How to Lose 2 Pounds a Week (And Is It Safe?)

To lose 2 pounds per week, you need to create a calorie deficit of 1,000 calories daily through diet and exercise, which is not healthy or ideal for many people. Understand risks and your individual calorie needs before attempting to lose two pounds in one week.

During your life, your weight may fluctuate and change, which is normal as many people experience times when their habits shift depending on current priorities and time constraints.

If you have decided with the help of your healthcare provider to lose weight, you may wonder how much weight is safe to lose in a week to set your rate of weight loss and reach your goal. In general, slow and steady weight loss is best for sustainability. Learn more about what makes a healthy rate of weight loss and what to expect on your journey.

Weight loss discussions can be triggering for some, especially those who have experienced disordered eating. Weight loss is not appropriate for everyone.

Why Weight Fluctuates

Weight can fluctuate for several reasons: shifts in your daily activities, exercise habits, eating habits, hormones, and other factors can increase or decrease your overall calorie intake or expenditure.

Even over a short timeframe, weight tends to fluctuate. Research on weight fluctuations in adults shows that weight tends to fluctuate by 0.35% over the weekend, with a slight gain to a subsequent loss on weekdays.1

Weekend and holiday weight fluctuations can be due to increased sodium in your food choices if you eat out or indulge in something higher in salt than your typical weekly diet.2 Sodium can cause water weight gain that will level out once your intake balances out. Be sure to drink plenty of water to help flush out excess sodium and water retention and to stay hydrated.

Holiday weight gain is shown to increase by 1.35% and that weight gain doesn’t tend to come back off in the following months.1 For those who menstruate, weight fluctuations often occur in the week or days before your period and may continue throughout that week.3

Others may see an increase during ovulation in the middle of the menstrual cycle. Likewise, hormonal shifts cause fluid retention during this time and weight usually levels out once it’s over.3

What’s a Healthy Weight for You?

Knowing what a healthy weight is for you will help set appropriate goals that improve your health. You may even find that you do not need to lose weight to be within a healthy range. Everyone’s version of a healthy weight is different due to individual body composition.

If you have more muscle mass, you will be heavier than someone with less muscle at the same height. You may even find that BMI charts indicate you are overweight when you have a healthy body fat percentage due to increased muscle mass. BMI is not a good indicator for several groups, including elderly or muscular individuals.4

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a dated, biased measure that doesn’t account for several factors, such as body composition, ethnicity, race, gender, and age. Despite being a flawed measure, BMI is widely used today in the medical community because it is an inexpensive and quick method for analyzing potential health status and outcomes.

You also can be healthy and overweight. Although obesity is linked to several chronic illnesses and diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and sleep disorders, it is not always the case that your body composition will harm your health.5

Speak to a healthcare provider about your unique needs and health concerns. Below is a calculator to get a general idea of what your weight-loss calories might be. Consult your healthcare provider for more personalized guidance.

Set Your Calorie Goal and Get a Free Meal Plan

How to Lose Weight Safely

Losing weight safely means working toward your weight-loss goal with your physical and mental health as top priorities. Weight loss should never be your number one priority at any cost. When losing weight comes before your overall health, it is not safe or sustainable.

Focusing on your nutrition and exercise as tools to support your weight-loss goal is wise. A safe rate of weight loss is anything from 0.5 pounds to 2 pounds per week with an average of 1 to 2 pounds per week being the typical recommendation.5 The leaner you are, the slower your rate of weight loss should be to help you preserve muscle mass and protect your metabolism.6

Both exercise and nutrition play significant roles in supporting safe weight loss. Studies show that combining both strategies leads to better results in the long term.7

Exercise for Safe Weight Loss

Adding exercise to your routine for safe weight loss is extremely effective and is excellent for your overall health. Even if you do not lose weight, exercise improves your health substantially, reducing your risks of illnesses and diseases.

Research shows that people with obesity are more likely to reduce their risks of heart disease and premature death through exercise than by dieting or losing weight.8

Exercise can improve your physical and mental well-being. It also can help you build strength, stability, and mobility, increase heart and lung health, reduce stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, and boost self-esteem.9

Exercise helps create a calorie deficit and is necessary for weight loss. Instead of requiring all your calorie deficit from your diet, boost your activity levels. Moving more during the day and intentional exercise are ways to elevate your total daily energy expenditure.10

Nutrition for Safe Weight Loss

To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than you burn. As stated, adding exercise increases your calorie expenditure so if you eat the same amount of calories, you will create a deficit through your calorie burn. In order to burn enough calories to lose weight consistently, this will take a lot of exercise. Experts recommend creating a deficit with a combination of diet and exercise.11

To do this, you can subtract calories from your maintenance amount. Using the above calculator will allow you to choose your activity level and factor that into what you should eat to support your activity while still accommodating weight loss.

It’s essential to remember that while any calorie deficit will work to induce weight loss, no matter what you eat, it’s much better to focus on nutritious foods. Foods high in water, fiber, and protein are filling and nutritious, making it easier to lose weight. Getting a balance of carbs, protein, and fats is preferred over drastically reducing carbohydrates and fats.

Whole foods packed with water, fiber, and protein keep you full longer, and they also provide you the nutrients you need to feel energized and perform well, which is more of a challenge when in a deficit.13

A Word From Verywell

Weight loss is not a goal that is appropriate for everyone and losing weight does not necessarily lead to better health. Losing weight safely with sustainable, health-promoting habits and practices will ensure your weight loss goal is achieved and maintained, and lead to improved physical and mental wellness.

If you are concerned about your weight, speak to a healthcare provider for guidance. Nutrition and fitness professionals as well as medical professionals can help create a plan for safe, sustainable weight loss

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