How Long Does It Take Before A Body Starts To Lose Weight?

If you're trying to lose weight, one of the top questions on your mind is probably, "How long will I have to wait to see results?" In reality, many factors can influence how quickly the weight comes off. Although you may be eager to ditch the weight as soon as you can, "fast" weight loss doesn't always equal "best" weight loss.

Internal Factors

Your basal metabolic rate -- the amount of calories your body uses to support day-to-day functions -- partially determines how long you will need to wait before you see weight loss results. About 60 to 75 percent of the calories your body burns each day is from your basal metabolic rate. Factors that influence your basal metabolic rate are your age, sex, size and body composition, according to MayoClinic.com. Men tend to burn more calories than women, younger people tend to burn more calories than older people and larger bodies tend to burn greater amounts of calories throughout the day.

External Factors

About 10 percent of the calories your body burns each day is from food processes such as digestion and absorption and the rest is from exercise and any other physical activity you do. You have some say about how quickly your body burns off calories because you control how much exercise you get and how much food you eat.

How Fast

You could burn off about 3,500 calories, or 1 lb. of fat, by walking about 30 miles if you were a moderate-sized adult with an average metabolism, according to MedlinePlus. You could burn off that 1 lb. of fat in two days by walking 15 miles two days in a row or you could lose that weight over the span of weeks by walking a mile or two per day. Alternately, you could run 15 miles and burn about the same amount of calories as you would burn by walking 30 miles. However, you would easily slow down or undo the weight loss progress if you started eating an extra 100 calories' worth of dessert each night.

Recommendations

Your doctor will likely suggest not losing more than 1 to 2 lbs. every week. You are less likely to lose water and lean tissue weight, more likely to follow through with your diet and exercise plan and more likely to have long-term success if you commit to gradual weight loss, according to MayoClinic.com. A healthy weight loss diet should be rich in plant foods such as grains, vegetables and fruits and include lean proteins and some healthy fats. You also need at least 2 1/2 hours of exercise during the week, but start out with small activity goals, such as walking 15 minutes per day and taking stairs instead of elevators, then slowly add duration and intensity to reduce your risk of burnout.

Harmful Habits

Avoid diets and supplements that make lofty promises such as, "Guaranteed to increase your metabolism and help you lose weight twice as fast!" Fad diets and weight loss supplements rarely help in the long-term and they may even harm your body. Also be aware that exercise can be dangerous if you try too much at once. Signs that you're overtraining include loss of coordination, reduced appetite, sore and tender muscles, more frequent muscle or bone injuries, higher blood pressure during rest, higher morning heart rate, longer recovery times, inadequate sleep, irritability and depression, according to the American Council on Exercise.