Individuals embarking on – or attempting to so do – weight loss routines are never short of information as the internet is replete with such details. The fact that successful weight loss routines are hinged on individual commitment means all that’s needed is beyond just extracting information from web pages. However, while the overzealousness of some persons might have caused them to lose weight drastically, others have taken a much more gradual and safer approach towards dropping those extra pounds.

It is, therefore, obvious that weight loss can either be fast or gradual depending on how a person decides to go about it? So, it’s not out of place to say that an individual can lose as many pounds as possible in the space of 3 months. But then, how safe can one go about losing the extra pounds, and how many can one possibly lose over 3 months?

Staying on the safe

We’re not looking to err on the side of caution. As such, the issue in view will be explored within the context of a weight loss of 1 – 2 pounds per week recommended by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. Although it is also often heralded that people can afford to lose 1% of their body weight every week without any severe health consequences.

Back to the objective of this article; if you’re attempting to safely lose weight in 3 months, you’ll shed around 12 – 24 pounds at the end of your program. However, this can only be possible if you keep to your daily routine religiously. A situation wherein there is a fluctuating run – a start-stop sequence kind of a thing – will not yield so much productive/satisfying outcome in the end. So, the will to do and commitment to the cause must be established.

Attempting to lose weight safely will enable you to sustain the result of your weight loss program; this is based on research findings. There are, however, studies that have contended this in support of how rapid weight loss – whereby individuals lose 3 or more pounds per week – offers an equal advantage. But, as earlier emphasized, we shall be going with the former finding here.

Create a calorie deficit

One of the things you have to consider while planning your weight loss routine is how you will create a calorie deficit. This simply means cutting the number of calories you take daily. To ensure some level of accuracy on this; you should seek to know the number of calories you need for metabolism per day – this is widely known as BMR.

Also, you will need to know the caloric composition of the ingredients that go into the meal you consume. This is one of the reasons it is normally advised that individuals observing weight loss objectives limit the frequency with which they eat out. You will be able to monitor your caloric intake better by cooking your meals at home. That said, you should substitute calorie-laden foods for other healthy choices – like whole grains, protein, vegetables, and fruits. FYI; a gram of fat contains 9 calories; for protein, it is 4 calories per gram and carbs also have 4 calories per gram.

The mechanism behind calorie deficit in weight loss lies in the fact once your body notices a drop in the number of calories you consume, it falls back on the energy reserve. As such, the stored fat is burned to produce the fuel to fully power metabolism for the day. Upon being expended, the fat is converted to carbon dioxide and then taken out of the body through respiratory machinery.

Exercise regularly

A balance is necessary to have a successful weight loss outcome. This is achieved by mixing caloric intake reduction with exercise. Plus, exercises also increase caloric burn rate as metabolism is raised. So, if you lose around 0.5 – 1 pound of weight weekly from cutting down calories, you can wrap the weight loss goal by losing another 0.5 – 1.0 pounds of weight through exercises. The timing of exercises also seems to matter as a study revealed that individuals who had exercises before breakfast had higher chances of burning calories all day.

You can subscribe to have your exercise routines at a gym or just have a group that can inspire you to stay active. And, if you will like to go solo, you can look to invest in tools such as dumbbells, kettlebells, body bars, barbells, etc to have strength training somewhere around the corner of your home. You can get to mix this up with aerobics like running, swimming, walking, and so on.

What could happen if I decide to go on an aggressive weight loss?

Well, you’re going to lose weight quite alright, but that may come at a cost – one that might greatly and negatively affect your well-being. For one, the probability of you losing muscle mass is high when on an aggressive weight loss plan, and you could also experience dysfunctional metabolism. Coupled with these, the functioning of certain vital organs – like your kidneys, heart, etc – can take a downward spiral.

Indigestion and constipation are also common with a rapid weight loss routine. This is even as gallstones start to form around the kidney. Plus, the possible nutritional deficiencies that are associated with such a weight loss program can further aggravate the situation and bring about hair loss among other disorders. So, in the end, the disadvantages of an aggressive weight loss plan far outweigh its gain – weight loss which is not even sustainable.

Bottom line

Your weight loss plan is best actualized if you’re purposeful about it. So, take time out to map out a strategy around it – in terms of incorporating the routine in sync with your schedules. You must understand that you’ll get to lose those pounds consistently – or in a fluctuating manner under certain circumstances – during the initial stage of your weight loss program. However, the rate at which you lose weight will begin to be more stable as your body starts getting used to the routine.

References

Lavie CJ, O’Keefe JH, and Sallis RE. (2015). Exercise and the heart – the harm of too little and too much. Curr Sports Med Rep. 4(2): 104 – 109.

Magkos F, Fraterrigo G, Yoshino J, et al. (2016). Effects of moderate and subsequent progressive weight loss on metabolic function and adipose tissue biology in humans with obesity. Cell Metabol. 23(4): 591 – 601.

Rolls BJ, Ello-Martin JA, and Tohill BC. (2004). What can intervention studies tell us about the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and weight management? Nutr Rev. 62(1): 1 – 17.

Tedstone et al. (2018). Caloric reduction: The scope and ambition for action. Public Health England.

Wong TYE, and Murata H. (2017). Japanese dietary habits: Results from a questionnaire survey on 305 health check-up participants. Clinical Health Promotion 7: 12 – 17.