1-2lb Loss/Wk Is Healthy? Says Who?

SP0472

This is a serious question and I'm hoping someone can direct me in the right direction.

I'm sure we've heard countless times that 1-2lb loss per week is healthy and is the way to keep the weight off - my question is...have there been studies done regarding this and what happens if you lose at a faster rate?

I'm not looking to lose more/wk. I'm happy with 1-2lbs but I'd like to read up on it and so far I haven't been able to find any studies on this...

Help...please

ChubbieTubbie

I read an article on the Jillian Michaels website that said that as long as you're eating your 1200+ cals, any and all exercise you do is "bonus" weight loss, so I would assume (not an expert by any means!) that if you're upping your exercise and not eating back the calories you can lose more than the 2 lbs from calorie changes.

Yasmine91

I have been told that it is impossible to lose more than 2lbs of fat a week. When our bodies do lose more than 2lbs of fat a week, it means that there is something unhealthy going on. I used to lose about 4-5lbs a week and I gained over half the weight back.

This is from my experience.

Douniap

The recommendation for losing SAFELY 1 to 2 pounds per week is as general guidelines for the majority of the population as set by multiple organizations that specializes in nutrition and exercise such As ACSM.
From a doctor point of view, if all other criteria are ok, it is generally recommended that you aim at loosing Safely up to 1% of your total body weight per week.
So of course, the heavier you are , the more weight you will loose at the start and as you get closer to your normal weight, then it becomes harder to loose more than 1 or 2 without compromising your health..
The most important part is to keep in mind that it is not about the amount lost itself, but where did that amount come from? in other words, it has to be fat and not lean body mass.
One thing you should know is that water weight losses sometimes tend to distort these numbers, especially when you first begin a new nutrition and training program. The lean body mass number isn't just muscle. Lean mass reflects all fat free tissue, including water weight. That's why you shouldn't panic if you see small drops in lean body mass - some of it is water. When you lose large amounts of lean mass and/or if your lean mass drops consistently week after week, that's an indication that you're definitely losing muscle tissue.
The best advice I can give you is to focus on losing fat, not losing weight. If you lose three to five pounds per week, and it's all fat, no muscle - more power to you! Of course the only way to know this is with body composition testing. I recommend the Accu measure for home self testing as first choice.
Based on thousands of case studies, I can confirm that it's VERY rare to lose more than 1.5 - 2.0 lbs of weight per week without losing some muscle along with it. If you lose muscle, you are damaging your metabolism and this will ultimately lead to a plateau and weight re-gain. Lack of patience is one of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to losing weight. If you want your weight loss to be permanent, you have to take off the pounds slowly.
remember that 1 pound = 3500 calories..
To your health and hope i answered your question.
Dounia

agdeierl

The recommendation for losing SAFELY 1 to 2 pounds per week is as general guidelines for the majority of the population as set by multiple organizations that specializes in nutrition and exercise such As ACSM.
From a doctor point of view, if all other criteria are ok, it is generally recommended that you aim at loosing Safely up to 1% of your total body weight per week.
So of course, the heavier you are , the more weight you will loose at the start and as you get closer to your normal weight, then it becomes harder to loose more than 1 or 2 without compromising your health..
The most important part is to keep in mind that it is not about the amount lost itself, but where did that amount come from? in other words, it has to be fat and not lean body mass.
One thing you should know is that water weight losses sometimes tend to distort these numbers, especially when you first begin a new nutrition and training program. The lean body mass number isn't just muscle. Lean mass reflects all fat free tissue, including water weight. That's why you shouldn't panic if you see small drops in lean body mass - some of it is water. When you lose large amounts of lean mass and/or if your lean mass drops consistently week after week, that's an indication that you're definitely losing muscle tissue.
The best advice I can give you is to focus on losing fat, not losing weight. If you lose three to five pounds per week, and it's all fat, no muscle - more power to you! Of course the only way to know this is with body composition testing. I recommend the Accu measure for home self testing as first choice.
Based on thousands of case studies, I can confirm that it's VERY rare to lose more than 1.5 - 2.0 lbs of weight per week without losing some muscle along with it. If you lose muscle, you are damaging your metabolism and this will ultimately lead to a plateau and weight re-gain. Lack of patience is one of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to losing weight. If you want your weight loss to be permanent, you have to take off the pounds slowly.
remember that 1 pound = 3500 calories..
To your health and hope i answered your question.
Dounia

I started MFP three weeks ago and set goals so that I would lose one pound per week, but my first week I lost 3.8 pounds, the second I gained a pound, and last week I lost 2.4 pounds. Since I just started recently I'm assuming the extra "weight" is water weight? What you write concerns me, because I don't want to lose muscle mass! I guess my question is, how do I know if I am losing water weight or if I am losing muscle mass. I am starting to incorporate strength training in with my cardio, but I am still new to strength training, so it's not a whole lot yet.

agdeierl

P.S. I should also add that I started at 150 lbs. at 5'6"...I've lost 5 pounds total so far and am trying to lose 10-20 more, depending on how my body looks.