Not seeing the difference

Is anyone else in the same boat. I have a lot to lose, over 100. I am just over a month post op and down 40 pounds but I don't see the difference at all.

When you have a lot to lose does it take longer to see the weight loss?

I don't know if having to lose a lot of weight, like you said over 100lbs matters one way or the other if you notice weight loss or not.

I think sometimes your brain takes awhile to catch up with what you are seeing...and that can take awhile. It's normal, trust me!

I've lost almost 100 lbs and I know I've lost weight, scale, throwing away clothes,getting smaller sizes, but I struggle to really notice it overall. When I look in the mirror I can notice some minor things, but over all I still see the 348 lbs girl I was before...and I hope that will change sooner than later, but I'm still trucking on with my weight loss journey regardless what I see or don't see in the mirror.

Your not alone, if as you continue with this journey, you struggle to notice, just remind yourself that you see evidence of loss on the scale, and how your clothes fit, how your able to move around easier with less weight on.

Some people notice weight loss sooner than others, we are all different... the day will come when you will notice. Hopefully a lot sooner than me lol

Sounds like you are doing great weight loss wise! Keep up the great work!

Thank you for your reply and making me realize a change. I have noticed in the shower that I can reach my back now without using a scrup brush. I guess every little change adds up to one big one. Thanks again for point this out.

Good morning Lisa,

Amanda is right; what we see in the mirror is often not what we see in our mind's eye. I know how much weight I've lost and know how many sizes I'm down and, for the most part, feel terrific. However, when I looked into a mirror just the other day I saw a bigger person looking back at me. A. It takes time to lose the weight - regardless of what you do. B. Gauge yourself in all ways - sight, measurements, scale, non-scale victories, how you feel. It took us years to gain the weight and I have never been so close to being successful in permanent weight loss and achieving my overall health goals as I am right now. Still a challenge and always will be, but I couldn't have done this much on my own.

You will continue to see - and feel - successful. Stick to your program and you will do well.

I'm sorry that you are feeling this way Lisa.

Have you taken measurements? Or do you notice a difference in the way your clothes fit?

You are obviously doing great because 40 lbs is AWESOME!

If you need a pick-me-up, go to a grocery store and try to see how long you can walk around the store carrying 40lbs of potatoes. I bet its really hard. And thats what you were dealing with only a short time ago.

Stay strong, I know you will see it soon

Hi Lisa,

Congrats on the 40 Lbs; that's awesome! Woohoo!

I could notice a change in my face right away, after losing about 20-30 Lbs, but it took longer to notice the changes in my body. They just sort of snuck up on me.

One day, I went to the mall with a friend and we stopped for a drink at the food court and I sat at a table that had the welded on attached chairs without even noticing until we were about to leave. Then I freaked because preop, I couldn't fit into those chairs at all, and I had lots of room between my body and the table. That happened at around 40 or 50 Lbs down.

That same day I walked past a mirror and thought "Oh look; that girl has the same top as I do!" Then I realised it was a mirror, and "that girl" was me, and I had to do a double take because she was smaller than I thought I was.

One day I was driving and I looked down and was amazed at the room between my belly and the steering wheel; where before there was NO room, and my belly rubbed up against the steering wheel, I suddenly had a gap. Now I have soooo much room between me and the steering wheel it boggles my mind, lol.

Just a week or so ago I reached down to scratch a mosquito bite and discovered my legs were hard and muscular. I was so shocked I felt up both legs in public, marvelling over how they had changed.

You're just at the start of your journey, so get ready for some great changes. You will notice them, even if it takes a bit longer. If you find you don't notice after losing significant weight, you can talk to your doctor about body dysmorphia. It can be treated.

That is normal. It takes a lot more for our brains to adjust than our bodies i was and am the same and I'm at a "normal" BMI now.

My advice is to start taking and recording measurements and take pictures every month on your surgiversary. Pictures don't lie. Measurements don't lie. the mirror does, the scale does too.

I find it interesting that when I was heavy I didn't look as heavy when i saw myself in the mirror. I was always shocked by pictures of myself.

Now that I'm not overweight I see myself in the mirror 10-20lbs heavier than I am. I occasionally catch a glimpse of myself in a store window and am shocked. someone took a picture of me on Friday and I was shocked. I looked small. like petite small. I wear a size 4 now. What i see in pictures is probably real. what I see in the mirror is not.

I figure my head will eventually catch up.

one other recommendation I have is to get a dexa scan if you can afford it. I really wish i'd done one early on. It is nice be able to see your body fat drop with every scan.

As others have said it can take a while for your brain to catch up and register the loss. I'm down about 130 pounds and have been in maintenance for well over a year. I saw a video someone took of me the other day (you couldn't see my face though) and I thought it was someone else because the person was smaller than me. I only realized it was me because of the clothes I was wearing lol!!

Your brain sees a face and automatically fills in the body that it remembers having that face.

What I did was take a brown paper grocery bag and cut eyeholes in it. Then I would put it over my head and look in the mirror. When I did that I saw my body as it was. Without the bag, I saw my bigger body.

Now we have digital cameras and it is easy to take a picture and then crop it out so only your body shows. That will show you what you really look like.

It is a normal brain thing, not something that you need to be treated for.

LOL funny but makes sense. I think I will try the picture and crop out the head.

Thanks for the idea!