[DustyMiller]

My friend and I have recently begun a diet and exercise regime (we're doing weight watchers) and we have been debating an issue for a while that I thought someone on here may know the answer to.

Our question is, how long does it take to see the effects of diet and exrcise on your body? I am not asking, HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO DO THIS?!? cause I know it is a loooong time. I am asking, if you have a very big, naughty meal that you shouldn't have had...how long does it take for that meal to effect your body? A week? A month, three days?

And the reverse of that: If you do a major work out, how long does it take for the effects of that work out to happen.

This is a very hypothetical questiosn, since obbviously the two effect each other, and the diet and exercise of that whole week, month, three days will change the way you respond. However, I am talking about the single effects of that single process of eating a lot, or working out a lot. How does your body process what you do to it or give it?

I realize this is a tough one and also a little rambly. Many apologies and also many thanks if anyone knows the answer!

Dusty

[bindersbee]

If I have been eating healthy for a period of weeks (long enough for it to be 'normal' for my body), a big, naughty meal won't do anything to my weight. My ability to absorb the occasional error seems to be greater. If I have been eating crappy then eat and even worse meal, it shows up quick.

This is TOTALLY unscientific but I think it also depends on your rate of weight loss. If you are very strict and are losing quickly, I think a small deviation has greater impact and maybe that's just because of context. If I lose quick then stop, it comes back quick. If I lose slow and stop, it takes a lot longer to start regaining weight. I WISH I didn't know that from personal experience but I do!

Working out takes longer to notice I think. I am on the tail end of an unplanned experiment. I have only worked out once in the last two weeks. My eating has stayed the same. My weight has also stayed the same. I know I can lose weight without exercise but it seems to impact the consistency of the losses. When I exercise and eat decently, I'm nearly guaranteed a loss. If I eat fantastic but don't exercise, it's still a crap shoot whether or not I'll have a loss. Exercise seems to make weight loss more consistent for me.

I'm back to working out today because I'm now going to have to record a small gain (probably just normal fluctuations- I'm probably the same weight) for this week. I don't like to see a gain of any sort.

[goodday]

this is just my experience but when i eat really badly it doesnt show up the next day but rather the one after that...same with a particularly good day. i dont know why but thats the way it tends to work for me.