In terms of how your body looks, “it usually takes 4 weeks for your friends to notice weight loss, and 6–8 weeks for you to notice,” says Ramsey Bergeron, a certified personal trainer. “Your friends who don't see you every day are much more likely to see a change than someone you're around all the time,” he adds.
"Women and men of average height need to gain or lose about three and a half and four kilograms, or about eight and nine pounds, respectively, for anyone to see it in their face.
The first stage of weight loss is when you tend to lose the most weight and begin to notice changes in your appearance and how your clothes fit. It usually happens within the first 4–6 weeks ( 1 ). Most of the weight loss in this stage comes from carb stores, protein, and water — and to a lesser extent, body fat.
"By the time you hit 10 pounds, your jeans will feel differently, absolutely," Blum says. "Just a little looser. Theoretically, 10 pounds is considered one size." Once you get past that first couple pounds where you might not be able to tell, Blum says, you really do start to lose body fat.
On average, a 15 to 20-pound loss (approximately 2 to 5 percent of your starting body weight) is enough to notice "significant changes in your body," he said. You can start seeing differences in yourself as early as two weeks with rapid weight loss.
The first place men typically lose weight is the belly, while women tend to lose weight all over, but hold onto weight in their thighs and hips, Dr. Block explains.
Multiple regression tells us that on average, for every 8.5 pounds lost, people dropped an inch off their waist. (And for every 1.5 kilograms lost, people dropped a centimeter off their waist.) Every 10 pounds lost was accompanied by 1.18 inches of waistline reduction.
You don't have to slim down to your high school size to get real health benefits. Losing just a few pounds makes a big difference. Five percent of your body weight -- 10 pounds for a 200-pound person -- can improve all kinds of health problems, and make you feel better, too.
Your face skin might start sagging.
Premature drooping of the jawline (a.k.a. jowls) is one of the most common issues. When you drop pounds, you're also shedding the components that make your skin plump, like subcutaneous fat, collagen, and elastin, says Dr. Gohara.
Losing weight safely typically involves losing 1-2 pounds per week ( 1 ). This would allow you to lose 20 pounds within about 5 months at 1 pound per week or 2 1/2 months at about 2 pounds per week.
When you lose weight, you inevitably lose some fat, including that which naturally occurs in your face and neck. And when that happens, volume in your face and neck decreases, says Nina Desai, M.D., a dermatologist in Manhattan Beach, CA. That creates skin laxity (derm speak for sagging) and folds.
But the average weight loss that most people see on the 1200 calorie diet is about one to two pounds per week.”
A 5 to 10 percent weight loss can: Decrease hypertension, both systolic and diastolic, by 5mmHg — reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Improve good cholesterol (HDL) by about 5 points, also lowering the risk of heart disease. Lower triglycerides significantly, around 40mg/dL.
Everyone loses weight in different ways. You might notice a smaller waist or a thinner face before the fat melts away from other areas. One thing to be sure of, though, is that dropping 30 pounds makes a huge difference.
The rule of thumb, Fernstrom says, is that losing 8 to 10 pounds translates to going down one size.
How quickly will you lose weight? The volunteers reduced their waist sizes by an average of 1 inch for every 4lb (1.81kg) they lost. So if you lose 1lb (0.45kg) a week you could hope to reduce your waistline by an inch after four weeks.
You can drop a dress size (anywhere from 10 to 15 pounds, or about an inch or two from your bust and hips) and be special-occasion slim in only six weeks.
Excess visceral fat can pose serious health risks, but when you embark on a healthy diet and exercise plan, this fat is often the first to disappear. This means you're likely to notice weight loss in your abdominal area first. Too much visceral fat can make your belly protrude.
But do you really know what's realistic? Over the long term, it's smart to aim for losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week. Generally to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day, through a lower calorie diet and regular physical activity.
The triglycerides release fat as carbon dioxide and water atoms during fat metabolism or oxidation. In other words, fat leaves the body as carbon dioxide when you exhale. The fat which becomes water mixes into your circulation until it's lost as urine, tears, sweat and other bodily fluids.
It's possible to gain muscle and reduce body fat without actually seeing a change in your weight. This happens when you lose body fat while gaining muscle. Your weight may stay the same, even as you lose inches, a sign that you're moving in the right direction.
Women tend to lose weight all over, and experience fat loss first in their belly, breasts, and arms. Generally the last area they lose weight is from their lower body (hips and thighs). Depending on body shape, men generally tend to lose fat first from their trunk, followed by their arms and then their legs.