Anyone starting to lose weight wants to know how much they will lose. The honest answer depends on your size, your deficit and the week, but there is a pace that works for most people.
The recommended pace
The American guidelines for treating obesity suggest a deficit of 500 to 750 kcal per day, which usually leads to a loss of about half a kilo to one kilo per week at first.
Why the first week is misleading
In the first days the scale can drop much more. A good part of that is water and gut content, not fat. Then the pace slows down, and that is normal.
Why the pace slows over time
A lighter body burns less energy. Researcher Kevin Hall's models show that the same deficit moves the scale less and less over the months: weight loss is not a straight line.
How to track it without frustration
- Weigh yourself once a week, on the same day and under the same conditions.
- Look at the four-week average, not a single weigh-in.
- Don't cut more to speed up: a deficit that is too big is hard to keep.
- Track other measures, like your waist and how your clothes fit.
Sources
- Jensen MD, Ryan DH, Apovian CM, et al. 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults. Circulation. 2014;129(25 Suppl 2):S102-S138.
- Hall KD, Sacks G, Chandramohan D, et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. The Lancet. 2011;378(9793):826-837.
This content is for information only and doesn't replace advice from a doctor or dietitian.
