Too much or too rapid weight loss can be detrimental to your body and mind. A healthy lifestyle that emphasizes good nutrition and a great deal of physical activity go hand-in-hand with long-term and secure weight loss.
In this article, we’ll be looking at how much weight is good to lose in a month. Let’s dive in!
How Much Body Weight Can You Lose in A Month
How much weight you can lose in a month depends on your age, diet, lifestyle, hormones, metabolism, and other factors. Nevertheless, when you alter your diet, you will typically see results within the first few weeks.
Where Do You Intend to Begin?
Another consideration is where you begin.
In general, the more weight a person needs to lose, the more they will be able to lose in a month. Therefore, a person who needs to lose 200 pounds can lose more weight in a month than a person who needs to lose 20 pounds.
The majority of guidelines recommend losing between 0.5 and 2.0 pounds per week, or 1% to 2% of total body weight.
As a result, people with higher body weight or more body fat can lose approximately 2% of their total body weight, while those with less body fat can lose approximately 1% of their total body weight.
How Much Weight Should I Lose in A Month?
The weight you should lose per month is dependent on how long you intend to lose weight.
Generally, the longer the time frame, the less weight you should try to lose per month. If you want to lose weight gradually over time, you should proceed with caution.
People who want to lose weight or go on a diet for an extended period, such as 6 months, should aim for more modest goals.
Those who wish to lose weight over an extended period should aim to lose between 0.5% and 1% of their body weight per week. On average, shorter diet cycles can help you lose between 1% and 1.5% of your body weight per week.
Consult a health care provider if you need to lose a significant amount of weight and are unsure how to do so.
You may be referred to a dietician or nutritionist who can provide advice tailored to your current needs and lifestyle.
Is Dieting Healthy for Weight Loss?
Dieting is the first thing that comes to the mind of people considering weight loss.
However, it is something that should be avoided. Why? This is because:
- Dieting is hard to maintain.
- Encourages unhealthy attitudes towards eating habits and body weight.
- Extreme and difficult to follow
- Results rarely endure because the methods are not sustainable.
Diets are typically short-term solutions that individuals use to lose weight quickly.
The method is basically switching from a regular diet to a very low-calorie diet. It is essential to keep in mind that losing weight by eating fewer calories alone is unhealthy, and one should also do regular exercise it.
If you place all your hopes on an unsustainable diet, you will develop unhealthy thoughts about food and your abilities.
When you cannot achieve or maintain your goals, you begin to doubt yourself and speak negatively to yourself. When you stop following a diet, you typically regain weight and begin searching for a new one to follow.
The cycle repeats, and it can continue for years or a lifetime.
Choosing A Plan: The Right Way
Making a plan is essential if you are trying to lose weight and wish to maintain it for a long time. More important than making or choosing a plan is to follow it with discipline.
If you’re just at the onset of your journey to a healthy weight or have experienced difficulties sticking to a plan in the past, it’s an excellent idea to seek help. Your doctor can refer you to a dietician who can assist you in developing a healthy eating plan that would suit your needs and goals.
A dietician can educate you on the right way to go about eating and healthy habits and ensure that whatever food you take is in the right proportion.
Also, the dietician can teach you to avoid too much sugar, saturated fat, and salt, which can all result in health problems like diabetes.
Tips for Healthy Weight Loss
Here are a few tips for healthy and long-lasting weight loss:
Focus on Nutrition
Prepare meals rich in whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, lean proteins, and heart-healthy fats. Processed foods should not be the primary focus, and portion control is crucial.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is also important, and tools like keeping a food journal can help you track your calorie intake, see how far you’ve come, where you may need to make changes, how fast you are losing weight, etc.
Avoid the “All or Nothing” Thinking
When we eliminate food from our diets or think, “I can’t eat that” or “I’ll never be able to eat that again,” we become defiant and overeat.
This results in returned weight gain and lack of confidence. When you live a healthy lifestyle, you do not feel guilty because you understand that there is room for everything, just not at once.
If someday you wish to eat something unhealthy, make sure you balance it out by eating something healthy as well.
Be Consistent
The only way to maintain your weight for a long time is by being consistent with your plan. Now being consistent doesn’t mean eating healthy for life and not having junk food. It is totally fine to have a cheat day or your favorite meal on occasions.
This will not only encourage you to eat healthily but will also keep you happy along with making you consider long-term effects, solve problems, achieve a good balance, and produce long-lasting results.
Summing Up
Weight loss is a highly individual objective, and not everyone should attempt to lose weight.
However, if you want to lose weight, you should keep in mind that the process should be closely tied to improving your overall health.
Never jeopardize your health to lose weight, as doing so can lead to negative feelings about food, exercise, and your body. Slow and steady weight loss is more sustainable and achievable.
Remember that weight loss is not a race and that stopping and starting is a natural part of the process. Kindness, gentleness, and patience are necessary for sustainable weight loss.
