When you make the decision to lose weight, you often want to do whatever it takes to make it come off. But knowing how much weight you need to lose is the essential first step. Staying within a healthy weight range on the lower end of the scale is just as important as avoiding excess weight gain. Understanding how to set a healthy weight goal can help you be realistic about your weight-loss efforts.
Healthy Weight Range
A number of different theories and factors exist regarding how much every person should weigh. One of the more established methods is the body mass index. BMI involves a formula that uses a height-to-weight ratio to help determine a healthy weight.
Use a simple online BMI calculator to figure out what a healthy weight range would be for your height, and what your BMI is now. Also talk to your doctor if you're looking to lose weight. She can help you come up with a more specific weight range tailored to your specific body type, medical conditions and other factors.
Setting a Goal
Once you know what a realistic weight is for you and your body, you can then set a reasonable weight-loss goal. For example, if you weigh 200 lbs. now, but your ideal weight is between 150 and 160, a reasonable amount of weight to lose would be between 40 and 50 lbs. Review your weight-loss goal with your doctor.
Weekly Weight Loss
Short-term weight-loss goals is just as important as long-term ones, because they keep you on track during the week-to-week grind you'll go through on your way to shedding pounds. A safe rate of weight loss is 1 or 2 lbs. per week. Break up your overall weight-loss goal into weekly goals that fall within this range. For example, if you have 40 lbs. to lose, and you set a goal of losing 1 lb. per week, it should take you about 40 weeks, or approximately 10 months, to reach your goal.
Safe Weight Loss
Avoid fad diets when you're trying to lose weight. These diets promise astounding results but require you to limit your caloric intake severely or to cut out certain food groups or nutrients completely, such as carbohydrates or fat. Fad diets that cause too much weight loss too fast may lead to certain medical conditions, such as irregular heart beat or gallstones. They can also cause your metabolism to slow down, which will stall your weight loss.
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