What Is That Desired Weight Loss Number You Should Aim For in a Month?

If you desire to achieve any goal, then you must follow a plan directed towards that goal. If shedding a few pounds is your goal, then you must set a timeline to attain that goal. It’s that simple! Without a plan, you will only get hung up on numbers without actually achieving anything in concrete. Your overarching goal should be to achieve a healthier lifestyle under which you are able to achieve your desired level of weight.

Do not try to follow a crash diet plan at any cost as that can have a severely negative impact on your health. All you need to do is follow a healthier lifestyle under which you must exercise regularly and watch your meal portions to cut down fats and carbs that are over the requirement of your body. Also, whole foods should be preferred over processed foods. By following these simple rules, you can actually achieve your desired weight without putting your body through any undue stress.

However, if you are the type of person who stays motivated by watching your weight go down a few numbers, then nutritionists will recommend that you monitor your weight on a weekly basis. Your aim should be to lose weight gradually over a period of a preset timeline. Losing a bit over a pound every week is enough to lose 5 to 6 pounds per month.

If shedding a few pounds is your goal, then you must set a timeline to attain that goal.

Cut Down Your Calories, But Not Too Much

To achieve this, we recommend that you cut down on your per day calories intake by 500, as that will help you lose a bit more than a pound each week. According to nutritionists, cutting down around 500 calories is manageable for most people in the long run as usually these come from unhealthy sources. You can easily cut down these calories by skipping your afternoon snack and one cup of latte.

However, if you desire to lose more than 5 to 6 pounds every month, then simply cutting down 500 calories from your diet will be insufficient. You will need to make significant changes to your lifestyle, and although you will start to lose weight, the long term impact of following such a calorie-deprived diet are not very desirable.

Also, this strategy would definitely increase your frustration level as well since you will have to modify your eating habits and also will have to restrict yourself from consuming many of the foods you actually love. But more importantly, any weight loss that is not achieved gradually is bound to have a negative impact on your health.

To achieve this, we recommend that you cut down on your per day calories intake by 500, as that will help you lose a bit more than a pound each week.

Aiming To Increase Muscle Mass?

If you are aiming for an increase in muscle mass, then a sharp decrease in your daily calorie consumption puts you at a greater risk of losing instead of gaining muscle mass. This happens because when calories consumption is reduced below normal levels, then muscle mass is reduced before fat as it’s easier to catabolize muscles than fat. Also, consuming unhealthy food items, while following a low-calorie diet plan, may cause changes in metabolism that are usually irreversible and also have the potential to cause serious illnesses as well.

This is why steady weight loss is always recommended by nutritionists. You can monitor the changes in your body when you lose weight gradually. Your metabolism is complex and cannot be assumed to follow a weight lose plan according to your whims and desires. Every person is affected differently by any weight loss plan, which is why you need to customize the one you want to follow based upon your individual needs and goals. You need to consider all individual variables before following any diet plan especially when the focus is on restricting your calorie intake.

If you are aiming for an increase in muscle mass, then a sharp decrease in your daily calorie consumption puts you at a greater risk of losing instead of gaining muscle mass.

Remain Consistent

Losing a few pounds is easy during the first month of following a weight loss diet plan, but many people do not notice any significant reduction in their weight during the following month. This happens because the metabolic system slows down when your body loses weight. In order to boost your metabolism, you will need to exercise regularly in addition to cutting down on your calorie intake.

Workouts done months ago might not benefit you at this point, so you need to start working out with the diet plan you are planning to follow. Remember, you will need to plan your exercise along with your diet plan on a regular basis, and make changes as needed.