Realistically- How long until you start shedding the pounds?

nowickij
nowickij Posts: 7
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been consistently working out and eating right for 3 weeks. I know that this is a work in progress (and I'm fine with that), but I am just wondering when I should expect to see results.

I have been eating the 1200-1300 calorie range for 3 weeks plus 5 days a week with intense exercise.
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Replies

  • lking2009
    lking2009 Posts: 1
    I started a little over a month ago and have lost at a pretty steady pace. I found that the 1200-1300 calorie range was too little for me (but I don't get to exercise often either). I was thinking that with so few calories and intense exercise maybe your body is in a "starvation" mode and not letting you shed the pounds. Just a thought :smile:
  • TeddyBear47
    TeddyBear47 Posts: 200 Member
    Make sure the calories you're counting is accurate. Unless you have a medical condition that is slowing your weight loss, you should be losing more. The best results are in the first few weeks.
  • Sarahmeridith
    Sarahmeridith Posts: 298 Member
    I also found I wasnt losing at 1200 calories but at 1400 calories I lose well! 19lbs in about 5 weeks
  • EgyptianMushroom
    EgyptianMushroom Posts: 341 Member
    It's not exactly a good thing to stick with the 1200 cal suggestion. Up your cals and make sure you eat back your exercise cals.
  • CaseRat
    CaseRat Posts: 377 Member
    I think you may be eating too little..


    Read this :)
    http://fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/most-dreaded-word-in-weight-loss.html
  • antoniosmooth
    antoniosmooth Posts: 299 Member
    I've been consistently working out and eating right for 3 weeks. I know that this is a work in progress (and I'm fine with that), but I am just wondering when I should expect to see results.

    I have been eating the 1200-1300 calorie range for 3 weeks plus 5 days a week with intense exercise.

    I imagine you've at least noticed you're losing inches, by this I mean your clothes are fitting better and you are beginning to LOOK better. Basically that stage when people begin saying there's something different about you but they can't put their finger on it.

    Are you talking about seeing results on the scale or results in terms of how you look?

    Considering if you are losing 1 pound per week you've lost about 3 lbs. AT THE VERY LEAST since you've begun your fitness program. If not, I'm wondering if your body is going into starvation mode and holding onto weight. I know you said your workouts are intense but can you describe it? 1200 calories isn't much if your workouts are truly intense, you may need to bump to 1500 - 1800 .... possibly.

    I know it sounds weird but you need to FEED your body in order for it to metabolize quickly.
  • nowickij
    nowickij Posts: 7
    Thank you everyone!!! This helps me so much. I think my calorie intake may be too low, but I don't feel that I'm starving myself. I'm going to up it to 1400 or 1500 and continue my exercise routine.
  • Boo522
    Boo522 Posts: 45 Member
    Are you sure that you are eating enough calories. If you are working out intensely you may need to be eating more.
  • robb7
    robb7 Posts: 22
    For what its worth ... My daily calorie intake should be 2200 daily. Today I ate only 1100, then went on a 4 mile run. It sucked. Low energy and sluggishness. Two days ago when I ran, I had eaten 1600 then went for a run, completed the 4 mile run at my average pace and felt fine. So, don't skimp on your calories, you need them.
  • TheFitHooker
    TheFitHooker Posts: 3,357 Member
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  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
    you've already lost three pounds... in three weeks. that is perfect. keep it up.
  • NekaLee
    NekaLee Posts: 51
    This is me too :frown: I'm hardly hitting 1000cal. I'm not hungry and I forget to eat. I'm doing Insanity and Jillian. I need help on what to eat to get at least 1300cal. My BMR says 1500. (I've lost 18pds so far and still have another 37 to go)
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
    Also depends on your height/weight and what you're looking to lose.

    People with more to lose tend to see more loss at a faster rate initially...

    :)
  • nowickij
    nowickij Posts: 7
    Thank you! I need this motivation!!
  • Dustinryan24
    Dustinryan24 Posts: 233 Member
    other people will notice before you do..
  • Blessedmommy_2x
    Blessedmommy_2x Posts: 419 Member
    Sometimes your body is just delayed in giving us the "results" of our efforts. It WILL come! Keep up the good work!

    ALSO...Have you been eating back some of those exercise cals that you burned? You may be "netting" to little calories? (Eating 1300 cals - 1000 cals burned = 300 net cals for the day) *I don't always eat ALL of them back but I DO eat some of them back... depending on how much I burned. Because I don't want to "net" too little.

    Everyone's weight loss rate WILL vary so its hard to say how quickly you should lose. But if you truly are struggling to lose, then I would say definitely increase your cals consumed.

    *** Off topic, but you are GORGEOUS!!! :smile:

    One more thing... If there is one thing that I have learned on here it is not about just pounds lost. There is more too it than that. Start tracking your body fat percentage, inches, etc and I am SURE you will see positive changes in those areas as well - even when the scale says otherwise.
  • honestlysweet
    honestlysweet Posts: 221 Member
    Your body isn't getting enough food. Do you log your workouts? If you do, you will get more calories to eat, and you should eat at least half of your exercise calories. You will lose quicker that way.
  • seansquared
    seansquared Posts: 328 Member
    Never just up your calories. Never just drop your calories either. You need to do the math and get your actual, required intake for maintenance (i.e. not going up or down on the scale) and from there you can determine your required intake for weight loss.

    Issue two I see is that you're exercising and (likely) not eating back those extra calories you've burned, effectively stalling you out.

    You need your weight and your bodyfat%. You can get the first one yourself. The second one too, if you want to get calipers and learn how to administer the bodyfat test (it's easy), or you can visit your local gym and ask for a bodyfat reading from calipers (they should check each point 3 times and take the average).

    Once you've got those, message me with them and I'll send you the maintenance and loss numbers.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Be sure to eat back all calories so NET is above BMR daily.
  • tovenestor
    tovenestor Posts: 25
    Be sure to eat back all calories so NET is above BMR daily.

    How far above BMR is recommended - working out (Insanity) 6 days per week.
  • nowickij
    nowickij Posts: 7
    I honestly never knew that you should eat back the calories that you burn during exercise!
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    Personally, I don't consider it to be a plateau unless I've seen no losses for 6 weeks. My hormones fluctuate so much in a month that you can't really tell what is going on until it has been more than a month. I happen to lose more slowly than average folk because of some thyroid problems. If after 6 weeks, it isn't working, it's time to change.

    So, yes, that does seem like an awfully long time and an awful lot of effort to put forth to not see results, but once this weight is gone, it will stay gone.
  • w2bab
    w2bab Posts: 353 Member
    My first month I gained 2 lbs. and then lost 4+, with a net loss of 2.2 lbs. However, I also lost 17.5". Weight loss picked up the second month.
  • butterfly10398
    butterfly10398 Posts: 176
    Remember not every body is the same and reacts the to certain parts of a daily diet... try different combinations in the carbs/fat/protein if you still don't see a result from increasing your calories... Play with it until the combination is right and you see the results you are working for...
  • Juliane_
    Juliane_ Posts: 373 Member
    Losing 1 lb a week is perfect.
  • khagador
    khagador Posts: 175 Member
    I'm netting around 1200 calories after exercise and I haven't lost either. It's coming up on 3 weeks for me as well. I know I am accurately counting all of my calories because I have a scale and I track every single thing that I eat.
  • msbellzee
    msbellzee Posts: 69
    I actaully think 3pounds in 3 weeks is fine. I have always been told a healthy loss of 500grms per week is realistic and the best way to lose and keep it off, if thats correct then you're bang on.

    I aim for 500gm a week anymore is a bonus for me
  • msbellzee
    msbellzee Posts: 69
    Losing 1 lb a week is perfect.

    I agree
  • nowickij
    nowickij Posts: 7
    well great! maybe I was just getting nervous for nothing...I will up my calories and be patient with my body :)
  • lfelzani
    lfelzani Posts: 3
    Hi!

    I am currently a student studying Physical Therapy - and we had just learned that it takes about 6 weeks to see physical improvements or hypertrophy (bigger muscles) or changes for weight loss, so don't get discouraged!!! Also, with weight loss, I think it takes about 8-12 weeks before other people notice and comment on your body changes. (in fact, I'm on my 11th week and just this week people have been commenting that I look like I've lost weight).. So it does take time and it is a definite commitment!

    The good news? You can prove to yourself you are on the right track by realizing newly-gained strength or better endurance during your workouts!

    Hope this helps!
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