How Long Should It Take to See Results?
How Long Should It Take to See Results?
Having realistic expectations can keep you motivated for the long term
By Marco Augusto
It's a new year, and you've started a new training program in the hope to make some real change to your body and life.
Maybe you're waking up early.
Maybe you're going to the gym after work.
But the commitment is there and you're going to get the results your hard work deserves.
But how long should it take to see results?
This of course is going to be dependant on your commitment and consistency.
But often, not seeing results as quickly as expected, is a reason many people stop and lose interest.
Worst is they are probably right on the brink of achieving the results they seek.
Understanding how long results will take can help you to stay focused and calm when things aren't moving quick, and you're lacking some motivation.
Fitness Challenges Work....Kind Of.
Many people who start training may start by doing a fitness challenge, and these are really good to use as a time frame to see results.
These challenges often span 6 to 12 weeks, and more often then not, the people who run these challenges show before and after photos for their marketing.
And we can see that indeed, 6 weeks in people can actually get some results.
As long as they do everything exactly as stated by the coach or business running the challenge.
And of course 12 weeks gets even better results, as long as the clients do everything exactly as stated by the coach or business running the challenge.
And these before and after's look incredible, especially the clients who are successful.
But what about the ones who aren't?
So often we have a success bias.
We're only shown those who are successful and assume this is the standard across the board.
But it's not even close, and this can get us into trouble.
The truth is you can get great results in this sort of time frame when everything is done exactly as required.
But it's more likely you won't.
And this gives, what I believe to be, the perfect time frame for most people to see results.
Habits Take Time
One problem I have with short term fitness challenges, is they can become very focused on the result.
Of course we need to have a goal, and so the result is important.
But if it's just about the goal, we can miss the even more important benefit of learning new healthy habits.
It's easy to imagine what would happen if we work hard for 12 weeks, achieving great results, and then go back to the same habits we had before; eating too much, not exercising, poor hydration, poor sleep.
In 12 weeks we'd be back to square one.
In other words, the habits we learn set us up for success.
Our outcomes though, are a lagging measure of our habits.
And so the habits that will lead to long term success (or success we can maintain) take time to build, and the reward of those habits come much later than when we actually start them.
A habit definitely isn't built in a week.
They will probably take 6 to 12 weeks or longer.
And so we see the start of the results at the end of that time period, and further results in another 6 to 12 weeks beyond that.
So often I tell clients to stick to the training for 12 weeks, and then they should start to see some good results.
Yes, for some people it happens earlier.
But to expect that you'll have fully realised results in 12 weeks or less, and that no further work would need to be done to improve or at least maintain those results, can set you up for a feeling of failure; realistic expectations with your health and fitness is crucial.
Ultimately, the goal is to create a habit that stays around for the long term.
Not to do 12 weeks of exercise, get some results, and then lose them again over a period of time.
But to create a habit that keeps us healthy for the long term.
I believe that after 12 weeks, most people will start to see results.
But hopefully you'll keep seeing results from your healthy habits for years and years to come.
Until next time,
Marco Augusto
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