Question:

How much weight can I lose in 3 months with diet and exercise?

Answer:

In three months, a safe and healthy weight loss goal is to lose 1-2 pounds every week. This means that in 12 weeks, you could lose between 12 and 24 pounds. It’s important to remember that looking only at the number on the scale isn’t the best way to measure success. Many people find that having a healthy body composition—like a woman with about 24% body fat or a man with around 14% body fat—often brings compliments and appreciation, regardless of weight.

Remember that how you look and your weight on the scale don’t always match. Weighing less doesn’t always mean you look toned or fit. The amount of body fat compared to muscle is a more significant factor in how you appear than your weight.

Returning to your question, while losing 1-2 pounds each week is a good guideline, there can be exceptions. People with much excess weight might lose more, sometimes over 2 pounds a week. However, both men and women need to eat enough calories during this time—at least 1800 calories for men and 1500 calories for women.

I am careful about eating fewer calories for long periods of time. I suggest doing this for about eight weeks, but extending it to 12 weeks is okay if you see positive results. After this, you should switch to a maintenance phase for at least four weeks to help your body adjust.

In summary, aim to lose around 24 pounds. Don’t focus too much on the numbers or become obsessed with them. The key to successful weight loss is to keep the weight you have lost. Jumping between losing and gaining weight can make it harder to live a healthy and balanced life.