How long do I need to exercise for before I start seeing a difference?
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I just turned 40, and for the past 5 or so years I have been unhappy with the way I look.
All my life my metabolism has been insane, I could literally eat anything all day and not gain a gram, which has its downsides as well, but not the point.
My weight went up to 80kg and I formed a pot belly which I didnt like. One night I decided enough was enough, started a diet and exercise routine.
I did look at gyms but they are stupid expensive where I live, so I bought a resistance band thing from InnStar. Its like a Gymproluxe if you have been bombarded with Facebook ads. I use it every day for bench press, preacher curls, and some other things I dont know the name of.
I also started using a body weight exercise app that claimed results in a month.
The diet I thought would be hardest, but I immediately stopped all snacks and moved onto a weightloss protein shake which are amazing and I cant believe it took this long to taste them.
Its been a week, and I feel better, Im not sleeping as much, I look forward to exercise, I am much more physically active than before, but I dont feel like I look any different. I am not expecting instant results and I havent booked myself into a Mr World contest this weekend, but I am curious to hear real experiences of when people started to notice their own changes.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]I'd keep the focus on your performance. You can do x amount of push ups etc. That is easier to notice and keep track of. I had a notebook where I wrote down every exercise session so I remembered.
The problem with seeing a difference is that you see yourself every day, and the difference from day to day is so small that you'll just update your "before" image in your head.
The obvious solution is to take a before and after picture, longer between the better. At least a month.
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I just turned 40, and for the past 5 or so years I have been unhappy with the way I look.
All my life my metabolism has been insane, I could literally eat anything all day and not gain a gram, which has its downsides as well, but not the point.
My weight went up to 80kg and I formed a pot belly which I didnt like. One night I decided enough was enough, started a diet and exercise routine.
I did look at gyms but they are stupid expensive where I live, so I bought a resistance band thing from InnStar. Its like a Gymproluxe if you have been bombarded with Facebook ads. I use it every day for bench press, preacher curls, and some other things I dont know the name of.
I also started using a body weight exercise app that claimed results in a month.
The diet I thought would be hardest, but I immediately stopped all snacks and moved onto a weightloss protein shake which are amazing and I cant believe it took this long to taste them.
Its been a week, and I feel better, Im not sleeping as much, I look forward to exercise, I am much more physically active than before, but I dont feel like I look any different. I am not expecting instant results and I havent booked myself into a Mr World contest this weekend, but I am curious to hear real experiences of when people started to notice their own changes.
Hell yeah, props for taking the first steps. I'm 23 right now and I started doing calisthenics about 3 years ago and I'm very happy with the results. When I first started I was skinny fat and spent most of my days behind a computer screen eating lots of snacks. Even with basic exercises like push-ups, squats, pull-ups, I started noticing a difference in strength after about two weeks. I felt much better, slept better and had no more back problems. During that time I also stopped snacking and started drinking protein shakes, which really showed after about a month. After 3 months I lost around 6 kg of fat.
What I love about calisthenics is that it builds functional strength and is very fun and dynamic. You also don't need a gym because YOU ARE THE GYM.
If you're interested, you can check out Yellow Dude on Youtube.
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I just turned 40, and for the past 5 or so years I have been unhappy with the way I look.
All my life my metabolism has been insane, I could literally eat anything all day and not gain a gram, which has its downsides as well, but not the point.
My weight went up to 80kg and I formed a pot belly which I didnt like. One night I decided enough was enough, started a diet and exercise routine.
I did look at gyms but they are stupid expensive where I live, so I bought a resistance band thing from InnStar. Its like a Gymproluxe if you have been bombarded with Facebook ads. I use it every day for bench press, preacher curls, and some other things I dont know the name of.
I also started using a body weight exercise app that claimed results in a month.
The diet I thought would be hardest, but I immediately stopped all snacks and moved onto a weightloss protein shake which are amazing and I cant believe it took this long to taste them.
Its been a week, and I feel better, Im not sleeping as much, I look forward to exercise, I am much more physically active than before, but I dont feel like I look any different. I am not expecting instant results and I havent booked myself into a Mr World contest this weekend, but I am curious to hear real experiences of when people started to notice their own changes.
Something to keep in mind is that after 30 male testosterone starts to decline and decreased testosterone can result in carrying more weight around the mid-section and may make it harder to lose.
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I just turned 40, and for the past 5 or so years I have been unhappy with the way I look.
All my life my metabolism has been insane, I could literally eat anything all day and not gain a gram, which has its downsides as well, but not the point.
My weight went up to 80kg and I formed a pot belly which I didnt like. One night I decided enough was enough, started a diet and exercise routine.
I did look at gyms but they are stupid expensive where I live, so I bought a resistance band thing from InnStar. Its like a Gymproluxe if you have been bombarded with Facebook ads. I use it every day for bench press, preacher curls, and some other things I dont know the name of.
I also started using a body weight exercise app that claimed results in a month.
The diet I thought would be hardest, but I immediately stopped all snacks and moved onto a weightloss protein shake which are amazing and I cant believe it took this long to taste them.
Its been a week, and I feel better, Im not sleeping as much, I look forward to exercise, I am much more physically active than before, but I dont feel like I look any different. I am not expecting instant results and I havent booked myself into a Mr World contest this weekend, but I am curious to hear real experiences of when people started to notice their own changes.
I've gone for months and months without seeing a change. Which then discouraged me enough to stop entirely.
These days I just hope to die ASAP so the point is moot lol. -
I'd keep the focus on your performance. You can do x amount of push ups etc. That is easier to notice and keep track of. I had a notebook where I wrote down every exercise session so I remembered.
The problem with seeing a difference is that you see yourself every day, and the difference from day to day is so small that you'll just update your "before" image in your head.
The obvious solution is to take a before and after picture, longer between the better. At least a month.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]For me it's about not worrying about the day to day appearance/weight/progress, and instead just focusing on accomplishing my daily goals, with no loftier intent.
Time will help guide your intent.
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I just turned 40, and for the past 5 or so years I have been unhappy with the way I look.
All my life my metabolism has been insane, I could literally eat anything all day and not gain a gram, which has its downsides as well, but not the point.
My weight went up to 80kg and I formed a pot belly which I didnt like. One night I decided enough was enough, started a diet and exercise routine.
I did look at gyms but they are stupid expensive where I live, so I bought a resistance band thing from InnStar. Its like a Gymproluxe if you have been bombarded with Facebook ads. I use it every day for bench press, preacher curls, and some other things I dont know the name of.
I also started using a body weight exercise app that claimed results in a month.
The diet I thought would be hardest, but I immediately stopped all snacks and moved onto a weightloss protein shake which are amazing and I cant believe it took this long to taste them.
Its been a week, and I feel better, Im not sleeping as much, I look forward to exercise, I am much more physically active than before, but I dont feel like I look any different. I am not expecting instant results and I havent booked myself into a Mr World contest this weekend, but I am curious to hear real experiences of when people started to notice their own changes.
Just adding to „It will take a while“. It would be faster if you‘d been fit before because the body remembers. But you should feel strength improvements and you should feel better quite soon. And clothes might be less tight. But visible results take longer. And after a while you’ll hit a tableau and you’ll have to power through that without giving up. It will be best if you don’t focus on looks too much but rather on feeling good and fit.
Kudos for starting this path! -
I just turned 40, and for the past 5 or so years I have been unhappy with the way I look.
All my life my metabolism has been insane, I could literally eat anything all day and not gain a gram, which has its downsides as well, but not the point.
My weight went up to 80kg and I formed a pot belly which I didnt like. One night I decided enough was enough, started a diet and exercise routine.
I did look at gyms but they are stupid expensive where I live, so I bought a resistance band thing from InnStar. Its like a Gymproluxe if you have been bombarded with Facebook ads. I use it every day for bench press, preacher curls, and some other things I dont know the name of.
I also started using a body weight exercise app that claimed results in a month.
The diet I thought would be hardest, but I immediately stopped all snacks and moved onto a weightloss protein shake which are amazing and I cant believe it took this long to taste them.
Its been a week, and I feel better, Im not sleeping as much, I look forward to exercise, I am much more physically active than before, but I dont feel like I look any different. I am not expecting instant results and I havent booked myself into a Mr World contest this weekend, but I am curious to hear real experiences of when people started to notice their own changes.
The routine you stick with is the one that works. It has only been a week. If you consistently keep your calorie count down and exercise routine on track, you will see gradual improvements after weeks and months of consistent effort.
Think about how many years it took you to gain to 80kg. It will take time to transform the other way as well.
It took me about three months to really notice visible improvements. The problem for me was maintaining consistency in diet and exercise once I noticed the changes.
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I just turned 40, and for the past 5 or so years I have been unhappy with the way I look.
All my life my metabolism has been insane, I could literally eat anything all day and not gain a gram, which has its downsides as well, but not the point.
My weight went up to 80kg and I formed a pot belly which I didnt like. One night I decided enough was enough, started a diet and exercise routine.
I did look at gyms but they are stupid expensive where I live, so I bought a resistance band thing from InnStar. Its like a Gymproluxe if you have been bombarded with Facebook ads. I use it every day for bench press, preacher curls, and some other things I dont know the name of.
I also started using a body weight exercise app that claimed results in a month.
The diet I thought would be hardest, but I immediately stopped all snacks and moved onto a weightloss protein shake which are amazing and I cant believe it took this long to taste them.
Its been a week, and I feel better, Im not sleeping as much, I look forward to exercise, I am much more physically active than before, but I dont feel like I look any different. I am not expecting instant results and I havent booked myself into a Mr World contest this weekend, but I am curious to hear real experiences of when people started to notice their own changes.
I've heard something like 1 months for you to notice, 2 until family will notice and 3 until other people will notice.
Not sure about these exact numbers but you get the gist.
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I just turned 40, and for the past 5 or so years I have been unhappy with the way I look.
All my life my metabolism has been insane, I could literally eat anything all day and not gain a gram, which has its downsides as well, but not the point.
My weight went up to 80kg and I formed a pot belly which I didnt like. One night I decided enough was enough, started a diet and exercise routine.
I did look at gyms but they are stupid expensive where I live, so I bought a resistance band thing from InnStar. Its like a Gymproluxe if you have been bombarded with Facebook ads. I use it every day for bench press, preacher curls, and some other things I dont know the name of.
I also started using a body weight exercise app that claimed results in a month.
The diet I thought would be hardest, but I immediately stopped all snacks and moved onto a weightloss protein shake which are amazing and I cant believe it took this long to taste them.
Its been a week, and I feel better, Im not sleeping as much, I look forward to exercise, I am much more physically active than before, but I dont feel like I look any different. I am not expecting instant results and I havent booked myself into a Mr World contest this weekend, but I am curious to hear real experiences of when people started to notice their own changes.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]So I have always been one to count calories and attempt to keep my weight in check, I always found it to be hard work and while I maintained a pretty healthy weight, I never really lost like I wanted to. I cut out sugar long ago, and I try and only eat whole grain products and be cognizant of my carb intake. It just wasn't quite enough.
Then I got a physical and saw I had high cholesterol. High enough that it needed to be addressed. I had to go on a diet and the only restriction (aside from stuff I was already doing as I described above) was: keep your intake of saturated fat no more than 13 grams per day.
So I use an app to keep a diary of everything I eat and I make my own food mostly and I have all the things I eat regularly in the app and I have been doing this for years, so I am lucky in that regard. If you can't/won't do this or just aren't bent that way, this will be much harder. But with my app and my eating habits, I have very little problems knowing exactly what I am ingesting - down to the gram. I had to re-do almost all of my regular recipes to create versions that were lower in saturated fat and it was a process.
But holy shit, I can't keep weight on. I eat and eat and eat as much as I want (I make this sound easy, it's not - every goddamn thing in the world is loaded with saturated fat, particularly animal products and you might as well just say goodbye to beef my friend). But between my regular (simple and not hardcore at all) exercise and this diet, my body changed dramatically within 3 months.
Also, my cholesterol is perfect now. Score.
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I just turned 40, and for the past 5 or so years I have been unhappy with the way I look.
All my life my metabolism has been insane, I could literally eat anything all day and not gain a gram, which has its downsides as well, but not the point.
My weight went up to 80kg and I formed a pot belly which I didnt like. One night I decided enough was enough, started a diet and exercise routine.
I did look at gyms but they are stupid expensive where I live, so I bought a resistance band thing from InnStar. Its like a Gymproluxe if you have been bombarded with Facebook ads. I use it every day for bench press, preacher curls, and some other things I dont know the name of.
I also started using a body weight exercise app that claimed results in a month.
The diet I thought would be hardest, but I immediately stopped all snacks and moved onto a weightloss protein shake which are amazing and I cant believe it took this long to taste them.
Its been a week, and I feel better, Im not sleeping as much, I look forward to exercise, I am much more physically active than before, but I dont feel like I look any different. I am not expecting instant results and I havent booked myself into a Mr World contest this weekend, but I am curious to hear real experiences of when people started to notice their own changes.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Visually at first it's going to be mostly weight loss. How much depends on how much caloric deficit you are running - rule of the thumb if you eat 500 kcal less than what you burn per day you will lose about a pound/0.5kg per week. Diet is 80% of success. Your muscle gains will be low while you are losing weight, but your existing muscles will become more visible.
You see yourself every day so it's going to be hard to spot differences - compare monthly photos.
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I just turned 40, and for the past 5 or so years I have been unhappy with the way I look.
All my life my metabolism has been insane, I could literally eat anything all day and not gain a gram, which has its downsides as well, but not the point.
My weight went up to 80kg and I formed a pot belly which I didnt like. One night I decided enough was enough, started a diet and exercise routine.
I did look at gyms but they are stupid expensive where I live, so I bought a resistance band thing from InnStar. Its like a Gymproluxe if you have been bombarded with Facebook ads. I use it every day for bench press, preacher curls, and some other things I dont know the name of.
I also started using a body weight exercise app that claimed results in a month.
The diet I thought would be hardest, but I immediately stopped all snacks and moved onto a weightloss protein shake which are amazing and I cant believe it took this long to taste them.
Its been a week, and I feel better, Im not sleeping as much, I look forward to exercise, I am much more physically active than before, but I dont feel like I look any different. I am not expecting instant results and I havent booked myself into a Mr World contest this weekend, but I am curious to hear real experiences of when people started to notice their own changes.
The good news is the first few pounds are the easiest to lose.
The bad news is that you will not see a meaningful difference in just a week, or even one month, not enough to be the only thing keeping you motivated, at least. Depending on what you are after, caloric weight-loss might not even be enough to reach a very specific look, though it will go a long way.
My advice to you: find a way to stay motivated that is not based on results. This needs to be a new mindset, a journey you are undergoing. You'll need a sizable adjustment to your routine. Find a laborious project you are excited about to keep you off the couch and on your feet.
Most importantly, realize that weight loss is almost all about what you eat. It's very hard to go on a caloric deficit just by exercising, because a) exercising will make you more hungry, b) will convert fat to muscle which is heavier (though leaner), and c) it's a LOT more work and time. Instead, physical activity is more of a way of attaining a deficit without an extremely boring diet of lettuce and it also takes away opportunities to eat out of boredom.
You'll feel more hungry than you are used to, especially in the first couple of weeks as your body learns a new metabolic normal. Drink lots of water to both stay hydrated, and to feel full.
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I just turned 40, and for the past 5 or so years I have been unhappy with the way I look.
All my life my metabolism has been insane, I could literally eat anything all day and not gain a gram, which has its downsides as well, but not the point.
My weight went up to 80kg and I formed a pot belly which I didnt like. One night I decided enough was enough, started a diet and exercise routine.
I did look at gyms but they are stupid expensive where I live, so I bought a resistance band thing from InnStar. Its like a Gymproluxe if you have been bombarded with Facebook ads. I use it every day for bench press, preacher curls, and some other things I dont know the name of.
I also started using a body weight exercise app that claimed results in a month.
The diet I thought would be hardest, but I immediately stopped all snacks and moved onto a weightloss protein shake which are amazing and I cant believe it took this long to taste them.
Its been a week, and I feel better, Im not sleeping as much, I look forward to exercise, I am much more physically active than before, but I dont feel like I look any different. I am not expecting instant results and I havent booked myself into a Mr World contest this weekend, but I am curious to hear real experiences of when people started to notice their own changes.
It’s going to be an uphill battle to get in shape without proper gym equipment. Even among those who start going to the gym, most end up quitting because it’s a lot of effort and the results don’t come fast enough. Trying to work out at home makes it even harder. To gain muscle mass, you need to be lifting at the absolute limits of your strength - and that’s really difficult to achieve outside of a gym setting. It can be done, but I generally advise against it, because the odds are stacked against you.
Also, keep in mind that you can’t effectively lose weight and build muscle at the same time.
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It’s going to be an uphill battle to get in shape without proper gym equipment. Even among those who start going to the gym, most end up quitting because it’s a lot of effort and the results don’t come fast enough. Trying to work out at home makes it even harder. To gain muscle mass, you need to be lifting at the absolute limits of your strength - and that’s really difficult to achieve outside of a gym setting. It can be done, but I generally advise against it, because the odds are stacked against you.
Also, keep in mind that you can’t effectively lose weight and build muscle at the same time.
Thanks, I appreciate the input.
I understand that this whole process is going to be more difficult without a gym, but financially its not feasible just yet. Also because I am at the beginning of the process, I figured I would wait until I knew I could stick at it, rather than start a subscription I dont use.
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I just turned 40, and for the past 5 or so years I have been unhappy with the way I look.
All my life my metabolism has been insane, I could literally eat anything all day and not gain a gram, which has its downsides as well, but not the point.
My weight went up to 80kg and I formed a pot belly which I didnt like. One night I decided enough was enough, started a diet and exercise routine.
I did look at gyms but they are stupid expensive where I live, so I bought a resistance band thing from InnStar. Its like a Gymproluxe if you have been bombarded with Facebook ads. I use it every day for bench press, preacher curls, and some other things I dont know the name of.
I also started using a body weight exercise app that claimed results in a month.
The diet I thought would be hardest, but I immediately stopped all snacks and moved onto a weightloss protein shake which are amazing and I cant believe it took this long to taste them.
Its been a week, and I feel better, Im not sleeping as much, I look forward to exercise, I am much more physically active than before, but I dont feel like I look any different. I am not expecting instant results and I havent booked myself into a Mr World contest this weekend, but I am curious to hear real experiences of when people started to notice their own changes.
I started at 35. From skinny fat to visibly "are you lifting" took me about 1 year. Looking "big" took 3-4years. I gained about 15kg of bw, probably about half fat and half muscle. The hardest part now is trying to diet down a bit again. Much harder than actually working out imo.
I did workout using a squat rack at home.
Still the best decision I ever made.
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The routine you stick with is the one that works. It has only been a week. If you consistently keep your calorie count down and exercise routine on track, you will see gradual improvements after weeks and months of consistent effort.
Think about how many years it took you to gain to 80kg. It will take time to transform the other way as well.
It took me about three months to really notice visible improvements. The problem for me was maintaining consistency in diet and exercise once I noticed the changes.
I am currently in the honeymoon phase and enjoying it. Apart from cardio on the exercise bike, because the daily squats turn my legs to jelly.
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The good news is the first few pounds are the easiest to lose.
The bad news is that you will not see a meaningful difference in just a week, or even one month, not enough to be the only thing keeping you motivated, at least. Depending on what you are after, caloric weight-loss might not even be enough to reach a very specific look, though it will go a long way.
My advice to you: find a way to stay motivated that is not based on results. This needs to be a new mindset, a journey you are undergoing. You'll need a sizable adjustment to your routine. Find a laborious project you are excited about to keep you off the couch and on your feet.
Most importantly, realize that weight loss is almost all about what you eat. It's very hard to go on a caloric deficit just by exercising, because a) exercising will make you more hungry, b) will convert fat to muscle which is heavier (though leaner), and c) it's a LOT more work and time. Instead, physical activity is more of a way of attaining a deficit without an extremely boring diet of lettuce and it also takes away opportunities to eat out of boredom.
You'll feel more hungry than you are used to, especially in the first couple of weeks as your body learns a new metabolic normal. Drink lots of water to both stay hydrated, and to feel full.
Thanks, that makes me feel hopeful!
The diet and exercise is making me feel hungry, because I was eating out of boredom I am eating a lot less, but I am now drinking a lot more water, so I am getting up to pee in the night more.
I should have just stuck to the cakes.
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So I have always been one to count calories and attempt to keep my weight in check, I always found it to be hard work and while I maintained a pretty healthy weight, I never really lost like I wanted to. I cut out sugar long ago, and I try and only eat whole grain products and be cognizant of my carb intake. It just wasn't quite enough.
Then I got a physical and saw I had high cholesterol. High enough that it needed to be addressed. I had to go on a diet and the only restriction (aside from stuff I was already doing as I described above) was: keep your intake of saturated fat no more than 13 grams per day.
So I use an app to keep a diary of everything I eat and I make my own food mostly and I have all the things I eat regularly in the app and I have been doing this for years, so I am lucky in that regard. If you can't/won't do this or just aren't bent that way, this will be much harder. But with my app and my eating habits, I have very little problems knowing exactly what I am ingesting - down to the gram. I had to re-do almost all of my regular recipes to create versions that were lower in saturated fat and it was a process.
But holy shit, I can't keep weight on. I eat and eat and eat as much as I want (I make this sound easy, it's not - every goddamn thing in the world is loaded with saturated fat, particularly animal products and you might as well just say goodbye to beef my friend). But between my regular (simple and not hardcore at all) exercise and this diet, my body changed dramatically within 3 months.
Also, my cholesterol is perfect now. Score.
Good work.
I dont eat a lot of meat anyway, but god damn I love beef. Maybe its time to start looking at vegetarian alternatives like Quorn, its great in a pasta sauce.
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First off, if you’re looking for major changes you need to make this a lifestyle change, or you won’t last long enough.
The good news is that you found diet easy so far. That’s the biggest part. A few weeks is not long enough to get rid of a pot belly. Depending how much of a belly you got, probably looking at closer to 6 months for a really visible change. By 3 months you’ll probably notice a difference but might not be where you want to be yet.
Just stick with it, but try not to focus on it.
Its hard not to focus on! But I try not to dwell, and keep pushing through the exercise.
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Just adding to „It will take a while“. It would be faster if you‘d been fit before because the body remembers. But you should feel strength improvements and you should feel better quite soon. And clothes might be less tight. But visible results take longer. And after a while you’ll hit a tableau and you’ll have to power through that without giving up. It will be best if you don’t focus on looks too much but rather on feeling good and fit.
Kudos for starting this path!Oh I was not fit before! Fitness was always tomorrows problem. I am definitely starting to feel changes in my shoulders, and my arms feel tighter.
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I am going to the gym 1-2 times a week for about 2 years now. I think I started to see the first signs after about half a year.
I am not super well defined as I would need to go more often than 2 times a week, but you can see I am a bit more muscular than the average. However, my belly is still there, and if I am not cruel to myself it won't get away. If you want to lose weight, 90% is diet.I recommend to shoot some photos to track your progress. When you see yourself daily in the mirror, it's much harder to tell a difference.
But yeah as others said, especially in the beginning it's much more about feeling healthy than seeing a lot of difference.
But I want to be ripped now!
I do have a before photo which I will use as a bench mark.
