2 pounds per week?

abbefaria4

Hello All,

I read that two pounds was the most that could feasibly be lost per week after the initial rapid loss of water weight. However, I read this in a book about the psychology of staying on a diet, so I'm not sure if the author was basing this on science or just repeating a rule of thumb. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks,
Andrew

Tacklewasher

1 rule of thumb is

Pound per week goals
75+ lbs set to lose 2 lb range
Between 40 - 75 lbs set to lose 1.5 lb range
Between 25-40 lbs set to lose 1 lb range
Between 15-25 lbs set to lose 1 -.50 lb range
Less than 15 lbs set to lose 0.5 lbs range

Another is 1% of your body weight.

The goal is to lose fat and lose as little muscle as possible, and slower weight loss along with a goo diet helps with this.

becomingbeautifultoday

It's physically possible to lose more, but it's not healthy, and can lean to starvation, in which case your body will store as much as it can as fat, so really pushing too much will hold you back.

2 pounds per week is a good healthy goal.

Tacklewasher

becomingbeautifultoday wrote: »

It's physically possible to lose more, but it's not healthy, and can lean to starvation, in which case your body will store as much as it can as fat, so really pushing too much will hold you back.

Huh? Starvation mode is a myth.

becomingbeautifultoday

Tacklewasher wrote: »

becomingbeautifultoday wrote: »

It's physically possible to lose more, but it's not healthy, and can lean to starvation, in which case your body will store as much as it can as fat, so really pushing too much will hold you back.

Huh? Starvation mode is a myth.

"What people generally refer to as "starvation mode" (and sometimes "metabolic damage") is the body's natural response to long-term calorie restriction.
It involves the body responding to reduced calorie intake by reducing calorie expenditure in an attempt to maintain energy balance and prevent starvation.
This is a natural physiological response, and isn't really controversial. It is well accepted by scientists, and the technical term for it is "adaptive thermogenesis" "

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/starvation-mode#section6

Tacklewasher

becomingbeautifultoday wrote: »

Tacklewasher wrote: »

becomingbeautifultoday wrote: »

It's physically possible to lose more, but it's not healthy, and can lean to starvation, in which case your body will store as much as it can as fat, so really pushing too much will hold you back.

Huh? Starvation mode is a myth.

"What people generally refer to as "starvation mode" (and sometimes "metabolic damage") is the body's natural response to long-term calorie restriction.
It involves the body responding to reduced calorie intake by reducing calorie expenditure in an attempt to maintain energy balance and prevent starvation.
This is a natural physiological response, and isn't really controversial. It is well accepted by scientists, and the technical term for it is "adaptive thermogenesis" "

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/starvation-mode#section6

Adaptive thermogenesis is not the same as "your body will store as much as it can as fat". It is the bodies natural reduction in activity and metabolism from prolonged reduced calories.

But this is getting off track for the OP.

doittoitgirl

It isn't the most you COULD lose. But it is the most you should probably aim for. And even then, that is if you have a significant amount of weight to lose. If you only have 20lbs to lose, I couldn't recommend setting a goal of 2lbs per week. But if you had 100lbs to lose, I'd say go for it.

becomingbeautifultoday

Tacklewasher wrote: »

becomingbeautifultoday wrote: »

Tacklewasher wrote: »

becomingbeautifultoday wrote: »

It's physically possible to lose more, but it's not healthy, and can lean to starvation, in which case your body will store as much as it can as fat, so really pushing too much will hold you back.

Huh? Starvation mode is a myth.

"What people generally refer to as "starvation mode" (and sometimes "metabolic damage") is the body's natural response to long-term calorie restriction.
It involves the body responding to reduced calorie intake by reducing calorie expenditure in an attempt to maintain energy balance and prevent starvation.
This is a natural physiological response, and isn't really controversial. It is well accepted by scientists, and the technical term for it is "adaptive thermogenesis" "

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/starvation-mode#section6

Adaptive thermogenesis is not the same as "your body will store as much as it can as fat". It is the bodies natural reduction in activity and metabolism from prolonged reduced calories.

But this is getting off track for the OP.

I agree, It doesn't say anything about storing it as fat, so fair enough, I spoke incorrectly, but starvation mode is indeed a thing.

And good luck OP on your journey.

donharkrn

2 pounds a week is the safest goal in fat loss. As stated above, that requires an average calorie deficit of 1000 calories each day. You will either have to eat an extremely dismal amount of food or workout really hard, like 1.5 hours each day of pretty intense training. If you try to push past 2 pounds a week, you're probably not sparing muscle. On that note, read up on your macronutrients and ensure you are getting an adequate amount of protein.

abbefaria4

Thanks everyone for the responses