How Much Weight Can You Lose in 1 Month?
Hey Angels and Alphas,
Whether you want to lose weight for some big upcoming event or just so you can look stunning all summer, the desire to achieve fast weight loss results is understandable.
While fad diets can be tempting with big promises such as losing 3-5 pounds a week, we all know they tend to backfire and wreak havoc on your metabolism and your weight as a whole.
Most dieters who follow strict diets usually rebound and quickly regain all the weight they lost after the diet is over.
On the other hand, safe and sustainable weight loss is here to stay. It involves a series of small, incremental habit implementations and lifestyle changes that take time but produce real, lasting results.
Most of the research supports the fact that losing weight is a slow-and-steady process, and maintaining the weight loss in the long-term is the actual desired effect.
For this reason, we’re here to explore the topic – how much weight can you lose safely in one month?
HOW MUCH WEIGHT CAN YOU SAFELY LOSE IN ONE MONTH?
It’s no secret to anyone weight loss depends on a variety of factors such as gender, physical activity, age, all of that. A good rule of thumb is to always aim to lose 1-2 pounds a week or approximately 4-8 pounds a month.
If you want to lose a pound a week, this is completely safe, healthy, and realistic. To do it, you’ll need a calorie deficit of about 3,500 calories, or 500 calories a day. This means you’ll need to consume less calories than you’re expending in your day-to-day life.
Because it can be difficult to suddenly decrease your food intake this much, the easiest choice you have here is to up your hours of physical activity throughout the week.
But keep in mind – week 1 of your weight-loss plan will definitely be the most misleading. It wouldn’t be uncommon for you to lose 3-5 pounds your first week, but this is not a rate you can expect to sustain. You will likely, over the next couple of weeks, notice more weight gain or your weight going up and down when you seem to be doing everything right.
That’s because as you tend to lower your intake of calories and you begin making smarter, healthier choices, the glycogen stores in your body (a.k.a the molecules that made from the carbohydrates you consume) drop. Since these glycogen stores are directly related to water molecules, you will lose water weight with them.
Don’t feel discouraged if you initially burn a few pounds fast then fall into a weight-loss cycle that slows down. It’s completely normal.
HOW MUCH WEIGHT LOSS… IS ACTUALLY TOO MUCH WEIGHT LOSS?
Many people wonder if it’s even safe or healthy to lose 10-15-20 pounds in a month. And let’s get this straight – unless you’re starving yourself, enrolling in a medically-supervised weight-loss program, or you’ve just gone through bariatric surgery… it’s very uncommon for you to lose more than 10 pounds a month.
Always remember your body will fight back if you’re trying to lose weight too fast.
It’s going to slow down your metabolism and create a shift in your hormones that will have you increasing your appetite and cravings. And on top of that, a review in the International Journal of Obesity pointed toward the fact that you’ll even burn less fat.
What’s more, it doesn’t really matter how quickly you’re losing weight… you will also lose some lean muscle mass as you go through the process. Losing too much lean muscle mass can even harm your metabolism. That’s why strength training is such an important factor for people trying to lose weight.
Plus, if your diet is too low in calories, you will have trouble maintaining certain nutritional deficiencies.
In short, your “speedy” regimen to lose weight so you can fit in a dress is generally now worth it. As frustrating as it is, being patient will result in long-term success.
HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT SAFELY:
- Get ready to face obstacles and setbacks.
Progress is not linear – not in weight-loss. There will be times when you’ll hit plateaus or when the number on the scale will go up when you’re doing everything right. All of this despite your best efforts. However, knowing this and accepting this is a vital part of your journey that helps you stay on track. While the number on the scale takes time to change, you should remember to celebrate your wins and keep going despite the fact that progress will not be as easy as 1-2-3.
- Listen to your body.
When you’re working out, eating right, and implementing the right lifestyle changes, you might experience cravings and hunger that are out of the ordinary. Honor your hunger cues and focus on healthier food choices. Avoid overeating and keep practicing mindful eating so you stay on the right track.
- Master (and stick to) the basics.
Never give up on the fundamentals of losing weight in search of that magic bullet solution. It’s vital that you keep in mind that eating more, delicious, healthy, nutrient-dense whole foods, exercising regularly, and getting 8 hours of sleep every night will be the 80 in your 80/20 of your weight-loss equation.
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