When did you see a difference?

I have a lot of weight to lose (almost 300 lbs) and, as of last Tuesday, I had lost 31#'s.  I don't see a difference really at all, though...for those of you with as much weight to lose, when did you start to notice a difference (in the mirror, in your clothes, in pictures, etc)?  I see posts on here all the time for people who have lost 30 lbs and gone down a size, but I don't really feel a difference in my clothes, either.  I know 31 lbs is a drop in the bucket for what I need to lose, but I would have thought I might have seen SOME difference with that amount. 

I haven't had surgery yet, but keep your chin up! You'll lose it and before you know it, you'll be down 100 pounds! :)

I haven't had surgery yet either, but over the last 3 years I have lost 78 lbs (started at 350) and barely anyone has noticed.  My husband has lost almost the same amount (started at 357) and everyone tells him how great he looks - it kind of ticks me off!  lol  It can be frustrating, but hang in there, I am certainly noticing a difference in my clothes and in how I feel.

Oh, it takes awhile for us BMI 50 and overs to "show" our weight loss.  I was down more than 60 when I started getting a few comments.  At 75-80 pounds down, they started noticing.  To tell you the truth, I was kind of glad that they didn't note every pound - that would have meant they were looking too close at my body!  LOL

I could tell in my clothes at about 40-50 - just fit better/looser, but I was in such a big size, it took a long time.  Also, my hips and legs lose slower and so I'm still really big bottomed.  Oh, well.

Now at 113 off, I get nice comments all the time, but I still have another 70-90 to go, so I'm not done yet!  It is a gift to have this tool, but the work is still there after the initial loss.

I saw a difference in sizes about 1 1/2 months out.

I had my surgery on April 3. I had a wedding to go to the second to last weekend in May 2009. I went to Catherines and bought a new blouse off the clearance rack at the beginning of May. It was perfect size when I bought it. I was swimming in it when I put it on to go to the wedding.

However, in the picture of me I have from the wedding, it doesn't look like I've lost anything. (And it was the worse possible angle!)

Pictures -- it took a while.

Some people notice more than others. Generally, for me, women noticed quicker. One of the big bosses in my office noticed for the first time last week. (And I'm 15 months out/down 147.)

Just remember -- everyone loses differently. I've lost a lot from the top -- started out in a 32 now I'm an 18 in the right shirt. On the bottoms, I've gone from 34+ (guessing, really) to 22. The bottom's going much slower for me.

I think a lot of the super sizes cover a lot of territory size wise. Nothing like a normie who loses 5 pounds and drops a size.

Good luck!

You might start measuring yourself. This is a good way to see a difference when you otherwise don't feel like you're noticing anything. I think I was about 3 or 4 weeks out from surgery and i was finally able to button and zip a pair of size 38 pants that previously i could not fit into. i cried like a baby...it felt wonderful. It also depends where you're losing. I know I lose from top to bottom and it's still taking awhile for the bottom to deflate! Sometimes even now, i look at my body and it's like i'm just a smaller version of what i was but from time to time can't see a difference even though the scale, clothes and everyone else says otherwise. I think I never really admitted to myself how big i actually was.

After surgery I wanted to wake up and be a size 18, looks like I would have needed to stay asleep for a year and a half lol

it will come off...you will notice before you know it and will be more than pleasantly surprised

Measuring is always a good idea. I set goals of 10% of my body weight. When I lose it, I shoot for another 10%. I can always tell a difference after a 10% weight loss. You should be getting close to a noticable loss! = ) Keep it up and focus on the finish.

Hello!

Definitely can be a bit discouraging for us high BMIers to wait for noticeable change, but it sure does happen! The first of each month, I take measurements and my boyfriend takes a front, side, rear and close-up pic of me...it's totally uplifting to compare, esp. every three months! I'd lost almost 100 lbs. before my loss was really noticeable. Another thing, I clung to old clothes, so this made it worse in realizing my truly shrinking size. Buy something (esp. from a clearance rack or thrift store) every month or two to appreciate your melt down. That being said, it is true that at a higher weight we can wear that size for a long time. Hell, even at 175 lbs down, some of my panties fit, I don't know how! Elastic!

Congrats on the 31 lb. loss; here's to much excitement in the upcoming months as you slim down!

~Linda in S FL

I started at 440 -- so technically should lose 300 pounds to get to "insurance weight." I personally didn't see a lot of change that quickly. You could see some in my face around 50 pounds down, but I didn't need to change clothing sizes until about 100 pounds down. I am finding that once I hit a more "normal fat" range that the sizes seem to go by faster, but I still don't see the change as much as other people seem to. I have posted a pictures if you want to look at my journey from 440 to about 270 I think in the last photos . . . you may need to friend me to do so, but if not just try my name and click to see photos. I am short, only 5'3" and was rounder than I was tall!

I started at 551 pounds and had my surgery August of 2009. As of today, I got down to 395. I have to say I didnt notice the change until the last month or so. Other people did, but I really didn't...until I bought new clothes and was able to go down multiple sizes. I was walking round in clothes too big for me and I couldnt see how big they really were.

Others noticed at about 50 pounds or so though. REALLY started noticing at 100. Thats when my husband really noticed.