1% Rule

bluebirds5
bluebirds5 Posts: 92 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Looking for thoughts on the 1% weight loss rule rather than 1- 2lbs a week. I weigh 238lb currently (my high was 262) so I could loose 2.4lbs this week safely according to this method and some articles even say 1.5% is fine. I do want to have lasting success though, so I would love to hear about your experiences. Thank you!

Replies

  • Jams009
    Jams009 Posts: 345 Member
    Sounds OK until you get leaner, 1% would be too much for me.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    Jams009 wrote: »
    Sounds OK until you get leaner, 1% would be too much for me.

    This. Right now I working on getting into the lower end of my maintenance range and 1% would be over a pound a week for me, not smart for my smaller weight (I'm aiming for .5lb a week loss now).
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
    Noel_57 wrote: »
    Weight loss expectations can be a motivation killer. The problem with "rules" is that if you break them, or don't attain what the rule says, it may cause you unnecessary frustration. Just let your weight fall as it wants, try not to make this more difficult than it already is. Best wishes on your health goals.

    Exactly. That being said, don't expect 1 - 1.5% every week because the only thing you can know with certainty is that that will not happen consistently. On the flip side, don't worry if a week is over that same base line.
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,643 Member
    For safety I agree with the 1% rule. As others have said, don't expect it every week.
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    Slow and steady, the victory goes not to the quickest, but to the one who will not quit. The more aggressive of a weight loss you shoot for, the more likely you are to burn out and revert to old habits.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    bluebirds5 wrote: »
    Looking for thoughts on the 1% weight loss rule rather than 1- 2lbs a week. I weigh 238lb currently (my high was 262) so I could loose 2.4lbs this week safely according to this method and some articles even say 1.5% is fine. I do want to have lasting success though, so I would love to hear about your experiences. Thank you!

    What you could do mathematically on paper and what is realistic and sustainable for you to actually do are different things. I would try 2 lbs a week and see how that goes for you for a month or so. As you lose weight you will not be able to continue losing 2 lbs a week though.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    The "rules" are what is generally thought of as maximum thresholds for weight loss. They're not one size fits all goals.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Here's compare between 1.4 and 0.7 %.

    How you compare to the test subjects would be a difference, but gives some idea of potential difference.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/447514/athletes-can-gain-muscle-while-losing-fat-on-deficit-diet/p1

    And as above mentioned couple times - even 0.7% at some point wouldn't be reasonable, when applied to say a 4% bodyfat athlete.

    Wish they'd come up with one based on % of bodyfat rather than bodyweight. (and no, not the "study" that wasn't really a study playing math with results of an actual study - for those that know).
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    I follow a similar rule that I customized for myself. My rule is basically the maximum I allow myself to lose per week is 2% of my body fat weight (not actual weight). For example, my current body fat is estimated at 108 pounds so I allow myself to lose up to 2.16 pounds per week. It works better for me because it carries better to lower body fat percentages.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    1% is a upper range for maximum weight loss with minimum to no muscle loss (assuming you eat your protein and do resistance training). Generally 1% falls within the 1-2lb/week. If you read the 1-2lb/week recommendations it typically comes with a caveat for really heavy people where it says they can lose more per week. So, 1% isn't a recommended rate, but a maximum recommended rate and it isn't for everyone (there is nothing wrong with 0.5%/week if you stick with it).

    I started out losing 1% every week for the first 12 weeks. At the end of those 12 weeks I honestly just wanted to eat. Luckily those 12 weeks lined up with a vacation so I ate at maintenance for the week and then switched to ~0.75%/week (or 1.5lb/week) for a while, and then I chopped it again down to ~0.55%, and now finally down to ~0.3%. While I could do 1%/week if I really wanted to, the reality is that I don't. I don't compete in competitions and since I have a normal BMI with a low-ish BF% I have no incentive to lose weight that fast.
  • Montepulciano
    Montepulciano Posts: 845 Member
    So when looking at maintaining weight loss, I think the reason some people who lose the weight quickly, don't always build habits for a lifetime. They eat a particular way, to lose the weight and then go back to old habits once they hit their goal. Slower loss may, not always, build better habits so maintenance is easier to...well maintain. As for safety, I am sure there are studies by people out there. 1% does not sound insane, as the pounds/kg adjust as you get leaner.
  • bluebirds5
    bluebirds5 Posts: 92 Member
    Thanks everyone! Lots of things to make me think here.

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