What is a healthy weight loss rate?
A healthy weight loss rate is generally between 0.5% and 1% of your body weight per week. Losing too fast increases the risk of muscle loss, nutritional deficiencies, and regaining the lost weight.
For an 80 kg person, this represents a loss of 0.4 to 0.8 kg per week, or a deficit of 440 to 880 kcal per day.
Recommendations by situation
- 0.25-0.5%: Ideal for preserving muscle mass, athletes in competition
- 0.5-0.75%: Optimal balance between speed and sustainability for most people
- 0.75-1%: Acceptable for short periods, requires high protein intake
Why do plateaus happen?
Weight loss plateaus are normal and predictable. After a few weeks of caloric deficit, your body adapts by reducing its energy expenditure.
This phenomenon, called metabolic adaptation, is a survival response. Your TDEE decreases because you weigh less and your metabolism slows slightly.
Main causes of plateaus
- Metabolic adaptation: Your body becomes more efficient and expends less energy for the same activities.
- Water retention: Stress, cortisol, hormonal variations can mask fat loss.
- Calorie underestimation: Over time, we become less rigorous in tracking food intake.
The pillars of successful weight loss
A caloric deficit alone won't cut it. To lose fat without sacrificing muscle, keep an eye on these three things.
The importance of protein
Maintain an intake of 1.8 to 2.2 g/kg of body weight. Proteins preserve muscle mass, increase satiety, and have a high thermic effect (your body expends more energy to digest them).
Sleep, an underestimated factor
Insufficient sleep (less than 7h) increases ghrelin (hunger hormone), decreases leptin (satiety hormone), increases cortisol, and reduces insulin sensitivity. Aim for 7-9h of quality sleep.
Strength training during deficit
Without strength training, your body will break down muscle for energy. Keep lifting heavy to give it a reason to hold on to that mass. Drop volume if needed, but keep the intensity up.
Refeed and diet break strategies
Both strategies help your body snap out of "energy-saving mode" and make the diet more sustainable over time.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Too aggressive deficit: A deficit greater than 25% of TDEE leads to increased muscle loss, energy drops, and food cravings.
- Relying only on the scale: Weight fluctuates daily based on hydration, digestion, and hormones. Use weekly averages and body measurements.
- Cutting fats too much: Fats are essential for hormones. Don't go below 0.6 g/kg of body weight.
- Neglecting maintenance phases: After reaching your goal, spend 4-8 weeks at maintenance before resuming a deficit or surplus.
- Compensating with more cardio: Adding hours of cardio increases stress and hunger. Prioritize walking (NEAT) and maintain strength training.