2d ago

How long do I need to exercise for before I start seeing a difference?

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.

55 comments

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.