How Long Does it Take to Lose Weight?

When talking about weight loss, what a lot of people who want to or need to shed surplus pounds would like to know is how long before they see actual results, right? Before you ask how long to lose weight, you need to be aware that the visibility of your weight loss results depends on numerous different things.

Mostly, it has to do with the amount of weight you need to shed and the rate at which you are decreasing this weight. A healthy, safe, and sustainable rate of weight loss is considered to be losing a pound to two on a weekly basis, for optimal results. If you are on a weight loss journey, make sure you continue reading this article because it contains the most important things you should take into account so that you can estimate how long to lose weight in a healthy manner!

But, always take into account that the time needed for your weight results to happen are individual- some people may notice results as soon as one or two weeks whereas others need more than month.

Do you want to know how long to lose weight you will need?
Do you want to lose weight for a special event in your life ASAP?
Do you want to know the factors influencing your weight loss rate?

If you happen to answer to all of these questions with a yes, stay with us to learn more about when you will finally be able to notice weight loss results. Let’s go!

How Long to Lose Weight: Contributing Factors

The weight loss rate plays an important role in how long to lose weight you will need. What do we mean when we say “weight loss rate”? This refers to the amount of weight being lost during a specific period of time, for example, a week or a month. Remember, weight loss is all about balance.

To ensure a healthy weight loss without the risk of health-complications enabled by a proper and detailed weight loss plan (it has to contain exercise and healthy diet!). Dietitians and weight loss experts emphasize that the safest rate is losing between 1 and 2 pounds every week. When you exaggerate with the amount of weight you are pushing yourself to lose, either through starvation or fad diets, you are elevating the chance for kidney stones, malnutrition, low levels of energy, and general fatigue.

Below, check out a list with the most important contributing factors to a visible and sustainable weight loss that you should pay attention to if you want to see weight results ASAP, both in your physical appearance and size of clothes.

1. Your diet

Even though there is an abundance of restrictive diets that can help you achieve quick weight results, from a scientific point of view, they are not the best solution if your goal is to maintain the newly-acquired weight and to lead a healthier lifestyle, free of illnesses.

When you rely on diets that are not well-researched, you put yourself at a higher risk of nutrient deficiencies, excessive cravings, weight cycling, and overeating after the diet; they also prevent you from enjoying in the pleasure of eating tasty food, and increase your chances of eating disorders.

The best method to notice visible results soon enough and to make sure the loss of weight is ongoing, you need to be able to decrease your appetite, prevent hunger, better the metabolism, and encourage the burning of fat. Here are useful tips on how to do this:

Reduce the consumption of sugar and starch

this will minimize your hunger levels and the level of calories you eat. The body will begin to burn the fat storages instead of carbs and thus, you will begin to lose the surplus fat. When eating in this way, you can shed up to 10 pounds or more in the first week, including body fat and water weight. Amazing, right?

Eat good fats, veggies, and protein

when trying to better your dietary habits, remember that your meals need to have a fat and protein source and a low-carb veggie. By doing this, you will keep the carb consumption in the recommended amount, i.e. 20 to 50 grams on the daily. The best protein sources you can include are eggs, fish and seafood, and meat. There are also quality plant-based sources of protein such as spirulina, quinoa, lentils, tempeh, tofu, chickpeas, almonds, peanuts, etc. Some of the best low-carb veggies are spinach, kale, tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, Swiss chard, and cucumbers. Regarding healthy fats, you can rely on coconut, avocado, and olive oil, as well as butter.

Stay away from processed foods

do you want to see weight loss results? If yes, keep away from processed foods because they are full of artificial sugar and sweeteners, calories, and added fats. In most cases, they are pretty low on calories too. And, they can elevate the risk of unhealthy cravings and overeating, which is no way good for your weight loss efforts.

Drink more water and green tea

make sure your diet is free of soda drinks and store-bought juices that are full of unhealthy substances- a lot of artificial sweeteners and sugars and numerous additives. When choosing drinks, go with water because it may boost the amount of calories you burn even after an hour of consumption.

Remember to consume it prior to meals and thus, prevent overeating. If you find the taste of water “too dull”, do not worry- you can always “spice it up” with some fresh lemon or cucumber slices. Another great ally in your weight loss is green tea (without sugar) because it is abundant in antioxidants. It will boost the body’s burning of fat and speed up the loss of weight. Opt for matcha green tea whenever possible.

2. Your workout

A common question among dieters is “how long to lose weight if they exercise.” Even though exercise will rarely give you the wanted weight results if you do not make healthier diet choices too, it is a pivotal element of weight loss routines and of a healthier lifestyle.

Without doubt, the answer of the question depends on whether you choose the adequate exercises or not. To see positive weight results soon, you need to incorporate HIIT training that provides an after-burn impact, i.e. your body will continue burning calories during the next day. And, since building more muscle is necessary so that you can burn more calories, make sure you lift weights as well. Make sure you have at least three workouts per week or more if you have been exercising for a longer period of time. Have rest days because this is a time for the body and mind to recover completely, which is important if you want to see quick weight loss results. Other excellent workouts for people who need to lose weight are these ones:

CrossFit
Running
Jogging
Boxing
Yoga
Jumping rope
Swimming

3. Do not forget about sleep and stress management

Often times, you may fail to see quick and positive weight loss results despite doing your best in terms of diet and exercise because you are too stressed. Namely, when you are constantly under a lot of stress, the cortisol levels in your body elevate and consequently, your blood sugar and insulin resistance too.

This causes the body to store higher amounts of internal and visceral fat due to the poor capacity for insulin processing. Failing to manage stress encourages bone demineralization and it may cause you to reward yourself with food due to the increased cravings. In addition to stress management, the amount of regular and sufficient sleep you get plays a role in how long it takes to lose weight.

Sleep helps you be energetic in the morning, allows your body to refill on neurotransmitters and regulate the thyroid gland, and supports the hormonal balance. When you fail to get enough sleep, your body’s melatonin levels will decrease and this will impede the insulin release during the day, causing your stress threshold to decrease. In turn, you will easily become stressed or irritated. Here are a couple of useful stress management methods that you can opt for:

Try yoga and meditation

calmness that comes from the inside is pivotal for low stress levels and you can acquire this through yoga, meditation, as well as relaxation methods like massages, acupuncture, and acupressure.

Minimize your to-do list

nowadays; we have long to-do lists, in addition to our jobs, so we can easily become stressed. Therefore, learn how to prioritise and delegate. When possible, leave some things for the following week or month- you do not need to do everything in a day or two. This will enable you to feel more in control and experience less stress due to having to do a lot.

Do not consume alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine

if you cannot completely exclude them, at least try to minimize their consumption. Namely, caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and they will elevate your stress levels instead of lowering them. When taken in smaller amounts, alcohol has the same effects too and it cannot be of aid to reduce stress. Opt for herbal teas, water, and homemade juices to enhance the body’s capacity to cope with stress.

Do not be afraid or ashamed to ask for help

whether this is a friend or a family member or a counsellor, they can offer great advice and tips that you may find useful for your stress management efforts.

If you think that poor sleep is interfering with your weight loss results, check out the following tips to learn how to improve your quality of sleep:

Ensure your bedroom is a sleep-inducing area

easily falling asleep and staying asleep for 7 to 8 hours is best achieved if you sleep in a quiet, cool, and dark room. If you live in a noisy environment, wear earplugs and put dark curtains or wear eye masks to block light. Light is a cue for the brain to “get up”. And, remember to choose a comfy and suitable pillow and mattress according to your sleep position and weight. Bedrooms are intended for sleep and sex, so avoid having pets, computers or work materials around.

Have a sleeping routine

for an easier transition from wake to sleep, opt for relaxing activities an hour or so prior to bed. This could be reading your favourite book, enjoying a warm bath, colouring, doing easy yoga poses, or meditating. Stay away from stressful activities like work or talking about emotional problems. This will boost the stress levels in the body and may end up keeping you alert throughout the night.

Avoid stimulants prior to bed

caffeine should be avoided in the evenings or at least 6 hours before your sleep time. Otherwise, you could stay awake for longer than usually and thus, prevent the body from relaxing naturally at night. The same goes for flavoured and energy drinks and alcoholic beverages.