Slowly but surely: when do you see the first results of weight loss?

When a person starts to lose weight, you want to see changes almost the next day after the first workout. But, unfortunately, such miracles do not happen. To get the desired result, you need to work long and hard. Together with the trainer Ruth Dushkina we are going to find out when the first changes become noticeable and what they are manifested in.

When will the first results appear?

First of all, it is important to understand what exactly to consider as a result. If we talk about the number on the scale, the first changes can be seen after two weeks of training.

Ruth: If a person loses weight, at first the excess water leaves the body. It can be 1-2 kg, for some people it can be 3 kg. Naturally, you immediately see a different figure on the scale.

But it is not only about kilograms. After about a month of exercise, you can analyze your body composition – now this service is offered in almost all fitness clubs. Then it will become clear how the quality of the body has changed: how much fat, muscle, water, etc. is in it.

In general, you should not abuse weighing. After all, people with the same weight but different body composition will look very different.

Ruth: If the weight is 60 kg, but there is more fat and less muscle, or the same 60 kg has more muscle and less fat, the person will look completely different in the mirror. Body parameters will also change. And the figure on the scale will be the same – so it is not the most important thing.

And if the weight still grows?

Sometimes, starting to train and switching to a proper diet, a person on the contrary gains a little weight. And that’s normal.

Ruth: It’s either water retention in the body from training, or it’s the result of the muscles attracting water to themselves. That’s why the figure on the scale may be higher by 1-2 kilograms.

But there may be another reason. For example, the girl always wanted to lose weight and ate 700 kcal a day. This is very little. The trainer raises the calorie. But the body, thinking that it is temporary and the person will eat very little again, starts to hold everything back. It was stressed before and now it’s hoarding resources.

Ruth: You have to start all the processes in the body with a good balanced diet and constant training. And that takes some time, which can cause weight gain. But as soon as everything starts, everything functions as it should, the weight will go down.

How do I keep motivated?

First of all, a trainer can help with motivation.

Ruth: I always explain everything to my clients: why, what and how things are happening in their body. At every training session I try to motivate them with my own example.

The same visual changes can also be an incentive not to give up. They are best seen in before/after photos. As the trainer explains, she asks her clients to take photos at certain intervals and look at the results – something changes and people see it.

Ruth: When you see yourself every day, it seems like nothing changes. But if you take “before” photos and then a month and a half later “after”, you can see how you’ve changed in comparison. And that’s motivating.
In general, you need to formulate and understand why you train at all. After all, it is not only about a beautiful body, but also about health.