How Fast Can You Lose Weight Safely?

The first — and perhaps best — reason to pace yourself when it comes to weight loss is that it tends to be more effective at keeping the pounds off. Fad or crash diets that promise fast results aren’t usually something the average dieter can sustain over months or years. Experts believe that as many as 95 percent of dieters regain weight, according to the Cleveland Clinic. If you’re trying to avoid the dreaded yo-yo dieting effect of regaining the weight you’ve shed (and maybe packing on more), taking it slow is a good idea. People who lose weight at a rate of about 1 to 2 pounds per week are more successful at maintaining their progress than those who lose at a faster rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This assertion is backed up by a systematic review and meta-analysis published in December 2020 in the British Journal of Nutrition, which found that, even when the amount of weight loss was similar, dieters who lost the weight gradually as opposed to rapidly saw greater reductions in body fat percentage and fat mass. When rapid weight loss occurs, you’re far more likely to lose water weight, muscle, or even bone mass, reports the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“Good weight loss is losing fat,” says Dr. Singh. “Bad weight loss is losing muscle.” You want to maintain your muscle mass for many reasons, but in a weight loss sense, muscle boosts metabolism by helping you burn more calories even when at rest, according to the Mayo Clinic. Singh adds that you’d likely need to be following a crash diet for a month or so for those health issues to take effect. What Are The Top 2 Fat Burning Appetite Suppressant Pills Extreme forms of this are anorexia or bulimia, but milder forms are probably much more common than people think, he says.