clothes sizes! I am also very careful - I don’t want to waste any money. Losing weight has meant I can wear ALL my clothes, only a minority look ridiculously big (including my favourite coat). If I went to a size 12 that might happen more, but I think it’s a bit unlikely!

I mean dropping to a size 12. A small 14 would be nice.

That’s good Cat! Well done. My weight loss has been a real struggle, one reason it took so long. Never going back though, as Fleetwood Mac sang!!

Yes I'm the same. It's only when I look at photos that I see it, i dont see it in myself when I look in the mirror.

I've always felt fat. So whether I'm on the smaller side of fat or the larger side of fat at any given time, I generally see myself the same.

I look back on my engagement pictures from 3 years ago, and at the time I had lost 2 stone in weight that year but hadn't felt any different when I saw myself in the mirror. Now that I look at the photos I see that i actually looked pretty great.

Now that I'm another 4.5 stone heavier than i was then, i still just feel fat. I only saw how much bigger I'd got when I saw a photo of myself taken at a boozy lunch just after lockdown eased the first time and we were allowed out in groups of 6 again.

When i saw the photos i was horrified as i looked like a balloon, but within myself I hadnt felt any different, as I had always seen myself as fat.

Does that make any sense at all!?

Perfect sense.

Anyway, must go, got some eggs 🥚 to scramble

Another yes and no.
With the first two stone, although I did drop a dress size I wouldn't say it was noticeable anywhere except round chin, neck and shoulders. Which was very annoying as it's round the belly area I need to lose most.
The last stone has been more noticeable. I'm down 2-3 dress sizes now. My fingers are slimmer so rings are looser. I still wish the distribution of loss was bottom-weighted(!) as I'm looking decidedly skinny on the top half but bottom half still not quite there yet. But at least I can see it now.
But having to hold off buying new stuff until I've got to the target shape. At least in lockdown it doesn't matter if my clothes are baggy :/

I have the opposite problem in that I think I look thinner than I am! Have lost 2.5 stone in the last year and a bit and gone from size 20 to 16/14 but to me I look the same and I don't think I look fat! Even though I definitely do. I don't know why, my brain doesn't process it properly. Maybe I'm just used to looking this way. So no I don't really see the difference and just have to go by scales/clothes. I have another maybe 3 stone to lose and sometimes I have no idea where it could come from! I worry I will look weird. I have a lot of muscle too, so I think that does make a difference - my body looks fitter and more muscly and I do notice that.

I've lost almost seven stone. In clothes I can see I look much slimmer. Naked: I feel no different at all.

No, I've never seen my weight loss, even when it was in excess of 50 lbs. I've always had to rely on clothes sizes and the number on the scales.

But I'm a 'recovered' bulimic/anorexic so it's not super surprising.