According to the WHO, it is generally recommended to lose between 2 and 4 kg per month , or 0.5 to 1 kg per week, for weight loss to be sustainable, healthy and respectful of metabolism.
If you're looking to lose weight, you're probably wondering how much weight you can lose in a month or a week . How quickly can you lose weight?
Scientific studies show that people who start a weight loss process end up gaining it all back .
In fact, losing weight regularly and gradually is the best way to preserve your health and regain your ideal figure.
What you really want isn't weight loss, but fat loss. You're not trying to lose muscle, water, or bone mass. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happens when you restrict your calories for too long without paying attention to what you eat.
Here is the number of kilos you should aim for to lose weight in a healthy way and, above all, avoid regaining the weight.
How many kilos can you lose in 1 month?
Scientific details:
- World Health Organization (WHO) : recommends gradual weight loss of 0.5 to 1 kg/week to avoid negative health effects (muscle loss, fatigue, yo-yo effect).
- Clinical studies show that a calorie deficit of 500 to 1000 kcal/day leads to this reasonable weight loss. This corresponds to 3500 to 7000 kcal/week, or approximately 0.5 to 1 kg of fat mass.
Rapid weight loss (>5 kg/month) is often linked to:
- Loss of water or glycogen (not fat),
- Drastic or unbalanced diets,
- High risk of weight regain (rebound effect).
You can lose weight faster , but you risk harming your health if your diet is too restrictive.
People who follow traditional diets lose lean muscle mass , water, and bone mass. Not to mention the potential risks of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
In the end, when the diet is stopped, these people regain all the weight they lost, because the body had adapted to this period of food restriction.
Eating less is not enough to lose weight
Traditional diets take the most basic approach to nutrition: if you consume fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight…
However, calories are only one variable in the equation and, more importantly, not all calories are created equal.
The type of food you consume and the time you eat affect how your body uses those calories.
It is very common to see people who restrict their calories to between 1200 and 1500 and are no longer able to lose weight.
How is it possible to eat even less and still have enough energy for the day?
In fact, the body adapts very quickly to calorie restriction, here's how.
See also: How to use chia seeds for weight loss .
Your body adapts very quickly
Your body is programmed for survival . It stores fat in case of famine. It doesn't care about the amount of fat stored.
When you try to lose weight, the body defends itself by rationing its reserves, it slows down its functioning.
For example, if your body needed 1500 calories to function optimally, it will now function with only 1000. Imagine what happens if you go back to your old diet …
That's why weight loss is so delicate: your body reacts deeply.
And the more you reduce your calories, the more difficult weight loss becomes in the long term.
Take care of your microbiota
The gut microbiota plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy weight. Consume foods rich in probiotics or supplement your diet with slimming probiotics such as L. gasseri .
Key points to remember
If you truly want to lose weight and keep it off, forget about crash diets. What you're looking for is fat loss, not muscle or water weight.
Aim for 2 to 4 kg per month with a diet rich in protein and fiber , without severe restrictions.
Add intermittent fasting , HIIT , and take care of your gut microbiota . Consistency makes all the difference.
