Signs you’re building muscle and losing fat effectively (monthly timeline)

When people say they want to “get toned,” what they really mean is that they want to achieve body recomposition, meaning they want to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. The word “get toned” is just a marketing term, but it’s one of the most common fitness goals. It’s also one of the most difficult to achieve, as you need to track changes in both fat and muscle. The gold standard for measuring this kind of progress would be advanced medical scans such as DEXA or BIA, but fitness coach Emily Addis says there are more practical methods that can help. Below, she shares the signs to look out for from month 1 to month 6 to keep you on a consistent, progressive strength and nutrition routine.

The number on the scale may go up.

“It’s normal to notice that the weight on the scale fluctuates from day to day or week to week, but you may notice a little more weight on the scale. Your body may feel a little bloated or heavier because your muscles aren’t used to the inflammation.

“To build muscle, you go through a process of breaking down your muscles by using weights or bodyweight training to resist the muscle fibers. So they’re broken down and if you give them enough protein and rest and recovery, the muscles rebuild bigger and that’s actually how muscles grow.”

“But in the first month, your muscles aren’t used to being so inflamed. It’s not a bad thing to be inflamed, but you’re going to have more water weight and may feel like you’re getting a little bigger. You might end up seeing a little more weight on the scale.”

You may have more energy and better focus

“If you check in with your body and energy throughout the day and over the course of a few weeks, you might notice that you’re feeling a little bit better. You might be a little more focused during the day. You might have a little more energy. I noticed all three of these things within the first three weeks of consistently lifting.”

You can lift heavier and do more reps

“You’ll find that you might actually be able to increase your weight and increase your strength training load. Or if you’re focusing on bodyweight training, calisthenics, etc., you might find that you’re doing more sets or reps. Or maybe you used to only be able to do incline push-ups, but now you can do floor push-ups.

“Hopefully your trainer or workout program is already adding progressive overload, so your reps and sets will get harder over time, but feeling stronger or lifting more weight is a great sign that you’re making more progress.”

You may start to see changes in your body

“Your muscles may become a little more defined, potentially through a combination of losing fat or gaining a little muscle. And this really depends on your nutrition, whether you’re in a calorie deficit, and your training plan. But remember, faster isn’t always better. So you might start noticing these things, especially towards the end of month 3, but these body changes will show up later, so from month 1 to 3. Try not to stick to it until month one.”

Noticeable changes in body composition and muscle strength

“If you’re doing weight training at the gym, you’ll see your weight increase on both sides. Or maybe you can do more difficult bodyweight training.” And you’ll likely see a change in your body composition. Well, depending on your nutrition and specific goals, you might gain a little more muscle or look a little thinner. ”

Myths about body reconstruction workouts

The more you sweat, the more effective your training will be

“No matter how much you sweat, it doesn’t actually indicate you’ve had a good workout. My point is, no matter how much you sweat, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve broken down your muscles in a way that allows you to rebuild them. The amount you sweat varies greatly depending on the weather outside, humidity levels, and how well you stay hydrated.”

“Genetics also plays a big role. Like everyone, I’m a sweaty girl. I sweat more than most people. If you spend about three minutes on the treadmill, you’ll start dripping. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re burning more calories or breaking down muscle in a way that builds it back up. It just means your body is producing more water and more sweat stains.

The more pain there is, the more effective the training will be

“If your goal is to build muscle and see muscle size increase and muscle strength, you need to challenge your muscles in a way that breaks them down. And when you feel pain, it means your body is moving in a way it hasn’t been in a while. It’s unfamiliar. So when you do a new exercise, your body may feel sore if it hasn’t worked out in a while. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve broken down and built the muscle you want.

“In fact, you might have had a great workout, really challenged yourself, broken down your muscles, made one or three failures, and felt muscle fatigue during your workout. You were really pushing yourself. But you might not be so sore the next day, or the day after that. But that doesn’t necessarily mean your muscles aren’t growing.”



Bridie Wilkins, Women’s Health UK’s fitness director and qualified Pilates and yoga instructor, has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since beginning her 10-year career in journalism.

After gaining a First Class degree in Journalism and an NCTJ accreditation, she secured her first role at Look Magazine, launching the magazine’s health and fitness column Look Fit, before becoming health and fitness writer at HELLO!

Since then, she has written for The Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, Metro, Runner’s World, and Red. She currently oversees all online and print fitness content for Women’s Health and spearheads cross-platform series such as “Fit At Any Age,” which showcases women who prove age is no barrier to exercise.

She also represents the brand on BBC Radio London, as well as various podcasts and Substack. All of this is aimed at encouraging more women to exercise and showing them how to do it. Outside of work, you can find her testing out the latest Pilates studios, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting her workouts on Instagram.