Lost 17 pounds but can't see results! :(

Hello all,

I started off at 246 at the beginning of June and since then I have dropped 17 pounds. I am feeling a little frustrated, not because I'm not losing weight, but because I feel like I look exactly the same. Last time I dropped pounds like this, 15 pounds was noticeable. This time around I don't know what the difference is besides the fact that I started off weighing more than last time.

I need motivation!! :(

My advice is get a tape measure and take measurements.  Sometimes it seems like the weight changes on the scale, but you can't see it with your eyes.  But maybe your clothes fit better.  The measurements are a concrete way to "see" your body shrinking even when your eyes don't really see it.

Also, there are times when the weight on the scale stays the same but the inches are still dropping off.  A tape measure is a really great investment for only $1-$2. 

Hi Madison,

Don't stress about not seeing the loss so far. I started out at around 240 and I had to loose 25-30 lbs before I or anyone else really noticed the loss.

It could be little things that you maybe don't notice right away...does your bra strap fit a little looser around your chest? Do your necklaces hang a little lower? Are your cheekbones more pronounced or your rings a little more slippery on your fingers?

A tape measure could help, but I'm betting if you give it another month or another 5-10 lbs, you'll start to notice subtle differences in the way you look and feel :)

Katie

Hey Madison,

I know how you feel. I started at 230 and have just lost 17 lbs as well. I don't see much of a difference but I invested in a tape measure and I have lost about 4 inches in my waist and about 1.5 - 2 inches everywhere else. But going into my weight loss journey I knew I would probably have to loose a good 30lbs before any big difference.

This quote helps me when I get frustrated:

I'm not saying it's going to be easy, I'm saying it's going to be worth it.

If you need any support or anything at all feel free to let me know!

The more you weigh to begin with, the longer it takes for the change to show up in the mirror... I started at 265 and for the first twenty pounds I honestly couldn't see any difference whatsoever except that my pair of 'test jeans' was getting looser. Keep plugging away and know that things ARE changing - it just takes time. One day you'll look at yourself and think 'wow, I really AM smaller!' That's why I started taking a monthly progress photo wearing the same outfit (my 'test jeans' until they were eventually too big to wear!) and getting out the tape measure every few weeks to take my measurements and writing them down in a table. That way, I had not one but three different measures of progress to remind me that things really were changing whether I could see it or not.

I am in the same boat as you! I have lost 15# and felt like I was the same. The last time I measured was about 2 months ago and I lost 14.75 inches over all. I still weigh 164# but I am wearing size 8 pants and dresses! I am going to measure again on Sunday. I am getting frustrated because I have been around 164 for what seems like forever. I am looking forward to measuring and feeling better! Hope my situation helps you. Get a tape measure! :)

Make sure you make a note of what bra and underpants you are wearing when you measure- you know all these new technologies hold things in - you want to make sure to always wear the same thing and measure like once a month. You can do this!

I agree about the tape measure but also since I've been exactly where you are now just a few months ago, I wanna tell you that plus size clothes suck! (for more than one reason) but they suck because you have to lose so much weight to even go down a size.  I didn't go from size 22-24 to 20 until I lost almost 24 lbs.  Then from 24lbs to my current 38 lbs lost, I'm now down to a 16.  You can see the difference in black and white!  But inches lost are totally amazing and will make you feel great!  Good luck. 

Yeah when I first started I was told to measure myself and I did, but I haven't measured since and I can't find my first measurements! :( I was BARELY squeezing into a size 16 (I was most likely an 18 but I refused to buy a bigger pair of jeans because I felt like I would be allowing myself to get bigger. Needless to say that's when I started my diet :P. I can now almost comfortably fit into the size 16's but I still don't like the way jeans look on me cause my thighs are so big I feel like they look weird. So I've been wearing black slacks all summer in lieu of jeans.

I'm trying so hard to remember what my starting measurements were. :(