How long does it take to notice weight loss ?

 People often ask me:

• “How long does it take to notice weight loss?”
• “At what point in your weight loss did you start to notice a difference in your appearance? “
• “What percent of your body weight did you have to lose before you were able to see an actual difference?”
• “When did others begin to notice?”
• “At what point, if any, did the difference become extreme?”

The answer to the question “How long does it take to notice weight loss?” will of course be different for each of us. But I’m going to share how it happened for me and what and when I noticed a difference from my weight loss.

First, you need to know my starting statistics. I’m 5’6 and, at my heaviest I weighed 178lbs, a UK size 16 (US 12). I now weigh 123lbs, give or take a few lbs and a UK size 8 (US 4). Everyone can notice the difference now of course, but when did it first become noticeable? And how soon was it before I began dropping dress sizes?

Weight loss doesn’t always show evenly

Many experts say that you should expect to change one clothing size with every 10-12 pounds of weight lost. And that was about right for me, but the weight didn’t come off evenly. The stubborn areas took the longest to change. My bra size got smaller faster than my calves, so skinny jeans were out of the question even when I felt comfortable baring my arms. Ultimately your clothing size depends on the measurement of each particular body part.

How long before my weight loss started to show

At the very beginning of my weight loss journey, it was after I’d lost about 14lbs before someone other than me noticed. I think it was this much because there was a lot of water weight to get rid of. After that, I came to expect to see a difference after 10lbs of weight loss, until I dropped down to 130-132lbs. Once I reached that stage, evry 2-3lbs I lost made a noticeable difference to how I looked. And when I got below 125lbs, people started commenting on how tiny I looked. I can’t tell you how good that made me feel. Me…. tiny!

How long did it take before I could really see my own weight loss?

IF i’m really honest, I’m still coming to terms with it, even now. There are still times when I feel fatter or bigger than I know I am. And at those times, it’s only my clothes size and weight that keep me in touch with reality! But gradually, the weight loss shows and is more noticeable – even to me.

So the answer to “how long does it take to notice weight loss” really depends on:

1. Who is noticing – you or other people.
2. Your starting weight and how much weight you’ve lost.
3. How close to your ideal weight you are.

All I can say is, keep going, push through and you will notice the difference and others will too – and when that happens, you’ll feel great.