# Weight Loss Per Week

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-per-week/104865>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 21, 2002, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-per-week/104865 "2002-04-21T21:47:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-per-week/104865/21 "2002-04-22T21:27:52Z")

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Since a lot of posts are talking about the hows, and that’s not what you asked…

I don’t think 1.5 pounds per week is necessarily unrealistic. It’s entirely possible that you’ll do that. In Weight Watchers, they describe average weight loss as .5-1.5 pounds per week.

On the other hand, when I lost weight, I averaged about a half pound a week. It took me a while.

So while it’s possible, it’s not a given. And it’s a real easy way to set yourself up to feel like a failure.

Weight loss depends on so many different variables (hydration, food intake, exercise, medication, metabolism, etc.) that it’s not the best way to goal set on a weekly basis.

It’s a great way to judge progress, but setting goals of losing 10 pounds (without a time frame), or going down a clothing size, or some other such goal is probably a better way to do it.

Good luck to you, and if it comes off slow, at least it’s coming off!

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**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-per-week/104865/22 "2002-04-22T21:41:29Z")

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Thanks a lot to everyone who replied. I’m not going to set too much stock in my goal, but I am going to keep it at what I have it at now.

(btw, **scout1222** , have we stopped the Dieting Dopers threads?)

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**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-per-week/104865/23 "2002-04-22T22:13:07Z")

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Hoo hoo! Someone remembers! The threads started dying pretty early.

I thought this weekend about resurrecting it. Perhaps I shall…

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**Author:** ![DaToad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DaToad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaToad)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-per-week/104865/24 "2002-04-22T22:32:09Z")

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**LaurAnge** , I think 1.5 is very realistic if you are dedicated. I have been dieting since the 11th of Jan, and as of last Fri. I have lost 22 lbs. That’s an avg. of 1.46 per week. There have been some weeks that I did not really diet, so I didn’t lose, or I actually gained weight back. My goal was to drop 25 lbs by June. I started at 298, and I am at 276 now, or 7 lbs ahead of my goal. I was hoping that it would be faster, and if I were more dedicated it would be. But I’m satisfied that the weight is coming off very steadily.

Good luck.

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