Losing 10 pounds in 1 month is that realistic?

Many diet sites attract people with the greatest promises. Lose 10 pounds in 1 month - who doesn't want that? And all with a simple shopping list or one handy powder for in your smoothies!

But how realistic are those prospects actually? We will be honest: it is theoretically possible to lose so much weight so quickly. However, that does not mean that it is also a responsible choice. Your body really needs its time! In this article, we explain exactly why it is better to be more patient in the end.

Glycogen and moisture

Many people who start a strict diet loses a lot of weight in the first week. That is a nice boost! It raises high expectations; you can see that belly in your mind is shrinking visibly. Unfortunately, progress after that first boost is stagnating again. How did that happen? The first weight you lose with a strict diet is not just fat.

Your body first of all makes up all the energy from other reserves before the fat starts burning. So it is mainly about glycogen - carbohydrates - moisture - that you have lost, with a little bit of fat. This rapid weight loss does not, therefore, continue at the same pace. This is important to realize to prevent disappointment and demotivation in the long term.

Delayed metabolism

But suppose you can maintain a strict diet long enough to start burning real fat. Will you be able to lose that 10 kilos in losing 1 month? Possible, but again probably not in a way that you like. When you try to lose weight so quickly, your body will also burn muscle tissue to get energy.

That will certainly not benefit your sporting performance! In addition, your metabolism slows down if you have fewer muscles . This means that you burn fewer calories every day , so you lose weight more slowly. With strength training this can be somewhat counteracted, but with a very strict diet that is simply not enough.

No sustainable change

A final problem with overly fast diets is that they are exactly that: diets. That means that you temporarily adjust your diet enormously to achieve those ambitious goals. Has the diet ended and have you lost weight? Then you start eating quietly again as you always did before.

One problem: that is precisely the eating pattern that caused you to be overweight to begin with. The chance of gejojo ​​is thus very big. Before you know it, you end up heavier than you started - according to research, the result of most diets.

Don't lose 10 pounds in 1 month

In short: a diet that promises to lose 10 pounds in 1 month often does not cause fat loss . You mainly lose moisture, glycogen and muscle tissue. The scales indicate a difference, but if you look in that mirror, you don't seem much slimmer. Moreover, the weight is right back! No desirable picture of the future, all in all.

Therefore choose a gradual and slow method. Half an to a whole kilo per week is an excellent goal. It is also important to realize that fat loss is relatively faster the higher you have a fat percentage . If you want to lose 10 kilos, this takes about 2 to 3 months on average. Yes, it takes longer for you to stand on the scales again without reluctance. On the other hand: at least you know for sure that you can enjoy it for a long time!

Do not measure every day

And just about the scales: don't make it crazy with that. Yes, measuring is knowing - but you don't have to do that every day. Your weight will not change much within 24 hours. In fact, due to small fluctuations in your moisture content, it may even seem as if you have arrived. So you save yourself a lot of stress by weighing every week instead.

Always do this at the same time of the day, such as in the morning before breakfast. Another option is of course to have your fat percentage measured every few weeks. That way you get the best picture of your long-term progress!