long before you start going

[keannu]

Does this "long" means "in advance" or "for a long time"? "In advance" doesn't always mean "for a long time". I think it means the former.

24)While some things certainly help burn extra calories, do not think they are an easy way out. For instance, caffeine might help you lose a few calories, and you start to think along the lines of "oh well, if 240 mg will burn an extra 10%, let's go for 500mg." You may end up experiencing trembling hands and sleeplessness long before you start going down a size....

 

[MikeNewYork]

Does this "long" means "in advance" or "for a long time"? "In advance" doesn't always mean "for a long time". I think it means the former.

24)While some things certainly help burn extra calories, do not think they are an easy way out. For instance, caffeine might help you lose a few calories, and you start to think along the lines of "oh well, if 240 mg will burn an extra 10%, let's go for 500mg." You may end up experiencing trembling hands and sleeplessness long before you start going down a size....

It means "for a long time".

 

[keannu]

How can you tell it from the meaning of "in advance"? Why is it "for a long time"?

 

[Raymott]

How can you tell it from the meaning of "in advance"? Why is it "for a long time"?

I don't know whether there is any fancy explanation. "long before" means "a long time before".
Since you are postulating that it could mean "in advance", the burden of evidence is really on you.
In any case "in advance you start going down a size" doesn't make sense.

 

[keannu]

No, Mike seems to have meant 1, not 2 and the two are different. You seem to mean 2, makeing me confused again.

1. You may end up experiencing (for a long time) trembling hands and sleeplessness before you start going down a size....: You experience it for a long time and you start going down a size.
2. You may end up experiencing trembling hands and sleeplessness much before the time you start going down a size....: You experience it (maybe for a short time, not lasting long), but much before you start going down a size..

 

[MikeNewYork]

How can you tell it from the meaning of "in advance"? Why is it "for a long time"?

The implication of the sentence is that the symptoms will appear a long time before the weight loss begins.

 

[Raymott]

It could mean either 1 or 2. A appears a long time before B. It doesn't really say whether A lasts up until B or not, though one would normally assume that it could.

 

[emsr2d2]

"Long before" means "a long time before", not necessarily "for a long time [before]".