How much weight loss is a concern? (2023)

How much weight loss should I be worried about?

If you're losing weight without trying and you're concerned about it, consult your health care provider. As a rule of thumb, losing more than 5% of your weight over 6 to 12 months may indicate a problem.

Even a modest weight loss of 5% to 10% of your total body weight is likely to produce health benefits, such as improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugars. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, a 5% weight loss is 10 pounds, bringing your weight down to 190 pounds.

According to many experts, losing 1–2 pounds (0.45–0.9 kg) per week is a healthy and safe rate (1, 2, 3 ). Losing more than that is considered too fast and could put you at risk of many health problems, including muscle loss, gallstones, nutritional deficiencies and a drop in metabolism ( 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 ).

You should consider seeing your doctor to understand the underlying cause of your weight loss if: You've lost more than 5% of your body weight or 10 pounds without trying over 6-12 months. You're over 50 and have underlying health conditions. You're experiencing symptoms beyond just unexplained weight loss.

Weight loss of 10 pounds or more, or five percent of body weight, over a period of 6 to 12 months is considered “unexplained.” Unexplained weight loss can be a symptom of a serious condition or illness.

According to the American Cancer Society, significant weight loss happens most often with cancers that affect the stomach, pancreas, esophagus and lung.

So what is the magic number to lose weight and keep it off? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , it's 1 to 2 pounds per week. That means, on average, that aiming for 4 to 8 pounds of weight loss per month is a healthy goal.

Moderate weight loss is a gradual, average weight loss of up to two pounds per week, no more. This means that over a month you should expect to lose four to eight pounds of body weight in this time.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the safest amount of weight to lose per week is between 1 and 2 pounds. Those who lose much more per week or try fad diets or programs are much more likely to regain weight later on.

Losing weight too quickly can damage your metabolism

If you lose more than about 8 pounds in a month, not only will you likely not be able to keep it off, but it also means you probably engaged in unhealthy behaviors to get there.

How much weight can you lose before your organs shut down?

In anorexia, death from organ failure or myocardial infarction is fairly common (up to 20 percent of cases end this way) and tends to happen when body weight has fallen to between 60 and 80 pounds (although it can occur at any time).

But many health care providers agree that a medical evaluation is called for if you lose more than 5% of your weight in 6 to 12 months, especially if you're an older adult. For example, a 5% weight loss in someone who is 160 pounds (72 kilograms) is 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms).

The first stage of weight loss is when you tend to lose the most weight and begin to notice changes in your appearance and how your clothes fit. It usually happens within the first 4–6 weeks ( 1 ). Most of the weight loss in this stage comes from carb stores, protein, and water — and to a lesser extent, body fat.

Unexplained weight loss, or losing weight without trying, can be a cause for concern. It might indicate an underlying condition. A good rule of thumb is to see your doctor if you've lost a significant amount — more than 5 percent of your weight — within 6 to 12 months.

For example, a 140 pound person can lose 20 to 40 pounds over the course of a few months. The heavier you are, the more likely it is that you'll lose more weight. On average, it's not uncommon to lose 10 to 15 percent of your overall body weight due to anxiety and the chronic stress it causes.

Unintentional weight loss has many different causes. It might be caused by a stressful event like a divorce, losing a job, or the death of a loved one. It can also be caused by malnutrition, a health condition or a combination of things.

Some people may lose weight despite eating normally. This is called cachexia. With cachexia, your body may not be absorbing all the fat, protein and carbohydrate from the food you eat. And you may be burning up calories faster than normal.

Losing 10 pounds in a month is a very realistic goal. In fact, most dietitians will recommend that you make this your weight loss goal, because it allows you to lose weight at a healthy pace.

Is losing 20 pounds in a month healthy?

No, it is not safe. A month is not enough time to lose so much weight. 20 pounds in a month is a drastic weight loss that can lead to health issues. The healthy amount of weight loss in a month is between 4-8 pounds a month.

Peanut butter is loaded with healthy fats, protein, fiber, and a variety of essential vitamins and minerals. These nutrients could aid weight loss, as the best diets incorporate plenty of nutrient-rich foods to adequately meet your dietary needs.

Eggs can help you lose weight because of their high protein content, which keeps you full longer. That protein may also slightly increase your metabolism, which can help you burn more calories. If you want to lose weight, eat eggs as part of a healthy breakfast with fruits and vegetables.

“If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you want to do it in the one to two pounds per week range,” says Lauren Slayton, MS, RD. That's ultimately going to be more sustainable—and easier to stay on track with—than going to extreme measures to drop three pounds in one week, only to see them come right back on.

However, taking it one step at a time and making a few modifications to your diet and lifestyle can make weight loss much more manageable. By making some small changes to your daily routine, you can safely lose up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) in just 1 month, hitting your weight loss goals quickly and easily.

After excluding smokers and people with underlying illnesses, the researchers found that the death rate across various age categories was lowest for people whose body mass index (BMI*) was in the normal range (20 to 24.9), and then increased steadily with BMI.

8. The body as a whole may be dead, but certain parts within are still alive. The brain is the first organ to begin to break down, and other organs follow suit. Living bacteria in the body, particularly in the bowels, play a major role in this decomposition process, or putrefaction.

For this reason, doctors normally consider 40 to 50 per cent weight loss as life-threatening, regardless of your initial body weight.

Symptoms of anxiety can lead to changes in your metabolism, decreased food intake, increased body movement, changes in bowel functioning, and increased muscle tension, all potentially leading to weight loss.

What is the most common cause of weight loss in the elderly?

Unintentional weight loss in persons older than 65 years is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The most common etiologies are malignancy, nonmalignant gastrointestinal disease, and psychiatric conditions.

For some people, the first noticeable change may be at the waistline. For others, the breasts or face are the first to show change. Where you gain or lose weight first is likely to change as you get older. Both middle-aged men and postmenopausal women tend to store weight around their midsections.

When you lose weight, you inevitably lose some fat, including that which naturally occurs in your face and neck. And when that happens, volume in your face and neck decreases, says Nina Desai, M.D., a dermatologist in Manhattan Beach, CA. That creates skin laxity (derm speak for sagging) and folds.

The CDC state that a person can safely and effectively lose about 1–2 lb a week. Based on those numbers, in a month, a person could safely lose 4–8 lb.

What is healthy weight loss? Healthy weight loss is slow and sustainable. It's based on long-term changes to the way you think, eat, and move. Many doctors advise patients to aim to lose no more than 2 pounds a week.

What is Rapid Weight Loss? The maximum amount of weight you can lose in one month is about 20 pounds, or 5 pounds per week. But to achieve this goal you'll likely have to eat just 500-800 calories daily for 30 days vs.

But do you really know what's realistic? Over the long term, it's smart to aim for losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week. Generally to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day, through a lower calorie diet and regular physical activity.

Losing 10 pounds in a month is a very realistic goal. In fact, most dietitians will recommend that you make this your weight loss goal, because it allows you to lose weight at a healthy pace.

Mostly, losing weight is an internal process. You will first lose hard fat that surrounds your organs like liver, kidneys and then you will start to lose soft fat like waistline and thigh fat. The fat loss from around the organs makes you leaner and stronger.

The most important part is to cut back on sugars and starches (carbs). When you do that, your hunger levels go down and you end up eating much fewer calories (1). Now instead of burning carbs for energy, your body starts feeding off of stored fat.

When losing weight what is the last to go?

Losing Belly Fat

When you initially reduce your caloric intake for weight loss, your body may turn to the fat in your belly as a source of energy because of its proximity to the liver, say the authors of the 2009 article.

In terms of how your body looks, “it usually takes 4 weeks for your friends to notice weight loss, and 6–8 weeks for you to notice,” says Ramsey Bergeron, a certified personal trainer. “Your friends who don't see you every day are much more likely to see a change than someone you're around all the time,” he adds.