How Long Does It Take to See Results from the Mediterranean Diet?

Emily Laurence
·6-min read

No eating plan has more scientific evidence supporting its positive impact on health than the Mediterranean diet. The primarily plant-based diet emphasizes vegetables, fruit, whole grains, fish and healthy fats (such as from avocado and olive oil) while minimizing foods high in sugar and red meat. It’s long held the title of U.S. News & World Reports' best diet because of how greatly it can benefit weight loss, diabetes prevention and heart health.

If you do start following the Mediterranean diet as a way to improve your health, it’s natural to wonder when you can expect to see results. After all, making a commitment to change the way you eat isn’t easy—even if the plan you’re following leaves an abundance of food on the table, as the Mediterranean diet does.

Here, a registered dietitian shares science-backed evidence of how long after starting the Mediterranean diet you can expect to notice a difference in how you look and feel. It just may pay off sooner than you think!

Related: What Is the Mediterranean Diet and What Can You Eat On It?

If someone has a diet that consists primarily of ultra-processed, nutrient-poor foods and then starts following the Mediterranean diet, they’ll start benefiting from the change right away. “When it comes to improving nutrition, every bite counts. Even small changes can lead to measurable health improvements, sometimes with immediate results,” Kelly LeBlanc, MLA, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian and the Vice President of Nutrition Programming at Oldways, told Parade.

ADVERTISEMENT

This doesn’t necessarily mean your clothes will suddenly feel looser after a day of following the Mediterranean diet, but it does mean you’ll notice a difference in how you feel. LeBlanc explains that Mediterranean diet-friendly meals and snacks keep blood sugar levels steady—unlike meals or snacks that are full of simple carbs and sugar. This means you’ll be able to avoid experiencing spikes and drops in energy and mood.

🩺 SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week 💊

“Eating a traditional Mediterranean pasta meal has a gentler blood sugar response after that meal than eating a bread or potato-based dish. This is because pasta has a low glycemic index, meaning that it does not produce a rapid blood sugar spike. Additionally, by preparing a carbohydrate-based food, like bread, pasta or potatoes, with olive oil or vinegar as is traditional in Mediterranean cuisine, the fat and the acid can help reduce the glycemic impact. By choosing balanced Mediterranean meals that keep our blood sugar on an even keel, we can help prevent the dangerous spikes that are associated with poor blood sugar management,” LeBlanc explained.

Scientific research shows that people who followed the Mediterranean diet experienced more energy, less fatigue and less feelings of weariness than before they started following it. Following the eating plan has also even been linked to experiencing less symptoms of depression after three months.

Related: 110 Foods You Can Eat on the Mediterranean Diet—From Hummus to Beets to...Octopus? Use This List to Help You Grocery Shop

Wondering when you will start losing weight after starting the Mediterranean diet? “Following a Mediterranean diet and exercising for just 12 weeks has been shown to decrease waist circumference, visceral fat (the dangerous type of belly fat deep within your abdomen) and triglycerides, a type of fat that circulates in the blood,” LeBlanc says. Another study showed a significant decrease in weight (a weight loss of 16.7%) eight weeks after following the Mediterranean diet.

ADVERTISEMENT

“For people who are in a habit of eating foods filled with excess sugar and saturated fat, drinking sugary beverages or routinely eating substantially more calories than their bodies require, transitioning to a Mediterranean diet and lifestyle can be a helpful strategy to lose weight,” LeBlanc said, noting that the amount of time it takes for someone to begin losing weight and the amount of weight they can expect to lose vary widely from person to person based on their age, activity level and calorie intake.

“Everyone is different. It’s also essential to remember that long-term, sustained weight loss is what is important," LeBlanc advised. "The good news is that the Mediterranean diet is satisfying and delicious, which makes a longer-term weight loss plan very possible."

Related: Research Says This 'Low-Carb Mediterranean' Way of Eating Is Actually the Best Diet for Heart Health—Here's What That Means

You can improve your cardiovascular health relatively quickly once committing to the Mediterranean diet. “In one study, switching from a typical diet to a Mediterranean diet improved systolic blood pressure after both three months and six months and improved endothelial function [the opening and closing of arteries] after six months,” LeBlanc told us.

ADVERTISEMENT

If you are pregnant or are planning on becoming pregnant soon, it can be beneficial to follow the Mediterranean diet. “Pregnant women beginning a Mediterranean diet at eight to 12 weeks pregnant had a 25% lower risk of developing gestational diabetes at 24 to 28 weeks pregnant. Following a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy is also linked with improved neurodevelopment in children and a reduced risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes,” LeBlanc said. (That said, be sure to talk to your doctor and/or OBY/GYN first!)

While you will start noticing a change in how you look and feel soon after following the Mediterranean diet, it’s important to be aware of the changes that will benefit you in the long term. For example, people who follow the Mediterranean diet live an average of 4.4 years longer than people who don’t follow it and have a lower risk of getting dementia. These are changes you won’t experience right away, but are still major benefits of sticking with the eating plan long-term.

As a wealth of scientific data shows, there are many reasons why following the Mediterranean diet is a change worth making. To make the switch easier, use Mediterranean diet cookbooks for recipe ideas and join online communities where others following the eating plan share their favorite Mediterranean diet-friendly meals and snacks. You’ll soon see first-hand that there is no need to follow a restrictive diet to benefit your health. You can improve it one delicious meal at a time.

Up Next:

Related: 25 Facts to Know About the Mediterranean Diet

Latest stories