I knew I was losing weight as soon as the scale told me so. But I didn't see or notice remarkable aesthetic differences for awhile. Felt better right away, that's a plus!
It's not necessarily as much to do with self control as it is
knowledge! If you plan on eating fast food I'd just scope it out on a calorie counting site like
The Daily Plate or the restaurant's site and make the best, healthiest decisions you can. The trick is not to be taken by surprise after you've eaten it. Just about any restaurant will have something you can work into your plan.