Speed of Results

We are only in March but the glorious weather means there is an air of spring fitness drives around the corner. One topic I have with almost all clients is about the speed by which you can get results and the expected timeline for seeing any sort of change, versus achieving your longer term aims. So if you were to kick into gear this week (if not already in action), what could you expect?

First Changes

I think it is really important to notice those first changes, as this gives you some immediate rewards and positive feedback to encourage further commitment.

Body fat is often the quickest to start changing. If you are eating less than you need you can start losing body fat within a week. Most people just do not notice it straight away, but it is happening. You should not look at your worst areas, as they do not usually change initially, but you should find changes somewhere on your body. Maybe your clothes feel slightly better around your upper back, maybe your calves look more muscular, your face looks a little different or rings on your fingers have loosened.  

Muscle is much slower. You are not suddenly growing new muscle after a week of training. However, within a few weeks you may feel stronger, the muscles more solid and more in control of movements. That is often the first sign things are working.

Fitness also improves fairly quickly. Within a few weeks things that felt hard begin to feel slightly easier. You recover quicker, breathing feels more controlled and sessions feel less overwhelming.

Health traits such as energy, sleep and general wellbeing can shift very quickly. Within a few days to a couple of weeks people often report better energy levels, improved digestion or just feeling “better” overall.

Behaviour is the fastest of all. The moment you make a decision and act on it, you have already created a change. Within a few weeks of repeating an action you will start to notice it feeling more normal and less forced.

Long Term Change & Achieving Goals

Once you know you are headed on the right path then you may wonder how long would it take to see significant results or get to your end goal.

For body fat changes you might lose anywhere between 0.2kg to 2kg per week depending on your starting point and approach. However, much more powerful to zoom out and look at your annual seed of change. Going at 0.2 to 2kg a week equals 10 to 100kg a year pace. Yet most people feel even 1kg a week is too slow. I have found in the real world, most people tend to lose around 20–30kg per year when I have worked with them (for those who can/need to lose this amount). I have met people who have gone faster, one lady lost 60kg in 6 months but it usually comes with downsides and is not something to aim for.

Muscle gain is very slow. Most people will gain somewhere between 0.1 to 0.4kg of genuine muscle per month. That sounds tiny, but over a year that becomes 1–5kg which is a huge visual change. Over multiple years it completely transforms how you look. This is why patience is everything when it comes to building muscle. At such slow speeds it also makes using the weighing scales a poor method for judging muscle.

Fitness can change dramatically over time. Someone who cannot jog can often build up to running for 10-20 minutes within a couple of months. Over 6 months you can create a big shift, and over 12 months you can be completely unrecognisable in terms of fitness levels if you stay consistent.

Health improvements vary depending on what you are trying to fix. Some things such as energy, digestion or sleep can improve within weeks. Other areas such as blood markers or long term conditions can take months to years. The key is that the process works in the same way, consistent actions over time.

Behaviour change is where everything either works or falls apart. You can make a change instantly, but making it stick is different. In general you will need a few weeks of repetition to start forming a new habit and a few months before it feels natural. Genuine habits take 20-70+ repetitions, perhaps many more if your new habit also involves breaking a bad one. Bigger behaviour changes, such as fundamentally changing who you are in a area such as exercise, or your relationship with food can take 6–12 months and beyond. The most important thing to note is that you can change any behaviour and become someone you never thought possible. 

What Does This Mean For You

Most people fail not because their plan does not work, but because their expectations are completely wrong. You can start seeing positive signs within days or weeks in almost every area. That should give you confidence that you are on the right path.

However, the big results take months and years. That is just how the body works. If you expect fast transformations you will either push too hard and burn out or quit when things do not happen quickly enough. If instead you understand the timeline, you can relax into the process, stick to it and let it compound

The people who get the best results are not doing anything special. They just stay on track long enough for those small changes to turn into something significant.

Photo – Losing 7kg in 9 weeks before my last bodybuilding show was perhaps my most imrpessive speed of fat loss and about to down a pint on a stag doo in 2005. I have now not drunk for 18 years, a nice behaviour change –

Need Support Getting In Shape?

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