Healthy Weight Loss in a Month -- what is healthy weight loss?

yasminara

What is healthy weight loss? 2 lbs a week? I don't know if I'm not pushing myself enough or if what I lose (about a 1lb a week/5 lbs a month) is normal. Just wanted to see what ya'll thought!

xoxo, Yasmin

danielaica

I think it depends on weight/age/height and ohhh so many other factors like overall health, metabolism, etc.
If you are really close to your ideal weight you'll probably lose less than 2 lbs a week and also might want to add exercise.

ewoksrule3

2 pounds a week is usually the maximum recommended in order to keep at a level of eating that can sustain your body, and also if you're losing faster than that, it seems to be that most people don't keep it off as well. I would agree that if you're close to your ideal weight, you probably won't be hitting 2 pounds a week. They say a 500 calorie per day deficit will give a weight loss of one pound a week, and 1000 calories per day deficit will give a weight loss of two pounds a week, just to give you an idea of what you'd need to accomplish to lose either amount.

WicklowWanderer

I think a lot of that depends on how much you've got to lose- carrying a lot of weight, its fine to lose more than someone who's not carrying as much. Personally, I'm aiming for a 1 to 1.5lbs per week. I figure it took 20 years to put the extra thirty or so pounds on, its not going to be gone overnight, at least, not reliably or for good. I want to be relatively certain I'm losing fat, not muscle and water!

rdtalon

I think 2 pounds is the AVERAGE safe weight loss. You don't want to lose too much all at once (straight up starvation), because your body will start pulling proteins from all your muscles and internal organs (its not picky). Even being slightly more moderate than full on starvation can have consequences. You'll start to experience physiological as well as psychological needs to eat, which makes people binge hardcore. I read that if you want to lose a little faster, do so in moderation, maybe like a reverse cheat day, where you have slightly lower calories on one day of the week, or a bit more exercise.

ACSL3

I've seen a lot of people post the following on the boards - it's what I've been following

If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

WWnot

Thanks ACSL3 - i didn't know this: If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

fiddletime

I'm 60 and I have 15-20 lbs to lose. Is age a factor in these recommendations?

ACSL3

WWnot wrote: »

Thanks ACSL3 - i didn't know this: If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

You're welcome I've never gotten down to less than 15 to lose so I don't have experience but I hear it gets difficult so trying for 0.5lbs can make it less frustrating when you don't lose 1lb (from what I read on the boards from others experience). I bounce around between 25-30lbs to lose so I'm always at 1lb/week

fiddletime wrote: »

I'm 60 and I have 15-20 lbs to lose. Is age a factor in these recommendations?

I'm not sure, sorry

yasminara

This was SUPER helpful! I'm 26, 160 with a goal of 120. So it seems I should just keep doing my best then and 1-1.5 is pretty norm!