How long does it take to notice a difference?

I just started my exercise and diet journey 3 days ago and I was just wondering how long does it take to start loosing weight? I am afraid even with the changes I am making that I won't loose weight.
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Replies

  • jfhbrl
    jfhbrl Posts: 13 Member
    I am new to MFP and I would like to know this also;)
  • GreyEyes21
    GreyEyes21 Posts: 241 Member
    3 days isnt very long :) but it should only be a few more days till you notice a scale difference. In about a week or two you should notice a measurement difference aswell. That is asuming you are doing everything you should to get maximum results. :) Also asuming you have a lot of weight to lose. the more weight the faster the results.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    if you're exercising and eating right, you'll notice that you feel better pretty soon.
    after that, as you start losing weight, you'll notice your clothes fit better.
    next, people will start mentioning to you that they notice.
    then, down the road, you'll see it yourself in the mirror.
  • Sara45431
    Sara45431 Posts: 25 Member
    I am not expecting a difference yet. I am just scared that I won't loose anything because I have been unsuccessful before. I am keeping a food and exercise diary. Do you have any suggestions on what else I should be doing?
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    I am not expecting a difference yet. I am just scared that I won't loose anything because I have been unsuccessful before. I am keeping a food and exercise diary. Do you have any suggestions on what else I should be doing?

    don't drink your calories. switch to drinking water as much as possible. alot of people may think they are doing everything right with their food diary and not realize how many extra calories they are ingesting with what they drink because they aren't logging what they drink. other than that, just the normal stuff... get enough sleep, take a multivitamin with food to make sure you don't miss out on critical vitamins, be honest and accurate with your diaries, etc. that's about all the advice i've got on the subject.
  • Honestly I couldn't visually see the difference for a few months, but my pants started to fit better one month in.
  • Jessicao33
    Jessicao33 Posts: 189 Member
    I notice it now I am little over 2 weeks in. Scale don't show me much..just going by how clothes fit..good luck and anyone can add me if u want
  • I am not expecting a difference yet. I am just scared that I won't loose anything because I have been unsuccessful before. I am keeping a food and exercise diary. Do you have any suggestions on what else I should be doing?

    I can offer a few tips =)

    1) Don't let one trip up get you down. Pick yourself up from the next meal on, or if it's a day thing the day after. The important part is picking yourself up
    2) As already mentioned try not to drink your calories
    3) Take measurements as well as weighing. Some times you may find you aren't losing anything, but check those inches!
    4) Make sure you are active everyday. Now this doesn't need to be 7 days of intense workouts! A few days of those can be just walking for 30mins - an hour.
    5) Don't expect it to drop fast. We don't gain weight over night which means we can't lose it over night either. So don't be disheartened if it's not going quite as fast as you would like.
    6) For those days you have a work out planned but don't feel like doing it, tell yourself "Just 15 minutes. Just 15 minutes and if I still don't feel like doing it I'll stop" Can almost guarantee you wont want to stop with the adrenaline rush.
    7) Keep an old outfit to try on along the way. I was shocked when I tried on an old pair of jeans, they literally dropped right off me onto the floor.
  • 18ishunter
    18ishunter Posts: 15 Member
    I started 3 days ago as well. I feel happier and full of energy. Maybe it's just my mind but...
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,259 Member
    It took me 2 weeks to start losing anything. So don't be impatient. It will happen. :)
  • meeka472
    meeka472 Posts: 283 Member
    I started losing right away though I think it was just water weight. It took about a month and a half before people started noticing. By about 3 - 4 months in everybody noticed and I was down several sizes.
  • mgnmsn
    mgnmsn Posts: 133 Member
    The first week I lost 4 pounds in water weight. After that about a pound a week. I noticed in my stomach because since I changed what I ate so that led to not being bloated from bad foods all the time. When I actually noticed getting skinnier was at about 15 pounds. That is when I looked in the mirror and was like "Woah. When did this happen?" I have lost just under 30 pounds now and I can tell a difference throughout my whole body. :) Feel free to add me!


    Important: At the beginning take a picture in your underwear of your front, back, side, face, arm, etc. I take monthly pictures to catch changes that you do not notice because you look at yourself daily. It really is awesome and encouraging!

    Much love to you and your weightloss journey! :)
  • GreyEyes21
    GreyEyes21 Posts: 241 Member
    TAKE PICS!! take pictures every week preferably with same clothes or if you choose nude. Sometimes I dont see a change in scale and measurements are lagging too so the only thing that makes me feel better are pictures! I sometimes notice I am more toned or smaller in certain areas :)
  • bakz4
    bakz4 Posts: 64 Member
    Depends what differences you are looking for.

    Weight? It might be a week, could be right away, could be longer. But the first weight change you'll see is water weight. Losing more than a pound or two each week is what you should aim for.

    Clothes? Everyone's different. It took me close to 15-20 pounds for my clothes to become looser and 25 pounds to drop a size. My clothes were pretty tight when I began to take control of my life, so I may have been fitting into the 'right' size sooner. Remember, though, that you neeed to be exercising regularly and limiting your calories. RECORD EVERYTHING!!

    Energy? As soon as you begin to exercise regularly and eat healthy you should notice changes right away.

    I've been at a plateau for quite some time now (which is ok, because it's showing me that I can maintain my current weight) but I know that my body is adjusting to the changes I've made.

    Good luck!! You're at the right place to make great changes to your lifestyle!!
  • I agree with the person who wrote, make sure you are being honest with yourself. Also, what is your motive? Is your motive, just to lose weight? or is it to be healthy while losing weight for the rest of your life? I have tried numerous times, to lose weight and i did. However, my main focus was to just lose weight so that i could buy smaller clothes and i thought that would make me feel better. Well, it did temporarily. The weight came back and i was at square one again. I was not trying to eat right and be healthy. I just wanted to lose weight. I had a short term goal. Soo, this time i am taking this very serious, as my life depends on it because it does. This is our life, let's take control and not let the enemy (comfort foods) control us. By the way, this is my 6th day in and i feel great. I am watching what i eat and including excercise as well. HANG IN THERE MY FRIEND WE CAN DO THIS!!!!!!! BE BLESSED!! STAY ENCOURAGED!!!!
  • tommygirl15
    tommygirl15 Posts: 1,012 Member
    It varies with the individual. I lost about 10 pounds in my first month, but I didn't actually see/feel the results on my body until the second month. I find it depends on how well you're sticking with your changes.
  • monkeefun
    monkeefun Posts: 271 Member
    It took several weeks before I ever started seeing a difference, and even then I didn't SEE it. The scale said I was losing, the measurements were coming up shorter, even my clothes were fitting a LOT better, but for me it wasn't until I took some after pictures and compared them to BEFORE pictures that I saw differences - and they were big differences then :-). It all takes time but when you reach that moment, or even the small milestones along the way, it is SO gratifying!
  • thompst214
    thompst214 Posts: 2 Member
    A week or 2
  • brenda4life
    brenda4life Posts: 65 Member
    I am 10 weeks in and just started to really see the change in me. From the first week I felt better, at 2 months I fit my clothes better, and now at 10 weeks, I see my body becoming more symmetrical.
  • poedunk65
    poedunk65 Posts: 1,336 Member
    All I can tell you i it takes time. I have lost over 50 lbs in 7 months and I don;t feel that much different. Other than less over all body pain.

    It IS worth it though.!
  • Stephanie_skinny
    Stephanie_skinny Posts: 106 Member
    I think after like 2 months of exercising and MFP people started to tell me I looked different! :) I really didnt notice it but other people did!!
  • dandes
    dandes Posts: 69 Member
    Stay positive, really. Don't allow any negative 'self-talk', NONE! When that little voice comes out when you're craving something sweet, or something fatty, don't allow it to take over. Be strong. You may not get the results you expect when you want them, but try to celebrate your small successes, feeling proud of yourself for taking control of your health, enjoying your new motivation for a better lifestyle, your mood changing for the better, being able to breathe better, feeling physically stronger, etc. Take measurements of your hips, thighs, upper arm, waist, bust, and check them every two weeks. The numbers on the scale may not change right away, they may in fact increase, but don't worry, your body composition is changing and you are building muscle to replace the fat. Muscle burns more calories and you'll eventually see a big difference, just keep it up! Look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself how much you love yourself for making these changes, you are you're best personal trainer and coach. You'll get there! Reward yourself weekly for achieving your goal with a new haircut, new cosmetics, new shoes, a spa day, a day out on the town (exercising every day, every other day, etc)... Good luck! You are already on the right track, just be patient with yourself and be treat yourself kindly like you would treat your best friend...
  • chubbygirl253
    chubbygirl253 Posts: 1,309 Member
    Within a few days you will probably lose a pound. I would say depending on your plan, you should lose approx 2 lbs a week. It'll work, you just gotta be patient. And the real test of your patience will be when the pounds are coming off and you haven't gone down a size yet. It took me around 25 lbs to really drop a size and that was discouraging. But around 25-30 lbs lighter is when people really started noticing my weightloss. You just gotta be infinitely patient and stick with it. Don't give up because you think it's gonna take too long to reach your goal. I mean, whether you are dieting or not the time will continue to pass so you might as well be working toward your goal. I'm over 16 weeks in, I've lost 43 lbs so far, and over 30 inches from all over my body. And geez, I think I might actually drop another size soon. Good luck!
  • louiselebeau
    louiselebeau Posts: 220 Member
    I have actually gained 10 lbs according to a scale (hence I have not changed my weight) But my clothes tell another story. My work uniforms are getting baggy in strange places. I am a corrections officer and have a very straight lined uniform so it is funny to see it so baggy. I also have tightened my belt a notch. I think I have been doing this for maybe 2 weeks or so. If you are exercising more, you need to make sure that you don't check the scale right away. Muscle weighs more than fat! The bonus side of that is due to more muscle you will be able to burn more fat by simply existing.
  • jpe71
    jpe71 Posts: 50 Member
    It's going to depend on a lot of factors. What's worked for me is to treat this as an experiment to figure out what works for me. The first few months, I sucked at logging, until I was finally able to make a habit of it. From there, pay attention to what you've logged and how it compares to what you've lost. Make sure you are absolutely honest, and measure things at least until you are sure about portion sizes.

    Look out for those exercise calories - I've found that some of the exercise calorie estimates are inaccurate. If your log suggests you should have lost 2 lb, and you've only lost 1, that could be the culprit. It could also be an issue with inaccurate logging.

    If you don't start losing weight pretty quickly, make some adjustments until it starts working. Remember that part of the process is learning. Therefore, even if you don't lose weight, if you've learned something that doesn't work, and change it, you're not failing.
  • lilmisfit
    lilmisfit Posts: 860 Member
    I am not expecting a difference yet. I am just scared that I won't loose anything because I have been unsuccessful before. I am keeping a food and exercise diary. Do you have any suggestions on what else I should be doing?

    I can offer a few tips =)

    1) Don't let one trip up get you down. Pick yourself up from the next meal on, or if it's a day thing the day after. The important part is picking yourself up
    2) As already mentioned try not to drink your calories
    3) Take measurements as well as weighing. Some times you may find you aren't losing anything, but check those inches!
    4) Make sure you are active everyday. Now this doesn't need to be 7 days of intense workouts! A few days of those can be just walking for 30mins - an hour.
    5) Don't expect it to drop fast. We don't gain weight over night which means we can't lose it over night either. So don't be disheartened if it's not going quite as fast as you would like.
    6) For those days you have a work out planned but don't feel like doing it, tell yourself "Just 15 minutes. Just 15 minutes and if I still don't feel like doing it I'll stop" Can almost guarantee you wont want to stop with the adrenaline rush.
    7) Keep an old outfit to try on along the way. I was shocked when I tried on an old pair of jeans, they literally dropped right off me onto the floor.

    ^^^^THIS!

    Good luck! You can do this!
  • Give iit 2 to 3 weeks. If you don't notice a diifference and you aren't losing weight by then, swiitch things up a little. I didn't lose any weight the first week, actually might have gained a little. After that, the weight started to come off at a steady clip.
  • hendinerik
    hendinerik Posts: 287 Member
    If you stick with it, it will happen - but because you are with yourself and see yourself every day you may not process seeing the difference you are making. Maybe take a picture now and then take another picture in a month and I would bet you'll see a difference.

    My advice would be focus on getting good habits going more than the scale to start. I know for me once I got past the first month I was on more of a rhythm with things. And you will have times where you are more motivated than others, so I also found having a routine time to exercise can help.

    Good luck!
  • alyssa92982
    alyssa92982 Posts: 1,093 Member
    i noticed mine at the end of 30 day shred-so 30 days :)
  • shinkalork
    shinkalork Posts: 815 Member
    to see results..well I would say a week or two but what kind of results do you want?......... that's the thing here...
    Don't weight yourself all the time (worst thing ever and mood buster).

    After a couple days, you'll see how your health improve, better cardio, you will lose inches ,pants will floats more,brighter skin tone etc...etc...etc...

    After 2 weeks...Go on the scale. Cause also, Muscles weight more than fat so....a scale doesn't know that and you could be pretty pissed by the number BUT........ check in the mirror or with a measuring tape.(or caliper if you have one for your Body fat %)
    The results should be pretty clear.