“Most studies have shown slow weight loss to be better for a number of reasons; one of these is that rapid weight loss can mean that more muscle mass is lost than if the weight loss is gradual; thus lowering the rate at which it burns calories.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, slow and steady weight loss is one that allows you to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week (0.5 to 1 kilogram a week), until you reach your desired body goals and weight.
Slower weight loss encourages habit development
If you do hard things to lose weight quickly, it's harder to keep doing those thing, and you're more likely to ditch those behaviors when life gets tough. This means it's easy for weight to come back on.
Your slower metabolism will slow your weight loss, even if you eat the same number of calories that helped you lose weight. When the calories you burn equal the calories you eat, you reach a plateau. To lose more weight, you need to either increase your physical activity or decrease the calories you eat.
So, if you're eating 1,200 calories and not losing weight, it could be that your body is really struggling to function on so little fuel and your metabolism is not functioning well enough to respond to a deficit in the way you'd like.
“Most studies have shown slow weight loss to be better for a number of reasons; one of these is that rapid weight loss can mean that more muscle mass is lost than if the weight loss is gradual; thus lowering the rate at which it burns calories.
When you're trying to lose weight, it's natural to want it to happen very quickly. But people with gradual and steady weight loss (about 1 to 2 pounds per week) are more likely to keep the weight off.
Losing one to two pounds per week is a rate that's reasonable for many—it shouldn't require extreme eating or exercise habits. That said, you may lose weight faster if you have more weight to lose, simply because changing your diet may result in a larger calorie deficit.
A plateau can last between eight to twelve weeks, but it also varies individually, and we must maintain our healthy habits during this time.
As you lose weight your metabolism slows, and this will slow down your weight loss. You may also find that you reach a plateau/weight stall at this point, where your weight remains the same for a period of time. This is normal as your body tries to reconfigure itself with a reduced energy intake.
Changes to your metabolism might be to blame. As your body adjusts to your new diet and fitness routine, your metabolism may start to slow down. This means you'll burn fewer calories than you did in the first stage.
Sustainable weight loss should be achieved at a rate of 0.5-1 kg per week through a combination of healthy eating habits and regular physical activity. While it may be tempting to try to reduce 5 kgs in a week, it is not a realistic or healthy goal for most people.
You can further lose up to five kgs in a week by following a calorie deficit diet, though experts suggest that it is best to target losing 1-2kgs per week. The key is to keep the body in fat-burning mode with the combination of restrictive eating and increased physical activity.
Losing around 1.5 to 2.5 kilos of body weight in a month is considered healthy. Losing more than this means you are putting pressure on your bodily functions and internal organs, kidneys especially.
The 1200-calorie diet is geared toward women. Men's bodies require a higher caloric intake. This means that a typical woman can eat between 1200 and 1500 calories a day to lose weight. A typical male body needs about 1500 to 1800 calories daily to lose weight.
People may try this diet to control their food intake and lose weight. Some research suggests that the average female can limit their daily caloric intake to 1,500 calories or less to drop 1 pound per week. The average male may consume up to 2,000 calories a day to lose the same amount of weight.
To achieve good results, you need to eat 1700 calories a day of healthy food and stick to the proper balance of carbs, proteins, and fats. However, do not count on rapid weight loss. The thing is, this diet works in the long term. So, you can expect a slow, gradual weight loss of a half a pound to 2 pounds per week.
You will first lose hard fat that surrounds your organs like liver, kidneys and then you will start to lose soft fat like waistline and thigh fat. The fat loss from around the organs makes you leaner and stronger.
Where do you notice weight loss first? Body-weight loss is usually noticed around the belly, waistline, and thighs first. This is because your body stores fat in different locations. For instance, men hold more fat around their belly, while women store it on their thighs and hips.