How Much Fat Can You Lose in a Month: A Safe Guide

How much body fat can you lose in a month that will be safe for your health? You may be asking this question because you are aware that excessive and drastic weight loss is detrimental to health. This article will explain how to go about your 1 month fat loss journey through a safe and healthy approach.

Setting Realistic Expectations for Fat Loss

As we said earlier, it is always advisable to set realistic weight loss goals that you can achieve. If your weight loss goals are unrealistic, it will be difficult to attain them and the process will be discouraging. Before you ask how much fat can you lose in a month, it will be essential to know the factors that affect weight loss. When you do so, it will be possible to plan towards it and know your limits. But what are the factors affecting fat loss? Below are some of them:

1. Your present weight or starting weight

   The amount of fat you will lose depends on your weight before starting the fat loss journey. The present body composition plays a major role in how fast you should expect to lose weight. If you weigh 300 lb, and you lose 30lb, that is 10% of fat loss. Another individual that weighs 200 lb and loses 20 lb is also a 10% fat loss. But you may be thinking that you’ve lost more fat than the other person. The truth is that, when comparing your starting weight and the other person’s starting weight, you both have the same percentage of fat loss.

2. Your metabolism rate

   People with higher metabolic rates tend to burn fat faster than those with slower metabolic rate. If your metabolism is fast, it will help you burn fat faster. However, some medical conditions can reduce your metabolism, make you gain more weight, and find it tough during your weight loss journey. A few of such conditions are: hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), type 2 diabetes (insulin resistance), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), etc. 

3. Level of Physical Activity

   

   Physical activity is one of the most essential factors to consider when thinking of fat loss. The type and level of daily physical activity will determine the extent and rate at which you burn fat. We tell our clients at Zappy Health that increasing daily physical activity levels and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle are essential for fat loss. Every week, try brisk walking or casual biking for at least 150 minutes (spread that time over a week). However, note that the type and extent of physical activity you do will vary based on your medical history, weight loss or muscle gain goals, and fitness level. The more physically active you are, the more fat you will burn.

   The older you get, the more weight you tend to put on once you attend and pass 30 years of age. Several researchers have concluded on this. In addition to that, the fat will start concentrating more on the internal organs and center of your body. From 55 years (men) or 65 (women), you will start losing weight, but this time it is due to loss of muscle mass and not fat loss.

4. Others

There are several other documented factors that may affect fat loss. Some of them include:

• The environment you live
• Where you work
• Genetic composition or family history
• Diet
• Culture
• Medical conditions and medications
• Stress
• Sleep
• Gender
• Race
• Country

Establishing Effective Fat Loss Goal

Like every other goal in life, your fat loss goal needs to be SMART. If you are asking, how much body fat can I lose in a month, then you will need to ensure that whatever goal you set satisfies the SMART criteria. The SMART is an acronym for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time bound. 

Specific: Specify the things you intend to do to ensure that you will lose the body fat you want. Instead of saying you will eat healthy food and exercise, you can say you will take fewer “X” meals and perform more moderate intensity exercises like jogging, cycling, swimming, etc for at least 60 minutes every day for one month. In addition, you need to aim for a daily caloric deficit if you want to achieve fat loss. Specify the amount of caloric deficit you intend to achieve every day. 

Measurable: The amount of fat you intend to burn should be something you can measure. Do you want to lose 10lb in one month? Then state it clearly. Ensure that you measure your weight at the beginning and also set a reminder to repeat similar measurements using the same instrument at the end of one month. 

Achievable: Consider the things you are sure to achieve when setting your fat loss goals. Can you have quality sleep, adequate exercise, a properly balanced diet and enough hydration? It is more achievable when you approach these components that will help you lose fat individually. Instead of only looking at the overall goal of fat loss.

Realistic: It is easy to say you want to lose 50 lb in a month, but do you think it is realistic and safe? Instead, set goals that you are realistic weekly. This will build up to your monthly goal. You can say you want to lose 1.5 lb weekly, then you work gently towards it and end up losing 5 to 6 lb a month. Such goals are realistic. Having this realistic and gradual fat loss every month will lead to a marked difference in the next 6 months to 1 year.

Time Bound: Your goals should have time frames. Avoid the mistake of focusing only on long-term goals or short-term goals. Work towards both. For instance, instead of looking at losing 5 lb in the next month or 60 lb in the next year, think of how you can break it down into daily goals and compound it into weekly, monthly, quarterly, biannual and annual goals. Set a time frame for each goal you set. For instance, if you aim for a fat loss of 60 lb in the next year, break it down to 1.5 lb weekly, 5 lb monthly, and so on. Addressing it in micro parts will make it easy to achieve it as a whole.

Safe and Sustainable Ways to Shed Body Fat

I want to lose weight. How much fat can I lose in a month? First you need to know safe and sustainable ways to shed body fat. That is because there are several ways you can lose fat, but most of them are not safe or sustainable. At Zappy Health, we will unveil some safe and sustainable tips you should incorporate in your fat loss journey.

1. 1. Focus on Nutrient-Rich Foods: Yes, you want to lose fat. You are not aiming to be malnourished. Burning fat doesn’t mean you should starve your body of essential nutrients that are necessary for proper body function. For that reason, we also advise our clients to eat balanced diets during weight loss plans.
      
      
   2. Increase Protein Intake: Proteins will not make you fat. Instead, they will provide you with the essential ingredients needed for muscle building. It also offers you adequate energy to exercise and burn fat.
   3. Incorporate Regular Cardio and Movement: Most successful weight loss plans require that you incorporate regular cardio and physical activities. That is because researchers have proven that they are helpful for burning fat. Add this to your routine and see fast results.
   4. Add Strength Training to Preserve Muscles: You have the risk of losing muscle mass during weight loss if you don’t preserve it. However, you can build your muscles through strength training exercises like weight lifting, deadlifts, squats, biceps curls, bench press, etc.
   5. Stay Hydrated Throughout the Day: Drinking enough water helps you burn fat. That is because it assists you in achieving your daily caloric deficit. But how is that possible? When you drink more water, it makes you feel fuller and reduces appetite. This makes you consume a lesser amount of calories.
   6. Prioritize Rest and Quality Sleep: There is a popular misconception that adequate rest or quality sleep makes you gain fat. That is not true. Studies have shown that during periods of rest and quality sleep, your body’s Resting Metabolism Rate (RMR) increases. You already know what happens when metabolism rate increases; fat loss. So you can incorporate this concept to your fat loss plan.

Key Takeaways for Long-Term Success

Fat loss is not a goal you should intend to achieve in one month. Run away from quick fixes as they can be detrimental to your health. Rather, approach it as a steady and gradual process. Make it a long-term goal by building daily habits that will help you attain it. At Zappy Health, we encourage you to have patience, focus, and stay consistent on the healthy plans we provide. Doing so will keep you healthy and prevent you from cardiovascular diseases or type 2 diabetes. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long should it take to lose 5% body fat?

   People who are consistent on their caloric deficit alone should expect to lose 1 to 3% of their body fat every month. That means it will take them 5 months to lose 5% of their body fat and 10 months if they intend to lose 10% of their body fat. We advise that you know your body composition so that you can safely calculate the amount of fat you intend to lose and how to spread it over time.

2. How long does it take to transform your body from fat to fit?

   If you indulge in regular exercise, you will start seeing a difference between 6 to 8 weeks. Within 3 to 4 months of a consistent and intensive fitness schedule, the results will be very visible.