can expect to lose from exercise depends on many factors.
These include:
- Starting weight: People with a higher starting weight typically have a higher basal metabolic rate. This is the number of calories your body burns when performing basic life-preserving functions. A high BMR means you will burn more calories during activity and rest (
27 ). - Age: Older people tend to carry more fat mass and less muscle mass, which reduces your BMR. A lower BMR can make it more difficult to lose weight (
28 ). - Gender: Women tend to have a greater fat-to-muscle ratio than men, which can affect their BMR. As a result, men tend to lose weight quicker than women, even if they consume a similar number of calories (29).
- Diet: Weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you consume. Thus, a calorie deficit is essential to losing weight (
30 ). - Sleep: Studies have found that a lack of sleep may slow the rate at which you lose weight and even increase your cravings for high calorie foods (
31 ,32 ). - Medical conditions People with medical conditions like depression and hypothyroidism may lose weight at a slower rate (
33 ). - Genetics Studies have shown that weight loss has a genetic component, which may affect certain people with obesity (
34 ).
Although most people want to lose weight quickly, experts often recommend losing 1–2 pounds (0.5–1.36 kg), or approximately 1% of your body weight, per week (
Losing weight too fast can have negative health consequences. For example, it can result in muscle loss and increase your risk of conditions like gallstones, dehydration, fatigue, malnutrition, headaches, irritability, constipation, hair loss, and irregular periods (
What’s more, people who lose weight too fast are more prone to regaining it (37).
It’s important to keep in mind that weight loss is not a linear process, and it’s common to find yourself losing weight more quickly when you first get started.
