Why do I still feel fat after losing 50 pounds?

Author: Lela Wisoky  |  Last update: Tuesday, November 25, 2025

They may still perceive themselves as very heavy, even when the reflection in the mirror reveals a much smaller person. This phenomenon is sometimes called “phantom fat” or “phantom fat syndrome.” The medical term is body dysmorphic disorder.

Why am I losing weight but still feel fat?

Daniels and other experts suspect this may happen because the brain hasn't “caught up” with the new, leaner body, particularly for people who were obese for many years and then experienced rapid weight loss. “Body image is a lot harder to change than the actual physical body is,” Daniels says.

Why am I still looking fat after losing 50 pounds?

Your body weight includes the mass of your body fat and a fat-free mass, or lean body mass – your muscles, bones, organs, and water (1). A very real possibility is that when you notice you are losing weight but looking fatter, you have lost water weight, muscle mass, or both.

How noticeable is losing 50 pounds?

Yes, losing 50 pounds is generally a noticeable difference in terms of body shape, health improvements, and appearance. The exact impact varies depending on individual body composition, but many people will experience a significant reduction in body fat and an increase in energy levels.

Why am I still chubby after losing weight?

This is due to the body not having enough nutrition to repair the muscle mass damaged during exercise. The way to burn fat while losing the least amount of muscle mass is through weight training, such as exercising by lifting weights or exercising by lifting your own body weight.

🔴 Carnivore Q&A | Why You Might Not Be Losing Weight on the Carnivore Diet

Why am I not dropping body fat?

The first and most important reason why you are not burning fat is because you are eating too many calories. Plain and simple the only way to lose body fat is to be in a caloric deficit. You need to be expending more calories than you take in. A lot of this has to do with calories that you don't notice.

How to flush out water weight?

  1. Exercise Regularly. Daily exercise provides several health benefits, including preventing water retention. ...
  2. Drink More Water. Drinking water to reduce water weight sounds counterintuitive, but it helps. ...
  3. Manage Salt Intake. ...
  4. Cut Carbs. ...
  5. Focus on Certain Foods and Herbs. ...
  6. Try Supplements. ...
  7. Up Your Caffeine Intake.

What is the 50% rule for weight loss?

Use the “50 percent” rule: At every meal, make sure at least half your plate is filled with produce. Use the scale wisely: Weigh yourself regularly to keep an eye on your weight, but don't look at the number as a measure of your self worth.

Will I get saggy skin if I lose 50 pounds?

Losing a lot of weight can leave a person with saggy skin, especially if the weight comes off quickly. There's no fast fix that can get rid of extra skin after weight loss, but you should keep seeing improvement. Just give it more time.

How long should it take to lose 50 pounds safely?

The expert-recommended and well-known rule-of-thumb is that losing 1 to 2 pounds a week is a normal and healthy rate of weight loss. If you were wondering how long it would take to lose 50 pounds, then using this guideline it will probably take you between 6 months and a year to accomplish.

What losing 50 lbs does to your face?

So when you lose that weight, your facial skin may appear saggier, older, and less youthful. The areas most commonly affected are the neck, jowls, cheeks, and around the mouth.

What is the whoosh effect?

The “whoosh effect” is a term for the noticeable weight loss that some people report while following low carb diets such as a keto diet. Some people believe that the whoosh effect happens when fat cells lose fat and fill with water. Researchers have not scientifically proven the whoosh effect, however.

What is it called when you lose weight but still feel fat?

Phantom Fat: Body Dysmorphic Disorder After Weight Loss.

Does fat get more jiggly before it goes away?

The awkward stage of fat loss occurs when your body fat becomes more "droopy", "jiggly", "flabby", or "watery" than it looked before. Please do not freak out, this is the natural process of fatloss. When you are in a caloric deficit your body takes the fatty acids that are in your fat cells, and replaces it with water.

Why do I look fatter but weigh the same?

Muscle weighs more than body fat

A pound of lean muscle mass and a pound of body fat tissue might weigh the same, but they take up different amounts of space. This means that muscle and fat may look the same on the scale, but they'll look different on your body.

What is the order of fat loss from the body?

Mostly, losing weight is an internal process. You will first lose hard fat that surrounds your organs like liver, kidneys and then you will start to lose soft fat like waistline and thigh fat. The fat loss from around the organs makes you leaner and stronger.

Will my breasts get smaller if I lose 50 pounds?

Other common areas include the stomach, leg and buttock area. Some common changes to the breasts that occur with weight loss are: Size – the breasts become smaller with weight loss. Skin – the skin around your breasts is especially prone to stretching and can lose its youthful elasticity after weight loss.

What is the Ozempic face?

Ozempic face is a colloquial term, not a medically recognized condition. It describes the facial changes that can accompany rapid weight loss when using medications like Ozempic or another version of the same drug (generic name semaglutide) FDA-approved for weight-loss treatment.

Is it loose skin or belly fat?

Ergo, if you have a belly that protrudes but you can't pinch more than an inch of subcutaneous fat, your problem is probably excess fat. If, on the other hand, you can pinch two or more inches, or your skin stretches two or more inches away from your abdomen when you pull it, you're probably dealing with excess skin.

How realistic is it to lose 60 pounds?

A safe and sustainable rate of weight loss is generally considered to be 1-2 pounds per week. Therefore, it could take approximately 30-60 weeks to lose 60 pounds in a healthy manner. Always consult with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian before starting any significant weight loss journey.

What is the 90 10 rule for weight loss?

While a good diet is crucial for health, bending the rules on occasion probably won't hurt. A tip you can try is the 90-10 rule. "Eat a healthy diet 90% of the time and splurge 10% of the time," McManus says. "Eating three meals a day for a week means 21 total meals: avoid splurging for more than two of those meals."

What kills water weight?

Water weight is not usually a cause for concern, but it can be uncomfortable and recurring. Reducing salt and carbohydrate intake, keeping hydrated, and frequently exercising are all good ways to lose water weight and prevent it from returning.

How to break a weight loss plateau?

How can you overcome a weight-loss plateau?
  1. Reassess your habits. Look back at your food and activity records. ...
  2. Cut more calories. Further cut your daily calories, provided this doesn't put you below 1,200 calories. ...
  3. Rev up your workout. ...
  4. Pack more activity into your day.

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