It can take less than a couple of days to lose weight, since you’ll be losing water weight right from the start, immediate weight loss it super simple to notice.
However, weight loss that other people tend to notice usually takes a little longer, up to 2-4 weeks when starting out.
If you weigh more, you can afford to lose more week each weight without risking muscle mass.
Likewise, if you’re a lot lighter, you need to lose less weight per week to maintain muscle mass.
If you don’t care and just want to lose it fast, that’s on you.
I don’t recommend it because losing muscle mass is not a good move whatsoever.
Determine Your Fat Loss Goal Per Week
So to find out how much you should be losing WITHOUT risking muscle loss, simply multiply your body weight by 0.5-1%, and that’s the range you should be losing each week for healthy fat loss.
We’ll use 100, 200, and 300 lb individuals again for simplicity.
First up 100 lbs.
- 100×0.5%=0.5 lbs
- 100×1%=1 lb
- So if you’re 100 lbs, 0.5-1 lb of loss per week is your goal.
Next we have 200 lbs.
- 200×0.5%=1 lb
- 200×1%=2 lbs
- 200 lb individuals can lose 1-2 lbs per week without risking muscle loss.
Finally, 300 lbs!
- 300×0.5%=1.5 lbs
- 300×1%=3 lbs
- A 300 lb individual can lose between 1.5-3 lbs per week on average.
Pretty cool, right?
How Long Does It Take To Start Losing Weight?
So, how long does it take to start losing weight?
You can literally lose weight from day to day. However, losing 5-10% of your bodyweight is going to take some time!
The more you have to lose, the longer it’s going to take, unfortunately.
Luckily though, the sooner you start and stick to it, the faster you’ll reach your fat loss goals!