How Long Does It Take to Lose Weight?
Whether you want to lose weight for a special occasion or simply improve your health, weight loss is a common goal.
To set realistic expectations, you may want to know what a healthy weight loss rate is.
This article explains the factors that affect how long it may take you to lose weight.
Weight loss occurs when you consistently consume fewer calories than you burn each day.
Conversely, weight gain happens when you consistently eat more calories than you burn.
Any food or beverage you consume that has calories counts toward your overall calorie intake.
That said, the number of calories you burn each day, which is known as energy or calorie expenditure, is a bit more complicated.
- Resting metabolic rate (RMR)- This is the number of calories your body needs to maintain normal bodily functions, such as breathing and pumping blood.
- Thermic effect of food (TEF) -This refers to the calories used to digest, absorb, and metabolise food.
- Thermic effect of activity (TEA) -These are the calories you use during exercise. TEA can also include non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), which accounts for the calories used for activities like yard work and fidgeting.
If the number of calories you consume equals the number of calories you burn, you maintain your body weight.
If you want to lose weight, you must create a negative calorie balance by consuming fewer calories than you burn or burning more calories through increased activity.
SUMMARY:
Weight loss occurs when you consistently consume fewer calories than you burn each day.
Several factors affect the rate at which you lose weight. Many of them are out of your control.
Gender
Your fat-to-muscle ratio greatly affects your ability to lose weight.
Because women typically have a greater fat-to-muscle ratio than men, they have a 5–10% lower RMR than men of the same height. Yet, while men tended to lose weight quicker than women, the study didn’t analyze gender-based differences in the ability to maintain weight loss.
Age
One of the many bodily changes that occur with aging is alterations in body composition — fat mass increases and muscle mass decreases.
This change, along with other factors like the declining calorie needs of your major organs, contributes to a lower RMR
Starting point
Your initial body mass and composition may also affect how quickly you can expect to lose weight.
It’s important to understand that different absolute weight losses (in pounds) can correspond to the same relative (%) weight loss in different individuals. Ultimately, weight loss is a complex process.
Although a heavier person may lose double the amount of weight, a person with less weight may lose an equal percentage of their body weight (10/250 = 4% versus 5/125 = 4%).
For example, a person weighing 300 pounds (136 kg) may lose 10 pounds (4.5 kg) after reducing their daily intake by 1,000 calories and increasing physical activity for 2 weeks.
Calorie deficit
You must create a negative calorie balance to lose weight. The extent of this calorie deficit affects how quickly you lose weight.
For example, consuming 500 fewer calories per day for 8 weeks will likely result in greater weight loss than eating 200 fewer calories per day.
However, be sure not to make your calorie deficit too large.
Doing so would not only be unsustainable but also put you at risk for nutrient deficiencies. What’s more, it might make you more likely to lose weight in the form of muscle mass rather than fat mass.
Sleep
Sleep tends to be an overlooked yet crucial component of weight loss.
Chronic sleep loss can significantly hinder weight loss and the speed at which you shed pounds.
Just one night of sleep deprivation has been shown to increase your desire for high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods, such as cookies, cakes, sugary beverages, and chips.
One 2-week study randomized participants on a calorie-restricted diet to sleep either 5.5 or 8.5 hours each night.
Those who slept 5.5 hours lost 55% less body fat and 60% more lean body mass than those who slept 8.5 hours per night
SUMMARY:
Age, gender, and sleep are just a few of the many factors that affect weight loss. Others include some medical conditions, your genetics, and the use of certain medications.
Though weight loss may occur faster at the start of a program, experts recommend a weight loss of 1–3 pounds (0.45–1.36 kg) per week, or about 1% of your body weight.
Also, keep in mind that weight loss is not a linear process. Some weeks you may lose more, while other weeks you may lose less or none at all.
So don’t be discouraged if your weight loss slows or plateaus for a few days.
Using a food diary, as well as weighing yourself regularly, may help you stay on track.
Research shows that people who employ self-monitoring techniques, such as recording your dietary intake and weight, are more successful at losing weight and keeping it off than those who don’t.
SUMMARY:
Losing weight too quickly can lead to problems like gallstones, muscle loss, and extreme fatigue. Experts recommend a moderate weight loss of 1–3 pounds (0.45–1.36 kg) per week, or about 1% of your body weight.
Weight loss occurs when you eat fewer calories than you burn.
Many factors affect your weight loss rate, including your gender, age, starting weight, sleep, and the extent of your calorie deficit.
Aiming to lose 1–3 pounds (0.45–1.36 kg) per week is a safe and sustainable way to reach your goals.
For personalised health & fitness training,
sign up to GetShredGo on http://instagram.com/GetShredGo
