Body fat %

WDEvy
WDEvy Posts: 814 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Is there a healthy rate of body fat loss per month? ( as in .5-2 lbs a month is the generally accepted weigh loss rate)

Replies

  • honu178
    honu178 Posts: 13 Member
    I would say losing 0.5% a week or 2% in a month is healthy, attainable and realistic.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Depends on how much weight you have to lose. Anywhere from 0.5 to 2 lbs a week is considered healthy. If you lift heavy and are overweight, easily all of that weight loss can be pure fat.

    So if you have 50+ pounds to lose, you can definitely go up to about 8 pounds of fat a month without worry.
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    Actual body fat % losses can be hard to measure. I'm not sure there is a proper rate. Healthy weight loss is up to 2lbs per week however that loss includes water, fat and muscle losses.

    It's also pretty tough to accurately measure body fat % as well. Home scales are not accurate and the really accurate tests can be pricey.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    IIRC it's something like 1% of your total weight per month. Probably greater for obese people.
  • BikerGirlElaine
    BikerGirlElaine Posts: 1,631 Member
    My overriding goal is to lose only fat and keep all of my LBM. Of course measuring LBM has it's problems, so you have to take my experienc with a grain of salt.

    I started with 75 pounds to lose and I've been losing about 1 1/2 pounds a week since January 1. So I'm staying within the 'generally accepted' range for weight loss speed.

    My body fat % loss is about 2% per month for the first two months, it's too soon yet for me to measure the third month's loss.

    I know it's only anecdotal, but maybe it'll help you. :flowerforyou:
  • WDEvy
    WDEvy Posts: 814 Member
    Thanks all.

    I've been losing steadily at a average rate of 1.5 lbs/week for the last 6 months but since I have more of a body fat % goal than an actual weight goal, I was wondering if there was a guideline.

    Thank you for your answers.

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