WHEN did it happen?

Good Morning Everyone!   when you VERY FIRST STARTED Counting Calories Did You Notice the Scale Moving?????  i mean Truthfully...  How Long Did It Take For It To Kick In???  i just started Counting Calories the Beginning of August and really took it Seriously down to 1500 a day about a week ago...  I PROMISE THAT IM GOING TO BE VERY PATIENT but i would like some input & opions & advice from everyone on WHEN it happened for YOU!     Thanks For ALL The Knowledge & Kindness from Everyone!

i had nothing for the first 6 weeks and then it all started falling off, but i was exercising and building muscle at the same time so i lost inches not pounds for a while.

I think it took about three or four weeks before I noticed the scale move in the right direction.  Luckily, I'm not scale-dependent.  I weigh myself once a week or less.  I actually just went about 3 weeks without weighing.  However, I did weight weekly and sometimes daily in the beginning.

Be sure to take your measurements, too.  Sometimes you may not lose or may actually gain weight, but your measurements have gone down.  Muscle weight replaces the fat weight.

I saw an instant drop of about 5lbs the first week ... probably due to a reduction in fluid retention as a result of a better diet rather than purely fat!  The next week I think I only lost 1/2lb or so but then 1400-1500 cals plus a little exercse gave me a steady 1 - 2lbs a week after that.

I started to see mine drop right away.  I almost feel like the  weight I was at was so unnatural for me that it was just falling  off.

I started at 1450cal/day - but when I lowered it to 1300 I really started to lose. I am down 19lbs since July 1st.

 

I got very frustrated in the beginning because I was being very strict with my diet and had started to exercise and saw no movement for the the first three weeks! In addition to that I was starving because I cut what I was eating in half! (and I eat 1600 cals to lose weight!) It can be really tough to get started, but once you do its a lifestyle....not a diet anymore. I have been doing this for a month and half and have lost a total of 17 pounds so far! It's not always easy...but you are really ready to lost the weight, nothing can stop you! Best of luck and believe me....the scale will move very soon!

I started losing right away, but my Best Friend who was doing all the same things that I was (but working out more and harder) didn't lose for WEEKS.  She got really frustrated... but now she is steadily losing and I am at a stand still... It is different for everyone!  Just do what you are doing and it will come off... Try not to get mad and frustrated when the scale stops... (I tend to get really ticked off) Just know that it will come off in time..

I didn't weigh myself because I couldn't find my scale for the first three weeks I was dieting. While I felt discouraged because I didn't know what was going on, it also kept me motivated to keep at it so that I'd hopefully have a good number.

When I finally looked at the scale, I did drop a little, so it wasn't terribly disappointing, but since then (minus vacation, haha!) I've lost nearly 2 pounds every week! =)

Good luck; I know you can do it!

It took a good four weeks before the scale started moving in the right direction. In fact, I gained a little at first. Just hang in there!

About a month.

I had gone from no activity and no restrictions on food to all of a sudden going to the gym for 30 minutes a day for six days outa the week and completly making over my fridge supplies to substitute EVERYTHING for much much healthier foods.

Lost 8lbs initialy by the end of the month and then it slowed down...and I got annoyed that it was barely 1lb a week but the compliments started to ROLL IN!!

Yes, definitly be patient.

I started counting calories before I found this site, and lost some lbs before I was counting but I have seen a steady slow drop every week. The first week counting I think it was around 2 lbs.

I just started using this site a couple days ago and I love it.    I love the food grading.  I love how it grades each food item and gives you a daily grade.  That actually  motivates me quite a bit to want to stay above a C everyday and eat healthy.    I haven't checked the scales yet but it's only been like 3 days. 

I have been counting calories and exercising 5 days a week for 4 months and I've lost 8 lbs. I had a lot of muscle mass to regain, because I was in a bad accident last year and all my muscle mass atrophed (sp?) so that ( I think ) is one reason why it's been slow going on the scale changes, because I've actually lost several inches and dropped a couple sizes. I can tell a big difference in the mirror, but not much on the scale. And I can understand the frustration. I wanted to cry and give up a million times, but I haven't. Dont worry too much about the scale. It's a monster. Get a good tape measure instead.

After reading the above postings I realize how lucky I was.  My weight started dropping immediately (within 3-5 days) and actually plummeted 19 lbs. the first month.  The next two months resulted in 12 lbs. per month weight loss ... then it dropped to about 8 lbs. 

In 7 months I have lost a total of 65 lbs., whereby for one month I made zero progress due to being on a cruise, gaining 14 lbs. and losing those 14 lbs. again.

7 months into a healthy lifestyle I am averaging one pound weight loss every 6-7 days.

The first several months I did no exercise ... I was so heavy my joints really hurt.  But for the past several months I have been trying to get in at least 30 minutes a day - many days even 60 minutes.  I prefer bicycle riding and swimming ... less stress on ankles and knees ...

I still have 49 lbs. to lose to reach 170 lbs. which is the upper range of a healthy BMI for my height/age/gender

My weight started to drop the first week.  I decided to jump right in and lowered my calorie intake (or at least healthier options, didn't really pay that much attention before) and started daily excercise at the same time.  I lost at least 2 lbs a week for the first 7 weeks and then started to slow down.  But am now down 26 lbs since the end of May, so not too bad.  The last month or so I have bounced around quite a bit, up some weeks, down others and stayed the same other times. 

I know it can sometimes take awhile, I think depending on how much you have to lose, how healthy you were in the first place and how hard you work at it.  Good luck!!!!

well since ive only been Counting Calories for a Month now, and ive really been reading ALOT and learning how it goes... so i took it down to 1500 a week ago so HOPEFULLY i will see some movement soon...  if not i will just be patient...  i AM 48yrs young!  and on 2 medications, so i know that will make a difference in HOW i lose, but as long as i lose... I Will Be Happy!  be it slow... be it slower...  i guess im just going to have to be patient...  

First I had to be honest with myself and choose Sendentary as my lifestyle setting for Calorie Count's website. Then I went for a 500-1000 cal deficeit a day for at least 3500 cals+ deficeit a week. Once I did that, the scale started moving in 2 weeks. And has been going down 1 Lbs a week ever since. Been doing that for about 14 weeks now. And that is also with eating at night and not counting cals 1 to 4 days a month.

I noticed it right away and dropped about 11 pounds the first month.  I started at 238 and dropped roughly 10 pounds a month for the first 4-5 months.  Now it's slower, about 5-7 pounds a month.  

I start diets regularly and this is what I know about my body...

IF I START EXERCISING AND DIETING = I will not show any change for the first three weeks. But then I lose regularly and if I up the exercise (to at least 45 mins to an hour with cardio and strength) I can eat a lot and still lose

IF I DIET AND DONT EXERCISE - I start losing right away, at least 2-3 lbs first week then about 1 -2 lbs per week with little effort but it levels off quick (after about 10 lbs) and I cant lose more without huge struggle. ALso I will gain it back fast as soon as I stop the diet.

Hope that helps. My conclusion? Exercise daily, dont weigh yourself and dont stop exercising. Its a lifestyle change, more important for the long haul than diet.

I think body type figures in too. My body type is a balanced one - not an ectomorph but not extreme endo or meso either. I have muscle naturally (not a lot tho) and even if I dont build it I am more muscular than a Twiggy type. I think how much muscle your body has genetically plays a role in the effects of diet and exercise in how long it takes to show a change on the scale.

I lost about 4 pounds the first week, but it was all water, I'm sure.  After that, it was a slow, gradual loss.  I only lost 0.3 pounds this week, but I only did two 1-mile walks and that was it.  However, I didn't eat more than usual.  So, I really think that exercise has more to do with my weighloss than calorie control.  Granted I can't go out and eat 3000 calories/day, but I learned that I didn't have to restrict it to 1200 calories/day either like I had done in the past.  Now, I keep it around 1500 and walk about 10 miles/week on average (this week was an exception), and lose about 1.5 pounds week.