If you’ve decided it’s time to kickstart your weight loss journey, you likely want to know how quickly you can get down to your goal weight. Although you likely wish you could lose 10 pounds with the snap of your fingers, fast weight loss is often unrealistic, unhealthy, and unsustainable. Getting your mindset on track for successful weight loss means strategically setting your goal weight and making a plan for how to achieve it.
How Quickly Can I Lose Weight?
Losing weight the healthy way takes effort, persistence, patience, and time. Most people can lose 1 to 2 pounds per week by cutting 500 to 1,000 calories every day. This can be achieved by watching your calorie intake and making sure you eat less and move more. Although you may be tempted to put your weight loss into turbo mode by starting a crash diet, you should reconsider. Losing weight too quickly can backfire, as a starvation diet slows down your metabolism. That means once you start eating normally again, you’ll gain weight more quickly with your slowed metabolism.
Setting a Weight Loss Timeframe
When you’ve set your mind to lose weight, many factors will affect how fast you’ll see results from your new diet and exercise regimen. Some of the reasons weight loss timeframes vary are: your starting size, diet type, and even lifestyle choices such as how often you weigh yourself. Don’t be discouraged if it takes weeks or even months to notice a major difference in what you see in the mirror. If you’re consistent in adhering to your healthy diet and exercise program, you’ll see the results you’re looking for with time. In general, though, most people can successfully lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. Those who are significantly overweight may lose more weight than this per week at the beginning of their weight loss program, but generally 2 pounds is the maximum weight you should lose on a weekly basis.
Track Your Progress
A big motivator in your weight loss journey is keeping track of your progress. There are plenty of smartphone apps and websites to help you keep track of calorie intake, as well as fitness smartwatches to track calories burned. You can weigh yourself on a weekly basis to keep track of your progress and ensure you are on the right track. This can also help you visualize your progress toward your goal weight and adjust your goals as needed. For example, if you hit a weight loss plateau, you may need to increase your physical activity and tweak your eating habits.
Contact Us at Soza Weight Loss for Help Making Your Goals
Tired of yo-yo diets, and want to lose weight the right way and keep it off? Contact us at Soza Weight Loss at (504) 475-9817 today to learn more about setting weight loss goals.