How long until I start to lose weight?

[srebbe64]

I've been on a diet for one whole week - not long I know. However, I am impatient and like everything to happen immediately. So far no real weigh loss. My regime: Maximum 1500 calories consumed each day (1200 today) and about two and a half hours excecise per week at the gym (plus some lengthy walks with wifie at the weekend). I want to lose about a stone and a half - so any ideas how long it's likely to take?

[digger_R]

srebbe64 said:

I've been on a diet for one whole week - not long I know. However, I am impatient and like everything to happen immediately. So far no real weigh loss. My regime: Maximum 1500 calories consumed each day (1200 today) and about two and a half hours excecise per week at the gym (plus some lengthy walks with wifie at the weekend). I want to lose about a stone and a half - so any ideas how long it's likely to take?

depends on how intense your gym training is, unless it is pretty extreme it will take a fair while at that rate

[hman]

aye, drop the calories down a bit and you'll see the weight coming off quicker.

Your physique may improve before your weight does (muscle weighing more than fat), depends what you want to see first I suppose.

Good luck, I have a full air con gym with runner, bike, ps2, stereo, sky tv etc. in my house - and I still manage to get to the beer in the fridge first - doh!

[Cookie172]

4-5 months maybe more?

Depends on how you metabolism adjusts to your new lifestyle I guess

[GingerBaws]

Depends on a lot of factors - how fit you already are, your existing BMI, your height and build. If you're only looking to lose around 20lbs chances are you aren't too heavy to start with, and unless you're tall or well built you might find 1500 cals isn't a huge amount less than your normal daily requirement - maybe even as low as 500 to 1000 less. At this rate you'll only lose 1 to 2lbs a week, which could easily be missed on the scales if you weigh at inconsistent times of day or depending on fluid retention.

[Murdock]

Hmm, depending upon how shambolic your diet / lifestyle combo was beforehand, the first two weeks is when you should see the greatest weight loss. But stick with it, and maybe try to up the intensity of the walks with periods of jogging.

[carmonk]

How heavy are you? How tall? How muscular?

The first part of weight loss is usually the quickest because you may find yourself losing water as well as fat.

Here's a very rough equation for how much you could expect to lose in a week (in lb)

W = (d - c) / 500

W = weight difference per week
c = calories per day you need to maintain a constant weight
d = calories per day on your diet

So if your weight was stable at 2000 calories and you're eating 1500 calories a day now -

W = (1500 - 2000) / 500
W = -1

You should lose around 1 lb per week

The 500 comes from rougly 3500 cals needed to increase bodyweight by a lb, and a similar lack of calories to decrease weight by the same amount.

And remember, if you're keeping track of your calories keep track of what you drink too. A cup of tea with 2 sugars is around 30 - 40 cals, a carton of orange juice up to 450...

EDIT: Oh, I don't recommend dropping below 1500 calories. Unless you're a dwarf I can guarantee that after two months on only 1500 cals you will become ill, possibly seriously ill. Be patient.

Edited by carmonk on Tuesday 21st October 23:15

[srebbe64]

carmonk said:

How heavy are you? How tall? How muscular?

The first part of weight loss is usually the quickest because you may find yourself losing water as well as fat.

Here's a very rough equation for how much you could expect to lose in a week (in lb)

W = (d - c) / 500

W = weight difference per week
c = calories per day you need to maintain a constant weight
d = calories per day on your diet

So if your weight was stable at 2000 calories and you're eating 1500 calories a day now -

W = (1500 - 2000) / 500
W = -1

You should lose around 1 lb per week

The 500 comes from rougly 3500 cals needed to increase bodyweight by a lb, and a similar lack of calories to decrease weight by the same amount.

And remember, if you're keeping track of your calories keep track of what you drink too. A cup of tea with 2 sugars is around 30 - 40 cals, a carton of orange juice up to 450...

EDIT: Oh, I don't recommend dropping below 1500 calories. Unless you're a dwarf I can guarantee that after two months on only 1500 cals you will become ill, possibly seriously ill. Be patient.

Edited by carmonk on Tuesday 21st October 23:15

Thanks most useful!

I was eating about 2500 calories per day.

[xiphias]

Strangely enough most of the fitness plans I have recommend upping the calorie intake. Simply dropping calories won't do the trick - it may even slow your metabolism. I suggest altering the makeup of your diet and looking at interval training.

[okgo]

I have been eating 6 times a day for a month now and it burns fat apparently, you need to keep it ticking over..

[jimmyjimjim]

Your calorie intake was pretty much exactly what I was doing when I was losing weight, and my results tally with the other answers here; about 1.5 lb a week. So in all, about 2 months to hit your target weight.

[Emeye]

I lost pretty much that weight in about 6 months. 2 x 1hrs at the gym each week and cut out all st foods etc. Only drink water most of the time. No snacking etc. Feel great and look great! I still let myself go at weekend and drink beer!

[slideways]

i will take time for your metabolism to speed up, if your able any fittness that really gets you breathing hard and sweating should speed things up and as long as your not on the marjorie doors diet you should see some results. oh and muscle is heavier than fat so as long as your toning up dont worry about what the scales say

[Road Pest]

Tommorow.

[mybrainhurts]

Worst I'm a John Prescott lookalike thread ever....

[Biker's Nemesis]

I'm not fat, I'm big boned..



...In the right place.

[tinman0]

I've lost something like 3-4lbs since i started my exercise routine last week! Also eating better. Haven't weighed myself in the last few days but I reckon i will maybe lose another pound or two by the weekend at this rate.

[Biker's Nemesis]

tinman0 said:

I've lost something like 3-4lbs since i started my exercise routine last week! Also eating better. Haven't weighed myself in the last few days but I reckon i will maybe lose another pound or two by the weekend at this rate.

Whale oiled beef hooked.

[Emeye]

tinman0 said:

I've lost something like 3-4lbs since i started my exercise routine last week! Also eating better. Haven't weighed myself in the last few days but I reckon i will maybe lose another pound or two by the weekend at this rate.

I found it was better not weighing myself too often - even having a dump can make a difference!

[Muzzer]

You say you're consuming 1500 calories a day. What does this consist of?

You should have 3 square meals a day if you're losing weight that add up to your target calorie intake. Eating nothing all day then having something unhealthy in the evening will not do your weight loss any good.

TBH, I reckon just over half of your recommended calorie intake and 2.5 hours of exercise a week should see fairly speedy weight loss results. Hard to pin an exact time frame though as everybody is different....