Losing weight can be a challenge, and it is normal to want to accelerate the process to see the biggest results as quickly as possible. But weight loss isn’t as simple as dropping pounds and feeling better. You have to take the future into account, too, and think about strategies that will help lose weight in a safe and sustainable manner. The question, then, is exactly how much weight you can lose per week in order to safeguard your health and optimize your chances of success. The answer can vary, however in general a safe amount of weight to lose per week is around 1 to 2 lbs. Let’s take a closer look at what factors impact safe weight loss and what they mean for you.
Weight Loss Rate Factors
One factor that influences weight loss per week is your starting weight. Individuals who are overweight or have more to lose will likely find themselves dropping much more than a few pounds per week, especially if they make big changes to their diet or exercise routine.
Starting Weight
People with more weight to lose tend to lose weight more quickly. There are a few different reasons for this. First, making any changes to sedentary lifestyle will have a dramatic impact upon the number of calories burned per day. This will translate into relatively quick initial weight-loss, especially when paired with a body training routine that encourages lean muscle and fat loss. Second, keep in mind that the first week or so of losing weight tends to be faster than normal anyway as “water weight” starts to drop.
Daily Routine
In addition to starting weight, your daily routine, including what you eat and how you exercise, will affect the amount of weight you lose. If you have not been getting enough exercise or eating healthily, making even small changes to your and training routine will typically yield significant results. Additionally, understanding when to eat – avoiding an excess in the PM, specifically – can also affect your weight-loss levels.
Why can’t I lose weight quickly?
Losing weight more quickly than a pound or two a week is tied to less successful outcomes. You might drop weight in a short amount of time but be less likely to keep it off.
Diet Difficulties
It’s important to emphasize sustainable weight loss rather than quick weight loss. Burning fat quickly might seem preferable to working at it for weeks or months, but that kind of progress tends to encourage bad habits and discourage healthy lifestyle changes. If you lose weight before you’ve set a new diet and exercise routine in place, in other words, then your old habits will likely resurface and lead to weight gain.
Lifestyle Changes
In order to maintain your weight loss, you must change your overall lifestyle. The habits that encouraged you to gain weight and live unhealthily must be changed if you hope to maintain a healthy weight moving forward, and fast weight loss does not encourage this. It takes time to become accustomed to new routines, particularly if they are dramatically different from the way you are used to living. Making small changes regularly and “easing” yourself into a new lifestyle is the best way to ensure you keep the weight off for good.
If you’re thinking about losing weight, make sure to stick to the amount of weight you can safely lose per week in order to give yourself the best chance of success. Keep the above information in mind and remember to focus on the simple achievements if you find yourself overwhelmed. Your improved health will be worth the effort.
