Can you see a difference?

Hello All,

I've been on CC for 10 months now and have lost 75lbs.  I feel better and my confidence has increased.  However I've always had a lot of muscle and since muscle weighs more then fat, I weigh so much more (or maybe I'm crazy :S)...  Right now I'm at 242lbs. and I've seen other people who weigh the same or less then me and they look so much bigger.  I know I'm still big but I just am losing my confidence.  I was so happy with myself but I've been taking pics of myself lately and I can't see a difference anymore :(  I still look the same and I feel HUGE.  Is this the truth am I really taht big, or is my mirror deceiving me and making me feel like a whale.  Maybe its because half the time when I look in the mirror I see the "old" me and thats what my mind portrays?? Please tell me if you can see a difference and if I'm just crazy or not.  Also please share your advice as to how you got over seeing your "old" self.  I should be so proud of myself.  I mean I'm losing lbs. (slowly still on a plateau I guess) not losing too many inches in my waist anymore. But I can fit into size 18 jeans, and XL in shirts etc... I just bought a shirt from American Eagle last night for the first time EVER!  and a Gap hoodie the other day.  So why am I so paranoid and hard on myself?

I think it is common for people who are losing weight to look at themselves too often and for too long.  This makes them get visually used to what they see and the difference from day to day becomes less and less clear.  I look at myself in the mirror and I feel like I look exactly the same as I did 10 lbs ago (started at 184, now at 173).  But that is only because I will stare at myself in the mirror and study every inch to see a difference.  However, I made sure to take those dreaded "before" pictures just for situations like those.  I pulled out the pictures, held them up and comapred them to what I saw in the mirror.  The pocket of fat around my belly was half the size it was before.  My cheeks were far less pudgy than before, etc.  So I would say, take out some pictures from before you started your weight loss and see how you looked.  Then take another look in the mirror.  It is all about creating some perspective.

Also, like you said, there are many other ways to show yourself the progress you have made.  You said that you fit into sizes you never could before.  Bravo.  That was another way that I noticed how well my weight loss was going.  Same thing goes for my strength training.  I never took any muscle measurements so I don't know how much I gained, but my t shirts feel tighter around my upper arms, I can toss my girlfriend over my shoulder with complete ease, etc.  So, in conclusion, don't rely on your eyes because they will be sure to deceive you soemtimes.

Original Post by meagang:

...Please tell me if you can see a difference and if I'm just crazy or not.  ...

 Don't worry you are just crazy :P  I can see a big difference!  You are doing great, congrats!!!

I have on and off days.  Sometimes I feel like I look great and can really tell I have lost weight, and others I feel just like I used to.  I know its just a mental thing because my body can't change that quickly day to day.  I try to focus on the good days and to remember them on the bad. 

For you I would suggest trying on your old clothes and seeing how much extra room there is.  Mirrors and buying new clothes can be deceptive(I always worry that its vanity sizing) but if you try on your old clothes and remember how they used to fit...you should see the difference! 

Today is kinda a bad day for me so I wore some relatively old pants.  They used to be really tight but now I have to pull them up everytime I get up and walk around.  Makes me feel so much better!!

You are doing great. I know for me, even though I have lost the poundage, dosen't mean I immediately look like I have lost the weight. I think it takes a little while for your body to readjust and catch up to the number on the scale. But, yes, you do look like you are losing. Keep it up!!! 

I jsut looked at your pics and you can definitely tell a difference! you are looking gooood! keep up the good work and don't keep telling ur self nothing is different becuase it is! you are doing so well!!!!

You are doing so great, what a tremendous success you've had so far! Everyone's body is different and having a good amount of muscle is a wonderful quality. I also have a lot of muscle and so my "weight" sits differently on my body than I've seen others.

I go through the same thing as you tho! What keeps happening is: I'll lose some pounds...feel great and feel I can see and feel a difference. Then a few days later, it all goes away and I no longer feel great, I feel large and in charge. I'm thinking it's because I get used to how I feel and look and since I'm on such a mission to lose so much more, I know I'm not there yet and it's time to keep going.

This is actually good--because in the past, I'd get to where I'm at now and be so happy with how I look and feel in comparison to previously that I slowly revert and regain. Not this time!

I agree tho...less mirror gazing and judging...you know you are being healthy and maintaining a great lifestyle and making a major difference within, so believe in that and don't let your eyes or mind fool you!

You can most definitely see a difference! Congradulations on losing so much weight!

Personally, I've always been a tall, broad girl, and I think maybe we can relate. I never look as "cute" as most of the girls I know and I always feel uncomfortable around them like I'm an awkard stork or something flapping over them. =/ I'm not very girly anyway and have a lot of guy friends with whom I dicuss the geekiest of things, so it just adds to the awkwardness.

And while I try not to compare myself with them, it's still difficult not to. You might even be doing it without realizing it. You can only compare yourself to you, and what you've done so far is great!

Also, make sure you recheck how many calories you've been eating since you're body doesn't burn as much with 75 less pounds on it!

Also, in response to the whole thread, a great thing to do is to try to look at things differently then you do now. I know this might sound crazy, but I can definitely tell that if I look at something like I've never seen it before, I'll notice all kinds of differences I've never thought of.

A good way to help you do this is to draw things upside down for a while. Even if you hate to draw, it makes you concentrate on different things to take a picture, turn it upside down, and try to draw it. (And the results can be hilarious!)

Girl,

I don't even know you but you have lost some weight and I can surely see that! This is encouragement for me. You have more definition in your frame. Don't let your mind fool you. You are strong, you came this far. Keep up the good work!^^

You can totally see a difference! you've come so far. So many people are still trying to accomplish what you already HAVE. Be proud it is all because of your hard work! like mrsgail said, you are an inspiration to others. I have only lost 7 pounds, so I like seeing posts like yours it lets me know this can be possible for me too! keep it up and congrats!

I can see a big difference! Keep up the great work!

I know it's hard to see a difference yourself, but trust me, it's there!

omg, i just did a journal entry on this topic today! pix make me look like i've lost nothing, but the mirror says different. so do my clothes. and like you, i'm now able to shop in stores that have been off limits for years! maybe i've got the same issue, of seeing my "old" self when i look at pictures....

I have always found it helpful to measure myself in addition to weighing.  I measure my chest, waist, butt, thighs, upper arms ... any area that you want to keep track of.  Then when you compare, you don't have to rely on just your eyes - because THOSE numbers don't lie.

I can totally see a difference.  And I added you as a friend.  Take a look at the pic of me on my wedding day.  I know, sounds crazy, but saw yours and thought it looked familiar.  I'm definitely larger, but there was just something about it lol.

You look remarkable. I am so inspired by your progress. I always get a good running start and then stall and stop dead in my tracks. You are proof positive that it can be done! Thank you for sharing your fear, but it is unfounded. You most certainly can see a difference, keep it up you are on the very edge of achieving a real transformation!