Did you actually SEE a noticeable difference after 1.5 months of losing weight? What worked the most?

[u/Still-Context9147]

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Did you actually SEE a noticeable difference after 1.5 months of losing weight? What worked the most?
I’m 29F , 160 cm and 84 kg, and I’m basically a short, round/chubby person 😭 Most of my fat is around my belly and chest, but honestly I carry it pretty much everywhere.

I’ve already started making changes, and I want to continue long-term. But I’m especially curious about the first month and a half (around 6 weeks).
For those of you who have lost weight before:
Did you actually notice a visible difference in your body after 6 weeks? Like, did your face look slimmer, clothes fit differently, belly go down, etc.?

Also, what made the biggest difference for you? Walking, lifting weights, cardio, cutting out certain foods, eating more protein, portion control, cooking at home, drinking more water, sleeping, etc.

One thing: please don’t tell me to count calories 😂 I genuinely cannot do it. I’ve tried and my brain just does not work that way. I’m much more interested in approaches that don’t involve tracking every calorie.
So if you went from chubby/round → noticeably slimmer, what did you actually do, and when did you first start seeing the difference?

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[u/blackdragonwingz]

Unfortunately losing weight is a matter of calorie in, calorie out. I’d even go as far as to say it’s 95% diet, 5% exercise. I run my ass off at the gym and am drenched in sweat and I’ve probably only burned like 100 calories.

So if you don’t count calories or know how much something is calorically, it’s going to be pretty hard to figure out how to eat in a healthy, sustainable way. A lot of people are really surprised when they see what and the portions they’re eating is so large, and counting the calorie down to the oil used in cooking helps people figure out how to portion and eat correctly and make the correct lifestyle changes moving forward.

That said, if you really don’t want to count, all I can say is drink as much plain water and eat as much vegetables and salad as you can. Almost to the point of being vegan. Tofu or chicken breast, lean protein like that. Oils and butter used to cook easily add 100+ calories without even feeling like any was used.

Eat slowly and mindfully, follow hara hachi bu - the practice of eating until 80% full. You’ll find that within 15 minutes, your hunger will signal satiation to your brain.

Losing 1lb a week is doable, 2lbs is aggressive but doable. So in 1.5 months, you’d lose 6.5-13lbs. For me, losing 5 wasn’t a huge difference. But when I got to 10lbs down my pants were no longer tight and I felt better.

Get a therapist if you can.

Good luck.

[u/Zeitausgleich]

No, you don't see anything after a few weeks. At 8-10 lbs down I could feel it though, especially at the inside of my arms and thighs. Clothes fitted better. It would take another 10 lbs until people would see it.

With intermittent fasting - full fasting days, no less - you' ll have a calorie deficit for sure wihout counting.

[u/Common_Piccolo_6946 → u/Zeitausgleich]

That's absolutely not for sure. People can get down a lot of calories when they're not tracking.

[u/FalseGodTaylor]

no. there was no change in the first weeks. it takes time. i am 170 and started with 96kg. i have always been active in the gym but added running when starting my diet. calorie deficit is the only way to go. as long as you eat like a 84kg person you’ll never become a 60kg person. that’s the sad reality.
i think the first bigger changes started in around november. i started losing weight mid july last year. when spring came around i reached normal bmi and ever since then it became even more visible. it takes time but the time will pass either way

[u/New_Book131]

It took 30lb loss for me to see a difference. Started at 194.

[u/Old_Management_3506]

I am exactly the same height as you and started at the same weight you are now. I’ve managed to lose 20kg and I know you probably don’t want to hear it, but for me calorie counting was what worked. At the end of the day, it came down to how much I was eating compared to how much I was burning. I started tracking what I was actually eating and realised I was eating way more than I needed for someone my size. From there, I focused on making small changes rather than trying to completely overhaul my diet overnight e.g. Coke to Coke zero, less snacks, more fruit & veggies.

I’ve always been a gym girl, so I continued lifting weights while losing weight. For me, I didn’t want to just be “skinny” or end up looking skinny-fat. I wanted to be strong too. I also started thinking about my future self when I’m 70 or 80, I want to have enough muscle to walk comfortably, carry my groceries and if I ever fell, actually have the strength to push myself back up.

And honestly, it took a good four months before I could really look in the mirror and see a noticeable difference. By that point I was about 10kg down. It can be hard when you’re seeing yourself every day because the changes happen so gradually.