I have friends that lost 30 pounds before it really showed. Unfortunately, the answers provided by academia and mainstream media are impossible to understand. Eventually, your total weight loss may result in a change in your clothing size. Track your numbers side by side so you can see how far you’ve come. But I guess when you’ve dropped a couple clothing sizes you could assume it’s definitely noticeable. You’ve dieted and exercised for months, and finally the pounds are falling away. Comments typically come well after someone actually notices your weight loss. When you lose this glycogen, you also lose the water it retains. I think I’ll have to lose 30 before it really shows. Very frustrating.
If you’re working on losing a few extra pounds these days or just being healthier in general, you’re likely aware that, in addition to the exercise endorphins, new fondness of fresh, good-for-you foods, and general HBIC vibes you draw from taking care of yourself, there’s a totally superficial fringe benefit: Duh, you’ll look even hotter. Recently, University of Toronto researchers took on a question we never thought to ask: Exactly how much weight does one have to lose to look quote-unquote better? The scientists started with photos of the faces of men and women ages 20 to 40 and digitally altered them to put on a few pounds. Apparently “facial adiposity” is a great proxy for overall body mass index, or BMI—who knew? Then, by having study participants draw headshot pairs and note which face looked heavier to them, the researchers calculated the magic number when weight loss becomes visible in the face: It’s when your BMI drops by 2. That’s 2. Next, researchers sussed out the threshold at which a change in facial adiposity cued a change in their perceived attractiveness. Turns out women’s BMI had to shift by 5.
Many factors, including your starting size and your eating plan, can make a big difference. In general, however, many people can see results in one to two weeks when they stick to their plan. Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut answer about how soon your weight loss will show. These are some of the reasons that results can vary. Your starting size will impact how soon you notice results. However, weight fluctuation may not be very noticeable on a larger frame. If you are a have a small build and lower BMI, weight may come off more slowly, but be apparent more quickly.