Weight loss: How much weight is safe to lose in a month?

Be it calorie-deficit diets, ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting, weight loss is a top priority for most women. However, in the pursuit to lose weight rapidly, so many of us set ambitious and unhealthy weight loss goals, and take to excruciating dietary and exercise regimes. While body weight is often to indicate one’s fitness progress, many people confuse it as an indicator of their overall health levels. Losing up to two pounds or four kg of weight in a month is considered healthy by most experts. This pace of weight loss would help prevent many complications as well as lead to sustainable fitness. Read on to know how much weight loss is ideal in a month, and how to lose it.

How much weight should one target to lose in a month?

The UK’s NHS suggests a weight loss limit of half to one kg per week. Half a kg would be an ideal amount of body weight to lose. So by that calculation, anywhere between two to four kg of weight loss per month is safe. It is very important to set realistic and healthy goals when it comes to weight loss. A study, published by StatPearls, warns that rapid and extreme measures to reduce weight and calorie intake can lead to loss of muscle mass, an increased appetite, as well as a reduced basal metabolic rate, which is the calories you burn when you are resting. The study also adds that weight that is lost gradually is easier to sustain.

If a person loses more weight than 2-2.5 kgs a month, they might be adding pressure on their internal organs and functions. Kidneys in particular would be subjected to a high degree of pressure as toxins would be flushed out on weight loss, impacting the kidney and renal function adversely.

When you lose weight gradually, there are no sudden changes in the body. This is why it is easier for you to maintain this weight, states this study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

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Factors that impact weight loss

There are many factors that affect your weight loss journey. Here are some of them:

1. Gender

Your gender makes a big impact on your pace of losing weight, as well as maintaining weight loss. A three-month weight loss study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, examined the differences between overweight women and men over 12 weeks. It was seen that men lost more weight than the women as they have a higher resting as well as total caloric expenditure than women, besides having larger bodies.

2. Age

Age is another factor that alters weight loss for different people. As you grow older, you use less energy and burn less calories. This is what makes it harder for you to lose weight. A study, published in the journal Science, states that older people experience a decrease in muscle mass and physical activity. The study claims that people, over 60 years, burn 0.7 percent less calories than younger people.

3. Health conditions

Certain health conditions also make it tougher for you to lose weight. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one such condition that makes weight loss a challenge. Check out some tips to lose weight with PCOS. Another such condition is hyperthyroidism, which makes it tough to lose weight.

How to set sustainable weight loss goals?

While losing weight is tough, maintaining this weight is equally difficult. However, by setting sustainable weight loss goals and the means to lose this weight, one can ensure that one does not end up putting on the kilos back. Therefore, it is important to come up with a lifestyle as well as diet plan that you can sustain for a long time. This will ensure long-term and healthy weight loss. A calorie-deficit diet is one such way where your muscle mass, BMR and appetite levels are not impacted suddenly. A study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Medicine, suggests a high-protein diet. Check out our guide to getting on a calorie-deficit diet.

What happens if you lose weight very quickly?

Rapid weight loss has several side effects that could make this journey extremely unhealthy for your body. Trying to follow a diet where your calorie intake is very low can often lead to more water weight and muscle loss. This can have an impact on your appetite as well as your BMR. This makes it tough to sustain this weight loss, states this study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

Alternatively, if you lose weight at a slower pace, it will lead to a greater reduction in body fat percentage as well as fat mass, states a study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition. The process of losing and putting on weight is known as weight cycling. This is extremely unhealthy for the body as well as your mind. Besides impacting your BMR and appetite levels, as well as your muscle mass, it can also impact your mental health, states this study, published in Plos One.

How to lose weight in a healthy way?

Weight loss does not necessarily mean starving yourself of things that you like to eat, or completely depriving your body of carbohydrates or other essential nutrients. A balance needs to be struck between what you want to eat, and what you can eat, and how much. There are many ways to do this such as eating smaller portions, increasing your protein and fibre intake, as well as keeping yourself hydrated. Check out the ways to lose weight without fad diets.

Summary

While weight loss may be your end goal, a slower pace is your safest best at maintaining this weight loss, and remaining healthy. Following a calorie-deficit diet, making sure to include some light workout, having smaller meals, hydrating yourself well are some of the ways you can lose weight in a healthy manner.