Kalinser
Explorer
Take 2kg per week over a brief period, for instance 8 weeks.
How rapid a weight drop would you still consider recoverable?
- Thread starter Kalinser
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woundcarping
Explorer
For most people, dropping 2kg/4.4lb per week for 8 weeks straight doesn't count as "short term" (the only ones who might carry that much water weight are exceptionally heavy individuals).
If we leave water weight out of it, that works out to roughly a 2k calorie deficit every day.
Recoverable in what sense?
If we leave water weight out of it, that works out to roughly a 2k calorie deficit every day.
Recoverable in what sense?
Kalinser
Explorer
Changes to hormones, plus the weight staying off permanently
mybodyisasewer
Explorer
My answer was basically "as long as you're alive"
If we're talking about androgenic steroids, then no, that scenario probably doesn't apply. With just a severe calorie deficit, permanent damage is unlikely—provided you don't let malnutrition lead to scurvy, kidney failure, or osteoporosis. Those risks can be sidestepped by being diligent about supplements.
RadicalCrimson
Explorer
Research found gallstones begin showing up once weekly body weight loss passes 1.5%.
CNCCurrency
Explorer
That claim keeps coming up recently, but when I check this community, the numbers don't match? I haven't come across a single person here who's dealt with gallstones. Myself included
RadicalCrimson
Explorer
I've always read it as "1%/week is the rate studies proved safe, while 1.5% was not".
lessthanhalf
Explorer
Unless someone is extremely obese, barely eating, and burning a lot of energy, shedding genuine fat at that pace would be nearly impossible. That said, early on, water loss tied to depleted liver glycogen can account for a 2-5kg drop, so 16kg minus 5kg of water leaves 11kg of fat plus lean tissue across 8 weeks, which is 1.375kg per week — entirely achievable. My own experience: starting from 145kg, I dropped 6kg per month, or 1.5kg per week, for an extended stretch before it stalled while eating 1600-1800 kcal daily. Also, if someone is not carrying much excess weight, losing that quickly is tough, because heavier bodies burn more energy each day since all those additional cells consume fuel, which means faster loss for the same daily calorie intake.
The speed at which you drop the weight does not really determine whether it comes back. Honestly, aside from GLP drugs, surgery, or the uncommon individual who permanently overhauls their whole way of eating and living and sticks with it forever, almost every weight loss gets regained at some point. Weight loss achieved with GLP medications is certainly maintainable — as long as you continue taking them, research shows the loss stays steady for as long as 4 years after the initial weight loss, at the same dose that produced it.
The speed at which you drop the weight does not really determine whether it comes back. Honestly, aside from GLP drugs, surgery, or the uncommon individual who permanently overhauls their whole way of eating and living and sticks with it forever, almost every weight loss gets regained at some point. Weight loss achieved with GLP medications is certainly maintainable — as long as you continue taking them, research shows the loss stays steady for as long as 4 years after the initial weight loss, at the same dose that produced it.
Faberhome22
Explorer
Roughly 90% of dieters put the weight back on within 5 years. Oddly enough, that figure is quite similar to the share of people who dropped weight using a GLP-1 and then regained it within 12 months of quitting. So there are 2 routes to keeping the weight off: remain on a maintenance dose of GLP-1 indefinitely, or overhaul your eating and exercise patterns and stick with those new habits for life.
Regarding how quickly weight can come off: 1% per week is typically viewed as the upper limit for healthy loss, and several studies indicate that faster loss is tied to greater Lean muscle mass depletion. Check out the Elite athletes study, the muscle atrophy study and the Rapid vs. Slow Metabolic Rate Study.
Regarding how quickly weight can come off: 1% per week is typically viewed as the upper limit for healthy loss, and several studies indicate that faster loss is tied to greater Lean muscle mass depletion. Check out the Elite athletes study, the muscle atrophy study and the Rapid vs. Slow Metabolic Rate Study.