Rate of Weight Loss: Common Questions
How quickly weight can be lost in a way that is safe and likely to be sustained.
Last revised
Rate of Weight Loss: the questions people actually ask, answered from published guidance.
Key takeaways
- Commonly advised rate: 0.5-1kg (1-2lb) a week
- Typical daily deficit for that rate: 500-600 calories
- Most useful single change: Set the first target at 5 per cent of your current weight.
- Commonest mistake: Aiming for more than about 1kg a week outside medical supervision.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
What is Rate of Weight Loss?
How quickly weight can be lost in a way that is safe and likely to be sustained.
Why does it matter?
Faster loss is easier to achieve and harder to keep, and the rate that holds is the one you are still following in a year.
Commonly advised rate for Rate of Weight Loss?
0.5-1kg (1-2lb) a week.
Typical daily deficit for that rate for Rate of Weight Loss?
500-600 calories.
Clinically meaningful loss for Rate of Weight Loss?
5-10 per cent of body weight.
Protein while in a deficit for Rate of Weight Loss?
Often advised at 1.2-1.6g per kg.
What is the single most useful thing to do?
Set the first target at 5 per cent of your current weight.
What is the most common mistake?
Aiming for more than about 1kg a week outside medical supervision.
When should I see a doctor?
See a GP before starting if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, take insulin or medication that can cause low blood sugar, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a history of an eating disorder. Unintentional weight loss should always be assessed. Very low calorie diets belong under clinical supervision only.
Where to go next
- Popular Beliefs About Rate of Weight Loss, and What Is Actually Published
- Rate of Weight Loss: A Beginner-Friendly Start
- Rate of Weight Loss — the reference entry
- Body Mass Index: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
- Portion Sizes: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
When to get help
See a GP before starting if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, take insulin or medication that can cause low blood sugar, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a history of an eating disorder. Unintentional weight loss should always be assessed. Very low calorie diets belong under clinical supervision only.
Where this comes from
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
