How Fast Can A Person Lose Weight Healthily?

Between 2007 and 2008, 34 percent of Americans age 20 and older were overweight and another 34 percent were obese. If you're one of them, you may feel more motivated to stick with your diet and exercise if you're losing weight quickly. In some cases, you may even use weight-loss aids to speed up the process. However, losing weight too quickly can be dangerous to your health. Consult with your doctor before starting any weight-loss diet or program.

Standard Recommendation

In general, it's best to lose weight at a rate of 1 to 2 lbs. per week. This prepares you for maintaining your weight loss, giving you time to develop healthier eating and exercise habits. Slow weight loss ensures that you're not cutting back too drastically on calories and missing out on essential nutrients. It also reduces the amount of lean muscle mass you can lose as a result of excessive dieting and aerobic activity. However, it's not unusual for you to lose weight more quickly in the first few weeks of your weight loss program.

Rapid Weight Loss

Rapid weight loss refers to losing weight at a rate of 3 lbs. a week or more after the first couple of weeks, according to the Weight-control Information Network. This type of weight loss may result from being on a fad or crash diet. It increases your risk of developing gallstones and can lead to other complications, such as dehydration and heart problems that can be fatal.

Reducing Calories

Do not consume fewer than 1,200 calories per day if you're a woman or 1,200 calories if you're a man. Lower-calorie diets that involve eating between 500 and 800 calories should be medically supervised. Avoid diets that recommend cutting out entire food groups, such as carbohydrates. Instead, eat healthier options from all food groups such as whole grains, fruits, lean meat and dairy, fish, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Besides measuring portions, methods that help to cut calories include eating from smaller bowls, drinking two glasses of water before meals and taking 20 to 30 minutes to eat each meal.

Exercise

Regular physical activity should be part of any weight-loss program. It helps your body to burn calories more efficiently, so you don't have to rely on cutting calories only to lose weight. Do moderate aerobic exercise such as brisk walking at a moderate pace for 30 minutes most days of the week or vigorous exercise such as running for 15 minutes most days each week. Weight train at least two days a week helps to builds and maintains muscle mass, which increases your resting and post-workout metabolic rate.