First off, fast weight loss should never be the goal and I understand it can be tough to get your head round at first but it’s important to understand.
I always used to focus on getting as much weight off as possible, set unachievable weight loss goals and just assume the harder I worked the more would come off.
This also led me to get frustrated if I was to only see 1-2 lbs come off in a week.
This was all down to my lack of understanding and it also caused me to burn out due to then increasing my output even more whilst reducing calories.
As most people are aware this is a recipe for disaster but it’s also very easy to notice when you’re on the outside.
In the moment I didn’t think like this, I was just driven to achieve my goal in the shortest period possible and I didn’t care what anyone said.
It’s only when you take a step back and see what you’re doing do you realise how insane it sounds.
Mostly the reason for this is because I wanted to lose fat and not weight but I just assumed they were the same thing.
I also didn’t understand the muscle loss that would come along with this.
Now my goal was to have a lean athletic look but instead I just became extremely skinny.
My clothes were falling off me but the only thing I looked at was the outline of my abs in the mirror and the scales.
This is fine if the approach you’re taking is healthy but it wasn’t.
You must understand that you can only burn so much body fat and there comes a point that your body will start to burn through muscle.
Another big point is water retention, this gets lost quite quickly in the beginning and can give us an unrealistic idea of how much weight we can lose in a week.
It’s very easy to get caught up in the cycle of unrealistic expectations based on previous experiences or that 1 off week that we over achieved.
But understanding extreme weight loss has more repercussions than you may expect.
Rapid weight loss can lead to :
Muscle loss, nutritional deficiencies, slowing down of the metabolism, nutrition imbalances, yo-yo dieting, extreme fatigue & many more issues you don’t need in your life.
This should be enough for you to give yourself enough time to actually get into the shape you want.
What is the point in grinding for 8-12 weeks completely annihilating yourself and then losing it all in a week because you can’t keep it up?
It's a vicious cycle and trust me I’ve been there many times.
Thankfully I’ve learned a lot from this and I found my balance.
This was the first time I truly understood how to get into the best shape of my life without ruining my body to the point of no return.
There was no big relapse after this and yes I gained body fat but to a healthy point that I can sustain and feel comfortable.
The fact is I’ve stayed 8-12 weeks away from this condition for the last 7 years.
If I wanted to and was able to commit I wouldn’t struggle like I have done in the past.
This is why it’s vital to create a lifestyle around keeping in shape if it’s something you truly want.
The amount of effort and sacrifice you have to put in each year to just get close to feeling comfortable (most of the time you don’t because you’re caught up in the whole situation and can't even see your progress) you have to ask yourself is it really worth it?
So now I look at it from an outside perspective, take a step back and assess where I'm currently at and where I need to get to.
The process must be healthy or everything else will end up falling apart and leaving all other areas of my life taking a hit. There is nothing better than feeling highly energised, motivated to work & still have plenty of energy for the family. This is the sweet spot that can be achieved.
My recommendation for weight loss is to assess your current body fat levels (shown below) this is only a rough example but can get you close enough.
Your current body weight and then how much muscle you currently have. You can also take into consideration current lifestyle, health, exercise routine and other variables that I assess with my clients but let’s just keep it simple.
Let’s say you’re 25-30% body fat at 210lbs… This means that ¼ of your weight is body-fat so we need to look at what would be a healthy range for you.
This for most is sitting around 15% body fat. So if we were to say you need to lose 10-15% of your body weight (give or take due to muscle gain and depending on your physique) you will have a rough idea of how much weight you need to lose. I must stress this is a very very rough idea due to not having exact numbers and this is only achievable with multiple tests.
I’ve worked with 100’s of guys and honestly the thought of getting abs is great but once they get around 15% they seem extremely happy and fulfilled with their results that they prefer to just maintain this.
It also sets them up so if they do decide to get into incredible shape the process is so much easier if you’re maintaining around 10-15%.
So we have 10% body fat to lose but be aware that if you’re not currently training or don’t carry much muscle if you have the right programme in place it’s very common to see this muscle gain whilst fat comes down and weight can maintain (i’ve seen this happen a lot).
Now I set a target with my clients to lose around .5-1.5% of body weight each week (depending on photo check-ins and how the week has been). This needs to adjust as you come down in weight.
Don't have the same target weight loss when you’re getting lighter or we end up in the same situation that I mentioned above.
So as a 210 lbs guy you’re looking to lose between 1-3 lbs a week.
This is more than enough to ensure that you’re maintaining muscle, dropping a healthy amount of body fat and not over reaching to the point that you’re struggling to function.
I use weekly averages to ensure my clients are seeing progress.
This means for some people they can hit 2 low weigh-ins a week whilst the others can be slightly higher due to fluctuations and they still sit within the range of progress we are looking for.
Weight loss isn’t linear, there are too many variables to manage this so be aware of your weekly average & use photos to gauge your progress.
Here is an example of how you can see your weight loss.
Now remember your goal is usually a visual look, for 99% of people this is the goal and there are some situations with clients that i’ve worked with that they have had to be at a certain weight for surgery.
This is obviously different due to the goal but still the same approach should be taken.
So don’t get caught up too much on the numbers, we focus on the look that you’re trying to achieve and when it comes to decide a time scale I recommend just continuing until you get to the goal shape and not putting an exact deadline on it.
If you do want to add some sort of deadline by dividing roughly what weight you need to lose by the .5-1.5% I recently explained then just add another 8-10 weeks on top of it.
This will give you plenty of time, due to it being very unlikely that you’re going to be perfect every week if you’re running a business, in a full time job, with family & social commitments.
It’s very achievable but remove the stress of this by increasing the period and then you will find the journey more enjoyable.
So as an overview we aim to lose .5-1.5% of bodyweight a week, based on our current body weight and current body fat we can gauge roughly (very roughly) how long this will take. We then have to look at increasing this period to allow for things coming up.
I’ve had guys set a 12 month goal to do this and honestly it has allowed them to enjoy the process and plenty of balance throughout their journey so don’t be afraid to add even longer on top of it.
Here is a video where I explain more about how clients have gone from a lifestyle of increasing weight into a lifestyle of losing weight Youtube Video
Now you have your goal weight loss for each week, a good amount of time set to achieve this lifestyle change and also a better understanding of what’s achievable.
If you’re consistently losing weight at 1.5% of your bodyweight it would be a good idea to look at increasing food slightly or reducing activity. Don’t aim for the highest % each week due to this accumulating and potentially leading to some of the issues i’ve outlined above but just to put things into perspective i’ll give you more of an insight to how they can impact you and why you should look to avoid overdoing it every week to achieve the 1.5% i’ve outlined. If you are finding it easy then it’s fine but be honest and realistic with yourself. Don’t let it consume you, this should be working in the background of your life to give you the focus and energy for other areas.
Losing weight too quickly can have negative effects on your health and well-being for several reasons:
1. Muscle loss: Rapid weight loss often involves a combination of fat, muscle, and water loss. When you lose weight too quickly, a significant portion of the weight lost may come from muscle mass. This can lead to muscle weakness, a slower metabolism, and a less toned appearance.
2. Nutritional deficiencies: Extreme calorie restriction or crash diets can deprive your body of essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients. Inadequate nutrient intake can lead to fatigue, weakness, impaired immune function, and other health problems.
3. Gallstones: Rapid weight loss can increase the risk of gallstone formation. When you lose weight quickly, your liver releases extra cholesterol into bile, which can contribute to the formation of gallstones. Gallstones can cause abdominal pain, nausea, and other digestive issues.
4. Slowed metabolism: Drastically reducing your calorie intake or losing weight too rapidly can cause your metabolism to slow down. This is your body's way of conserving energy in response to a perceived famine. A slower metabolism makes it more difficult to maintain weight loss in the long term.
5. Nutritional imbalances and eating disorders: The focus on rapid weight loss can sometimes lead to an unhealthy relationship with food and the development of eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. These conditions can have severe physical and psychological consequences.
6. Loss of water weight: A significant portion of rapid weight loss can come from water weight rather than fat loss. This can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, which can cause dizziness, fatigue, and other health issues.
7. Yo-yo dieting: Rapid weight loss is often followed by weight regain, resulting in a cycle of yo-yo dieting. This pattern of weight loss and regain is associated with negative health outcomes, such as increased risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and psychological distress.
8. Accumulated fatigue: Being in a constant state of stress and a calorie deficit (deficit of energy). Is likely to cause high levels of fatigue. It’s important to manage your energy levels for your general health and also your ability to perform well on a daily basis. Don’t underestimate the benefits of rest.
It's important to note that weight loss should ideally be approached in a gradual and sustainable manner, focusing on healthy eating habits, regular physical activity, and overall lifestyle changes.
Hopefully this has given you an insight that you needed. Personally I know if i had read this 10+ years ago it would have put me on a completely different path towards my goals.
If you have any further questions feel free to get in contact,
Ricky