How can you tell you're losing weight?

[Comfy_Blue 285]

Hey guys,

I'm curious how are you able to tell you're losing weight? Do you go by the scale? How your clothes feel? What other people say? Looking at old photos of yourself?

I've lost almost 30lbs since I first started my journey and even though other people are starting to notice and mention to me that I'm looking smaller/losing weight, when I look at myself I look the same. I can only tell I've lost weight when I put on clothes.

Like I've had this XL, form fitting blue shirt for years that even at my heaviest (245lbs) I was able to get into. I tried it on yesterday and noticed that the arm holes and the part that goes across the chest aren't tight anymore.

I also notice my rings don't fit anymore. I always wear my wedding set and a birth stone ring my dad gave me. The birth stone ring used to fit only my ring finger, now I can wear it on my middle finger (and it's still loose). My wedding set refuses to stay pointing at the ceiling. As I type this, it's slowly spinning itself so it's between the skin of my pinky and ring finger, until finally it's pointing toward the floor.

Once I hit 200lbs, I'm getting it resized. My work pants don't fit either and all my XL yoga/stretch pants are now loose and keep trying to make a break for my ankles even when I pull the string tight.

GOOD PROBLEMS!!!

Funny thing is when I look at myself naked, everything looks the same. I still have a pouch of fat under my navel. My boobs are heavy and huge. Still got an ample behind. Thighs are still touching. My face is round with a stubborn double chin.

But I'm LOSING! That's what matters.

[gmanbat 5,889]

Other people that only see you occasionally can see what you don't because of your being gradually acclimated. When you get close to your goal weight all of your questions will be answered.

My wedding ring has changed fingers and may have to change hands until I get it resized. The only thing that is not changing is my wife, she's a keeper.

[TooFluffy 32]

I'm newly sleeved, but even with only my pre-op loss, I can see the loss in my face, clothes, and the scales.

[Miss Mac 6,262]

I lost the first 25 pounds in my face, shoulders and chest. My tummy is just now starting to go down. I have had one closet flushing, and will have another about ten more pounds from now. Thursday, I put on a pair of loafers I had not worn since Halloween, and they were so loose I could hardly wear them. My winter coat is too big now. My bras which were too tight to wear this summer are too loose to wear now. Plus, the scale is going down.

[laners777 145]

For me after 86 lbs, I still don't see the weight loss. I feel it, can tell by clothes but still see my "old" self in the mirror. I do see it in pictures. I'm over 6 months out and keep wondering myself when my eyes will catch up. I believe they call this dysmorphia (sp?) I just keep telling myself, it doesn't matter as long as I keep losing and feeling this good. Congrats on your weight loss!!!

[shamps4all 28]

I too have been relying on my scale up to this point. I did slip on a pair of jeans yesterday afternoon to run some errands and frankly was pretty disappointed. I thought that a nearly 25lb loss would make my jeans fit a little better, but they were still very snug which bummed me out a little. But then again, I am still pretty bloated from the surgery last Monday and my abdomen is still somewhat distended so I'm not going to freak out just yet. I got on the scale this morning and was only down .6 (yes, that's POINT six) so not even a pound. Since arriving home from the hospital I've realized a loss every morning on the scale but now I wonder if I might be at my first "stall" that I've read about from others here.

This may be TMI but I ended up steeping TWO bags of Smooth Move tea in Water last night before bed because it dawned on me that I hadn't been to the bathroom in a week or so. Of course all I've had are liquids since 12/30, but with the pre-op shakes I was still "regular" in that department. Since my surgery I hadn't gone, until this morning following last night's tea.

I am wondering if that could be part of my stall so I'm anxious for tomorrow to come so I can weigh again and see if 'going' made any difference. I'm really trying hard to tell myself to NOT freak out and worship at the altar of the almighty scale but I have to say - that's easier said than done. I really don't want to get on that emotional roller coaster...wondering why my body is betraying me when I'm trying so hard to do everything right. Those feelings are so reminiscent of past failures with dieting...I'm sure a lot of you know what I'm talking about here.

[SlowlybutSurely 73]

Why wouldn't you believe the scale? You are still the shame shape so that's probably why you look the same to you and it's funny that others notice the change in looks even before you do. However, if your scale says that you've lost 30 lbs, BELIEVE IT!

[Shells_Almost_There 357]

I use the scale, but when the scale doesn't move for me, I try on clothes that were tight (or didn't fit at all) a month or 2 months ago to see where I am. This works for me, especially when I am convinced nothing has changed. Today I had a pants victory - this pair of smaller pants that haven't fit really since I bought them in January 2005. They fit today and I was amazed. I also have a huge chest and this week I noticed that I'm going to have to find a smaller bra in both cup and number size because I've finally shrunk a bit in that area. Hallelujah! Now if my big gut would just shrink down a bit!!!

[SlowlybutSurely 73]

Shamps, it appears that you had your surgery in January and have lost 24 lbs. That excellent! So I'm not sure why you're allowing yourself to worry over losing .6 lbs from one day to the next. The surgery is not meant to act as magic so I think you're well on your way to your goal weight but at the same time, we have to have patience while still doing the right thing. I do NOT weigh every day but I'm not one that want to lose extra fast because I would like to avoid as much extra skin as possible but to each his own. I can tell you this though, if you allow yourself to stress over stalls, it will definitely slow down your progress.

[gmanbat 5,889]

No science for this but just observation...the part that you want to go down the most is the one that goes down last. In my case,.. the belly. It does come off, though.

[gomekast 559]

So, I have a lot of similiar things you speak about.

Rings dont fit me..only my class ring does but I'm not wearing that in lue of my wedding ring.

I also took my measurements so I could compare when I didnt see the scale moving much.

I've gained some height back! I've officially gone back up to 5 foot 9!

And I stayed in the same size stuff for the first..30-40 pounds. Then from 40 to current 68 lost, I literally flew down 3 sizes. It was nuts.

It happens fast once you hit a certain point. But I do still measure weekly to get a better gage on how its moving and settling.

[Branmuffin 190]

I've lost almost 50 and some days my ring is loose and other days it fits fine. I do swell a lot though. I don't weigh often so I mostly go by my clothes. In these first 10 weeks I've gone from size 20 to comfy size 16. I finally actually looked at myself in the mirror this week, it's been a while,and can see a big difference everywhere. My stomach does seem to be the lingering fat for now. I'm just not freaking out about it for now. I control what I eat and know I'm doing well so it will come off eventually.

[shamps4all 28]

Shamps, it appears that you had your surgery in January and have lost 24 lbs. That excellent! So I'm not sure why you're allowing yourself to worry over losing .6 lbs from one day to the next. The surgery is not meant to act as magic so I think you're well on your way to your goal weight but at the same time, we have to have patience while still doing the right thing. I do NOT weigh every day but I'm not one that want to lose extra fast because I would like to avoid as much extra skin as possible but to each his own. I can tell you this though, if you allow yourself to stress over stalls, it will definitely slow down your progress.

BamaBoo64,

Thank you. Yes...I know you're right and thanks for the reminder. I'm really trying to *not* worry like that this time. Like others...I've tried a handful of different diets in the past and have had success with a few at first, only to gain it all back with interest later. In those instances, getting on the scale was a big part of my life. Frankly, its been a few years since I've even used my scale. I haven't wanted to know how much I've weighed because I knew it was too much and I didn't want to make myself feel worse. I just need to get to acceptance on this and "let go" of these old/habitual emotions creeping in. It's a new day!

[Comfy_Blue 285]

thanks for sharing how you can tell that you're losing weight. i guess i was looking for some NSV and other cues because people keep asking me ''don't you see you're smaller? don't you feel smaller?'' and so forth. but i honestly don't. it's only when i put on my clothes.

that made a lot of sense about my shape being the same. no wonder i look the same(derp!). i really hope my love handles melt away so i'll have a waist again.

[slikchik10 85]

thanks for sharing how you can tell that you're losing weight. i guess i was looking for some NSV and other cues because people keep asking me ''don't you see you're smaller? don't you feel smaller?'' and so forth. but i honestly don't. it's only when i put on my clothes. that made a lot of sense about my shape being the same. no wonder i look the same(derp!). i really hope my love handles melt away so i'll have a waist again.

When I read the OP the first thought I had was "sounds like me." I see the pounds down on the scale. I see and feel my clothes becoming looser (I've had seasonal closet purge going on for a while). But, no matter how many times I hear "wow, you look great!" or "you're getting so little" I just don't always see it. My "fat girl brain" has never been at this place before so what I see in the mirror is not always the same as what others are seeing. I was talking with a close friend the other day (she's about 10yrs. post WLS) and mentioned this to her. She said it took her a few years of being at her set point for the image SHE sees in the mirror to match what others see. I think this is all part of our healing process; coming to terms with the new us. Just my 2 cents. :-)