Whether you’ve set a weight loss goal to improve your health, gain more energy, or obtain one of the other many health benefits weight loss may offer, you’re not alone in your journey. In fact, 17% of U.S. adults ages 20 and over were recorded as being on a diet between 2015 and 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Your path to weight loss is unique to your body and circumstances, and experts say it’s best to make slow, safe changes for sustainable weight loss.
Losing Weight Safely
In any weight loss scenario, it’s important to practice safe weight loss strategies and lose weight at a safe rate. For most people, experts note losing 10 pounds in one month can be too aggressive. A safer pace for weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds a week, says William Li, M.D., president of the Angiogenesis Foundation and author of Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer.
People who lose weight at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds a week are more likely to keep it off than those who shed weight faster, reports the CDC. What’s more, focusing on weight loss as a long-term effort as opposed to seeking short-term results can lead to improvements in your mental and physical well-being as well, adds Pratima Dibba, M.D., a board-certified gastroenterologist at Medical Offices of Manhattan in New York City.
Losing Weight Within a Specific Time Frame
While setting a goal to lose a certain amount of weight within a specific time frame can be motivational, rapid weight loss can lead to adverse health effects, such as muscle and water loss, reduced bone density, and symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, and constipation.
What’s more, the pressure of a time-based weight loss goal can increase your risk of developing disordered eating habits, says Sarah Pelc Graca, a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, and founder of Strong with Sarah, an online weight loss coaching company based in Novi, Michigan. As the deadline approaches, some people may be motivated to take extreme and potentially unhealthy measures to meet the goal, such as skipping meals or fasting for long periods of time, says Pelc Graca. In fact, research shows a link between dieting and the onset of eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder.
Short-term weight loss can be achieved through any diet that puts the body in a calorie deficit (consuming fewer calories than it burns), says Ben Carpenter, a certified personal trainer and the author of Everything Fat Loss. However, maintaining weight loss is more challenging, he adds. Yo-yo dieting or weight cycling (losing weight then regaining it again) may slow the metabolism and make it harder to lose weight, according to experts. In fact, in a 2019 meta-analysis of 29 long-term weight loss studies, over 50% of the weight lost by participants was regained within two years—and within five years, that number increased to 80%.
9 Expert Tips for Safe Weight Loss
Weight loss and maintenance is a long-term journey and one that looks different for everyone. “Life happens—holidays, milestones, celebrations—so there will be times [when] weight ebbs and flows,” says Dr. Ascher. Making healthy choices, such as adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet, staying well hydrated, incorporating movement into your day, and eating processed, sugar-heavy foods in moderation, are just a few expert-backed ways you can reach your weight loss goals safely. Better yet, they result in health benefits like improving brain health, increasing bone strength, improving cholesterol and blood pressure, and reducing the risk of serious health issues like heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
Keep a Weight Loss Journal
Keeping a food diary and tracking your calories is an important part of a healthy weight loss plan, says Francis Fessler, a certified personal trainer, conditioning coach, and founder of national wellness company F2 Wellness based in Nashville, Tennessee. Track what you’re eating, how much you’re eating, and when you’re eating specific foods, he suggests. Once you have a relative idea of the calories contained in your preferred foods, you can tailor your diet to your daily and weekly caloric goals, adds Dr. Dibba.
Create a Calorie Deficit
Calculating the number of calories you need to consume to reach your weight loss goal based on your sex, age, height, and physical activity level using a calorie calculator or a calorie counting app can help to create a moderate calorie deficit (500 to 1,000 calories) to help you lose weight safely. This type of calorie deficit (as opposed to a drastic calorie deficit) allows you to include virtually any food in moderation, says Pelc Graca.
Choose Water Over Sugary Beverages
Staying hydrated can help with feeling full, says Fessler. Plus, cutting back on sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas and fruit juices is an easy way to reduce overall caloric intake, adds Dr. Li. Some research also suggests that water intake may have a positive effect on hormone levels and increased metabolism, though additional studies are needed.
Limit Processed Foods
Research indicates that diets high in ultra-processed foods (like donuts, deli meats, and packaged snacks) are associated with an increased risk of obesity, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Dr. Dibba recommends limiting these foods to 15% to 20% of your total weekly consumption to stay balanced.
Eat More Protein
Instead of following an overly restrictive fad diet, such as keto, paleo, and Whole30, go with a balanced diet that allows you to enjoy all foods in moderation, says Eric Ascher, D.O., a family medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
More specifically, focus on including protein—lean meats, poultry, eggs, legumes, nuts, and soy products—into all snacks and meals, says Pelc Graca. Protein helps reduce ghrelin (the hunger hormone), reducing your appetite and keeping you feeling full for a longer period of time, she says. Increasing your protein intake can also help maintain muscle mass while in a calorie deficit so you’re losing body fat and not lean muscle.
Eat More Vegetables
Vegetables are high-density, low-calorie foods that are excellent for weight loss, says Pelc Graca. They’re also high in fiber, which helps keep you feeling full. To create a calorie deficit and support weight loss, Pelc Graca suggests filling a quarter to half of your plate with vegetables at every meal.
Slow Down While Eating
Slowing down while eating and practicing mindfulness while eating can help reduce your food intake, says Dr. Li. Once you feel satisfied, stop eating, adds Pelc Graca. “If you stop when you feel about 80% full, chances are that in about 20 minutes, you will feel completely satisfied,” she says.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep impairment affects hormones that impact appetite regulation, so people who are sleep deprived tend to eat more, says Carpenter. To help combat this hormone and appetite fluctuation, Dr. Li recommends aiming for seven to eight hours of sleep each night.
Exercise Regularly
If you’re able to participate in physical activity safely, any amount of movement can help with weight loss and improve your cardiovascular health, says Dr. Dibba. Furthermore, Fessler recommends choosing an activity that fits your lifestyle and ability level.
The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, or a combination of the two. However, if exercise is already a part of your wellness routine, additional workout time may be needed to see weight loss results.
“Challenge yourself to walk more by making small changes throughout your day like parking your car in the farthest parking spot available or taking the stairs instead of the elevator,” suggests Pelc Graca.
Don’t get discouraged if the weight doesn’t come off as fast as you’d like, adds Dr. Ascher. If you stick with small changes that allow you to live a healthier lifestyle overall, weight loss will follow, he says.