What does a realistic fat loss rate look like?
It would be great if we could just snap our fingers and make fat fall off. Unfortunately, that is not how it works, losing fat/weight that quickly can be bad for our health and lead to more weight gain in the future. But what is a good rate to lose fat/weight? How slow do we really have to go?
The answer is a lot slower than you think it’s going to be around 1-2 lbs per week. One pound a week does not seem like a lot, and if you are just starting out with weight loss you may lose more than that by barely trying. That’s okay! But it’s not good to strive for 10 lbs of weight loss a week consistently, and it’s not healthy for your body. Slow and steady wins the race, especially with weight loss.
The show The Biggest Loser is the best example of this. The contestants on this show lose weight really fast, and in a dangerous way by cutting down on food intake and working out all day. While the idea behind the show was good, the execution was dangerous, and lead to some pretty serious outcomes for the contestants. Lots of research has since been done on the show and its contestants, and all of it points to extremely quick fat loss as a culprit for many conditions the contestants now have. Majority of the contestants regained their weight after the show, some even gaining more weight than they lost on the show. They also found that the contestants not only lost fat, but they also lost muscle. This is because they weren’t eating enough to keep up with how much they were exercising, leading to their muscles wasting and not being able to get stronger. The contestants’ metabolic rates also drastically dropped. Before the competition they average burning 2,600 calories a day just by living, 6 years later they were down to 1,900 calories a day. So now they must eat a lot less to not gain weight quickly; and since they weren’t taught on the show how to properly eat this leads to quick weight gain after the show was over.
So now that we know that losing 10+ lbs a week is not a healthy or sustainable way to lose weight, what is? The main point is that the slower the better. Losing weight in a sustainable lifelong way is the best way to go to preserve your muscle mass, keep your metabolism up, and create changes you can keep up with.
Losing 1-2 pounds per week is the best way to go, but there are many factors that play a role in this:
Energy expenditure- Everyone burns calories at different rates, and the trick to losing weight is putting yourself in a calorie deficit. The more calories you burn, the larger of a calorie deficit you will be in. However, you still need to eat enough to sustain your exercise and just to provide your body with the energy to work every day. If you are starting your weight loss journey at a higher body weight, then your calorie deficit will probably be larger, so you’ll be able to lose more weight at the start. You will need to decrease this deficit as you lose weight though to make sure you’re still eating enough to sustain your workouts. Not having enough calories will cause you to lose muscle mass, decline in performance, and increase your risk of injury. Your body needs carbs, fat, and protein every day to help it function, and your calorie intake should be between 25-35 calories per kilogram of body weight, depending on your activity level.
Lifestyle- How you live day to day will also play a role. Those who overuse alcohol, drugs, cigarettes etc. will have a harder time losing weight. If you tend to “yo-yo” diet and exercise, chances are you’ll lose weight very quickly at first, and then regain it back later. Overly restricting your food/calories will also make weight loss harder because you aren’t providing your body with what it needs to be able to work out and gain muscle.
Body fat percentage- those who are starting out leaner, but maybe without much muscle tone, are going to have a harder time gaining muscle tone and losing fat then someone with a higher body fat percentage. The leaner you are the more your body will want to start using muscle tissue for energy, especially if you aren’t providing your body with enough calories.
Remember, there is no short cuts when it comes to health and fitness. Taking the slow and steady route will always be the best choice and doing it in the healthiest way possible to keep up your muscle mass and provide your body with all that it needs to function. Focus on making healthy lifestyle changes like taking the stairs more often, parking farther away from your door, and cooking dinner instead of eating out while also working out regularly to slowly lose 1-2 pounds per week.
