How Much Weight Can You Safely Lose in a Month or Two? (2024)

Fast weight loss promises aren't really our thing. But it's easy to understand the allure. After all, it's a rare person who hasn't Googled "can I lose 10 pounds in two months?" in advance of a high school reunion, friend's wedding, or another major event at least once. Deadlines await, you know? While you (hopefully!) know to ignore quick-and-dirty, fast-fix, starvation diets, you might still have questions such as, "how much can you really expect to lose in 30 days?" and "how long does it take to lose 10 pounds?" And that's totally okay — as long as you remember to pursue healthy weight-loss plans that are safe and sustainable.

So, if you're wondering, say, how much weight you can lose in a month, get your calculator out and follow along because the answer to this question (and so many of the others) is all about numbers.

How Much Weight Loss Is Reasonable in a Month?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a reasonable and healthy weight-loss goal is one to two pounds per week. In one month, you can anticipate losing between four and eight pounds, and as much as 10 pounds if you follow a pretty strict plan. (So, your Q about if you can lose 10 pounds in two months? The answer is yes.)

Losing one pound of body fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories. To lose two pounds per week, you must drop 1,000 calories per day. That means cutting the calories you eat, increasing the number of calories burned during your workout — or, most likely, doing some combination of both.

How to Achieve Your Weight-Loss Goal

If you're looking to cut calories in the kitchen, keeping a daily food journal is clutch. This can be as simple as a piece of paper or a smartphone weight-loss app such as MyFitnessPal. Logging every morsel that goes in your mouth might seem tedious, but it's a proven way to see patterns such as mindless snacking and overeating during stressful times — both of which can lead to additional calories consumed.

Reducing your daily calorie intake may seem daunting, but if you think about it in terms of second helpings, pieces of bread, pats of butter, raids of the cookie jar, etc., it's easy to see where you can make small (simple and sustainable!) changes. The National Library of Medicine offers 10 simple ways to drop 500 calories a day, from swapping your snack to cutting back on alcohol.

Now, if you're looking for a calorie-burning assist from the gym, aim for a moderate workout five to six days per week. The number of actual calories burned will be determined by your sex, weight, how fast you did the exercise, and how long you did it. Here are just a few general examples based on a person who weighs 150 pounds.

• Running on the treadmill for 20 minutes at 6 MPH: 229 calories
• Working out on the elliptical for 30 minutes: 179 calories
• Swimming breaststroke for 30 minutes: 189 calories
• Kickboxing for 30 minutes: 357 calories

So how long does it take to lose 10 pounds or any amount of weight for that matter? The answer depends on how many of the above strategies you try — and can stick with for a lifetime. Anyone who's tried juice cleanses or crazy detoxes knows what it's like to fall off the wagon and rebound after; not exactly the goal for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

Motivation Tips for Sustainable Weight Loss

To help you stick to your healthy weight journey, the best motivation tips are to choose an attainable goal and make a plan that works for you. It's also important to focus on how you feel, instead of the number on the scale. Enlist the help of a friend or family member. A study in the journal Obesity validates the buddy weight-loss method, plus there's nothing like having extra accountability and the social benefits of a workout partner.

The mantra, "eat less, move more," can sound like a trite piece of advice, but it can be effective (to a point). The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that adult women never eat fewer than 1,600 calories per day and adult men never consume fewer than 2,000 calories per day. Be sure to fuel yourself adequately.

Potential Risks of Rapid Weight Loss

Rapid weight loss (defined by the National Library of Medicine as more than two pounds per week over several weeks) is not recommended unless under the direct supervision of a healthcare provider. Quick weight loss can take a toll on your body and can lead to dehydration, fatigue, muscle loss, and bone density loss, as well as other conditions including gallstones, gout, and digestive disorders.

Plus, a study in the journal Obesity demonstrated that those who lose weight quickly are less likely to keep it off long term than those who lose weight gradually.