How Fast Can a 250-Pound Person Lose 10 Pounds?

When starting out on your weight loss journey, setting yourself small, manageable goals is critical to your success. If you currently weigh 250 pounds, then aiming to take off 10 pounds is a solid start. How quickly you can lose this depends on a number of factors, though at the early stages of a diet, weight loss tends to be slightly quicker than toward the end, so make the most of your early gains.

Safe Rate of Weight Loss

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that a safe rate of weight loss is around 1 to 2 pounds per week. While this may be a solid standard guideline, it's a little too generic. Dietitian Jeff Novick of the National Health Association recommends judging your weight loss on your body weight instead and aiming to lose around 1 percent of your weight weekly. At 250 pounds, this equates to 2 1/2 pounds each week.

Calories for Weight Loss

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The speed of your weight loss also depends on your calorie intake. To lose weight you need to eat fewer calories than you burn, and the bigger your calorie deficit, the more rapid your weight loss. A sedentary 250-pound man needs about 3,090 calories per day to maintain weight, while a sedentary woman needs around 2,560, according to the American Heart Association. Losing 1 pound requires a calorie deficit of 3,500, so if you were to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories, you'd lose 1 pound per week. Reducing your intake by 1,000 calories daily would result in a 2-pound weekly loss.

Fast Weight Loss, The Safe Way

While you may generally be warned about losing weight too quickly through extreme methods of dieting, when starting out, weight loss can be fast and safe, notes MayoClinic.com. During the initiation phases of some diets, especially ones that restrict certain food groups or use several different strategies at once, you could lose six to 10 pounds in the first couple of weeks alone. This will slow down over time, however.

Considerations

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Losing 10 pounds is something to be proud of and you should be pleased at completing the first step in your journey to a slimmer, healthier lifestyle. You may still have some way to go though as, depending on your height, 240 pounds can still be classified as overweight or obese. Stay on your plan and weigh yourself once a week to check on your progress. Keep a food log, take progress photos and ask family members and friends for motivational support. If your weight loss stalls, lower your daily calorie intake a little, or increase the duration and intensity of your exercise sessions.