Why is it advised to lose .5lbs a week?
vanityy99
Posts: 2,583 Member
I read a lot of you ‘should’ aim to lose .5lb a week if you’re already at a normal weight. What would be the issue if you aim to lose 1lbs a week? Is it considered unhealthy? And why.
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Replies
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Can I ask your stats height weight etc
I’ve personally put myself on .5 as it’s more realistic for myself with my height and weight4 -
The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.17
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If you're already at a normal weight, your TDEE is going to be lower than it would if you had a lot of weight to lose. Shaving 500 calories per day off of a lower TDEE is just not going to be sustainable for many people.
Not to mention that with too steep a deficit, you're more likely to lose lean body mass if you're at a normal weight. You'll be happier with the way your body looks at goal if you focus on retaining as much LBM as possible. IMO, a 250 calorie deficit with adequate protein intake and a good strength training program will get you better results than a >=500 calorie deficit. It's much easier to retain LBM than it is to gain it back from zero.
Also transitioning to maintenance will be much easier.7 -
Because these days, when people say they want to lose weight, they don't mean they only want to be physically lighter so that they can improve their car's fuel efficiency.
Mostly they want to look better naked. For that, they need to lose fat mass, not lean body mass.
Simply put, if your deficit exceeds the amount of fat tissue available, you've guaranteed that your body will turn to muscle tissue. Retaining as much muscle tissue as possible post-weight-loss is nice. It helps you look good naked.
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For me I wasn’t willing to sacrifice muscle to hit a number on the scale faster. Slower weight loss while eating high protein and lifting heavy allowed me to still reach my healthy weight but in a way that also maintained muscle. I want to be fit, not skinny10
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The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?4 -
The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and doing lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
It is typically recommended to stay below 1% of your bodyweight loss per week, and I would typically not recommend that upper limit for most close to goal unless the person is very experienced and under optimal circumstances. So you are following proper lifting programming in the gym and getting more than enough protein, consistently.2 -
It's healthier because it allows to eat enough to get proper nutrition, maintain your energy level, and maintain more muscle.7
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As far as I know, and I've given it a cursory look, I think it's based on the same thing the 8 8oz glasses of water is based on.
That doesn't make it bad a idea though for many of the reasons already stated.12 -
The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
What do you mean by light weights? You need to move beyond leg lifts and curls with 3# weights to maintain muscle in a hard cut from a healthy weight starting point. If your TDEE is relatively high (say 2000 calories a day or more), cutting 500 calories while maintaining .8g of protein/pound of body weight (given starting point of weight within healthy limits) and at least 35 g of fat/day you might be able to maintain the resistance training that will maintain muscle mass. It will suck, though.
4 -
The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
As someone who formerly wasted a lot of time lifting light weights, I suggest switching to lifting heavy (for you) immediately.
This woman hit her goal weight and was not happy with how she looked (the picture in the middle) and changed her exercise routine to achieve the picture on the right. See how she is fitter looking despite weighing 18 pounds more? That is due to having more muscle to fat.
10 -
The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
What do you mean by light weights? You need to move beyond leg lifts and curls with 3# weights to maintain muscle in a hard cut from a healthy weight starting point. If your TDEE is relatively high (say 2000 calories a day or more), cutting 500 calories while maintaining .8g of protein/pound of body weight (given starting point of weight within healthy limits) and at least 35 g of fat/day you might be able to maintain the resistance training that will maintain muscle mass. It will suck, though.
I mean 8lb weights and cardio on the elliptical with high resistance to maintain muscle on my legs, I mean like not having to go full weight training mode since all I’m trying to do is maintain what I have.0 -
Hanger: the struggle is real.2
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kshama2001 wrote: »The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
As someone who formerly wasted a lot of time lifting light weights, I suggest switching to lifting heavy (for you) immediately.
This woman hit her goal weight and was not happy with how she looked (the picture in the middle) and changed her exercise routine to achieve the picture on the right. See how she is fitter looking despite weighing 18 pounds more? That is due to having more muscle to fat.
See, all that work and I don’t see much of a difference, that tan does wonders.
28 -
The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
What do you mean by light weights? You need to move beyond leg lifts and curls with 3# weights to maintain muscle in a hard cut from a healthy weight starting point. If your TDEE is relatively high (say 2000 calories a day or more), cutting 500 calories while maintaining .8g of protein/pound of body weight (given starting point of weight within healthy limits) and at least 35 g of fat/day you might be able to maintain the resistance training that will maintain muscle mass. It will suck, though.
I mean 8lb weights and cardio on the elliptical with high resistance to maintain muscle on my legs, I mean like not having to go full weight training mode since all I’m trying to do is maintain what I have.
Maintaining what you have in a deficit requires lifting heavy for you, progressively over time. Otherwise you are way more likely to lose it, unfortunately.6 -
kshama2001 wrote: »The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
As someone who formerly wasted a lot of time lifting light weights, I suggest switching to lifting heavy (for you) immediately.
This woman hit her goal weight and was not happy with how she looked (the picture in the middle) and changed her exercise routine to achieve the picture on the right. See how she is fitter looking despite weighing 18 pounds more? That is due to having more muscle to fat.
See, all that work and I don’t see much of a difference, that tan does wonders.
I actually have similar photos and stats to her, and maybe from the front it's hard to tell but from the back and side .. huge difference.. not to mention my strength and ability to eat more due to being at a higher weight. 100% worth all the years of hard work.13 -
The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
What do you mean by light weights? You need to move beyond leg lifts and curls with 3# weights to maintain muscle in a hard cut from a healthy weight starting point. If your TDEE is relatively high (say 2000 calories a day or more), cutting 500 calories while maintaining .8g of protein/pound of body weight (given starting point of weight within healthy limits) and at least 35 g of fat/day you might be able to maintain the resistance training that will maintain muscle mass. It will suck, though.
I mean 8lb weights and cardio on the elliptical with high resistance to maintain muscle on my legs, I mean like not having to go full weight training mode since all I’m trying to do is maintain what I have.
Maintaining what you have in a deficit requires lifting heavy for you, progressively over time. Otherwise you are way more likely to lose it, unfortunately.
Thanks you’re always awesome.
I joined the mini challenge 10lbs by Easter, had to make sure if it was a wise idea first.0 -
WHEN i was 102kg i would lose 1 kg per week to get too 98kg my muscle didn't get any smaller or bigger and i was still lifting 200kg in dumbbell press however i was taking BCAA's , Whey and eating a lot. If i would have went any lower than 98kg i would have loss muscle. However i would gain back the 1kg in a week or too!!, This time round when i start?? i will be looking at losing 1lbs per week when i get 20kg from my new goal weight then drop to losing .5lbs pw. One reason for me is to build density in the muscle.2
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Its mainly based on compliance and the ability to get adequate nutrients. It becomes a lot more difficult as you get leaner to create that deficit.
But for me, i am cutting quickly. Slowly doesn't work for me.3 -
The whole "not more than half a pound a week" thing as you get close to your goal weight is just one of the stories that people on MFP accept as iron-clad rules.
Pretty much every reputable medical website (CDC, NHS in the UK, Mayo Clinic, etc) says it's safe to lose 1 to 2 lbs a week. I've lost 21 lbs and have 4 more left to go. I've been losing at a steady one and a half pound per week rate this entire time, with no change. It DOES NOT get harder as I go. (Why would it? My lighter body requires fewer calories.) I just find it satisfying to see the scale move downward at a predictable, steady rate.22 -
The whole "not more than half a pound a week" thing as you get close to your goal weight is just one of the stories that people on MFP accept as iron-clad rules.
Pretty much every reputable medical website (CDC, NHS in the UK, Mayo Clinic, etc) says it's safe to lose 1 to 2 lbs a week. I've lost 21 lbs and have 4 more left to go. I've been losing at a steady one and a half pound per week rate this entire time, with no change. It DOES NOT get harder as I go. (Why would it? My lighter body requires fewer calories.) I just find it satisfying to see the scale move downward at a predictable, steady rate.
This is kind of a dangerous game to play. Though the rule of thumb is to lose no more than 1% of your bodyweight, it doesn't mean lose 1% of your bodyweight or else. I weigh 113 pounds. 1% of my bodyweight is ~1.1 pounds. Could I run a deficit of 500 calories per day to meet that target if I wanted to lose weight? Yes, but I'd feel miserable.
While it's true that, in general, a lighter body requires fewer calories, it also depends on how active that body is and how much bodyfat it has. I'm highly active and my TDEE is 2000 to 2400 on most days. When I've cut in the past, I found that half a pound per week was that sweet spot where I could continue to fuel my workouts, preserve muscle mass, and not feel completely burned out by the end of the week. For me it did end up getting harder as I lost weight. It really does depend on the person and what their endgame is.14 -
kshama2001 wrote: »The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
As someone who formerly wasted a lot of time lifting light weights, I suggest switching to lifting heavy (for you) immediately.
This woman hit her goal weight and was not happy with how she looked (the picture in the middle) and changed her exercise routine to achieve the picture on the right. See how she is fitter looking despite weighing 18 pounds more? That is due to having more muscle to fat.
See, all that work and I don’t see much of a difference, that tan does wonders.
Hahahaha I was thinking the same thing! Just a tan!
23 -
FYIPretty much every reputable medical website (CDC, NHS in the UK, Mayo Clinic, etc) says it's safe to lose 1 to 2 lbs a week.
Same in Australia - recommendation for healthy adults is 0.5-1kg a week, which is 1.1-2.2lbs.
Of course in practice will have ups and downs, and it can be hard to lose this much consistently every week so people shouldn't feel bad if they are losing less. But there is no health reason I can see why (when the health departments of educated nations recommend this) it would be a problem to lose this much as long as you are eating clean and healthy to meet nutritional needs as well.
Edit: Though it also depends on your body composition. Whether you have the excess fat to lose, so the weight loss = fat loss, versus more muscular bodies will have less fat, and muscle gain & related processes will offset 'weight' loss even if fat is being lost. If you are close to your goal weight it might be better to go off body measurements rather than worry so much about "weight" (as weight can be a mix of fat, muscle, water, and you only want to lose fat, which may not be as evident on the scales).6 -
kshama2001 wrote: »The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
As someone who formerly wasted a lot of time lifting light weights, I suggest switching to lifting heavy (for you) immediately.
This woman hit her goal weight and was not happy with how she looked (the picture in the middle) and changed her exercise routine to achieve the picture on the right. See how she is fitter looking despite weighing 18 pounds more? That is due to having more muscle to fat.
See, all that work and I don’t see much of a difference, that tan does wonders.
Hahahaha I was thinking the same thing! Just a tan!
The definition is the legs and abs shows more with a tan true but if you look at the before there was no real muscle definition before the tan at all. I bet she feels 100xs better too11 -
FYIPretty much every reputable medical website (CDC, NHS in the UK, Mayo Clinic, etc) says it's safe to lose 1 to 2 lbs a week.
Same in Australia - recommendation for healthy adults is 0.5-1kg a week, which is 1.1-2.2lbs.
Of course in practice will have ups and downs, and it can be hard to lose this much consistently every week so people shouldn't feel bad if they are losing less. But there is no health reason I can see why (when the health departments of educated nations recommend this) it would be a problem to lose this much as long as you are eating clean and healthy to meet nutritional needs as well.
it is safe to lose 1-2 lbs a week IF you have plenty to lose. they fail to tell you that.trying to lose 1-2 lbs a week when you have say less than 20 lbs to lose is asking for issues.the less fat stores you have to help with the weight loss the more lean mass you are going to lose being too aggressive with weight loss. if you have more than 50 lbs to lose then yes 2 lbs /week will be safe for a short time. ask those who go on very low calorie diets to lose the weight quickly when they dont have a lot to lose what can happen over time. your body only burns so much fat at a time as it is.6 -
kshama2001 wrote: »The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
As someone who formerly wasted a lot of time lifting light weights, I suggest switching to lifting heavy (for you) immediately.
This woman hit her goal weight and was not happy with how she looked (the picture in the middle) and changed her exercise routine to achieve the picture on the right. See how she is fitter looking despite weighing 18 pounds more? That is due to having more muscle to fat.
See, all that work and I don’t see much of a difference, that tan does wonders.
Hahahaha I was thinking the same thing! Just a tan!kshama2001 wrote: »The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
As someone who formerly wasted a lot of time lifting light weights, I suggest switching to lifting heavy (for you) immediately.
This woman hit her goal weight and was not happy with how she looked (the picture in the middle) and changed her exercise routine to achieve the picture on the right. See how she is fitter looking despite weighing 18 pounds more? That is due to having more muscle to fat.
See, all that work and I don’t see much of a difference, that tan does wonders.
Hahahaha I was thinking the same thing! Just a tan!
The definition is the legs and abs shows more with a tan true but if you look at the before there was no real muscle definition before the tan at all. I bet she feels 100xs better too
I’m talking about the middle picture compared to the last picture with the tan.
There’s not much of a difference if any at all IMO.19 -
kshama2001 wrote: »The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
As someone who formerly wasted a lot of time lifting light weights, I suggest switching to lifting heavy (for you) immediately.
This woman hit her goal weight and was not happy with how she looked (the picture in the middle) and changed her exercise routine to achieve the picture on the right. See how she is fitter looking despite weighing 18 pounds more? That is due to having more muscle to fat.
See, all that work and I don’t see much of a difference, that tan does wonders.
Hahahaha I was thinking the same thing! Just a tan!
Muscular weight gain isnt always about creating a drastically different body shape. While the visible changes may be slow and subtle, the mental shift it takes to get to that point is pretty significant. Most people feel much better even if they dont look any different.7 -
kshama2001 wrote: »The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
As someone who formerly wasted a lot of time lifting light weights, I suggest switching to lifting heavy (for you) immediately.
This woman hit her goal weight and was not happy with how she looked (the picture in the middle) and changed her exercise routine to achieve the picture on the right. See how she is fitter looking despite weighing 18 pounds more? That is due to having more muscle to fat.
See, all that work and I don’t see much of a difference, that tan does wonders.
Hahahaha I was thinking the same thing! Just a tan!kshama2001 wrote: »The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
As someone who formerly wasted a lot of time lifting light weights, I suggest switching to lifting heavy (for you) immediately.
This woman hit her goal weight and was not happy with how she looked (the picture in the middle) and changed her exercise routine to achieve the picture on the right. See how she is fitter looking despite weighing 18 pounds more? That is due to having more muscle to fat.
See, all that work and I don’t see much of a difference, that tan does wonders.
Hahahaha I was thinking the same thing! Just a tan!
The definition is the legs and abs shows more with a tan true but if you look at the before there was no real muscle definition before the tan at all. I bet she feels 100xs better too
I’m talking about the middle picture compared to the last picture with the tan.
There’s not much of a difference if any at all IMO.
She is 18lbs more and that bit more toned! Or am i just looking to hard?1 -
jasonpoihegatama wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
As someone who formerly wasted a lot of time lifting light weights, I suggest switching to lifting heavy (for you) immediately.
This woman hit her goal weight and was not happy with how she looked (the picture in the middle) and changed her exercise routine to achieve the picture on the right. See how she is fitter looking despite weighing 18 pounds more? That is due to having more muscle to fat.
See, all that work and I don’t see much of a difference, that tan does wonders.
Hahahaha I was thinking the same thing! Just a tan!kshama2001 wrote: »The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
As someone who formerly wasted a lot of time lifting light weights, I suggest switching to lifting heavy (for you) immediately.
This woman hit her goal weight and was not happy with how she looked (the picture in the middle) and changed her exercise routine to achieve the picture on the right. See how she is fitter looking despite weighing 18 pounds more? That is due to having more muscle to fat.
See, all that work and I don’t see much of a difference, that tan does wonders.
Hahahaha I was thinking the same thing! Just a tan!
The definition is the legs and abs shows more with a tan true but if you look at the before there was no real muscle definition before the tan at all. I bet she feels 100xs better too
I’m talking about the middle picture compared to the last picture with the tan.
There’s not much of a difference if any at all IMO.
She is 18lbs more and that bit more toned! Or am i just looking to hard?
She is definitely more toned in appearance9
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