What’s the right amount of weight to lose each week?
When we work with Innovative Vitality patients who have weight loss goals, providers are often asked what the ‘right’ amount of weight is to lose each week.
Our answer: aim to lose 1 pound a week, or 4 pounds a month. Here’s why.
Your body wants things to stay the same
It’s called homeostasis and it refers to the body’s ability to maintain a stable internal environment, including energy balance and body weight. When you try to lose weight, your body wants to preserve balance by adjusting various physiological processes. For example, as you reduce calorie intake, your body may respond by slowing down your metabolism, increasing hunger signals, or conserving energy in an effort to maintain its current weight.
That’s why we encourage gradual, sustainable changes instead of extreme fluctuations in weight; your body will fight the change and it may not be lasting.
Weight loss can slow down
Be aware that as you get closer to your goal it may become harder for the pounds to come off. With a smaller body, you burn fewer calories both at rest and during physical activity. This reduction in calorie expenditure means that the calorie deficit you initially created to lose weight becomes smaller, leading to slower weight loss. Your body may adapt to prolonged calorie restriction by becoming more efficient at using the energy it receives
That’s why we work with our patients to do things like increase protein allotment, ensure the right supplementation, focus on sleep habits, increase Zone 2 cardio and more.
How we achieve success
Successful weight loss involves so much more than diet + exercise. Each Innovative Vitality patient does regular bloodwork, an InBody assessment, has weekly coaching sessions, tracks glucose, takes supplements or medications as needed based on bloodwork – all of which are critical for lasting success.
Our weight patients have a more than 95% success rate. If you are interested in our approach, talk with our patient coordinator to learn more.