So many thoughts run through your mind as you work towards actualizing the desired figure with a weight loss routine in view. You want to spend some time pondering on the series of exercises and dietary observances you will have to adhere to. Then, there’s the issue of setting out time for these activities to suit your schedule.

However, all these other activities may not hit the right chord if you’re yet to decipher how much weight you intend to lose, and the period within which this is to be achieved. This takes us to the issue reflected in the topic above – average weight per week. Looking at this closely, one will understand that this explains the rate of weight loss that is common among many persons on a weight loss program. And, as it is, the average weight loss per week is set at 1 – 2 pounds.

This range [of weight loss] is recommended as being safe/healthy for anyone. Plus, it will leave one with significant loss of weight over time provided there is consistency – though losing as little as 0.5 pounds every week could notably improve one’s health. Moving on, as 1 pound is equivalent to 3,500 calories; an individual who is attempting to 2 pounds weekly should be ready to burn 7,000 calories every week. The best way to achieve this is to live an active life – maintaining a good exercise routine – and sticking to a healthy diet plan. So, assuming you’re out to shed 2 pounds per week; you can get to lose around 1.5 pounds through exercises and the remaining by watching the foods you eat and how you eat them.

It is also yet important to state here that the calories consumed by anyone intending to lose weight must be fewer than the number [of calories] burned. This is why you should form a habit of reading up food labels to know the number of calories contained therein. You might have heard of a host of foods/drinks – like full-fat yogurt, red meat, cheese, certain wines, etc. – that have significantly high caloric content. However, you may have yet to come to terms with the fact that most of the foods you consume also have some calories in them – albeit in small quantities.

What happens when one goes beyond this average weight loss per week?

Choosing to lose over 2 pounds weekly could be tantamount to embarking on a fast-paced or unhealthy weight loss. This is usually not recommended for anyone that wishes to sustain the result of his/her weight loss routine for a long time. Nevertheless, you should understand there are cases whereby an individual may lose up to 3 pounds weekly without any dangerous consequences. The ideal thing to do is to know what works for your body and follow such religiously. In case you are finding it difficult to map out a weight loss strategy for yourself, you can get to enlist the services of a doctor.

But if…

But certain unpleasant and/or undesirable outcomes may persist if bodyweight is excessively lost weekly – say, 3 pounds (and above) per week. For instance, one may occasionally experience a marked degree of fatigue and weakness as the body is deprived of the energy to drive some basic needs. It is in light of this light that knowing your basal metabolic rate (BMR) becomes essential. The basal metabolic rate is an index that tells of the number of calories a person needs to perform activities such as blinking, breathing, and blood circulation. It varies for men and women, and you can know yours by using the BMR calculator.

Apart from this, you also need energy to perform certain demanding (physical) activities. This is why you should not throw caution to the wind in depriving yourself of essential nutrients as you practice dietary restrictions. And, conditions such as hair loss, frail bones, and low immune system functioning are not uncommon where nutrients are not sufficiently supplied. More so, skipping meals is not always advisable for weight loss – healthy eating is all that you need.

Away from fatigue; there is also the possibility of experiencing the loss of muscle when one decides to push his/her body too hard, rooting for profound weight loss per time. Losing muscle can even lower energy expenditure, and with this comes the possibility of regaining (lost) weight. This is why going on a diet that is excessively low in calories can be detrimental to one’s health. The findings from a research showed that the muscle mass of individuals who were on “low-calorie” dietary plans significantly dropped than the ones on “very low-calorie” dietary plans.

Taking into account the fact that a fast-paced weight loss program will be most likely premised on a crash or fad diet, the digestive system will not see much activities. Owing to this, the release of digestive juices from the gallbladder will be adversely affected, and this eventually leads to the formation of gallstones. It is important to note that these digestive juices are responsible for breaking down fat.

Again, the continual presence of gallstones in the gallbladder causes indigestion which could persist with a painful sensation. A study also revealed how gallstones could lead to weight fluctuations, with bodyweight being lost to be regained again within a short span. So, it’s apparent that a rapid weight loss routine does not really guarantee a satisfactory weight loss outcome in the long term.

Finally, adhering to a rapid weight loss plan can harm your metabolism. Specifically stating, the rate at which metabolic functions are actualized becomes drops especially as the body is not supplied with enough calories – due to crash dieting. This is associated with the basal metabolic rate. The dysfunctional metabolism could bring about far-reaching consequences that affect the skeletal muscle and thyroid gland and can even cause someone to become increasingly hungry.

Conclusion

You should always remember that it is not so much about going by popular opinion, but knowing what works for you. Therefore, you should find out about underlying details like your BMR, body mass index (BMI), and so on then keep to a weight loss plan that you can run with – without placing under any undue pressure.

References

Carbone JW, McClung JP, and Pasiakos SM. (2012). Skeletal muscle responses to negative energy balance: Effects of dietary protein. Adv Nutr. 3(2): 119 – 126.

Erlinger S. (2000). Gallstones in obesity and weight loss. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 12(12): 1347 – 1352.

Stokes CS, and Lammert F. (2021). Excess body weight and gallstone disease. Visc Med 37: 254 – 260.

Tremblay A, Royer MM, Chaput JP, Doucet E. (2013). Adaptive thermogenesis can make a difference in the ability of obese individuals to lose body weight. Int J Obes (Lond) 37: 759 – 764.

Vink RG, Roumans NJT, Arkenbosch LAJ, Mariman ECM, and van Baak MA. (2016). The effect of rate of weight loss on long-term weight regain in adults with overweight and obesity. Obesity 24(2): 321 – 327.