I've lost just over ten pounds. If I were only 10-20 pounds overweight, I'd be jumping up and down. But since I'm 120 pounds overweight, ten is no big deal. I figure it'll be at least 50 pounds before I can really tell a difference.

For those who've lost gobs of weight already - how far along were you when you began to see the difference in your mirror?

SleepyJean; I haven't lost gobs of weight, only 29 lbs (unbanded) but I can tell a big difference so far.

I have lost almost 3 full pants sizes and have gone from a 44DD to a 40DD. Size 10 panties were almost too tight now I can wear 9 bikinis and they are too big - the size 8 I will be in about 5 pounds.

From Jan - March I watched what I was eating then decided to go ahead with plans to be banded - I changed my eating habits and started exercising.

Try and keep measurements and take weekly/bi-weekly pictures. You will start to see the changes little by little :confused:

Can't wait to join bandland :cheer:

I think it depends on the person...I started out at 375lbs and have lost 44lbs so far. I'm still in the same clothes and no-one has noticed a difference at all :confused: I can tell where the weight is coming off..belly little better and legs much better but I have absolutely no idea when I will be able to do the wonderful thing of shopping for a lower size!

I'm happy with the weight loss but disappointed to in an odd sort of way.

WOW Alison, that is great - 44 lbs in what amount of time?

See if a person say 200 lbs lost the 29 lbs I have lost, people would say WOW you have lost weight haven't you?

The 29 lbs on me is noticeable BUT not like it would be on someone smaller.

If I had lost 50 lbs by now, someone might really really notice - so I think the more you have to lose, the more it takes for others to notice.

I have not exercised in 3 years or so, when I started I thought, heck Ill do this just to feel better and see if it helps - that has shown a major change in clothing even though I lost more weight (probably water) before I started exercising. Now I feel miserable when I dont exercise:p

Someone had a thread on fat vs muscle and you could see the muscle took so much less room than the fat - so you might weigh more or lose slower but exercise is a great tool also.

Its nearly impossible when you see yourself every day. I only know I'm different because I fit into smaller clothes. I see an improvement when I look in the mirror but I've changed my hair significantly, had it straightened, and I cant pick what's making the difference kinda thing.

Went to my nieces birthday party, and saw some of my sisters friends whom I wouldnt have seen for 12 months and noticed the female half of all 3 couples checking me out surreptitiously, lol. They kept looking and then one finally said later on "have you lost weight". So at 18kg down I've changed enough that people I havent seen for ages can tell. One of my 10 year old's school friends asked me the same question at basketball the other night and one of my friends walked past me in the street the other day because I had sunglasses on. When I see a photo I can really tell.

But it's take almost all that 18kg, probably it was noticeable from 14kg onwards, I had about 36 to lose.

Same here Jean, I'll have to lose 50 - 60 before its noticable.... but thats okay because I feel so much better.

I really noticed a difference after I had lost 40 pounds. It wasn't immediate and it was more like I noticed the difference after the weight loss slowed and the inches caught up. I do think it depends on the person and how/where you carry your weight. I have to say though, sometimes I think more people should notice the difference and comment on it. I went from a size 22 to a 16 and down from a 44DD to a 38D, even my shoe size changed! I think that when you have been really heavy though, people don't even want to bring up your weight........so I take pride in my accomplishment and know that I look alot better than I did, and the people that know me and know I have a band comment on my progress all the time, so that's great!

Jean,

I know it's been mentioned already but I think it depends on you, how you hold your weight, how much weight you have to lose, etc.

I started off having to lose about 130 lbs. I didn't really notice the way I looked so much as the way I felt. I saw myself in the mirror every day so it was hard to say I SAW the change. I saw myself in the mirror everyday as I was GAINING and didn't seem to notice, why would I notice a loss? My clothes were starting to get looser with about 20lb loss. My co-workers were really getting vocal about my loss at about 30 lbs. I could physically FEEL around my neck and shoulders that I was losing because I could start to feel my collar bones and my neck pudge was going away by about 30 lbs.

Everybody is a little different in how and where they lose. Be patient. You'll be singing and dancing about how you feel in the blink of an eye.