How Long to Follow a Diet?

I’ve typically followed the eat big get big diet with little concern for much appearance. In terms of cleaning up the diet some, how long do most try a diet to determine it’s worth? Assuming I’m working hard in a month or two should a noticable difference be made. Or do I need to wait longer and wait out the results. I have no problems waiting it out but I don’t want to waste 6 months if what i’m doing isn’t working for me.

I take weekly pictures. Also weigh myself before I eat or drink anything in the morning.

I’d do adjustments every 2 weeks depending on results.

by cleaning up the diet do you mean recomping or mainly focusing on fat loss?

I think the mirror and pics are deceiving. One week you may look better, one week you may feel you look worse, its up and down. Get a myotape and take measurements. I personally have been doing arms,shoulders,chest,natural waist,navel,widest part of waist,hips,thigh and tracking that. Obviously the waist measurements are the most important to me, and I know I’ll lose fat from my hips (just not as much). Any size lost to my arms,shoulders,chest, and thighs aren’t necessarily all muscle loss, but should be a lot less than the others.

I’ve been able to lose basically 1/4 inch on my waist a week, but not consecutively. If I go 2 more days without any loss, I make my adjustments then. This could be a week rest at maintenance, lowering cals, a cardio session or two, etc. Depends on how I feel.

Recomp, I just want to get things back in check alittle.

[quote]behexen wrote:
Recomp, I just want to get things back in check alittle. [/quote]

ok well no one can say for sure when you will “see” a difference but recomping is a (relatively) slow process in general