Can It Take Months To Lose Weight?

People who want to lose weight often look for quick fixes that allow them to drop pounds quickly. But if you want to lose the weight and keep it off, you need a slow weight loss plan that includes both dietary and activity level changes. Weight loss can take weeks, months or even years, depending on how much you want to lose. Fortunately, if you stick to your plan, you may start seeing results within a week or two.

Healthy Weight Loss

Successful and long-term weight loss requires a permanent commitment to a new lifestyle. Expect to lose 1 to 2 lb. each week throughout your weight loss program. If you have more than 4 to 8 lb. to lose, it may take more than a month to lose the weight. A weight loss goal of 20 lb. may require up to 20 weeks or five months to reach. Weight loss of more than 5 lb. per week can result in medical problems unless performed under the guidance of a trained health care professional or exercise physiologist, explains Dr. David Caruso, a family physician for Elk Regional Health Center in St. Marys, Pennsylvania.

Calories

Weight loss only occurs when you cause your body to use its own glycogen, fat and muscle stores for energy. This only happens when you create a calorie deficit between the calories you consume and the calories your body uses. While you may not be able to see the loss when you step on the scale, your body burns around 1 lb. of fat each time you create a 3,500-calorie deficit. Create this deficit by reducing the number of calories you consume, increasing the number of calories you burn or a combination of the two.

Dietary Changes

A diet to reduce your calorie consumption does not mean you have to go hungry. Start slowly, replacing one item each day with a lower-calorie alternative. Stay away from foods and drinks flavored with artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners can increase your appetite and cause you to overeat or crave sweets, according to Qing Yang in an article published in the "Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine" in June 2010. Instead of choosing foods that use artificial sweeteners to reduce calories, chose fruits, vegetables, water, whole grains and lean proteins. Decrease your calorie intake even more by watching portion sizes, drinking a glass of water before each meal and eating more slowly.

Exercise

Exercise can help increase your weight loss and help you keep it off. Without dietary changes, exercise alone may not allow you to lose weight. However, daily exercise combined with dietary changes may increase your weight loss, help you keep the weight off and improve your health. Include both aerobic exercise and strength training exercise into your plan most days of the week. A daily 30- to 60-minute workout helps rev up your metabolism by building lean muscle mass.

Fluctuations

Monitor your weight loss by weighing yourself once a week. Your weight can fluctuate by up to 10 lb. throughout the day due to water retention, hormones, the weight of food and other factors, advises Dr. Caruso. Ensure you weigh yourself at the same time of day and wear the same clothes each time you step on the scale to decrease the effect of fluctuations on your weight loss results.