How Quickly Do You Lose Weight?

Weight loss is a popular topic. Every years, millions and millions of Americans try a new diet, such as the keto diet, intermittent fasting, Weight Watchers, or Paleo, hoping to shed some body fat. The most common New Year’s Resolutions revolve around weight loss, and new books are published weekly on how to lower body weight and reduce bodyfat. Yet, despite our obsession with dieting, most people still have more questions than answers when it comes to what to eat and how to eat properly for a lower body mass index (BMI).

Common Issues with New Diets for Fat Loss

In my experience, these are the most common issues that derail people when they begin a new diet plan and try to lower their bodyweight. First, the average American finds most new diets unsustainable, which means that they cannot stick to that plan for much more than a few weeks - or less. For example, the ketogenic diet prescribes a very low intake of carbohydrates each day, often 20-30 grams of carbs or less. However, the average piece of fruit can contain about 25 grams of carbs or more, so it is very difficult to stick to the keto diet week after week, month after month.

Second, most people complain about the boredom of many nutrition programs. For example, the Paleo diet recommends eating only foods that humans likely ate during the Paleolithic period, over 10,000 years ago, which includes most meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. The Paleo diet excludes any grains, processed foods, baked goods, diet sodas, and many other food products that are staples of American diet nowadays. As a result, many of us who start to Paleo diet soon find it to be too restrictive and, therefore, too boring to stick with for longer than a few weeks or so.

Beyond issues with sustainability and boredom, however, I have found that most people quit their diets when they fail to see progress on the scale - or, when they perceive a lack of progress on the weight scale.

Slow and Steady Weight Loss

In my experience, there are two types of weight loss. Some people lose weight in a linear fashion - these are the ‘slow and steady’ people who lose body fat at about the same rate, week after week. They might lose half a pound a week, or they may lose two pounds a week, but they tend to lose about the same amount of weight each week until they reach their goal or stop their nutrition plan. On the other hand, some people lose weight in a more wave-like fashion, where they have very little change in the scale after a few weeks; then, seemingly all at once, they will drop a substantial amount of weight. Their bodies may then need another 2-3, possibly four, weeks for any more changes in the bathroom scale.

An example of my own body weight fluctuations over a few weeks. The range in 14 days was 183-189, six pounds! But the average fell around 186.

Unfortunately, I cannot tell you why some lose weight linearly and why others do not. But just remember that not everyone reduces their bodyfat in the same way or at the same pace. If you adopt a new diet program and don’t see changes in the first week or two, you should stick with the plan and wait another week or two, because you might be the type of person who loses a lot of weight at once.

-Shane