Nutritionists warn against losing weight too fast. Restrictive diets, admittedly, give quick results but contribute to metabolic disorders and the yo-yo effect. What is the optimal rate of weight loss? Check how much weight you can lose during the week, month and year.
Pace of weight loss
One of the most important principles of healthy and effective weight loss without the yo-yo effect is slow weight reduction. A low rate of weight loss does not expose the body to nutrient deficiencies and reduces the risk of metabolic disorders.
How many kilos can I lose weight in a week/month/year?
It is safe to lose 0.5 to 1 kg of body weight weekly, i.e. 2 to 4 kg per month. If you want to lose weight by 10 kilograms, then properly composed low energy diet should last from 2.5 to 5 months.
The rate of weight loss also depends on your starting weight. According to dietitians' recommendations, weight loss should not be higher than 10 per cent of body mass during the year. It doesn't seem like much, but after three years it will already be 30 per cent, which for example with a starting weight of 90 kg gives as much as 27 kg.
A slow pace of weight loss will help you avoid the yo-yo effect
Do you think that slimming is about using a very low-calorie diet for some time? In the long run, it can do more harm than good! Avoid diets below the energetic intake of 1000 kcal. In such a state, your body uses less energy for its own needs, so the basic metabolism decreases. Studies have shown that with drastically reduced-calorie meals, the metabolic rate drops by up to 15-20 per cent. Unfortunately, it does not increase if you immediately return to your previous diet. After a year or two, you could weigh more than before losing weight and ... you will go on to another restrictive diet. And alternating weight loss with another weight loss slows down metabolism, so it's getting harder and harder to get rid of excess fat.
How to use that knowledge in practice? The energy deficit should be no more than 500 kcal – this will result in a decrease in body weight at a safe pace, i.e. up to 1 kg per week. The higher the deficit, i.e. the more restrictive the diet, the greater the risk of the yo-yo effect.
Regular meals as an ally of weight loss
One of the mistakes often made by people on a diet is an improper set of time of eating. For the diet to be effective, you should eat 4.5 times a day, every 3-4 hours. Thanks to that you will burn calories faster and avoid hunger more effectively. Studies have shown that even a restrictive diet of 1000 kcal per day has no effect if it is spread over only two meals. When there are five of them - you lose weight more quickly.
Remember - slimming should an evolution, not a revolution. Drastic changes in a way of nutrition are difficult to accept and adapt, which is why dietitians are in favour of small steps strategies. Given the current menu and lifestyle, they try to eliminate those behaviours that have contributed to overweight and obesity, but not all at once. Changes in diet are best to start with those that are easiest for you. Only then make further diet modifications.
One Comment