How much weight should I lose per week?

Hi, I want to lose 25lb. How should I set my goal? 1.5lb a week or maybe 1lb?

Replies

  • If you only have 25lbs to lose, I would generally say 0.5-1lb per week.
  • MarcyKirkton
    MarcyKirkton Posts: 507 Member
    That's personal preference. Every respectable guideline I've ever seen says 1 - 2 lbs a week is healthy. I believe the exceptions are those who have obesity issues that seriously threaten their health, so the amount might be higher.
  • nadoz
    nadoz Posts: 4 Member
    I want to lose 20lbs I am setting my goal at 1lb a week, I joined the 10 week challenge so hopefully by the end of it, will be half way there.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    Personal preference but don't be too aggressive! :)
    I know it can be tempting to set your goal to lose at a higher rate so it happens 'faster' but it's a lot more sustainable if you take it slow and steady. Good luck!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    A pound a week is a fantastic goal. It allows you to lose and still learn a sustainable way to keep it off.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    Personally, I wouldn't go slower than 1lb/week unless you have a low BF% and would probably pick 1.5lb/week if it doesn't push your calories under 1200. 1-2lb/week is generally a safe rate. I would also aim to keep it under 1% of total weight (another metric often used to gauge if weight loss is a safe rate).

    I've even seen some information on maximum calorie release by fat per day, and if you take the low number of 20 calories/lb/day, then 25lb of fat means you can lose at least 1lb/week. Your body has to have other fat besides that 25lb, so the rate can be even higher than that (for example, if your goal is 150lb at 20%BF, then you currently have ~55lb of fat on you).

    You also have to factor in difficulty of eating at such a deficit (or if you'll even get enough nutrients), and that the deficit should decrease as you get closer to your goal if it was originally set aggressively.

    TLDR; like everyone said, personal preference. Pick anywhere from 0.25lb/week to 2lb/week. The best number is the one you will be happy with the rate of loss and be able to stick to.
  • coachRichie
    coachRichie Posts: 27 Member
    1 lb a week is safe and very doable .. eat clean and exercise and you will get there.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    It's not just about how much you have to lose. It's also about how much you weigh to start with and how much you want to weigh. A large man with 25lbs to lose can probably go at a faster pace than a small woman with 25lbs to lose, because the small woman is trying to lose a higher percentage of her total body weight.

    Your profile says you're 26 years old and you have lost 15lbs and have 6lbs more to go. Is that still accurate?

    What is your height, starting weight and goal weight?

    Basically, what you want to do is create about a 20% deficit from your total calories burned each day (through BMR, normal daily activity, and exercise). How much that 20% is depends on that total. For instance, let's say in an average day you'd burn 2,500 calories (including exercise, averaged out). 20% of that is 500 calories, which is a 1lb/week deficit. If your daily burn is more like 1800 calories/day, then a 20% deficit from there is only 360 calories, which is more like 0.75lbs/week. (For that or below, you can choose to set MFP to 0.5lbs/week). A larger man who burns 3,750 calories in an average day can easily create a 750 calorie daily deficit to burn 1.5lbs/week. Etcetera.

    You can plug in your stats in this calculator to try to estimate it for yourself: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/. If the deficit it gives you at 20% is around 500 calories/day, then set MFP to 1lb/week. If it's closer to 250 calories/day, set MFP to 0.5lbs/week. Etcetera.

    Oh, and there's no need to "eat clean". You can lose weight by simply eating smaller portions of whatever you eat now. Sure, you may feel more satiated on certain kinds of food than others, and it's always good to be health-conscious. But being overly restrictive with yourself isn't helpful either. You can still make room for your favourite treats.

  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    edited October 2015
    89GermanG wrote: »
    Hi, I want to lose 25lb. How should I set my goal? 1.5lb a week or maybe 1lb?

    HI, @89GermanG. What are your stats, please.

    25 pounds is not much, so I'd set your goals to lose a half pound a week. Since your margin of error is so small, I suggest a food scale, weighing all your food, and logging every single thing you eat. If you do cardio exercise, eat 75% of those calories back.

    You can do this. Good luck!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    eat clean and exercise and you will get there.

    Neither of these things are really necessary to weight loss. The important thing is to find an eating plan and activity plan that fits you. :)
  • 89GermanG
    89GermanG Posts: 73 Member
    I'm 5'2 and 177lb. I know I have to lose more then 25lb but I'm ok with only 25. I've lost 15lb already. I do have a food scale and I weight everything. I usually lose between 1.5lb and 2lb a week but since two weeks I've only lost 2lb all together. I'm kinda stuck right now.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    89GermanG wrote: »
    I'm 5'2 and 177lb. I know I have to lose more then 25lb but I'm ok with only 25. I've lost 15lb already. I do have a food scale and I weight everything. I usually lose between 1.5lb and 2lb a week but since two weeks I've only lost 2lb all together. I'm kinda stuck right now.

    It's safe to lose UP TO 1% body weight per week. So a max of 1.7 pounds per week.

    My suggestion would be to go with 1.5 pounds per week.

    Any reason you are aiming to be in the 150's at 5'2? That puts you at 28.3 BMI or in the "overweight" range. Just curious.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    89GermanG wrote: »
    I'm 5'2 and 177lb. I know I have to lose more then 25lb but I'm ok with only 25. I've lost 15lb already. I do have a food scale and I weight everything. I usually lose between 1.5lb and 2lb a week but since two weeks I've only lost 2lb all together. I'm kinda stuck right now.

    Ah, okay. Ignore my statement above then.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

    This is irrelevant if you don't have a goal weight within these "have to lose" ideals.
  • 89GermanG
    89GermanG Posts: 73 Member
    I might go down some more but it depends on how I like myself at 150lb. I think it's more because of my body type. I was never very skinny and I'm not sure if I would like that on me. I liked my body before I had my 2 children and I was comfortable around 150lb.
  • 89GermanG
    89GermanG Posts: 73 Member
    I still like to be curvy if you know what I mean
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    89GermanG wrote: »
    I'm 5'2 and 177lb. I know I have to lose more then 25lb but I'm ok with only 25. I've lost 15lb already. I do have a food scale and I weight everything. I usually lose between 1.5lb and 2lb a week but since two weeks I've only lost 2lb all together. I'm kinda stuck right now.

    Ah, okay. Ignore my statement above then.
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

    This is irrelevant if you don't have a goal weight within these "have to lose" ideals.

    Are you having a bad day?
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    89GermanG wrote: »
    I'm 5'2 and 177lb. I know I have to lose more then 25lb but I'm ok with only 25. I've lost 15lb already. I do have a food scale and I weight everything. I usually lose between 1.5lb and 2lb a week but since two weeks I've only lost 2lb all together. I'm kinda stuck right now.

    Ah, okay. Ignore my statement above then.
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

    This is irrelevant if you don't have a goal weight within these "have to lose" ideals.

    Are you having a bad day?

    No. Just pointing out that this chart is irrelevant because it doesn't take into account total body weight when starting. Just because someone sets an arbitrary amount of pounds they wish to lose doesn't mean they fall into the above categories.

    Lets just say i'm 120 pounds and I want to lose 45 pounds. Should I aim for 1.5 pounds per week? No. A generally accepted measurement is 1% of total body weight per week. Or in OP's case 1.7 pounds per week.

  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    89GermanG wrote: »
    I'm 5'2 and 177lb. I know I have to lose more then 25lb but I'm ok with only 25. I've lost 15lb already. I do have a food scale and I weight everything. I usually lose between 1.5lb and 2lb a week but since two weeks I've only lost 2lb all together. I'm kinda stuck right now.

    Ah, okay. Ignore my statement above then.
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

    This is irrelevant if you don't have a goal weight within these "have to lose" ideals.

    Are you having a bad day?

    No. Just pointing out that this chart is irrelevant because it doesn't take into account total body weight when starting. Just because someone sets an arbitrary amount of pounds they wish to lose doesn't mean they fall into the above categories.

    Lets just say i'm 120 pounds and I want to lose 45 pounds. Should I aim for 1.5 pounds per week? No. A generally accepted measurement is 1% of total body weight per week. Or in OP's case 1.7 pounds per week.

    I see. Sorry, I'm just assuming people know to set themselves a goal within the healthy weight range.

    The table is still helpful (with that proviso) for people who don't like maths.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I would choose 1 lb a week with your height and current weight.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    With your stats, your lightly active TDEE is probably in the 2000 calorie range. So 1lb/week would be a 1500-calorie daily goal, which represents a 25% deficit for you. That's already quite aggressive and I would not go any higher than that, if I were you. Go with 1lb/week.
  • 89GermanG
    89GermanG Posts: 73 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    89GermanG wrote: »
    I'm 5'2 and 177lb. I know I have to lose more then 25lb but I'm ok with only 25. I've lost 15lb already. I do have a food scale and I weight everything. I usually lose between 1.5lb and 2lb a week but since two weeks I've only lost 2lb all together. I'm kinda stuck right now.

    Ah, okay. Ignore my statement above then.
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

    This is irrelevant if you don't have a goal weight within these "have to lose" ideals.

    Are you having a bad day?

    No. Just pointing out that this chart is irrelevant because it doesn't take into account total body weight when starting. Just because someone sets an arbitrary amount of pounds they wish to lose doesn't mean they fall into the above categories.

    Lets just say i'm 120 pounds and I want to lose 45 pounds. Should I aim for 1.5 pounds per week? No. A generally accepted measurement is 1% of total body weight per week. Or in OP's case 1.7 pounds per week.

    I see. Sorry, I'm just assuming people know to set themselves a goal within the healthy weight range.

    The table is still helpful (with that proviso) for people who don't like maths.

    Like I said, my goal for right now is to lose 25lb and I might go down some more if I'm unhappy. Thanks for the table, I think it still helps.
  • 89GermanG
    89GermanG Posts: 73 Member
    segacs wrote: »
    With your stats, your lightly active TDEE is probably in the 2000 calorie range. So 1lb/week would be a 1500-calorie daily goal, which represents a 25% deficit for you. That's already quite aggressive and I would not go any higher than that, if I were you. Go with 1lb/week.

    Thanks! I think I will go with 1lb.