If you're looking to shed some pounds and build muscle, you may be wondering when you should start seeing results. According to NASM certified personal trainer Guychard Codio, co-founder of New York City Personal Training, it can take up to eight weeks to see significant weight loss and muscle gains. However, even if you don't see muscle definition, the benefits that occur in your body and mind are considerable. Codio emphasizes that you can't just exercise or eat excess calories and expect to lose weight; you have to burn more calories than you eat.
Healthy eating habits need to be an integral part of your training routine. In terms of losing weight through exercise, he says people can start seeing results in two to three weeks. But if you want to keep the weight off, you'll need a routine that progresses slowly and steadily rather than one where you're going to do your best. The most important weight loss factors include adopting sustainable and healthy dietary and exercise habits that you enjoy in the long term.
To lose 1 pound of fat, you'll need to lose 3,500 calories, and doing so through a combination of diet and exercise can make weight loss faster. The more muscle you have, the easier it will be for your body to lose fat and burn calories throughout the day. Fat loss occurs when you step off the scale, find an activity you enjoy, and begin to see food as fuel rather than something to fuel your emotions or occupy your time. Sometimes, you may experience a plateau of weight loss during which you experience little or no weight loss.
If you've already cleaned up your diet in a big way and aren't losing weight yet, you might just be eating too much. You exercise regularly and eat healthily, but now the numbers on the scale won't budge; your weight loss has stalled. The first stage of weight loss is when you tend to lose more weight and start to notice changes in your appearance and how your clothes fit. Kelly says that in general, people can start seeing muscle changes in about six weeks.
But if you're exercising but don't lose weight and your main goal is to lose fat, there are other forms of exercise that give your money a better return. Kast also notes that people who train with weights and don't address nutrition will have a harder time achieving and maintaining results. This is a little easier to do than lose weight, since most people can focus on lifting heavy things, he explains.
