Weight loss goals

It depends on many factors but mostly on how big of a weekly calorie deficit you run. Smaller deficit will take longer, bigger deficit you lose faster however there is a limit there as to how big a calorie deficit is practical.

If you take in 500 fewer calories a day than you burn you rate of loss will be 4 lbs per month.

I'd say pick a weight loss rate of 0.5-1% of your current weight per week, with a bias toward the lower end of that range unless severely, health-threateningly obese, then hang in there however long it takes to reach a reasonable goal weight.

Very fast weight loss isn't better weight loss, just more difficult and less health-promoting weight loss. On top of that, undereating can sap energy, trigger fatigue, reduce daily life activity, reduce exercise intensity, and make a person burn fewer calories than they would if they'd fuel themselves sensibly.

The calendar isn't a weight loss tool.

Something over 80% of people regain the lost weight, often with extra pounds on top of the starting weight. The real prize in this isn't simply reaching goal weight, it's staying at a healthy weight permanently.

That puts a priority on finding new, routine eating and activity patterns - habits - that can continue almost on autopilot when other parts of life get challenging . . . because they will.

That's the best answer, in my view: Rethink the question.

Others gave you the direct answer: The factors that influence loss rate are how many calories you eat, and how many calories you burn (through a combination of just being alive, daily life activities like job and home chores, plus intentional exercise).

A tricky part is that human bodies are dynamic: The number of calories we eat influences how much energy we have, and how much energy we spend, on the calorie burn side of the equation. Also, all other things being equal, the lighter a person gets, the fewer calories they burn daily, just from moving a shrinking body through daily life.

Seffell gave you the arithmetic. My point is that the arithmetic isn't the most important thing to think about.

Context: I'm in year 8 of maintaining a healthy weight, after around 30 previous years of overweight/obesity. It's great, in quality of life terms. I want that for everyone.

Best wishes!

Hello! I am going to echo a little bit of what some others have said... If you are looking for a quick fix, you may find it, but you won't be able to sustain it leading you gain everything back and then some. Unfortunately, when we do that, we also make it harder to lose fat in the future.

As far as factors that affect fat loss, calories are of course the top priority. You can't do that without a caloric deficit but you have to be careful you don't have too much of a deficit because that won't be sustainable and can lead to some disordered habits.

The other super important factors are activity. I highly encourage resistance training and some cardiovascular exercise. The more muscle you have, the more calories you are able to burn allowing you to eat more and still achieve whatever your goals might be.

Sleep, hydration status, hormones, and stress management are also big components. Especially on the hormone side of things, an extreme extended deficit is going to have negative consequences on your hormones which can also inhibit progress.

I hope that helps! I have helped many women lose weight and keep it off so I would love to chat more if you might be interested in some more help/ guidance!