ideal weekly weight loss

rsjohnb
rsjohnb Posts: 215 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
looking at the threads there are a lot of users losing 5lb+ a week. My personal fitness instructor (wii fit) told me losing anyore than 2lb a week was potentially bad for you.

Is he full of it?:huh:

Replies

  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Nope, he's not full of it. Recommended safe weight loss is 0.5lbs to 2lbs per week. Those losing 5lbs plus are either very heavy or are doing unhealthy things. The heavier you are the more you can lose originally as you can sustain a larger deficit. That is only for a period of time though as the larger of a deficit you have the higher risk you have of losing muscle mass. Smaller people who lose that much weight are losing muscle in the process. Losing that much is not healthy. Losing quickly also leads to gaining the weight back after the "diet" is finished and it also leads to more loose skin.

    The slower you take the weight off means you keep more muscle mass, you have a better chance of keeping the weight off and it allows your skin to shrink back better.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    When starting from a large weight, a lot of water weight will be shed as well as some fat. So, larger numbers are possible.
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
    I'm not sure where you see a lot of people losing that much weight? Maybe in their first week or two of a new routine (water weight, etc), but weight loss tends to slow pretty quickly after that

    Generally, if you have a lot to lose, you can lose 1-2 pounds a week healthily. As you get nearer to your goal, that number gets smaller. If your ticker is right and you're looking to lose about 35 pounds, I would think about a pound a week (averaged out over time -- there may be weeks where you lose more, and weeks where you lose nothing) is a great rate of weight loss. As you get closer to your goal, that will shift to more like a half pounds a week (or even less)
  • mich000
    mich000 Posts: 34 Member
    I'm not sure where you see a lot of people losing that much weight? Maybe in their first week or two of a new routine (water weight, etc), but weight loss tends to slow pretty quickly after that

    Generally, if you have a lot to lose, you can lose 1-2 pounds a week healthily. As you get nearer to your goal, that number gets smaller. If your ticker is right and you're looking to lose about 35 pounds, I would think about a pound a week (averaged out over time -- there may be weeks where you lose more, and weeks where you lose nothing) is a great rate of weight loss. As you get closer to your goal, that will shift to more like a half pounds a week (or even less)

    THIS.

    1 pound/week is very, very good for the second step and for a long way.
  • GomesDavid
    GomesDavid Posts: 149
    1 pound per week may be more realistic for you, especially since you aren't overweight . To lose 2 pounds you have to cut out 1000 calories.

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