How long does it take to see results?

If you have been "exercising intently" for 4 weeks as you say you have then logically you should be seeing at least _some_ progress by now. I suspect it is your diet - you are underestimating how much you eat.

It's often said around here that it takes 4 weeks for you to notice a difference, 8 weeks for your friends to notice, and 12 weeks for everybody else.

it took me 5 months to see results and to see a difference in my clothes sizes... i only needed to lose 22 lbs and i still bounce around 19-22 lb loss, haven't been able to hit the 22lb loss and stay there yet and it's been just over a year. the scale dropped very very slowly for me and i noticed my first 5 lb loss 2 months after i started.

I made my lifestyle change about 5 weeks ago and I am just now starting to see some changes. I totally understand how you feel. Do your clothes fit any better or to you feel better? Keep at it and you will see changes.

yes measurements and pictures are a MUST! i wish i took pictures but was thankful i did measurements!

If you open your diary, maybe I/we could give some more specific advice.

Hi All i new to mfp, i started exercising instensely around 4 weeks aago but havent really seen any changes on the scales and am starting to get dissheartened, I need to lose 40 pounds , has anyone any advise? Hw long does it take to see results? and what should i be doing, so far ive been kickboxing and strength training with dumbells .

Everyone is different. It took me two years to lose 60 lbs and I've kept it off for over a year.

Too many changes at once can be hard on some people. I've always eaten healthy so it easy for me to simply eat less. Eating at a calorie deficit is hard on people; even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones and such. Everyone is different. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others, this is not right or wrong, it just is. Stress in your life affects your hunger hormones; lack of sleep, fatigue, job stress, family stress, financial stress, etc. Add in emotional eating issues and it gets even more complicated. Most people can only handle so much change/stress at once, they try to do too much and fail. Sometimes it might be a better strategy to eat at maintenance and make some small changes first, it really depends on how much stress you are taking in at the moment.

There is no mystery to weight loss, everyone thinks something is wrong, their metabolism is broken, they have low thyroid, they have menopause or whatever issue, they are as unique as a snowflake, whatever. I thought a lot of these things once too but once the doctor helped resolve the health issues for me I learned there is still no magic pill. Most people eat more than they need to and are not at good at estimating calories as they think they are. Most people have a lower BMR than they think they do. The only way to know for sure is to go to a lab and have it tested. It doesn't seem fair to have to eat less and feel a little hunger. It's hard to face the truth of it, very hard. It's not fun. It's drudgery at times. But if you learn to enjoy your smaller amounts of food (necessary to lose weight, since the reason we got fat in the first place was eating too much whether we knew it or not), and rejoice in your victories it can be done.

Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.

Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.

The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.

To say eat more is wrong.

To say eat less is wrong.

If you plug in all your info (typically age, gender, height and weight) into one of those calculators what you get is the average metabolic rate of a group of people who share your age, sex, height and weight. What you DON’T get is YOUR EXACT calorie needs. It's a place to start.

To find the exact calories needed for YOU to be in a healthy sustainable calorie deficit is the right answer. Wait, if you need to adjust by 100 do it, wait, adjust, wait, adjust, wait. The tortoise wins this race.

All that matters is calories. A healthy balanced diet within a calorie budget for a deficit that is right for YOU is all that matters for weight loss. Don't make it complicated.

You may have probably had some changes, but not on the scale. Check with your clothing, do they seem a little loose to you? Does your face seem a little slimmer? (This is when I know I had some changes, seeing my face slimmer, I got those chipmunk cheeks when gain weight, lol). I had a friend who was about a size 10. I noticed huge changes after 3 months. I know she exercised with her b/f and established good eating habits. I also have to say the same for myself. I can’t necessarily say I had to lose weight, but anything I stay committed to, I had noticeable changes in 3 months. Whether it was cardio, weight lifting, or martial arts. But, I think it also depends on the persons metabolism as well. There is a lot of information out there that tells you how to boost your metabolism (eating about 5 to 6 times a day, this has to do a lot with starvation mode of the body, you can find this kind of information online and in anatomy and physiology books)
I would have to say that I had lost the pounds I had gained in the past two years by applying better eating habits. I used the Abs diet book as a beginners guide for food shopping. Its not really a diet, more of replacing food you would like with healthier versions of it. Also explains the basic of how to properly fuel your body and understating the differences of how calories are burned and how long with cardio and strength training. Only problem that I have is that I can’t have milk because I’m lactose intolerant and anything gluten, trail bars and trail mixes don’t’ react well with my body.
Anyways, I would just check it out at the library, or go to the bookstore and skim through it take notes. You usually see it in the bargain section. There is always a lot of information online that you can find by trusted websites.
Sorry for the long post, but I hope you get something out of it! Remember, just because the scale doesn’t show any changes doesn’t mean there hasn’t!

yes measurements and pictures are a MUST! i wish i took pictures but was thankful i did measurements!

^^^ this

I take pictures regularly as it's a sure fire way to see differences when there side by side. Also @californiagirl post is right on the money especially about how / where you lose weight. Basically it'll boil down to 1) Diet 2) Exercise and 3) Patience. There's some good feedback here and the general theme falls under these three categories. Good luck....

I started July 27 and dropped a fast 20lbs. by eating 1200 a day. some days i did eat back my exercise points but only if i have too,

my goal by Thaksgiving is 40 lbs (4 monthes) and i am a little over it.

no matter how much you exercise you must lgo and count calories and do it each day and it will work for you also

good luck

Depending how much you have to lose, 3lbs in one month isn't really that bad.
Heck it's a loss not a gain. I always say, all the small numbers will add up to bigger numbers.

make sure you are getting in a calorie deficit. Exercise is important, but diet means alot more.

When I started I was 245 lbs, so I lost more out of the gate (I can't say that anymore haha), but I would say it took 20+ lbs for people to notice. I was obese though.

Keep at it... time is going to pass anyways, so you will get there.

Hi All i new to mfp, i started exercising instensely around 4 weeks aago but havent really seen any changes on the scales and am starting to get dissheartened, I need to lose 40 pounds , has anyone any advise? Hw long does it take to see results? and what should i be doing, so far ive been kickboxing and strength training with dumbells .

Hi, I have been on mfp for 2 months and have lost 10.5 lbs which I gained some of it back, about 2 lbs. There isn't any real noticable changes in me yet. My hubby, of all people, hasn't noticed, but maybe it's still too soon. 8 lbs isn't that much difference. I too, exercise daily, but it's about calories and eating habits. I am getting better at changing my eating habits, but it's still rough going at times. Still, I will not get discouraged or give up. I will keep persevering and keep my eye on the prize: A slimmer me with a fab body!

I read on here somewhere that it takes about 12 weeks for others to notice a difference (weight loss/gain) either way. We have to keep working at our weight loss journeys and eventually, others will take notice. I will support you.

Hi there, I have only lost about 7lbs since my journey starting 10\22\2012. However, I'm coming to understand that losing weight is all about eating less and exercising more. It's as simply as that! There's no special way or secret regimen. Do those two things and log your food faithfully and you will lose. The amount and time period varies from age, weight and genetics like everything else. I have recently learned and accepted this. Feel free to add me. *Also, healthy foods are most definitely needed, but moderation is the key. This is a lifestyle change .....

I asked the same question when I first started my diet and exercise two months ago. I started my 1,200 calories count and excised every day but still didn't see the result the first month. But then my weights started dropping every week which I had lost almost 11 lbs since September 23. Don't give up..just keep exercising and eat healthy. You should see the results soon.