So I get asked a lot….
What is a healthy weekly weight to lose?
Obviously this depends on how much you have to lose.
If you have a number of stones to lose then I would say aim for 2-3 lbs per week.
If you are aiming to drop just a few lbs in total then 1lb per week will probably be sufficient.
You may hear people say they have lost 5 – 7lbs in 1 week! This may be true but this will probably be mostly water and from cutting out high sugar foods so is not a maintainable amount to drop long term. The other thing is…it could be muscle. No one should be dropping muscle – this just means your body will be less efficient long term (less muscle mass you have means less calories your body will burn off as you are weaker).
People who drop over 4lbs per week consistently are highly likely to be dropping muscle….all this means is that when they stop dieting the body will not burn excess fat very well and the weight will slowly creep back on. So long term its not good to drop high amounts of weight each week as the results are not maintainable.
Be realistic too….don’t set unachievable goals. Drop 1 stone then assess – do you need to lose more? You may be happy with how you look and feel especially if you are exercising too….its not just all about weight remember. So the question…. what is a healthy weekly weight to lose? May not be your main concern anymore.
Maybe look at purchasing a body composition scale which will give you a more in depth picture of where you are at. Low cost versions are not as accurate so I would look at ones that offer more information….its worth spending a little more. You can then monitor things like your body fat %, lean muscle mass, bone density, visceral (internal) fat, BMI. Sometimes people will not see weight movement but other readings will move on a scale like this….I have seen it time and time again with clients.
Also taking cms measurements too is another good way to track progress. Weight may not move but cms will.
Simple starter tips to get on the right track:
- Eat a meal or snack 5 times per day
- Eat every 3 hours
- Balance your meals well….
- DO NOT DIET!…..Just follow a Healthy eating Plan!
Remember your snacks are as important as meals….ensure they are balanced too
A Simple Healthy Balanced Food Plan will achieve a healthy weekly weight loss for anyone with excess to lose…….
