How to lose 2 pounds a week with exercise + diet, according to experts
While you might hear the men in your life boast about dropping five or more pounds a week, women all know that’s not really how it goes for us.
In reality, 'one to two pounds per week' is what you should expect (and hey, sometimes even less than that!) when you’re following a weight-loss plan, says nutritionist Jonathan Valdez, RDN, owner of Genki Nutrition and spokesperson for the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It might be frustrating to see the scale drop slowly, but when you lose weight at a steady pace like this, you’ll be more likely to keep it off, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Losing too much weight at once can also come with health risks for women like fatigue, muscle and bone loss, and wonky periods, so it’s important to pace yourself, says Keerthana Kesavarapu, DO, a gastroenterologist and associate professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Before trying any new weight loss method, connect with a healthcare professional and/or registered dietitian to determine the best approach for you.
In the meantime, here’s what you need to know about how you can lose two pounds per week safely, and the ideal workout plan to complement your weight loss efforts.
Meet the experts: Jonathan Valdez, RDN, is the owner of Genki Nutrition and spokesperson for the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Keerthana Kesavarapu, DO, is a gastroenterologist and associate professor with advanced training in nutrition and obesity sciences at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, is a registered dietitian and the founder and director of Ochsner Eat Fit nonprofit initiative in New Orleans. Bree Mitchell, CPT, is a certified personal trainer at FitOn. Mir Ali, MD, is a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center.
How should I exercise to lose two pounds a week?
To lose weight at this cadence, aim for a combination of strength training and cardio if you can, says Bree Mitchell, CPT, a trainer at the digital wellness platform FitOn. Specifically, you should aim to move for 60-90 minutes each day by incorporating a cardio activity of your choice and adding in full-body strength training two to three times per week, she says. Just remember to build up slowly, especially if you’re not accustomed to regular exercise—you don’t want to risk injury by doing too much too soon.
For cardio, try these activities, per Mitchell:
Jogging
Stair climber or elliptical
Boxing or kickboxing
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
Any cardio-based group fitness class
Cardio tends to burn more calories than strength training, but when done properly, strength training can torch plenty of calories, too, per the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA). Plus, even a short-term, six-week strength training program can help reduce body fat and improve body composition, per a 2020 study in the Journal of Exercise and Nutrition. Even light weights can help you lose weight and still preserve muscle mass.
Here are more healthy habits to incorporate into your routine for weight loss, per Mitchell:
Try to take the stairs instead of the elevator
Take calls while standing, pacing or walking
Park further away from your destination to encourage more movement
If you’re at a desk all day, get up to walk and move around periodically
Stretch in the morning, midday, and before bed
Take your dog for a walk or walk with a friend
Play with your kids and get active
Do chores around the house (yes, it counts!)
No matter how much or how intensely you're exercising, try to keep things fun and fresh, Mitchell says. 'Variety is key and will keep this [weight loss] program fun. Plan out your cardio each week and try to incorporate new and fun ways to move and sweat,' she says. 'Your body will also benefit from different types of movement—making it both fun and effective!' And to avoid overtaxing your body, be aware of how you’re feeling and take rest days whenever you need them, she says.
How many calories should I eat to lose two pounds a week?
To lose two pounds per week, you’ll generally want to stay in a calorie deficit—basically, consuming fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight, says Valdez. To calculate what your calorie deficit should be, you can use an online tool like this body weight planner from National Institutes of Health (NIH), or one of the following formulas:
The Mifflin-St. Jeor equation. This is your BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age in years) – 161. This will give you a calorie count to follow.
The Harris Benedict equation. To use this calculation, do BMR = 655.1 + (9.563 x weight in kg ) + (1.850 x height in cm) - ( 4.676 x age in years).
Regardless of what diet plan you’re on or what your goals are, you shouldn’t dip below 1,200 calories per day. However, this is considered the absolute bare minimum. Keeping that in mind, everyone’s caloric needs are different, and you’ll want to make sure you’re still adequately fuelling yourself, says Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center. Weight loss doesn’t mean restriction, and getting proper nutrition during the process is key, he says. As a reminder, you should speak with your doctor or dietitian about how long you should stay in a calorie deficit, since everyone’s needs will be different.
Another strategy for losing two pounds per week is to cut your caloric intake by 500 calories and/or exercise to reduce 500 calories per day, says Valdez.
Keep in mind, though, that this strategy is general guidance, says Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, the founder and director of Ochsner Eat Fit nonprofit initiative in New Orleans. It could be a good starting point, but metabolic rates are not the same across the board, so the impact of any diet and exercise changes will vary from person to person, she says.
There’s also plenty of room for error in following the “500 calorie” metric, Kimball says—especially given how challenging it is to track exactly how many calories you’re consuming and burning on a daily basis. Although some wearable fitness trackers have gotten better at measuring calories burned, most equipment like treadmills and ellipticals only provide an approximation, she says.
The bottom line? Speak with a professional who can assess your unique needs and help you plan out a path forward. For instance, Kimball’s team uses a device that measures your resting metabolic rate. Then, patients can use that information to work with a dietitian to account for their exercise habits and then determine the number of calories they need to consume for their weight loss goal.
How to mindfully cut calories
First, perform an honest check-in with yourself around your typical eating behaviours. (Keeping a food diary or simply writing down meals in your notes app can help with this). Then, see if there are any patterns or themes coming up across your meals—and if there are any simple tweaks you can make to moderate or limit excess calories. For instance, you might realise that you’re easily consuming 500 calories in snacks after a long day at work, or that your daily Starbucks drink or weekly cocktail has a bunch of calories in it, Kimball says.
Then, you can either consider eliminating those excess calories altogether—or, ideally, identify “replacement behaviours” and healthy swaps that will make your calorie adjustment a bit easier, Kimball says. For instance, you might swap your sweetened frappuccino with a regular coffee or try a weight loss-friendly cocktail instead of your usual happy hour bev.
Is it safe to lose two pounds a week?
Generally, losing weight at this pace is safe—as long as you’re taking it slow and steady, are staying nourished, and aren’t losing weight too quickly too soon. 'It can be safe to lose two pounds a week if we can guarantee that the weight loss is mainly from fat, not muscle,' says Dr. Kesavarapu. If you lose too much weight too quickly, this could result in fat loss and muscle and bone loss, she says—both of which have negative long-term implications like weakness, potential falls, and fractures.
The key to safe weight loss progress? Avoid being super stringent about your pace—and try not to put pressure on yourself if you’re losing slowly, Dr. Kesavarapu says. 'You don’t need to set a specific limit for weekly weight loss to be successful,' she says. Instead, it’s better to “trend downward” until you achieve a healthy goal weight that you and your physician determine is adequate, she says. Ultimately, this is the best way to create sustainable health changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What foods should I eat for weight loss?
In general, try to prioritise lean proteins, healthy fats, and veggies for weight loss, Kimball says. Focus on whole grains and fresh fruits as sources of carbs and fibre, and limit refined starches and added sugars if you can, since they generally don’t keep you satiated like protein and fat do, she says. For some people, reducing your carb intake may also force your body to burn more fat, Dr. Ali adds—but of course, it isn’t the only way. Ultimately, the quality of your calories is more important than quantity (think: guacamole will likely be more nourishing than a handful of sweets of the same caloric value), she adds.
What are the best diets for weight loss?
There is no single “best” diet or eating plan, and anything you do should be personalised to you and your goals, says Dr. Kesavarapu. That said, if you’re drawn toward a particular meal plan (like keto or the Mediterranean diet), you can work with a registered dietitian to help you modify it in a way that aligns with your body and wellness goals. In general, it may help to find an eating plan that prioritises protein and fibre, since both can help you feel satiated and prevent muscle loss, Dr. Kesavarapu says.
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