Whether you are trying to lose weight for a special occasion or improve your overall well-being, you need to set realistic targets. In this article, we will explain the factors that affect how long it may take you to lose weight.
How Weight Loss Occurs
Weight loss happens when you consistently consume fewer calories than you burn daily. Calorie expenditure consists of three major components:
● Thermic effect of food (TEF): This refers to the calories used to digest, absorb, and metabolize food.
● Resting metabolic rate (RMR): This is the number of calories your body requires for maintaining average body functions such as pumping blood or breathing
● Thermic effect of activity (TEA): These are the calories you use while exercising. TEA can also involve non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), which accounts for the calories used for activities like fidgeting and yard work.
To lose weight, you must create a negative calorie balance by consuming fewer calories than you burn or burning more calories through increased activity.
Factors Affecting Weight Loss
Multiple factors affect the rate at which you lose weight, including:
Gender
Your fat-to-muscle ratio has a significant effect on how you lose weight. Because women have a higher fat-to-muscle ratio than men, they have a 5-10% lower RMR than men of the same height.
This means women burn 5-10% fewer calories than women. As such, men lose weight quicker than women using a diet equal in calories.
Calorie Deficit
You need to have a negative calorie balance to lose weight. The extent of this calorie deficit also affects how quickly you lose weight. For instance, consuming 500 fewer calories daily for 8 weeks will result in more weight loss than eating 200 fewer calories daily.
Sleep
Chronic sleep loss can hinder weight loss and how fast you shed pounds. According to one study, sleep deprivation can increase your desire for high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods.
Best Diet For Weight Loss
There’s no single best weight loss diet to get the best effect. However, you can moderately reduce your calorie intake and adjust your diet based on dietician recommendations.
Conclusion
Weight loss happens when you eat less calories than you burn. Multiple factors affect your weight loss rate, including gender, calorie deficit, and sleep. If you want a healthy weight loss rate, you should aim to lose 1-3 pounds (0.45-1.36kg) as a safe and sustainable way to achieve your objectives.
