How Long Does It Take To Reach Your Goal Weight? (5 Realistic Examples)

Photo of Author about to do bicep curls and accepting his fate that big arms are still years away

I don’t mean to be the bearer of non-ideal news, but getting in shape takes longer than anyone would like…

If there was some safe and ethical way to get fit overnight, you bet I’d happily share even though it would put myself out of business.

Since there’s no point of waiting for The Day That Never Comes (great Metallica song btw), I’m going to give you 5 realistic timelines for dropping weight depending on your goal.

Before we get into how long it takes, I have to give a disclaimer:

The timelines I’m about to share are assuming you’re doing everything incredibly well every day and week…

Your calories and protein are on point.

You don’t miss a training session.

You’re walking enough every day.

The more consistent you are, the more accurate these timelines become.

Without further ado, here’s roughly what you can expect:

5 pounds — 3–6 weeks
10 pounds — 2–3 months
20 pounds — 3–5 months
50 pounds — 6–12 months
100 pounds — 1–2 years