How Long Does It Take to Notice Weight Loss?

The time it takes for you to see and for others to?notice?weight loss results can vary significantly from person to person. Many factors, including your starting size and your eating plan, can make a big difference. In general, however, many people can see results in one to two weeks when they stick to their plan.

When Weight Loss Becomes Noticeable

There are many different factors that affect how fast you'll see?exercise or diet results. Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut answer about how soon your weight loss will show. These are some of the reasons that results can vary.

Starting Size?

Your starting size will impact how soon you notice results. For example, if your starting weight falls into the obese range on the body mass index (BMI), it is not impossible for your weight to change?quickly. However, weight fluctuation may not be very noticeable on a larger frame. If you are a have a small build and lower BMI, weight may come off more slowly, but be apparent more quickly.

When your starting body size is larger, you are likely to lose more weight at a faster rate?—especially in the early days of your program.

Diet Type

Some diet plans are designed to include an initial phase that results in accelerated weight loss. Atkins, South Beach, and many other popular programs?include a jump start for a week or two when food restriction is more intense and you lose more weight.

You can lose five pounds or more per week during this initial phase. As a result, the weight loss will be noticeable sooner. Weight loss experienced during these phases, however, is often attributable to water loss from carbohydrate restriction, not fat loss.

Carbohydrate Intake

Carbohydrate restriction can lead to quick water loss. Your body requires water to store carbohydrates.?? When you substantially reduce the amount of carbohydrates you consume, you also lose the water needed to store it.

For some people, lost water weight can make the difference between two clothing sizes. But losing water weight is different from losing fat. While cutting back on carbs can be a smart approach to weight loss, it needs to be part of a comprehensive program of healthy eating for sustained weight loss to occur.

Weigh-In Frequency

Research generally shows that weighing yourself regularly, whether daily or weekly, is associated with weight loss.?? A weekly weigh-in may be more rewarding, as it shows you a week's worth of progress instead of single day's. However, one study published in 2019 found greater overall weight loss in people who weighed themselves daily vs. weekly.

Measurement Method

When you start a weight loss program, your goal?may be to fit into a smaller clothing size. Or perhaps the number on the scale means more to you. Others want to see changes to a certain body part like thinner thighs or a flatter tummy.

Ultimately, we all want to feel good in our skin, but how we measure progress can affect how soon we see results. In most cases, you're likely to see changes on the scale first, especially if you have a high tech scale. A digital scale can pick up small changes in your total body weight (even fractions of a pound) that may be too small to notice on a single, isolated part of your body.

Next, you're likely to see changes in your clothing. Your actual size won't change right away, but you'll notice that your clothes start to fit differently. You're likely to notice this change sooner if you typically wear more fitted clothing. Eventually, your total weight loss may result in a change in your clothing size.

Some people immediately see a change in the size of their thighs, belly, or face. This can be genetic. These changes can happen before or after you notice changes in the way your clothes fit.

Remember, too, that increased muscle mass can result in weight gain on the scale even as you lose body fat—another reason to embrace a holistic approach to "measuring" your weight loss results rather than focusing on a number.

When Clothing Size Changes

Many people working toward weight loss look forward to the day they go to the store and learn that they fit into a smaller clothing size. For some, this is the moment when they feel that all of their hard work has paid off. So how long does it take before you enjoy that special experience? Again, it varies, and height plays a big role.

If you are a petite woman who is 5 feet tall, a 10-pound weight loss may mean that you've lost up to 10% of your body weight. That amount of weight loss will be very noticeable and can change your clothing size up to two sizes. But if you are a very tall, athletic woman, a 10-pound loss probably won't be noticeable and may not change your?clothing size at all.

Additionally, we usually don't lose weight evenly throughout our bodies. For example, your bra size may get smaller faster than your pant size. Ultimately, your clothing size depends on the measurement of each particular body part:

• Change your pant size: You need to reduce your waist size by about 1 to 1.5 inches and your hip size by the same amount.??
• Change your top size: You need to reduce your bust?and waist measurement by approximately one inch in smaller sizes (size 8 and under) and 1.5 inches in medium and larger sizes (size 10 and up).
• Change your dress size: You need to reduce your waist, bust, and hip measurements by approximately one inch each depending on the style of the dress and the fit you prefer.

Timeline for Noticeable Weight Loss

Remember that a new?clothing size and smaller body are not the only benefits of weight loss,?? but these are some weight loss changes that you will likely see eventually (everyone's timeline is different). Below is a sample timeline of when you might see these changes if you stick to a healthy reduced calorie eating plan and a moderate exercise program—although this is not typical for everyone.

• Week one: Most people start to see some change in the scale (usually up to five pounds) during this week. You're likely to feel better, but not see major changes in your body.
• Week two: During week two?you're likely to start to see changes in the way your body looks and feels. Exercise starts to feel easier and your clothes will start to feel looser.
• Week three: This is often when you start to feel momentum in your weight loss journey. If you've been consistent in your plan, your body will respond?? well and you will start to feel like the program is successful.
• Week four: By this time, it is possible that you've lost enough weight (safely) to be a different clothing size.?
• After week four: Your new eating plan is starting to feel like more of a normal routine. Depending on the amount of weight you have to lose, you may start to return to an adjusted eating plan for weight maintenance.??

Want to see weight loss results faster? There are ways to supercharge your diet so that the number on the scale changes more quickly.

A Word From Verywell

Look for your weight loss results after a few weeks of dieting and exercise, but be kind and patient with yourself. Each person's body is unique and the rate at which you lose weight may be different than it is for someone else. Stay consistent and remind yourself of the many benefits of reaching and maintaining a healthy weight so that you stay motivated for the duration of your journey.