With so many individuals today struggling with their weight, it is understandable that you may have dozens of pounds that you want to shed. Many people struggle to stay motivated with a diet or exercise regimen. If quick results are not seen, they may give up on their effort within a week or two. However, you may have also heard that it is safe to lose one to two pounds per week. While this may be true in many cases, there are multiple factors at play. If you want to know how much weight you can lose in a healthy way per week and overall, you should turn your attention to these tips.
Focus on Your Height
If you are trying to set a goal to achieve a specific target body weight, you need to ensure that your goal is healthy and realistic. Some people set an arbitrary goal, or they may choose a target weight that is equivalent to what they weighed in high school. A healthy weight, however, will be based on how tall you are. For example, women generally should weigh between 100 and 115 pounds at five feet tall. For each additional inch, a woman’s weight may increase healthily by approximately five pounds. However, there is considerable variation to this based on muscle mass. Remember that muscle mass is denser than fat. You could be healthy with ample lean muscle mass and still weigh more than someone your same size who has more body fat.
Measure Your BMI
This leads into the matter of your BMI, or body mass index. A better way to determine how much weight that you should lose is to measure your BMI and to pay attention to this figure as your weight decreases. Most people will lose body fat and gain muscle mass at the same time. Therefore, your goal to lose 30 pounds, for example, may change as you see your BMI figure improving. With this in mind, a healthy amount of weight to lose is not an arbitrary number that you select. It should be based on how much body fat that you are currently carrying.
Determine Your Timeframe
Some people who want to know how much weight they can lose while still remaining healthy are looking at a specific timeframe. For example, you may wonder if you can healthily lose 20 pounds before your vacation in two months. When you try to lose too much weight too quickly, you may actually take unhealthy steps to do so. For example, you may skimp on calories to the point where your body is not being properly nourished. Your timeframe as well as your ability to follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly will affect a realistic amount of weight that you can lose in a safe way.
Analyze Your Weight Loss Strategy
There are many strategies that people use to try to lose weight. For example, some take diet pills or follow a strict diet that is actually unhealthy for their body. If you want to know how much weight you can lose in a safe manner, you need to identify the healthy weight loss strategy that you are interested in. For example, how focused are you on improving your diet by eliminating unnecessary sugars and unhealthy fats? How frequently can you exercise, and how many calories can you burn through those exercise sessions? A substantial amount of healthy weight loss is possible when you have the right strategy, but following unhealthy diet plans and taking diet pills are not smart ideas. Your ability to put forth the effort through a thoughtful and well-executed weight loss strategy will play a major role in how much weight you can lose in a safe, healthy manner.
Rather than try to force your body to lose a specific amount of weight within a set time frame, a better idea may to focus on improving total body health. Educate yourself about healthy eating and natural ways to boost your metabolism. Drink more water each day, and find an exercise regimen that you enjoy. Remember that losing body weight and building lean muscle mass go hand in hand, so setting a firm weight loss goal based on pounds is not actually realistic.
