Healthy weight to lose each week

AussieKT96

Hi MFP community,

Just wondering what is a good guide on weight loss each week. I have about 12kgs to lose and want to know if 0.5-1kg is an okay amount to lose

snowflake954

Yes, that sounds right. Good luck!

AnnPT77

Without disagreeing with Snowflake, I'll mention that a common rule of thumb around here is 0.5%-1% of current body weight per week, with a bias toward the lower end of that range, especially when not much weight left to lose. Finding and establishing new habits is more important IMO than losing weight fast, unless one's bodyweight itself is a major health risk. And fast loss can backfire in various ways, besides (fatigue, burnout, . . . .).

cwolfman13

With the amount of weight you're looking to lose, 1Kg per week would be considered pretty aggressive and it's entirely possible that your TDEE isn't high enough to actually support a calorie target to achieve that without dipping below minimum calories and getting into VLCD territory which should really only be done under medical supervision. People who are heavier can "afford" that kind of aggressiveness because their sheer mass allows for a higher TDEE (maintenance level of calories) for which they can still maintain a reasonably healthy calorie intake to achieve that rate of loss. A target of 1 Kg per week is a cut of roughly 1,000 calories per day from your maintenance level of calories...it's a lot.

I've found .5 Kg per week to be doable (and relatively easy and sustainable) until I'm around 15% BF (rough female equivalency would be around 23%)...for myself, that's when my body really starts to fight me and I have to reduce my deficit and start looking at things like refeeds and whatnot for hormone regulation and to stave off adaptive thermogenesis.

AussieKT96

Thankyou for the information - I may aim for the 0.5kgs a week especially going through Christmas and new years. Definitely don’t want to end up binging or yo-yo dieting because I pushed too hard

snowflake954

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Without disagreeing with Snowflake, I'll mention that a common rule of thumb around here is 0.5%-1% of current body weight per week, with a bias toward the lower end of that range, especially when not much weight left to lose. Finding and establishing new habits is more important IMO than losing weight fast, unless one's bodyweight itself is a major health risk. And fast loss can backfire in various ways, besides (fatigue, burnout, . . . .).

Sorry, I just read the .5 kilo not .5-1 kilo. Yep OP, 1 kilo is too much. Thanks for catching that Ann--old age is knockin' at the door.

paperpudding

I had about that amount to lose and iI lost it steadily at about 1/2 lb per week - 1 kg/ month

xrj22

2 lb per week (1 kilo) per week would be about the max. That would mean big changes to diet, and would probably feel difficult, but with motivation can be done while staying health. My experience is that to lose weight at that rate, it has to be the focus of your life. On the other hand 0.5 - 1 lb (0.25 - 0.5 kg) per week is more like making a few changes, and cutting out unhealthy foods, but feels more like normal eating. Decide which seems right to you, put it in the calculator, then start tracking. After 2 - 3 weeks, re-evaluate, and decide whether you want a different plan.

AussieKT96

True! I still want to be able to have a treat every now and than along with the occasional wines so will try and stick with the 0.5kgs/week. Trying not to weigh myself often though and use my energy levels and measurements as a guide as well