Normal Weight Loss In One Week

Lose weight and keep it off by consuming a healthy, low-calorie diet and exercising regularly. The goal may be physical fitness or weight loss, but either way permanent changes in health habits with reasonable expectations are keys to success, according to MayoClinic.com. Think of good health as a journey and achieved goals will provide encouragement along the way.

Expectations of quick and substantial weight loss set the stage for frustration and the sense of failure. Allow a reasonable time to reduce gradually--about six months for a 10-percent weight loss--and increase the probability of keeping the weight off for good.

Identification

Normal weight loss is moderate and occurs with small changes in diet and physical activity. Extraordinary efforts to lose weight faster than normal often result in unhealthy food choices and compromised nutrition status. Slower than normal rates of weight loss may cause commitment to flounder and result in loss of focus on the goal. A normal rate of weight loss will enable you to maintain the reduced weight level.

Significance

A normal rate of weight loss reflects gains in health. To lose faster than normal is to risk rebound weight gain. Normal weight loss helps the body lose fat while retaining lean muscle mass. Losing weight at an excessive rate usually means excessive loss of lean body mass and brings about an equally rapid weight gain.

Normal weight loss improves blood pressure, blood cholesterol and glucose management in diabetes. It also reduces risk of heart disease. Even minimal weight loss for an overweight person results in reduced pain and improves the ability to perform activities of daily living such as climbing stairs or playing with children.

Normal Rate

The normal rate of weight loss is 1 to 2 lbs. per week, according to the American Dietetic Association, MayoClinic.com and Eleanor Whitney and Sharon Rolfes in "Understanding Nutrition." This rate of weight loss assumes burning 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day.

One pound is equivalent to 3,500 calories, so to lose 1 lb. per week, burn 500 calories per day more than you consume on each of seven days. To lose 2 lbs. per week, burn 1,000 calories more per day than you consume for seven days. Include fruit, vegetables, whole grains and protein along with regular exercise to support this weight loss and provide the body with adequate nutrition.

Considerations

Set realistic goals. Avoid empty calories and drink plenty of water. Select small portions and include complex carbohydrates. Keep saturated fat less than 10 percent of total calories. Lose more fat than muscle by combining physical activity with a sensible diet.

By decreasing abdominal fat, exercise lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease. Physical activity also relieves stress. A balanced diet coupled with a physical activity plan that you enjoy helps achieve the normal rate of weight loss.

Warning

Restricting calories too much deprives the body of nutrients and thwarts the weight loss plan by creating a feeling of starvation that leads to impulsive eating and perhaps poor food choices. Consult a dietitian to create a nutrition care plan that supports your body's needs.