How long til you've seen changes?

I think it depends on where you start and what you are doing.  I had to lose about 25 lbs to really start to see a difference and bout 45 lbs before co-workers started commenting.  I started at 227 lbs.  So it was several months.

I don't have much weight to lose, I started at 170 lbs and I am 5'5, I am now 140. I can tell you that I noticed the difference right away, just a week into the weight loss - I was no longer bloated and didn't feel like a puffy balloon. My jeans started to fit comfortably, I was no longer tiered and exhausted all the time. When I hit 150, I noticed that the gap between my leg is there and that I can suck in my stomach so it is actually concave :) (but I still look 6 month pregnant if I am not sucking in, I am an extreme apple shaped). Also, at around 150 my face became MUCH more beautiful, apparently I held a lot of weight there, now I am actually very pretty without huge hamster cheeks and bloated eyes and I also now have cheekbones.

Original Post by myteasgonecold:

I don't have much weight to lose, I started at 170 lbs and I am 5'5, I am now 140. I can tell you that I noticed the difference right away, just a week into the weight loss - I was no longer bloated and didn't feel like a puffy balloon. My jeans started to fit comfortably, I was no longer tiered and exhausted all the time. When I hit 150, I noticed that the gap between my leg is there and that I can suck in my stomach so it is actually concave :) (but I still look 6 month pregnant if I am not sucking in, I am an extreme apple shaped). Also, at around 150 my face became MUCH more beautiful, apparently I held a lot of weight there, now I am actually very pretty without huge hamster cheeks and bloated eyes and I also now have cheekbones.

I know I feel that too as an apple girl, well technically my measurements don't have me as an apple anymore but that is where my weight is :) If you look head on I have hourglass (or measurements have me at top hourglass/banana), side view prego (or at least by the end of the day :P). The first bit of weight was my face, then over all started (about 3 months in) and still I wait for that core area to slim down :P 8.5 months so far into my journey, trying for 50lbs in 10 months (5-10lbs-ish to go 1.5 months left).

Original Post by rsuozzi:

@tina0367 thanks for that helpful comment. I just started CC and WAS EXPECTING to see results right away but it's good to know it takes a while. I need to get my mind out of that assumption. It seems a lot of people notice things right away and from past experience I did not see results right away so I got discouraged and gave up. :(

Part of it is developing a new, healthy lifestyle to carry on long term so it's good to remember that you are doing good things for your body, even if you can't see the changes and the scale is not budging at times.  Now that I am down to the last 10 or so lbs, progress is even slower.  It's taken me since Christmas to lose about 10 lbs so patience is key :)

Some people drop weight right away and it can be several lbs as you can lose quite a bit of water weight the first week or so, then it slows down.  Others can change their lifestyle and not see progress on the scale for a few weeks.  Again, it just depends on the individual.  People that start out heavier usually see more of a drop in the beginning but that's not always true for everyone.

I have been working with CC only 2 months, and I lost 8 pounds. I cleaned up my act, changed my diet. I am still learning from CC, and start to think about everything I eat. Now I eat raw vegatables, fruit, lentils, raw almonds, and started making my own whole wheta bread. I dont use any butter or Mayo, just got used to eating the bread straight, maybe with some beans on it.

Also, got myself a new bike, a road touring bike, and ride it everywhere.

Anyway, so far 8 pounds down in 2 months. (250 to 248) All I can say is its worth it every time I step on that scale, and Im totally into seeing that scale down a total of 20 lbs. ( I want to weigh 230, if not even more than that! But 230 is my 'realistic' goal for the summer)

I notice that a lot of people don't notice results on themselves until there's a huge difference, so I think I might be a bit of an oddball in this respect.  I usually notice differences very early - very tiny differences, such as the dip of my waist becoming a little more pronounced, my stomach getting a little bit flatter, my clothes fitting a little looser, not getting winded as quickly when I exercise, etc. 

But (after having successfully lost 30lbs, gaining it back +10lbs, and now down 20lbs again), I find that other people don't notice a change in me until I've lost about 20lbs.  At that point, sometimes I'll get asked if I've lost weight.  Then at 30lbs. lost, people will kind of do a double take and TELL me that I've lost a lot of weight. :/

If I could do things over again, I'd take better and clearer before pics at every milestone, because when you look at those photos side by side, you'll really be able to appreciate how dramatic the results are and what your hard work has earned you. :)