When it comes to fitness results, most of us want it to happen as quickly as possible. We’d prefer to see those muscles today rather than tomorrow, those love handles should have disappeared yesterday, and after two weeks in the gym, we’d like to have rounder buttocks already.
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Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. After all, the fat on your body didn’t accumulate in one week, so it’s not realistic to expect to see your strength training results in one week either. Fortunately, you can lose fat faster than the time it took to build up. However, you will need to give your body time to lose the excess mass and tighten up.
How you can do that in a healthy and responsible way is explained below based on my knowledge and experience as a personal trainer.
How much body fat can I lose in the short term?
Depending on her activity level, a woman weighing 65 kilograms with a body fat percentage of 25% needs about 2200 kcal for a neutral energy balance. To lose body fat, you need to eat less than these 2200 kcal, creating a so-called energy deficit.
A kilogram of body fat contains about 7000 kcal of energy. So losing a kilogram of fat only needs to take 10 days. That is, if a deficit of 700 kcal is created every day by eating less and/or burning more, this results in a fat loss of 100 grams per day. After 10 days, theoretically, you’ll have lost 1 kilogram of body fat. Of course, there are factors at play such as age, weight, and starting body fat percentage, and it won’t only be fat that’s lost.
However, in theory, it works this way, and you can calculate how long it will take to lose 10 kilograms of body fat.
Furthermore, there needs to be consideration for the difference between reduction in body fat and reduction in body weight. For example, in a low-carb diet, significant weight loss can be achieved in a few days, but this is largely due to loss of water and glycogen. However, a considerable amount of body fat can still be lost in the short term.
What you can expect in the short term doesn’t just stop at getting firmer buttocks or a flat stomach. After several days to weeks, you can expect clearer skin and more energy. Does it take long to build more confidence? Not at all, after a few workouts, you’ll notice you’re getting stronger and more comfortable stepping out of your comfort zone. Moreover, you can quickly work on improving your posture and reducing physical discomfort.
Building muscles for the long term
Building muscle mass takes longer than losing body fat. In a previously published article, I wrote about protein synthesis being responsible for this, and it’s a fact that this can only be pushed to a certain maximum. Unless you’re using anabolic steroids, the capacity to build muscles and the speed at which this happens is limited to your genetic predisposition. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t optimize the process to develop beautiful, full muscles. It just takes more time and dedication than losing fat.
Recently, I posted the results of Kelly. In just under a year, she developed tight, round buttocks by following a structured training program and accompanying diet. With the right coaching, she convinced herself that it takes time to build more muscles and focused on long-term success.
How can I best proceed?
By celebrating the short-term successes you achieve (not with food!), you gain new motivation to focus on long-term goals. Many people involved in fitness only see their long-term goals and want to achieve them quickly. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. It’s better to look at what you ultimately want to achieve and what is needed every day to get a step closer. Losing body fat can be a great initial goal, and at the same time, you can start building more strength and muscles.
People aiming for a change in their physique and wanting to see results from their strength training can be divided into 4 groups:
1. The ‘I’d like to, but…’ group. These people often let those around them know that they’d like to lose weight or that they really want to have more energy, but they have enough reasons to not do it. “I really need to lose weight, if only I had more discipline” or “I should go to the gym more, but I really don’t have time.”
2. The ‘I’ll get my running shoes out of the closet again’ group. Although there’s nothing wrong with running, it only addresses a small part of your goals. You need a good diet to lose body fat and strength training to get stronger and develop a good physique. By focusing on one pillar, you’ll only get minor changes, resulting in your motivation disappearing quickly. Getting your running shoes out of the closet can also be ‘I’ll start dieting again’ or ‘I’ll start going to the gym strictly from next week.’
3. The ‘Do it yourself’ group. People in this group are disciplined to achieve results and are willing to invest a lot of time in acquiring knowledge. They search the internet for the right training schedules and ask people in their immediate surroundings how they’ve adjusted their diet to achieve good results. These individuals usually achieve results, but it takes a long time to do so because an enormous amount of time is spent acquiring the right knowledge. Another disadvantage: every website or professional says something different, so it’s difficult to figure out what really works.
4. The ‘I’m aiming for maximum results’ group. There’s a goal, and those in this group know the best way to achieve it. Achieving maximum results both in the short and long term is done with professional support. A (online) coach and/or trainer who knows what it takes to get those firm buttocks or a flat stomach helps you achieve more results and achieves them faster. By learning what you need in one place, you save a lot of time and frustration from reading books and articles yourself and constantly hearing different advice.
Of course, I recommend you switch to group 4. If you’re motivated to achieve beautiful results in both the short and long term, it’s advisable to enlist professional guidance.
