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What Is a Healthy Amount of Weight to Lose a Week?

The Weight Control Information Network explains that a healthy amount of weight to lose a week is no more than two pounds. Losing more than two pounds of weight per week is not healthy. A good weight loss goal is to lose between half a pound and two pounds per week. Creating a weight loss plan is an important part of healthy weight loss.

  1. Determine Your Resting Metabolic Rate

    • Determining your resting metabolic rate will help you make sure that you’re losing a healthy amount of weight each week. Your resting metabolic rate is the number of calories that your body burns in a day without exercising, according to NetWellness. There are two ways to determine your resting metabolic rate, one more accurate than the other. The easier, yet less accurate, way of determining your resting metabolic rate is to use the resting metabolic rate calculator from the Mayo Clinic's website. The more accurate way of determining your resting metabolic rate is to use a device such as MedGem to determine your rate of oxygen consumption. MedGem tests cost approximately $30 and are available at many fitness centers such as some YMCAs.

    Using Your Resting Metabolic Rate To Create a Weight Loss Plan

    • If your resting metabolic rate is 2,300 calories per day then consuming 2,300 calories per day without exercising would result in your weight staying the same. CaloriesPerHour.com explains that an individual must burn 3,500 calories to lose one pound of body fat. To lose weight on a weekly basis, you need to create a calorie deficit. Calorie deficits can be created by combining diet with exercise, or just by dieting alone.

      To lose two pounds of weight per week you would need to create a daily calorie deficit of 1,000 calories. However, if you only want to lose one pound of weight per week, you’ll only need to create a daily deficit of 500 calories. The healthiest way to create a 1,000-calorie deficit is by consuming 500 fewer calories than your resting metabolic rate and burning 500 calories through exercise each day. Being overweight is a major risk factor for heart disease, according to the American Heart Association, which is a great reason to lose weight.

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