Is losing 4 pounds a month realistic?
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MeganReid1991
Posts: 170 Member
So I have lost 20 pounds and I have about another 25 to 35 pounds more to lose.
My next goal is to lose 24 pounds by June.
So that would be about 4 pounds a month.
I think that 1 pound a week is pretty reasonable but I also know that once you get closer to your goal weight that weight loss will slow. Do you think that this a realistic next goal.
Also not sure if it matters but It took me 6 months to lose this 20 pounds but 1 of those months was really hard on me and I didn’t track.
My next goal is to lose 24 pounds by June.
So that would be about 4 pounds a month.
I think that 1 pound a week is pretty reasonable but I also know that once you get closer to your goal weight that weight loss will slow. Do you think that this a realistic next goal.
Also not sure if it matters but It took me 6 months to lose this 20 pounds but 1 of those months was really hard on me and I didn’t track.
2
Replies
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A very reasonable and attainable goal. Just know weight loss isn't linear so you may have weeks that you lose more or less or none at all. Also the closer you get to your goal the slower the loss can be. Best of luck!7
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If you are eating food you enjoy and getting some exercise you should be able to lose a pound a week. That way you are not feeling terribly deprived, so are more likely to stick to the calorie restriction. If you are 'on a diet' it gets harder to stick to a limited food plan for the long term. Exercise will allow you more flexibility in your eating as well, and should make you feel better.1
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It sounds reasonable for the next 20lbs6
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The maximum rate of loss is 1% of bodyweight per week. A more reasonable rate is somewhere between .5% and 1% and even less as you get closer to goal.
Depending on what you currently weigh, and how many calories you need to consume to lose at that rate (meaning if you have to drop your calories to a very low/unsustainable level to lose a pound a week), 24 pounds by June might be possible.0 -
I am going to differ with others here. It may be possible, but most likely it’s not a good goal for you.
This is because you’re close to your goal weight and don’t have much to lose. You’re going to be even closer to your goal by spring. Those last few pounds come off very slowly, and it’s not reasonable for most people to expect a pound per week weight loss for their last ten or fifteen pounds. At that point, your deficit is very small and very easy to wipe out with accidental logging errors, and weight loss may be masked by normal water fluctuations for weeks at a time.
I would recommend shifting to a 0.5 lb/week weight loss when you get to the last 15 pounds, recognizing that you may not see a consistent loss at that pace, weighing ALL your food, and being patient and consistent. You don’t need to put a deadline on your weight loss.13 -
I would respond with a qualified "it depends".
I would establish a plan with a caloric deficit and a series of habit forming behaviors that lead you to your ideal weight. You can certainly set an ambitious goal of 1 lb/week, but are you going to be satisfied with 0.5 lb/week?
Bottom line you're still making progress and hopefully establishing habits along the way to sustain a healthy lifestyle. It is good to have a goal, but it is better to hold a realistic goal.10 -
Maybe I should clarify that technically I should lose another 40ish pounds. At least that’s when I will be at a healthy bmi.
I’m currently 196 and need to be around 155.
So 24 pounds is about half of what’s left. I figured a pound a week is pretty do able for those and then I can expect the weight to slow down on the last 20 pounds.
I currently eat around 1300-1500 calories a day and work out a couple times a week if I find the time!8 -
I disagree with shifting to .5 lb/week. I say, as long as you are comfortable losing at 1 lb/week, you can continue at that rate. I definitely think it is possible for you to reach that goal, but it will require a good amount of discipline to tracking and staying in a consistent calorie deficit. However, depending on how you handle things, maybe you want to set a softer goal with 24 lbs as your stretch goal? I just don't want you to be too disappointed if you, say, only lost 20 lbs instead of 24. Any progress is better than no progress.
You also may want to consider adding in a diet break (eating at maintenance) for a period of time. The below post has a lot of good information about that.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p18 -
Good point I don’t want to be disappointed either but I think setting a goal will help me stay on track1
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You can possibly lose 1/wk for a month or two, then you should drop to .5 per week for a healthy approach. For me it happened naturally without much conscious slowdown.3
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I lost 7 kgs in just 40 days. I enjoyed food during this period because I just changed my eating habit and for the cardio, I just walk 30 mins everyday and thats it. Just watch your carbs and fat intake and you will loose weight.15
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adilrafi93 wrote: »I lost 7 kgs in just 40 days. I enjoyed food during this period because I just changed my eating habit and for the cardio, I just walk 30 mins everyday and thats it. Just watch your carbs and fat intake and you will loose weight.
Only if watching carbohydrate and fat intake results in a calorie deficit.
Also, I'm not sure what you mean by "watch," but a diet that is low in carbohydrate and fat is pretty challenging for most people.13 -
If you can keep losing at 1 pound a week without having issues with compliance, then it's fine.
Some people find that it's too aggressive a deficit as they get closer to goal and either struggle with compliance or get very lethargic and start burning less so they're spinning their wheels.
Only you can gauge whether or not it's realistic for you.10 -
Absolutely. You want to aim for up to 2lbs per week. I actually prefer to have my clients focus on 0.5 - 1lbs per week. I believe slower is better. 4lbs in one month is an excellent goal. Just remember that your body will go through periods of losing weight, then stabilizing, maybe even gain a bit, and then losing weight again. Weight loss is not linear. I am only mentioning this as some months you may not lose that much.
I look forward to hearing about your journey on here. Congratulations!
[Edited by MFP Staff}6 -
Definitely check out the Refeeds and Diet Breaks thread - one of the best on the site.
You have to know yourself. Personally I'm currently on a break between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I still log and I stay at maintenance, but this is the time of good food, beer, and family and I'm not about to attempt to swim upstream. My serious deficit begins in January.
Know your strengths and weaknesses and incorporate these into your overall plan.8 -
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paperpudding wrote: »
Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
This is absolutely nonsensical without context.12 -
paperpudding wrote: »
Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
The OP was asking what was realistic for her. And she has 25-40 left to lose. Which is incredibly different than someone that has double or more left to lose than she does. So your statement really was low on value. But of course you are entitled to your opinion.5 -
maureenkhilde wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »
Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
The OP was asking what was realistic for her. And she has 25-40 left to lose. Which is incredibly different than someone that has double or more left to lose than she does. So your statement really was low on value. But of course you are entitled to your opinion.
Sorry, but I don't see how its unrealistic. If you want something bad enough, put your mind to it and you can accomplish it. Hard work and dedication pay off regardless of the situation or person.
It is unrealistic because since the OP has less to lose, losing at a faster rate will cause significantly more muscle loss than losing at a more reasonable rate. When you have less fat, you body is more likely to burn muscle for energy if you do not fuel your body properly. Most people when losing weight are targeting fat loss. Also, with too low of a calorie goal it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to provide your body with all necessary nutrients which leads to other unwanted side effects.8
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