Weight loss rate per week – how fast should you lose weight?

Now here's a topic that people seem to be absolutely obsessed with, the ideal weight loss percentage per week. Meaning, how fast should you lose weight?

And it's pretty obvious why people are so interested in getting this question answered. Very simply, knowing how slowly or quickly to lose weight you can you estimate when you can expect to finally reach your goal and the weight you want to have.

People are super obsessed with reaching that point (especially early on), so it only makes sense that they would be obsessed with figuring out when she finally will be there.

So, let's now answer that question.

To do this, I would like to take a look at the two recommendations I use when it comes to the ideal weight loss percentage per week ...

This is the most basic and common weight loss speed recommendation that you'll see. Lose 1 pound per week is in fact the textbook definition of safe, simple and healthy weight loss.
It's not too slow (that's disheartening) and it is not too fast (that is unnecessarily harsh and potentially dangerous). This is right smack in the middle, which seems to be just right for most people.

In addition to the most recommended weight loss percentage per week, it's also the most common. Its really not taking any external factors into account at all (such as you, your body, your preferences, your situation, how much weight you need to lose, etc.).


It's just a solid universal recommendation for how quickly the average person needs to lose weight. I find it fun.

Despite the fact that I love it and I have given this exact recommendation countless times before, it is no longer the first recommendation I give however.

I think your ideal weight loss percentage per week should depend upon you.
What I mean is, I think that someone who has more to lose weight can do so faster than someone who has less weight to lose, and vice versa.

This is useful for a ton of reasons. For example, people with more fat to lose are less likely to lose muscle due to the higher abundance of fat on their body. They can therefore handle losing weight faster without the same risk of muscle loss.

On the other hand, people who are leaner or just have less fat to lose have a higher risk of loss of muscle. because of this they must have a slower rate of weight loss.

Plus, this also takes into account how easy or difficult it will be. Meaning, it's a lot easier for a person with 100 pounds to lose losing faster than someone with 10 pounds to lose. They must take advantage of that fact, especially early on.

Let me throw some numbers that show you exactly what I mean ...

A person with an above average amount of weight to lose (example: 100 lbs) should lose at a rate of 2 pounds (or more) per week. A person with an average amount of weight to lose (example: 30 pounds) to lose at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week. A person with a lower than average amount of weight to lose (example: 10 pounds) to lose with a speed of 0.5-1 pound per week.
I explain these recommendations in much more detail (along with the best way of actually making them happen) in the Ultimate Fat Loss Program.

So, while the standard "lose a pound a week" recommendation is still a very fine moderate goal is to strive for, I think how slowly or quickly a person loses weight more should depend on them and be a little more personalized based on the exact amount that they need to lose.


View the original article here