How Much Weight Should I Lose Per Week?

By Paul Dexter, Copyright 2014

This is a question that gets asked a lot. Many people set unrealistic expectations, that puts undo pressure on themselves.
As you have read in some of my previous articles and tips, the more muscle you have – the faster your metabolism will be; therefore, you want to try to build muscle or at least keep what you have while losing weight.
If you lose weight too quickly, you are losing muscle as well as fat. This is bad, because when you are done dieting, you will unfortunately have a slower metabolism – which will all but guarantee that the weight you lost will come back and then some!
So, the answer to this popular question is 1-2% of your bodyweight per week. This will allow you to be sure that the weight you are losing is all fat, allowing you to keep your metabolism high while dieting. A 150 lb. person would have a realistic and healthy goal of losing 1-3 lbs. per week, whereas a 300 lb. person can lose 3-6 lbs. per week. Sometimes a smaller person feels they can lose as much as a larger person. That is not the case, it will just lead to a slower metabolism and the regaining of weight.
Remember, you want to lose FAT, not WEIGHT! Your body has to burn off 3,500 calories to lose just 1 lb. of fat. That comes from a combination of exercise and proper diet.
Don’t rush it. Set proper expectations. Trying to do too much, too quickly will lead to a plateau, or a rebound effect. Slow and Steady wins the race, keep your eye on the prize and be consistent with your nutrition and exercise program.