Is losing 10 pounds in a month healthy?

Author: Jesus Conroy  |  Last update: Tuesday, August 5, 2025

And, if you're into big goals, you may wonder if it's safe to lose 10 pounds in a month. Here's the truth: The average person cannot safely lose 10 pounds in a month, says Michael Glickman, MD, a board-certified family medicine and obesity medicine physician and founder of Revolution Medicine, Health and Fitness.

Is it bad to lose 10 pounds in a month?

Losing ten pounds in a month is generally considered a safe and reasonable goal for weight loss. This amounts to a loss of about 2.5 pounds per week, which is within the recommended range of 1-2 pounds per week for safe and sustainable weight loss.

Is losing 10 pounds a month a realistic goal?

Losing 10 pounds in a month is a very realistic goal. In fact, most dietitians will recommend that you make this your weight loss goal, because it allows you to lose weight at a healthy pace. Reaching your weight loss goals can be a big challenge, regardless of how much weight you want to lose.

How long will it take to lose 10 pounds realistically?

Generally, a safe and sustainable rate of weight loss is about 1-2 pounds per week. So, it might take approximately 5-10 weeks to lose 10 pounds through a combination of healthy eating and regular physical activity. Rapid weight loss methods can be unhealthy and often result in regaining the lost weight.

Is 10 pounds noticeable weight loss?

A 10-pound weight loss can be noticeable, depending on your body composition, but it might not lead to a drastic change in appearance. For someone with a smaller frame, the weight loss could be visible in the face, stomach, or thighs. However, for those with a larger build, the difference might be more subtle.

Lose 10 Lbs in 10 Days with These Healthy Tips! How To Lose Weight Quick

Which body part loses fat first?

Mostly, losing weight is an internal process. You will first lose hard fat that surrounds your organs like liver, kidneys and then you will start to lose soft fat like waistline and thigh fat. The fat loss from around the organs makes you leaner and stronger.

Does losing 10 pounds change your face?

Typically, losing around 10-15% of your total body weight may result in noticeable facial changes. For someone weighing 200 pounds, this would mean losing 20-30 pounds. The face may appear slimmer, with a reduction in fat and a more defined jawline.

How to flush out water weight?

  1. Exercise Regularly. Daily exercise provides several health benefits, including preventing water retention. ...
  2. Drink More Water. Drinking water to reduce water weight sounds counterintuitive, but it helps. ...
  3. Manage Salt Intake. ...
  4. Cut Carbs. ...
  5. Focus on Certain Foods and Herbs. ...
  6. Try Supplements. ...
  7. Up Your Caffeine Intake.

What happens to your body when you lose 10 pounds?

Losing even just 10 pounds can take some pressure off your joints, which allows you to exercise with less discomfort, says Leonard Pianko, M.D. He is a cardiologist in Adventura, Florida. It can also help you walk or cycle without feeling so out of breath, he says.

How long does it take to lose belly fat?

So if you lose 1lb (0.45kg) a week you could hope to reduce your waistline by an inch after four weeks. Dieticians advise that if you eat 500 calories less than your daily requirement you will lose about 1lb every seven days (expect some variation from person to person).

What is an unsafe amount of weight to lose in a month?

For most people, healthy weight loss is in the neighborhood of 1 to 2 pounds per week. That's 4 to 8 pounds per month. Weight loss above that rate is possible. But it's far from recommended.

How to lose belly fat?

8 Ways to Lose Belly Fat and Live a Healthier Life
  1. Try curbing carbs instead of fats. ...
  2. Think eating plan, not diet. ...
  3. Keep moving. ...
  4. Lift weights. ...
  5. Become a label reader. ...
  6. Move away from processed foods. ...
  7. Focus on the way your clothes fit more than reading a scale. ...
  8. Hang out with health-focused friends.

How much to walk to lose 10 pounds?

Lose 10 Pounds with the No-Deprivation Diet

For maximum fat burn, aim for 30 minutes at power-walk intensity three days a week (see the walking plan on the next page). That time can be completed all at once, or you can break it up into spurts with recovery strides (stroll or brisk walk) in between.

What is considered rapid weight loss?

Losing more than 1 or 2 lb (0.5 to 1 kg) a week is not safe for most people. It can cause you to lose muscle, water, and bone density. Rapid weight loss can also cause some side effects including: Gallstones.

What is the military 3 day diet?

The 3-Day Diet, also called the Military Diet, is a fad diet that claims that by drastically cutting calories for three days, you can drop 10 pounds in a week. It also encourages you to lower the amount of calories you eat for four more days after the initial three-day plan.

What is the maximum weight loss in a month?

"In general, 1 to 2 pounds per week, or 4 to 8 pounds per month, is a safe and sustainable amount to lose," says Sarah Gold Anzlovar, M.S., RDN, LDN and founder of Sarah Gold Nutrition. "Some people may lose more than that in the beginning, but it's often a lot of water weight and not true fat loss."

Will I notice 10 pound weight loss?

A good rule of thumb is that people tend to notice your weight loss when you've lost around 10% of your starting weight, so if you started at 250lbs, people will start to notice when you've lost 25lbs. Naturally, the same amount of weight loss can look different on different people.

Will my breasts get smaller if I lose 20 pounds?

Do Your Breasts Get Smaller When You Lose Weight? Whilst breasts can get smaller after you lose weight, breasts do not always get smaller after you lose weight. Size changes may be common, but it depends person to person.

What kills water weight?

Water weight is not usually a cause for concern, but it can be uncomfortable and recurring. Reducing salt and carbohydrate intake, keeping hydrated, and frequently exercising are all good ways to lose water weight and prevent it from returning.

How much water weight do you lose before you start losing fat?

The first week you're on a weight-loss plan, almost 70 percent of weight loss is water, Clayton says, a rate which drops to about 20 to 30 percent over a couple of weeks and then stabilizes as your body starts tapping into fat stores.

Is 20 lbs weight loss noticeable?

Yes, 20 pounds (lbs) of weight loss is typically noticeable. However, this may vary depending on an individual's current weight, body composition, and distribution of weight.

How much weight do you need to lose to go down a size?

The rule of thumb, Fernstrom says, is that losing 8 to 10 pounds translates to going down one size. Still, if you lose "up to 15 pounds, you may be OK in your old size," she says. But putting off buying new clothes until you really need them doesn't work for everyone.

What are the stages of fat loss?

In general, though, weight loss can be delineated into three stages: rapid weight loss, gradual weight loss, and maintenance. The length of each stage depends on the individual, Michelle Routhenstein, R.D., preventive cardiology dietitian says.

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