massive weight loss folks (~100lbs+?) when did you first see/feel a change? page

[mixie]

And any of my "body dysmorphic disorder" peeps too, of course. Hello all!

Feeling pretty good about myself today--stepped on a scale for only the second time since going Primal earlier this year. 60 pounds down according to the numbers! It sounds like a lot, but am so effed up in the body-dysmorphic sense that I can't see any real difference in the mirror. I also know, thanks to the paper towel parable, that visual changes will be progressively more noticeable as I strip more "layers" away, so I'm still doing my best not to look in mirrors or get on scales yet.

So, sixty pounds down and it's still coming off strange places, it seems like. I haven't yet dropped a jeans size (though that's coming soon!). At what point did any of you feel like you looked in a mirror and could see the difference on yourself?

I know for some, the favorite progress marker is the tape measure, but I don't think I want to go there. I decided that for myself, I'd pick one or two random body parts, and keep an eye on progress that way. According to this marker, I hit my first visual progress "checkpoint": standing relaxed with my arms at my side, I can see my collar bone where there used to be a round slope from shoulder to chest. The tendons in my hands and feet are visible in action, too! Maybe it sounds weird, but this small focus is really helping me feel like I can see gradual improvement without freaking myself out by thinking too much about the big picture. LGN is my looooooooooooooong, long term goal ;0).

Does anyone have any simple benchmarks that helped them in the beginning? And how long did it take before you really objectively felt and saw differences in yourself?

[IvyBlue]

I cannot rely on the mirror, period. It remains a vexing problem. I focus on my blood pressure.

The thing is I don't necessarily recognize changes in other folks either. People that I've now known for decades tend to remain fixed in my mind as they were when I first became aware of them. So maybe it's not so much of a problem as an interesting phenomenon.

[Diana Renata]

Down 100+ pounds...

For me it was seeing old photos, especially compared to more current photos. I tell people who are losing weight to take one photo a month and tuck it away. Revisit that photo after 6 months or a year and THEN you'll see the difference. You don't see it every day or week.

The mirror is my enemy too though. I still look in it and see things I don't like. It's bothersome.

[Chochobo]

when i was able to go up a flight of stairs and not be dieing for breath. i completely understand where ur coming from, ur doing awesome just be patient. when i lost my first 100 pounds, hell my first 50. i knew the changes that were coming to me, specially around to waist line. Going from 58 waist to a now 30, had to be the best feeling ever. i agree about the mirror its double edged sword for me, like i know im lookin great but with my old mentality from being obese, its never enough cause of the fear of being huge again. Take it in stride and keep ur head up. good luck.

[primalrob]

i'm down about 150...and like diana it really became noticeable for me when looking at older pictures. after i was down about 50 lbs i went to a family member's house and heard all the congratulations and really started to notice things for myself once someone broke out a photo album. after that, i started trying on better fitting clothes, and that helped a lot too.
in the shirtless department, i definitely used my upper chest, collar bone, shoulders and double chin as a marker for a while. now i'm onto getting those lower abs to show as much as the upper ones...but it's taken three years to get here.
clothes are probably still my primary measuring device (i have a lot of lingering body image issues). i was 3xl before i started losing weight, and just the other day i threw on a medium t-shirt before heading out to play with the dog. that felt good.

[mixie]

Cheers all around... thanks guys, it means a lot. I'm glad every day I found this place =)

[jammies]

Also keep in mind that the first jean size is the hardest. The difference between sizes gets smaller and smaller as you get in to lower sizes. It took a quite a while before I dropped the first jean size - but once I got to the lower sizes it was just a matter of a couple of lbs for each size.


Any differences in the way you feel? That is my number one motivator - I just feel so much better eating this way I don't think I could ever go back. The weight loss was just a fantastic extra bonus.

[TigerLily]

81 ... and counting.

When I'm fat I think I'm a babe. When I'm a babe I think I'm fat. I just can't win.

I *still* can't tell any difference, after 80 pounds, but everyone around me can and the pants that used to be tight on me now fall on the ground like clown pants (even when buttoned), so it must be true. Still, I can't really tell any difference. I know that sounds ridiculous, yes.

But I keep going back to this site.
Welcome - My Body Gallery - What Real Women Look Like

I can clearly see that for my height (5' 0") and body type even 20 pounds less is quite a noticeable difference. I can see that and register it in my brain when it is another woman. It is helping me to understand for myself. Maybe it'll help you, too, Mixie.

I don't know if it ever gets better. I think we just learn to cope with it better. (?)

[mixie]

Oh, yeah--no doubt about it. I used to be nauseated constantly and had terrible acid reflux on a daily basis. I had a severe back and hip injury, couldn't climb an incline greater than a couple degrees, couldn't sleep, was terribly depressed... I felt like crap on a lot of different levels. I nixed the grain mostly because I was hoping it would help with my digestive and inflammatory issues. I wasn't going to even get my hopes up about weight loss!

[mixie]

OMG TigerLily, that website is incredible!