I just turned 40, and for the past 5 or so years I have been unhappy with the way I look.
All my life my metabolism has been insane, I could literally eat anything all day and not gain a gram, which has its downsides as well, but not the point.
My weight went up to 80kg and I formed a pot belly which I didnt like. One night I decided enough was enough, started a diet and exercise routine.
I did look at gyms but they are stupid expensive where I live, so I bought a resistance band thing from InnStar. Its like a Gymproluxe if you have been bombarded with Facebook ads. I use it every day for bench press, preacher curls, and some other things I dont know the name of.
I also started using a body weight exercise app that claimed results in a month.
The diet I thought would be hardest, but I immediately stopped all snacks and moved onto a weightloss protein shake which are amazing and I cant believe it took this long to taste them.
Its been a week, and I feel better, Im not sleeping as much, I look forward to exercise, I am much more physically active than before, but I dont feel like I look any different. I am not expecting instant results and I havent booked myself into a Mr World contest this weekend, but I am curious to hear real experiences of when people started to notice their own changes.
Some basics:
2-4 weeks for you nervous system to improve.
4-8 weeks for your muscular system to improve.
Diet for weight loss.
Lift heavy to failure. eat and sleep for big muscles.why do you think it takes less time for the nervous system to improve than muscles?
Mostly it’s the science of how the two systems function. The nervous system is more adaptable at up/down regulating transmitters/receivers in the neural junctions which doesn’t require a lot of energy. The muscular system needs to literally grow, which is somewhat even against biology. Big muscles are often not only unnecessary, they’re only really made when they’re forced to be made, and if you stop lifting, they’ll go away. The nervous system will down-regulate too given the chance but its a faster responding system.
Abs are made in the kitchen, but you sound on the ball there already so:
Yeah in 2-3 months without missing many days you’ll start to notice.
Edit: In my experience it’s other people who see you often/semi often who notice external changes first. Not sure if that’s just me or not.
I believe it’s true too that other people might notice first. I think it might be because we look at the mirror often, especially when working out, and don’t notice the small changes our body has gone through during the process. But when you see someone you haven’t seen in weeks, the difference is much more noticeable
Its been a week, and I feel better, Im not sleeping as much, I look forward to exercise, I am much more physically active than before, but I dont feel like I look any different.
One week and you already feel it. Keep that in mind. It is something.
Five weeks here, about the same.
I heard that it takes as long as for building it up as for tearing it down. I have also heard: the older the longer. So: not sure :)
Measure your waist monthly. Yep just your waist. For me, I generally see weight loss over a few months of increased exercise. You will get better results with strength training, less weight loss but more lean, so just as much change in volume. Bodyweight will get you there but at some point you may want to pick up weights.
Remember that physical activity does a lot more than keeping your size where you want it. It’s good for your mental health, your bones, your heart, digestion, it’s an important part of a healthy life, be glad you are able.
First off, if you’re looking for major changes you need to make this a lifestyle change, or you won’t last long enough.
The good news is that you found diet easy so far. That’s the biggest part. A few weeks is not long enough to get rid of a pot belly. Depending how much of a belly you got, probably looking at closer to 6 months for a really visible change. By 3 months you’ll probably notice a difference but might not be where you want to be yet.
Just stick with it, but try not to focus on it.
Its hard not to focus on! But I try not to dwell, and keep pushing through the exercise.
It takes a long time to lose weight, and it’s about 80% diet and 20% exercise. But after a few weeks your heart/breathing should already be better. I’m 55 and wen I started jogging I was without breath and heart in top after 400 yards. Now I can run 2 or 3 miles non stop without too much suffering :)
Exercise is going to have the least effect on your weight unless you’re wildly out of shape.
It’s all about diet for the most part.
You should try intermittent fasting.
Make it to a month, and it will be come a new habit. After three months of dedication, you’ll probably be able to look at yourself in the mirror and see real changes.
I recommend you to try and ignore looking at your weight on the scale or how your belly circumference changes or the like for the first month or so. Your weight also is a rather broad metric. A kilo of muscles is not the same as a kilo of fat.
Just focus on doing your exercises well and feeling how they will get easier/you can do more reps week by week.
Another quick thing you will notice is your pulse going down. After a stamina exercise right when you stop, take your pulse on your neck. take it for 10 seconds and multiply by six to get your hearts bpm. Then after two minutes of rest take it again.
Do this every week and you will see a difference right away as your body adjust into moving.
Also i know most people want to build up big muscles and go with high weights. For getting fit i recommend looking for muscular endurance training first. This will help burn fat as you do many reps. It will improve your general endurance and it will help build muscles in a way that protects against injuries. Think of this like warming up your muscles before you enter into training to increase your max power. Alternate these two types of training over time.
Take a photo; check back 30 days later. Rinse and repeat.
Progress can seem slow, that if you look at yourself day-to-day you’ll not notice it.
Scale isn’t the best judge either, because even if you weigh at the same time every day (first thing post BM is good) - your weight can fluctuate due to hydration and quality of sleep.
Consider measuring your waist as an alternative, seeing as that’s what was your initial motivation.
If you aren’t already, add walking to your daily routine - or even consider programs like Couch to 5K or ZombieRun if you want some motivation and a tougher goal. It’s great for your heart health, and will help contribute a small amount of additional burned calories.
Lastly, diet is the most important facet of weight loss. I highly recommend logging everything you eat (at least for the first week or two to get your bearings) using an app like Cronometer.
Another thing to add on to why weight isn’t a great measurement - You will put on muscle as you lose fat, especially if you shift your diet while you workout. It’s fully possible that you lose 5 lbs of fat in a month while putting on 5 lbs of muscle. Both are great strides forward, but the scale will show no change.
If you are going to use a scale, get one that will do body fat analysis as well. They aren’t 100% accurate, but its another measurement that gives a closer look at your actual fitness.
I started at 35. From skinny fat to visibly “are you lifting” took me about 1 year. Looking “big” took 3-4years. I gained about 15kg of bw, probably about half fat and half muscle. The hardest part now is trying to diet down a bit again. Much harder than actually working out imo.
I did workout using a squat rack at home.
Still the best decision I ever made.
Obligatory reminder that “Gyms aren’t the only way to exercise”, find a sport you enjoy with people you like and you’ll spend time having fun rather than feeling like exercise is a chore. Most clubs gladly take adult beginner (who are the volunteers who’ll run the club in 10 years)
As you said, weight loss is in the plate rather than in the gym. But exercising helps with overall physical and mental health
I’d keep the focus on your performance. You can do x amount of push ups etc. That is easier to notice and keep track of. I had a notebook where I wrote down every exercise session so I remembered.
The problem with seeing a difference is that you see yourself every day, and the difference from day to day is so small that you’ll just update your “before” image in your head.
The obvious solution is to take a before and after picture, longer between the better. At least a month.
For me it’s about not worrying about the day to day appearance/weight/progress, and instead just focusing on accomplishing my daily goals, with no loftier intent.
Time will help guide your intent.
The routine you stick with is the one that works. It has only been a week. If you consistently keep your calorie count down and exercise routine on track, you will see gradual improvements after weeks and months of consistent effort.
Think about how many years it took you to gain to 80kg. It will take time to transform the other way as well.
It took me about three months to really notice visible improvements. The problem for me was maintaining consistency in diet and exercise once I noticed the changes.
I am currently in the honeymoon phase and enjoying it. Apart from cardio on the exercise bike, because the daily squats turn my legs to jelly.
Squatting daily is too often. Your body needs time to recover. The older we get, the more recovery time we need.
Basically 48 hrs between muscle groups. Mon - Wed - Friday is a reasonable pace if you do an “all in one” routine. If you want to do daily lifting workouts, you need to rotate arms/legs/core then repeat.
OP, it seems counter-intuitive to workout less to improve, but you have to realize that you gain muscle by straining and overworking current muscle. To build and repair, the muscles need rest, nutrients and time. If you don’t give it to them, they can’t build up.
Sleep, time and food are all as important as how much and how often you lift weights.
6 to 8 weeks for others to notice and 12 for you to really notice.
But you have to be consistent.
You can easily undo a week’s work with a day of binging
