How much weight can I lose in a week?

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  A Marisa Moore , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

  The weight you lose in a week depends on a number of food and physical activity variables. 

  Losing 1-2 pounds per week is the general recommendation for safe and sustainable weight loss. People with more weight to lose may see more weight come off when they begin a weight loss program while those with very little to lose may see less. While 1-2 pounds per week may take a bit longer, the slow and steady method tends to help keep the weight off long term.

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  A Ruth Frechman , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

  There is no set number of pounds anyone should lose in a week. Look at the big picture. Any weight loss is better than none. There are 3,500 calories in a pound. To lose one pound a week, you would have to eat 500 fewer calories a day. Life often gets in the way of weight loss. Shoot for 3-5 pounds in a month. You are still losing, but it doesn't put too much pressure on you. Some people think that if they don't lose five pounds in a week, they are a failure. Not true.
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  A Rachel Gilmore , NASM Elite Trainer , Fitness, answered

  This number is different for everyone there are so many factors to look at. if you are just getting started your goal should be to lose 1-2 lbs a week. In the beginning you may lose more than 1-2 lbs in a week but do not give up if you do not maintain larger numbers lost each week. Men typically can lose more weight than women in a week, you may lose water weight initially, especially if you cut out sodas.  If your a woman your monthly cycle may play a factor in how much you lose each week. The bottom line is if your consistant in burning more calories each day than you consume you will see results.
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  A Mel Mueller - Sharecare Fitness Expert , Fitness, answered

  This depends on how little you want to eat and how much you want to move.  You have all seen the weight loss shows putting people through the rigors so they will walk away about half the size they were when started.  Unfortunately for most of those contestants, their skinny jeans turned into fat pants with elastic bands once the taping stopped.  Why?  Because they have done nothing to deal with fitting weight loss and maintenance into their real, daily lives.  Generally a 1- 2 lb loss per week (more if you have a lot of weight to lose) creates a realistic lifestyle that, for most people, is more sustainable. If you cannot maintain the severity of the lifestyle necessary to promote rapid weight loss, then you most likely will not maintain the weight loss.  Let’s just cover some facts as well, it took you a long time to gain this weight and it will take you a long time to get the weight off.  Sorry – but maybe next time before that cheeseburger passes your lips – you will think about what it will look like on your hips.   The truth is if you set realistic goals for yourself and track your progress along the way, you will learn to make being healthy a part of your real life and you can easily pull on your skinny jeans without having to hold your breath and scream for assistance getting your zipper up.

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  A National Academy of Sports Medicine answered

  For healthy weight loss, you should shoot for a goal of one to two pounds per week. In the beginning phases of a program, you could lose more pounds due to initial bodily changes that occur with increased physical demands. But, this fast weight loss should subside after about the second week and start to level off. In some cases, the weight might actually increase in the first week or two. If this happens do not be alarmed, the human body is very efficient. When new stresses like exercising are placed on the body, it reacts by compensating-increasing muscle size and function. This may lead to an increase it weight. However, do not be discouraged. This added muscle will help increase caloric demand and ultimately help you burn more fat in the future. Weight loss depends solely on the difference between the amount of calories burned and consumed. For every activity, you undertake your body must expend a certain number of calories it gained from food or stored in fat. The more energy intensive the activity the higher the caloric demand. One pound of fat contains roughly 3,500 calories. To lose one pound of fat, you must expend 3,500 more calories than you consume. Through exercise, you are attempting to get your body to use the calories that it has stored in the fat cells throughout your body. This process is culmulative, and you will have to continue to chip away at the fat stores in your body. Losing more than one to two pounds a week is very tough to do, and typically would require extreme dieting. This type of dieting is not only difficult to maintain, but it also can be counterproductive. For weight loss to be successful and long term, lifestyle changes need to be made. In some cases, doctors are able to prescribe very low calorie diets for obese individuals, but this requires medical supervision and is only used temporarily to achieve a healthy weight. Once the weight has been achieved, a more healthy form of nutrition is then implemented. One of the most important factors to consider when setting a weight loss goal is consistency. For most people, the weight did not just show up overnight. It took a few years to get there, so do not expect it to just disappear quickly. With proper nutrition and exercise, it can be gone quicker than it was gained, but it takes being consistent with your nutrition and exercise routine.
  
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  A Jeff Croswell , NASM Elite Trainer , Fitness, answered

  How much weight you lose per week will depend on a few factors.  Healthy weight loss is about 1-3 per week.  However, how big your deficit is will determine how much weight will come off per week.  To lose that 1 pound per week you are looking at having a 500 calorie deficit each week.  Just remember to track your food on a daily basis along with what you are burning so you know what you need to do. 
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