what is average lbs to lose in one month?

[Johnhawkman]

I have been dieting for quite a while and have also started to jog now that the warmer weather is here. I have lost fat, I can tell around all areas on my body but I feel like it's going very slowly.

I usually wake up at 8am, then don't eat anything until about 11 or 12. Though I drink a lot of water. At 12 I'll make a half sandwich out of 1 piece of bread, turkey breast and mayo or mustard. Then I don't eat anything but drink plenty of water until about 5:30, 6pm. I eat usually another half sandwich and an orange or apple. I usually go to bed at 12 or 1am and since I can't sleep well with an empty stomach I eat something small at around 10 or 11pm. Maybe another half sandwich. So that's 1 1/2 sandwiches a day. On top of that I take a daily multi vitamin and was using a good amount of protein shakes before. I have cut them out mostly for about 3 weeks now.

So I guess my questions are : 1) What is a normal amount of pounds to lose in a month? yes i know each person is different and all that, just trying to get an idea here. 2) my diet is drastically cut down on calories compared to what it was 3 or 4 months ago. Is this a good diet in terms of cutting calories? 3) Will drinking lots of protein shakes increase body fat? Or slow down the loss of body fat?

Dealt with body fat all my life, just trying to learn. thanks in advance

[pi1ot]

Are you counting calories? If not, start. Sounds like you're not even getting 1000 calories/day and you need to eat more. Honestly, it sounds like you haven't read any of the stickies on this forum.

[fo9s7f79sfujl]

I have been dieting for quite a while and have also started to jog now that the warmer weather is here. I have lost fat, I can tell around all areas on my body but I feel like it's going very slowly.

I usually wake up at 8am, then don't eat anything until about 11 or 12. Though I drink a lot of water. At 12 I'll make a half sandwich out of 1 piece of bread, turkey breast and mayo or mustard. Then I don't eat anything but drink plenty of water until about 5:30, 6pm. I eat usually another half sandwich and an orange or apple. I usually go to bed at 12 or 1am and since I can't sleep well with an empty stomach I eat something small at around 10 or 11pm. Maybe another half sandwich. So that's 1 1/2 sandwiches a day. On top of that I take a daily multi vitamin and was using a good amount of protein shakes before. I have cut them out mostly for about 3 weeks now.

So I guess my questions are : 1) What is a normal amount of pounds to lose in a month? yes i know each person is different and all that, just trying to get an idea here. 2) my diet is drastically cut down on calories compared to what it was 3 or 4 months ago. Is this a good diet in terms of cutting calories? 3) Will drinking lots of protein shakes increase body fat? Or slow down the loss of body fat?

Dealt with body fat all my life, just trying to learn. thanks in advance

Do you weight lift? If not, I recommend you make time, and try to start. Be smart about it, but that is a a great way to work up a higher metabolism, and start to burn what you've left behind. Same with running--like weightlifting, try to gradually improve. Time yourself and mark your distance. Random jogging, though healthy, is pretty inefficient if you have a goal in mind.

Protein shakes have two benefits. 1) they have lots of protein, which helps muscle to grow and repair itself. 2) they make you feel full. That's really it, at the end of the day. The protein shakes are a good idea if you are taking up weights, as they will help you maximize both your weightlifting performance and recovery, and also help you to keep the muscle you build, even on a low-calorie diet. However, if you're just eating them because you're hungry, and AREN'T weightlifting, I'd recommend replacing them with nutritious, whole foods.

What kind of exercise do you do right now? You do appear to be eating just a very small amount of calories, and that's not necessarily a good thing... but it shows you have the determination to make change, so that's good! Let us know, and we will be better able to assist you.

[v4micajr]

safely, most people shoot for losing 1-2 lbs per week so roughly 5-10lbs/ month. This yr ive personally average like 7-8/month

[thegannon]

Calories in vs calories out determine your fat loss potential when applied to total body fat %
Higher bf% tends to make your rate of loss seem faster due to large water loss as well as less of an effect from your body's evolutionary tendency towards homeostasis.

Personally, my average weight loss over 9 months is a respectable kilo per week. But weight loss is not linear.
Depending on your calorie deficit, you can lose much more than a kilo per week but unless you are OCD about your protein and heavy lifting, your weight lose will likely include a fair bit of muscle as well.

I have lost as much as 9 lbs in a week but that was on an extreme diet (PSMF) and after a bulk that included some glycogen super compensation ( extra massive carb loading equals more water retention) so around half of that weight drop was just water. In my example, I was also around 25% body fat and treating myself like a lab rat.

As others have said, read the stickies. The wealth of good info here will net you nothing but success if you read it, apply some discipline and have patience. Fat loss is simple, once you understand the science of it, you can lose fat in a thousand different ways and at different rates.

Good luck