When Did You Start to Notice Changes?

I'm feeling pretty down and out right now. I'm about ten minutes away from heading to the kitchen to find some comfort in food. I decided I'd get on here instead. That's a win, right?

Anyhow, I'm in need of some encouragement and motivation. I want to feel better. I want to stop feeling so lazy and out of shape. I want to have ambition and stamina again. I know that I have created the condition I am in due to my poor food choices and lazy lifestyle. What I want to know is, how long after making diet and lifestyle changes will I start to feel better? Days, minutes, hours, months, years? I'm asking from a mental and physical perspective.

I need something that I can aim for, a timeline I can give myself to keep me from jumping off this bandwagon and trudging to the bakery.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and answer my question.

Replies

  • Blythmag
    Blythmag Posts: 252 Member
    How much do you want you want to lose? That usually defines the time.

    We all have different goals, my best advice is be patient and be in this for the long haul, take ya time and come to terms that its not easy but many many folk on here felt the same but are winning .....chin up.you can turn it around
  • Blythmag
    Blythmag Posts: 252 Member
    Forgot to say...im aiming for 21lb loss in around 10months as im getting married next year.thats MY motivation.
  • Idontcareyoupick
    Idontcareyoupick Posts: 2,854 Member
    Physically, it took me a while to see changes, almost 30lbs down. People were commenting before I saw anything. I did notice that I could tie my shoes more easily, that I actually wanted water and that some things weren't worth the calories. Try to look for the little things to push you forward. You already made one change coming here instead of the kitchen! Keep rocking it!
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    I went from 223 to 155. I am 5'7.5", so that is dropping from a BMI of 34.4 (well into obese) to 23.9 (normal/healthy). Started getting comments around 200, which is a BMI of 30.9 so still barely obese. How much your appearance will change is a big factor. You see yourself daily so it's never a big change unless you go back and look at photos or have to get new clothes because what you have is just too baggy.
  • AveriaKyle
    AveriaKyle Posts: 20 Member
    Physically u may not see much in the mirror. But if u see ur belt holes moving in, its a good sign. Took me about 3mths to move 2 belt holes.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    One of the most helpful things I ever read on here was about making perfecting the process your goal. Day to day, choice by choice, the daily achievement of good nutrition and maybe some activity , are how you mark your success. The rest will truly take care of itself over time. For me, upending my life and changing all my "habits" at once didn't seem like a thing that would work, habits are such because they provide us convenience or comfort, no need to punish ourselves for those things. Instead, where we know they aren't great long term habits to maintain, try to change one at a time. Like seriously slowly. Pick one thing and take care of that for a month, and when it's become the new normal, pick something else. And like I said, day to day is where the achievement is at. I found lists and journalling helpful to keep track of my progress.
  • pinkfairy88
    pinkfairy88 Posts: 88 Member
    Definitely agree with the taking one step at a time. My issue unfortunately is maintaining, I have been through this game a couple of times. When I think of the journey I am facing I can feel overwhelmed. But by making goals, both weight and physical /mental achievements and thinking about each and every meal /mouthful helped me reach goals. Currently 58lbs down since February - 240lb to 182lb.Good luck
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    I'm feeling pretty down and out right now. I'm about ten minutes away from heading to the kitchen to find some comfort in food. I decided I'd get on here instead. That's a win, right?

    Anyhow, I'm in need of some encouragement and motivation. I want to feel better. I want to stop feeling so lazy and out of shape. I want to have ambition and stamina again. I know that I have created the condition I am in due to my poor food choices and lazy lifestyle. What I want to know is, how long after making diet and lifestyle changes will I start to feel better? Days, minutes, hours, months, years? I'm asking from a mental and physical perspective.

    I need something that I can aim for, a timeline I can give myself to keep me from jumping off this bandwagon and trudging to the bakery.

    Thank you for taking the time to read my post and answer my question.

    I got a fitness tracker that synced with MFP and set my settings to lose 1 lb per week. I started logging my food and recording my activities (power walking every day) so those calories would sync to MFP. I started logging my main food, but always kept some extra calories for grazing.

    After about a month or so I started noticing that I was losing about 1 lb per week, so I just kept doing it. In a year (52 weeks) I lost 57 lbs.

    I used that year of logging food as a learning tool to learn how to eat "without" logging, and how to eat better for the most part. I still eat junk food when I want, but not nearly as much as I used to. I have not logged since and have been maintaining my weight just fine, and because I exercise every day, It is pretty easy not to over eat because I burn at least 500 active calories per day.

    Exercise IMO is just as important as diet to maintain a healthy weight. We eat every day, we sleep every day, and I think we should exercise every day.

    But that's just me.
  • tk2222
    tk2222 Posts: 199 Member
    Like 30-40 days or so to start to notice differences, and very pronounced by 60 - just going from 215 to 195lb (I'm 5ft5) clothes started feeling notably looser, various regular walks went easier, chub rub almost entirely gone, bones feel more protruding, etc. It goes pretty fast. Sometimes I feel like I'm just persuading myself that I really feel (and look) different, but then I try on something new and its a size smaller, so I know its not just in my head.
  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    I've lost 35kg and I'll be honest, when I look in the mirror I STILL don't see the change since it all happens so gradually.

    I do however notice it in old photos, I notice it in the way I feel, I notice it in the way I move and I notice it the way my clothes fit.