HOW LONG DOES IT REALLY TAKE TO LOSE WEIGHT—AND MAINTAIN IT?

Medically reviewed by Sohaib Imtiaz, MD

Experts recommend aiming to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week to ensure safe weight loss. Losing weight steadily and gradually increases the likelihood that you will keep the weight off.

How long it takes to lose weight varies by individual. It depends on your factors such as your starting weight, sex, hormones, health conditions, and medications.

With Diet and Exercise

Weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week (or 4 to 8 pounds per month) is considered a healthy rate. Over six months, this is about 26 to 52 pounds. This number will vary based on your starting weight.

If your goal is to lose weight and maintain it, focus on gradual weight loss instead of fast weight loss. Experts recommend combining a low-calorie diet, regular exercise (both cardiovascular and strength training), and behavioral changes to achieve your weight loss goals without medication.

With Weight Loss Medications

Weight loss drugs can help people with obesity lose significant amounts of weight when other methods do not work. Prescription semaglutide (e.g., Wegovy and Ozempic) is particularly effective; it's been found to help people with overweight and obesity—meaning a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more—lose up to 15% to 20% of their body weight over 68 weeks (around 15 months).

Factors Affecting Weight Loss Speed

1. Medications

Some medications can make you gain weight or make it more challenging to lose weight. Examples of these include:

• Antidepressants
• Antihyperglycemics
• Antihypertensives
• Antipsychotics
• Certain forms of birth control
• Corticosteroids
• Lithium

Do not change your medication regimen without speaking to a healthcare provider. Discuss your concerns with them if you feel that your medication is affecting your weight loss goals.

2. Age

Age can also affect the speed at which you lose weight due to natural changes in the human body. After age 30, body fat slowly increases, and lean muscle decreases. Then, as men near 55 and women near 65, weight may begin to decrease due to hormone changes.

3. Genetics

Your genetics can influence weight loss. More than 50 genes are associated with obesity, which may make it more difficult for people with these genes to lose weight. There is also evidence that genetics can predispose you to better weight management by making you more responsive to exercise.

4. Sex

Your sex assigned at birth can affect how long it takes to lose weight. Some evidence suggests that men may be able to lose weight faster than women because they have a higher basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is the rate at which your body burns calories at rest.

5. Hormones

Hormonal imbalances can affect your ability to lose or gain weight. For example, thyroid hormones regulate metabolism. Hypothyroidism (low thyroid levels) can make losing weight harder, and hyperthyroidism (high thyroid levels) can make weight loss easier.

Another example is estrogen. Low estrogen levels, which can happen during perimenopause (the transitional phase leading up to menopause) and menopause (the cessation of the menstrual cycle), can contribute to weight gain, especially around the abdomen.

Initial weight loss can also lead to changes in ghrelin, leptin, cholecystokinin, and other hormones that affect appetite and metabolism. These can lead to a slower speed of weight loss, a weight loss plateau, or the regaining the lost weight.

6. Starting Weight

You may lose pounds more quickly if you have a higher starting weight. One recommendation is to lose 5% to 10% of body weight in the first six months. Someone who weighs more will, therefore, have more pounds to lose.

For instance, 10% of 300 pounds is 30 pounds, whereas 10% of 150 pounds is 15 pounds. If both people met their weight loss goals, the person who weighed 300 pounds initially would have lost more pounds in the same period.

7. Calories

The amount of calories you consume affects the speed at which you lose weight. You'll want to be in a calorie deficit (meaning you're burning more calories than you're consuming) of 500 to 1,000 calories per day to lose 1 or 2 pounds per week.

Avoid fad diets (diets that promise quick weight loss, such as Atkins or detox diets) that limit important nutrients and excessively restrict calories. Without professional guidance, it is not recommended to take in fewer than 1,200 calories per day for women or 1,500 calories per day for men.

8. Activity Level

Being more active can help you lose weight faster. It can also improve your cardiorespiratory (heart and lung) fitness and help you maintain weight loss.

Exercise directly burns calories and increases muscle mass, which can improve your BMR by burning more calories at rest. Experts recommend combining cardiovascular exercise with strength training. Aim for 30 to 45 minutes of moderate physical activity three to five days a week and build from there.

Risks of Rapid Weight Loss

Chances are you will want to reach your goal weight sooner rather than later, but it's important to lose weight in a healthy way. Losing too much weight too fast (more than 1–2 pounds per week) can make it hard for you to maintain weight loss long term. Rapid weight loss often occurs with fad diets or excessive exercise, both of which are habits that are not sustainable long-term.

It can also be dangerous to lose weight quickly, putting you at risk of:

• Bone density loss
• Constipation
• Dehydration
• Depression, anxiety, and binge eating
• Diarrhea
• Electrolyte imbalances
• Fatigue
• Gaining back weight quickly
• Gallstones
• Gout
• Headache
• Hormonal changes
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Vitamin deficiencies

Habits That May Inhibit Weight Loss

Many people have small habits that get in the way of their weight loss. These habits feel like a regular part of your life and can be easily overlooked when trying to lose weight. However, they can add up and make a big difference in your ability to lose weight.

Some habits that inhibit weight loss include:

• Being sedentary (not moving enough)
• Drinking sugary or processed drinks, including diet sodas
• Eating large portions at mealtimes
• Giving up after occasional setbacks
• High stress levels from work, family, or life
• Making too many significant diet, exercise, or lifestyle changes at once that you cannot sustain
• Mindless snacking between meals, particularly on sugary or processed foods
• Not accounting for calories from alcohol or beverages
• Not getting enough quality sleep

Tips for Sustaining Healthy Weight Loss

Losing weight in a healthy way and sustaining that weight loss requires changes in lifestyle and habits.

Some tips for sustaining healthy weight loss include:

• Find ways to move more, for instance, stretching during a lunch break or getting off one bus stop early to walk farther.
• Follow a regular exercise routine.
• Go to bed and wake up routinely.
• Identify and manage cravings.
• Keep fruits and vegetables available for snacks instead of sugary or processed foods and drinks.
• Measure your progress.
• Plan meals in advance.
• Reward meeting your weight loss goals with nonfood rewards (such as a massage, bouquet of flowers, a nice bath, attending a concert, and more).
• Set realistic and time-bound goals (e.g., "I will take a 30-minute Zumba class twice a week for six weeks," instead of "Get more exercise").
• Surround yourself with others who share similar health goals.
• Talk to a weight loss or nutrition specialist.
• Utilize community resources, like public parks or group weight loss programs.

Best Diet to Lose Weight

In general, following a low-calorie diet is recommended if you want to lose weight. Beyond that, the best eating pattern to lose weight is the one that works for you and keeps you motivated and on track with your goals.

• The Mediterranean diet is a research-backed eating style that has benefits for long-term weight management. It involves eating whole fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, olive oil, and nuts, and avoiding processed foods and saturated fats.
• Intermittent fasting is another popular approach to weight loss. It restricts the timing of your meals and is a diet that has gained recognition in recent times. Calories are not restricted during the eating window.

Research shows that intermittent fasting can reduce body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood sugar, and triglyceride levels (a type of fat in the blood). Based on the research, participants lost about 7 to 11 pounds over 10 weeks while intermittent fasting.

Remember, fad diets are not healthy for you, especially long term. It's important to eat a balanced diet containing fiber, nutrients, protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Fueling your body rather than starving it will give you the energy to exercise and stay in a calorie deficit while still feeling good.

When to Contact a Healthcare Provider

Sometimes, it can feel like you're doing everything right and not losing weight. Or maybe you've lost weight initially, but now your weight loss is plateauing. This can be due to a "survival mechanism" your body goes through when losing weight.

If you are struggling to lose weight on your own, talk to a healthcare provider about your weight loss goals. They can direct you toward resources like weight management clinics, dietitians, nutritionists, physical therapists, bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery), weight loss medications, and other options.

Summary

Many factors affect the speed at which a person loses weight, ranging from genetics and age to how much you exercise and eat. Aim for gradual weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week, or 5% to 10% body weight reduction over six months, to lose weight—and keep it off.

Read the original article on Verywell Health

2025-04-23T16:05:00Z