how long did it take to start seeing progress? :)

milkywaymfp
milkywaymfp Posts: 24 Member
in Success Stories
I've been restricting & doing cardio for the past week, but haven't seen any loss yet. I'm in a deficit of about 500kcal so wondering how long it usually takes to see progress :blush:

Replies

  • HosamBashir0
    HosamBashir0 Posts: 1 Member
    will talk for myself, it took 1 month to notice that my jeans are dropping, and my stomach get smaller.

    keep in mind that it depends on the amount of fat you have.

  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Is the cardio new? Have you added fiber to your diet? A lot of changes can cause you to retain water while your body adjusts, masking fat loss.
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,756 Member
    I dropped a lot of weight (relative to my goal and starting size) in the first few weeks but didn't really notice anything significant about body size. It took about one month to see some minor difference on the fit of my pants, two months was quite significant.
  • LAT1963
    LAT1963 Posts: 1,375 Member
    Try reading stuff you find here using keywords "diet" and "whoosh" in the same search (may need spelling variants)
  • thetreekat
    thetreekat Posts: 4 Member
    I started with about 30 lb to lose - it took me about 12 weeks and 10-15 pounds to notice a difference in the mirror! The weight didn't even start coming off until about week 6 and then it just sort of fell off. I do yoga every day (since the gyms are closed), and it took about two months of consistent practice to notice something feeling different - the combination of gaining strength and having less weight to haul around has made my practice easier!
    I found waist beads, regular progress pics, and taking measurements really helped - sometimes it's hard to see the difference in the mirror.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    milkywaymfp wrote: »
    I've been restricting & doing cardio for the past week, but haven't seen any loss yet. I'm in a deficit of about 500kcal so wondering how long it usually takes to see progress :blush:

    It can take a few weeks to see what's actually happening on the scale. Bodyweight isn't static and fluctuates naturally...I can fluctuate anywhere from 0-3 Lbs on average just day to day...even more if I have a really high sodium day...or really low carb day...or travel in an airplane, etc. 500 calories would be about 1 Lb per week, and that can be pretty easily be masked by natural fluctuations due to water retention/release and variable amounts of inherent waste in the system.

    As far as visual progress, that depends largely on how much you have to lose.

    I don't know how much you have to lose, but I'd suggest settling in for the long haul...a week is barely a drop in the bucket. Losing weight is a pretty dang slow process.
  • AmyE26
    AmyE26 Posts: 43 Member
    About a month, I still have a lot to lose but it took a month to go down a size, I notice changes in my face though weekly
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    I suck at noticing the changes until my pants fall off. I am only wearing yoga pants these days, but there was one pair I had to give up on and another that will have to go soon.

    When I do want to go out again, I won't have any jeans or dresses, just yoga and hiking pants!
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    I keep reminding myself that going from, say, 200 to 195 is going to look different than 150 to 145, even though it's still 5 lbs. A lot of the clothes I wear right now are roomy and flexible by default, so a changing fit isn't really noticeable until there's been a big shift, which is just going to take time. I've done body measurements too but it's unfamiliar to me, and I'm not really sure I'm doing it accurately. Maybe when I'm less squishy that will be easier!

    I only weigh in weekly because I think weighing in daily would just make me paranoid, even if trending downward. As it is it's not a straight down arrow week to week. But yeah, let things settle in a bit and see how it goes.
  • grantmemore
    grantmemore Posts: 3 Member
    I'm restricting calories and lifting 3-4 times per week. Been at it for 48 days. The scale is only down 4lbs. My arms & legs are bigger. Pants are still tight around the waist. Just... Keep.... Going....
  • SunnyBunBun79
    SunnyBunBun79 Posts: 2,228 Member
    Motorsheen wrote: »
    I hate to brag, but over the last five years I've lost a total of (almost) three pounds.

    I think I am part of this family tree as well :D
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    The nice thing about exercising along side watching calories is that I definitely note fitness progress prior to being able to visually see any progress.
  • gionrogado
    gionrogado Posts: 45 Member
    on the first week? visually, not much. but on the scale, it should be trending down week by week, if you remain consistent. on the next three months, you should notice your clothes getting baggier and loose, again if you remain consistent
  • NannMC
    NannMC Posts: 19 Member
    LAT1963 wrote: »
    Try reading stuff you find here using keywords "diet" and "whoosh" in the same search (may need spelling variants)

    I love that others use the term "whoosh." I'm always excited to get on the scale after a whoosh day. In fact, I just had a whoosh night 2 nights ago and lost 1.4 pounds of water in my sleep.

    My body finally figured out I will keep giving it water, and it didn't need to keep any in reserve.
  • mranlett
    mranlett Posts: 56 Member
    I think it's noticeable to others every 20 pounds. That watermark is when I would get comments about weight loss.

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