How many pounds is healthy to shed in a month?

Losing a substantial number of pounds is the ultimate goal of every weight loss program. This could take some time as accumulated fat need to get burned. However, while the appeal to embark on a weight-loss routine to get the desired figure holds, one need not forget to stay within the healthy limit. You shouldn’t end up losing those extra pounds to the detriment of your overall well-being.

In the first instance, one of the major reasons for venturing into this routine is to pick up a healthy lifestyle, one that minimizes the chances of having diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and so on. This is why asking the right questions is very well in order when attempting to execute a weight loss plan.

A healthy weight loss plan will be forged on the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) which pins the safe range at 1 – 2 pounds per week. Hence, you will envisage losing between 4 – 8 pounds in a month. This would translate into burning 14,000 – 28,000 calories per month. You will, however, need to devote time and efforts to achieve this – discipline will also be key.

Healthily losing weight gives your body the avenue to adjust to the associated loss of fat without any complications. Weight loss is much more rewarding this way, and in no time, you will be able to embrace a healthy lifestyle. This is unlike what is feasible with a radical weight loss routine wherein you may not be able to sustain the result. This is because you will be more inclined to munch on food – leading to you regaining weight – after going on a rapid weight loss. Then, the probability of being encountered by different health concerns is quite high with an unhealthy weight loss program.

How to go about it

For one, you should understand that any weight loss routine that would yield a profiting outcome must be forged on a mix of dietary observances and exercise. Choosing to go with dieting alone may see you crash dieting in which case you will have to drastically reduce the number of calories you consume. This could eventually lead to nutritional deficiencies and subsequently health complications.

Inasmuch as you have grasped the need to reduce caloric consumption when attempting to lose weight, you have to also realize that your body requires calories to sustain metabolic functions. This is where knowing your basal metabolic rate (BMR) – that is, the number of calories required for metabolism daily. You can know your BMR by inputting your details – age, height, weight, and activity level – into this calculator.

Once you’ve got an idea of what your BMR looks like, you will be able to conveniently reduce your caloric intake. You should bear in mind that all that is needed to maintain your current weight is consuming the same average number of calories daily. This means that you will need to create a caloric deficit to tone down the weight. To this end, you may have to take time out to know how many calories you consume per day.

By creating a calorie deficit, you kind of starve your body some measure of calories it’s been used to – just about the way it ought to be. As this begins to take effect, your body system will fall back on its energy reserve, converting the stored fat into energy to power metabolic activities. And, before you know, some pounds (of weight) is spent, leading to the modification of body weight.

However, you do not have to hinge your calorie deficit on diet alone. Let’s consider a scenario; Mandy with a BMI of 27.8 kg/m2 – which is within the overweight range, by the way – realized that his daily caloric intake is 600 calories more than necessary. She decided to create a calorie deficit by cutting off 900 calories per day – she will certainly maintain a healthy weight loss routine at this rate. So, Mandy could decide to reduce his dietary calorie intake by 500 calories taking out processed foods and drinks with added sugars.

The remaining calories can then be dropped through increased physical exercises that would raise metabolism. Also, note that Mandy has strategically chosen to get the accumulated fat burned by raising the number of calories to be cut off – at 900 calories – higher than the extra calories on her BMR. All this without jeopardizing her overall health.

Exercises are quintessential

Stay active by doing moderate exercises is equally important to reap a great gain from a weight loss program. There are numerous exercises that can be done to burn calories. You may choose to have a blend of cardio and resistance training for a couple of minutes every day. Resistance training, in particular, can be very valuable due to the afterburn effect it creates. What this means is that you’ll get to have more calories burned even after you must have finished the series of exercises. The reason is not far-fetched; resistance training increases muscle mass thus revving up metabolism.

Back to Mandy’s case; she can engage in some exercises to get rid of the remaining 400 calories – Mandy weighs 157 pounds. She may decide to go on a 30-minutes 11min/mile run to burn 280 calories and then do moderate freestyle swimming for another 15 minutes to burn 150 calories. Going at this rate for the whole month; Mandy would be looking to lose about 7.4 pounds monthly. The resource here will be useful in helping you get a grasp of the number of calories you will burn doing different physical activities.

Conclusion

No weight loss routine should make you compromise your overall well-being, and your desire to put on a trimmed figure shouldn’t either. Moreover, losing weight healthily is what really pays in the end. You can work at it, and watch out to see the far-reaching result that would be attained in a matter of months.

References

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

Vanwormer JJ, French SA, Pereira MA, and Welsh EM. (2008). The impact of regular self-weighing on weight management: A systematic literature review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 5: 54.

Weil R. (2002). Burning fat through exercise. Diabetes self-management 19: 85 – 90.