when will i notice?

This problem took me by surprise too, when I first started loosing weight.  Somehow, I did not realize on the front end that it would take me sooooo much longer to be able to see results than if I had been a lightweight (only around 100 pounds overweight).  I don't know why I didn't anticipate it, but I didn't and it threw me for a real loop. 

I actually had to loose between 80-90 pounds before people really started to comment.  Now, that I'm 127 pounds down, people whose names I don't even know comment about it nearly every day.  

And that's nice to hear, don't get me wrong, but by the time I started getting that kind of positive reinforcement, I had long since learned to find my positive cues from other - less obvious - things.  Things others have mentioned like: my bras were getting too big, my panties growing a little too roomy (although I am still wearing the panties I wore as a pre-op!), my pants were getting baggy, I had stopped snoring, I could walk for 10 minutes at a time, showering became sooo much easier long before anyone noticed I'd lost an ounce, I felt better about myself, my inches were shrinking, I was steadily meeting my next '10 pounds lost' goal.  Those were the things that kept me motivated to continue on...well...those things and the fact that I literally couldn't eat many things or a lot of them!!

But now, I can eat more stuff, and slightly more of them.  And guess what?  It's still those 'less obvious' things that keep me movitated to work hard not to give in and increase the amounts I eat or the frequency I eat them in.   So, the fact that we don't get the same kind of immediate gratification from the surgery that the lightweights do, is kind of a bummer.  But, if we hang in there, and stay true to the tool, and learn early to get our reinforcement from the 'less obvious' things, I believe this can serve us well in the months and years after we have met our goals.  

So hang in there!!  Fifty three pounds is an amazing  accomplishment!  And even more good things will come to those who wait!!!   Wishing you a safe and successful trip!  connie

  
 

thanks guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wore very stretchy clothes so it was probably close to 100 pounds before they were falling off so bad I really noticed a difference.

In the mirror..200 pounds down and I still don't always see it..but it's getting better. 

I'm not sure this will help much, but for me I felt better before I felt like I was shrinking. And it happened in sort of an odd way -- I did notice after losing about 35 post-op, as all of a sudden I started to shrink. But size wise I didn't really need to change clothing until I was more than a 100 down . . . but when I did, I was getting things 3-4 sizes smaller. Yesterday I was in a store that only has things up to a 22-24 and I was able to get a shirt that fit, so it does seem to just happen at some point after it starts to really annoy you that you're not seeing it!

Bec